pachamamma

I'm getting my GED this summer and am attaching this to my common app to explain my situation. I was just curious if I'm going about this letter correctly, and if there is anything I should be changing (tone, grammar, etc.) Thanks a lot for any help!

Hello,
My freshman year I started taking classes at my local community college in conjunction with my work at high school. I should have roughly 70-75 credits when I apply in December (by way of summer classes and a full course load during the school year.) I decided that because my high school lacks a rigorous curriculum, that I would be best suited to take my senior year to pursue research/volunteer work closer to what I am passionate about (economics of urban environments), along with continuing my coursework at the community college. Because my high school does not allow 3 year graduation, I will receive my GED in lieu of the school’s diploma.

Admittedly, my high school grades are quite average (3.34 UW) with many bumps along the road. Some bumps are due to a lack of effort, while others to a heavy course load. Either way, it was a system where I never found something to truly love about school. While the GED unquestionably still carries an unfair stigma, I have no regrets about my decision. My classes at the community college are where I have given up many of my weekday evenings and Saturday mornings, yet those hours are such a small price to pay to have the freedom to pursue whatever my heart desires. That being said, I do not wish to transfer a single credit of my work. I will always be thankful for getting to dip my feet into the water of academia, but I would be a fool to give up even one moment of the experiences that I will make wherever I find myself next fall.

Have a great day,
Ryan Highfill