I am a 16 year-old student from India. I have consistently performed well on my academics and have received straight A’s.
I was however wondering whether I could apply for a GED instead and apply for universities in US one year early. I will also be writing SATs and self-studying for 3 AP classes in the same year. Is taking the GED a wise option for me?
It’s DISCOURAGED to go to college early. Also, you are 16 years old, which is way too young.
So, No. Just complete your high school.
The GED is only for people who are in the US. It is not an easy series of exams to pass. Forget that route unless you are already living here in a state where taking the GED is a legal option for high school age drop outs.
Many colleges and universities are happy to admit students who have not completed secondary school provided those students can demonstrate that they are ready for college. There are several threads here on the topic of Early College. You also can look at this list: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/early_college.htm
GED is offered internationally too. Also I am quite confident I will be able to pass them.
Thanks anyway/
Well, uh, duh, hopefully you’d pass the GED, especially if you’re a good student: it’s a certificate for high school drop outs… while universities accept the GED, they also don’t look at it positively for regular-age, high school students who think it’s a shortcut. It’s a good solution to turn your life around if you had problems with high school - had to work to support your family, were in a gang, got pregnant, come from an area where few people graduated high school, moved around a lot… - but an actual high school education is considered far better. I’m not sure what classifying yourself as a high school dropout wannabe would achieve.
Also without gpa, it will be very hard to get scholarship I think
I think the reason the OP is asking about GED is that some schools, mainly Community Colleges will accept ANY student with a GED. As an International student without a valid High School Program or no acceptable entrance exams, these schools will accept students with a GED. CUNY schools and Florida Community Colleges will accept anyone with a GED. I’m sure this is true of other institutions in some States.
OP, if you’re interested in financial aid, it might make more sense for you to stay in school, continue getting great grades and work on aiming for great scores on IB tests and SAT, SATIIs and developing relationships with your teachers in order to get impressive letters of recommendation. It sounds like you’re strong academically, so staying in school won’t interfere with your self-studying – or picking up some ECs that will make you a strong, well-rounded applicant. Don’t forget that American universities look at candidates “hollistically” – it’s not just about grades or a diploma.