Life circumstances often force students to leave school early. With the GED, students can continue their education without the restrictions and extraneous classes that often accompany attending a traditional high school. Students with a GED who are able to hold down jobs often gain a sense of responsibility and freedom that traditional students do not have. Students who are bored in high school can use the GED to test out of classes and use the extra time to develop a work history.
Many GED holders continue to community college before earning a four-year degree. Once students have proven themselves by taking college courses, admission to four-year universities becomes easier. Depending on the individual college, a GED holder may be required to take additional tests, such as the SAT or ACT, to determine a GED holder's specific knowledge.
Most entry-level jobs accept either a high school diploma or GED; however, many employers may question why an individual chose to get a GED over a high school diploma. Each employer will respond differently to a candidate with a GED instead of a high school diploma, and some employers will not have a preference for one or the other. However, a candidate who chooses to get a GED or who got a GED due to necessity will usually appear more favorably to an employer than a candidate who dropped out of high school without a good cause.
The military often prefers applicants with high school diplomas. The Air Force requires a minimum qualifying score of 65 on the ASVAB for GED holders. GED holders must wait for openings to become available in the Air Force, as less than 1 percent of enlisted individuals are GED holders during any one-year period. However, if you have 15 or more semester hours of college credits, you will have the same eligibility as a high school graduate. According to the US Army Info Site, when the army does accept GED holders, it requires a minimum ASVAB score of 50. GED holders in the army are not eligible for bonuses unless you have 15 credit hours of college.