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Nalleli Sanchez
English 113B
Professor Spitler-Lawson
Project Web Final Draft
March 02, 2016
Word Count 1,217
High School Diploma or a GED Diploma?
The standard plan for high school students is to go to college afterwards. However, what
if school is not for everyone? There are other options besides earning their high school diploma;
it is called a G.E.D (General Education Development). A GED is a school program for those
without a high school diploma. A high school diploma shows the certification of passing the
courses from ninth to twelve grades. Both diplomas are significant because they both indicate a
certain amount of knowledge. The GED program consist a set of tests that certifies a persons
knowledge, and academic skills at the high school level. However, it is not just for those who did
not finish high school, but also for the people who come from a different racial and ethnic
society. It is not only an English language test; it is specified for non-English speaking people
too. The program is created to reflect cultural differences. A high school diploma and a GED
diploma are two credentials equivalent to a high school education that differs in years of
schooling and earning potential.
The education system in America gives many opportunities for people from different
ethnicities to earn an education. At first, the GED was created in 1942, for the United States
military to tests the World War II veterans in reading, writing, math, science and social studies.
Instead of a high school diploma, the GED shows that the veterans earned their credentials in

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passing sets of tests. With their credential they were able to apply for a job or enroll into college
(Sanchez, In Todays Economy). Now, it is not only for veterans, but also for high school
dropouts, citizens and non-citizens too. Individuals from different ethnicities such as Latinos,
White, African Americans, and Asians go to high school or to take the GED test to earn their
high school level credentials. Students who come from a different country who are not English
speakers might feel embarrassed of attending at a public high school because of the way of their
English level speaking. They choose the option to join the GED program because they are
allowed to choose their own specified language to take the test. A high school diploma and a
GED diploma share similarities but they differ in so many ways.
As for a high school diploma and a GED diploma, they both signify an accomplishment
for completing the high school level courses, but they do not necessarily offer the same benefits
and both have different requirements. A high school diploma requires a person to be enrolled at a
high school at four years. There is no age requirement, but students must complete and pass their
coursework followed by the school district (Littlefield, High School Diploma). As for the GED
program, students must not be enrolled as a high school student or a high school graduate. They
must be the age of sixteen or older to meet the requirements, and have a high score to pass the
tests (Littlefield, High School Diploma). Students need to follow the requirements and pass
their courses in order for them to complete their high school education.
Students are told that high school is the only option they have to earn an education. In the
article Whats the Value of Graduating High School Versus a GED? Youth Radio Reporter,
Desmond Meagley, dropped out of high school when he was eighteen and earned his GED by the
time he was older. Meagley disliked the way his high schools teaching style was being taught.
He felt exhausted with being in a big classroom full of students. Also, He mentions that "high

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school wasn't fit for his learning needs." (Meagley, Whats the Value). Meagley would ditch
school constantly to go to the park from across the street, sit down and read his book. He
dropped out at the age of eighteen and took control of his own education. Meagley got the
chance to take the GED test. A person like Desmond Meagley made the decision himself to drop
out and went on a different path to continue his education with the GED; he accomplished his
goals and received his diploma. Students with high school diplomas can apply to any college,
and with a GED diploma, but it can be challenging for a student to apply to a competitive
college.
A students ability of getting into college is to determine to have good grades, a high
grade point average, class rank, and taking standardized tests. (Thompson, Do Colleges Look).
Students with a high school diploma have a higher chance to get accepted into a two-year or a
four-year university. It has more benefits of applying to career jobs, study for a degree, and
earning more salary. High school diploma shows of a persons hard work and determination
throughout their four years of high school. The article, G.E.D. Vs. High School Diplomas, by
Van Thompson states that seventy-three percent of students with high school diplomas attended
college and forty-three percent of those students with a GED diploma attended college too
(Zeiger, G.E.D. Vs. High). A GED diploma is a different path people can take to catch up with
high school level courses. The advantages are getting accepted to community colleges, new job
opportunities and earn more money (Schwartz, The Advantages Of). Although, people say a
GED diploma would not get one anywhere, it is a second chance people could take to continue to
their education and follow their path to success.
To conclude, a high school diploma is a certificate that shows the completed academic
high school courses from ninth to the twelfth grade and a GED diploma is a set of tests for

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students who never finished high school and that want to continue to finish their education to
earn their diploma. People from different ethnicities join the GED program to gain more
knowledge and to improve their skills of the high school level courses. The high school diploma
and the GED diploma are equivalent to each other because they are both a show of proof of what
a person has accomplishment for years being in school. It relates to culture and education
because people from different ethnicity learn about different cultures which can help develop
their education to learn new techniques and have an impact on the affect of people and their
academic learning.

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Works Cited
Fry, Richard. "II. High School Dropouts and GEDs." Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends
Project RSS. Hispanic Trends, 13 May 2010. Web. 01 Mar. 2016.
"High School Diploma vs GED: What's the Difference?" About.com Education. Jamie
Littlefield, 14 Dec. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
Schwartz, Lynda. "The Advantages of a GED | The Classroom | Synonym." The Advantages of a
GED | The Classroom | Synonym. Demand Media. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
Thompson, Van. "Do Colleges Look at High School Diploma vs. GED?" Do Colleges Look at
High School Diploma vs. GED? Demand Media. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
"Whats the Value of Graduating High School Versus Earning a GED?" KQED Education.
Desmond Meagley, 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
Zeiger, Stacy. "G.E.D. Vs. High School Diplomas." G.E.D. Vs. High School Diplomas. Demand
Media. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.