High School Diploma Vs GED

Have you been wondering the difference between a high school diploma and a GED? Will employers be more likely to hire you with one over the other? Will having a GED affect your ability to land a high-paying job? Will a high school diploma without a college degree restrict you on job openings for the rest of your life? These are all very good questions and their answers should be carefully considered. For the long term, it is a good idea for a college degree, but not everyone can get one. Schools these days are harder and harder to get into, but the good news is that the university degree is not the only solution for a successful career.

There are so many more factors at work than if you just have a diploma from back in high school. Some employers are adamant about having a degree, while others could care less. If you happen to apply with a small business owner who runs an online business, they probably won't care very much if you have a degree at all; they will be most interested in the results you can produce and the talents that you bring to the table--not a piece of paper with a seal on it. If you apply for some kind of government job on the other hand then they will insist that you have an advanced degree most likely. It all depends on the kind of job that you are going after.

Does not having a high school graduation certificate mean that you are not going to be able to get into college if that is the route you have chosen. Certainly not. While it is helpful, there are large number of colleges and universities that do not require even your General Education Development slip. Most do, however, so you will need to ask around and talk with the people in the admissions office to find out for sure. Do not worry if you do not have one though, because getting one is not that hard. You can do it, even if you do not think you can. Hundreds of thousands of people, in a similar place as what you are in now have done it too, so do not think you are alone.

Many support services and government services are in favor of helping you get your diploma. There are classes specially designed for the evenings that will help you out as well. This way you can stay working and still be able to get your degree with some good, steady effort. It will take you some time, but it is worth it in the end. If it does not seem possible with your current work schedule, do not worry, for there are still many opportunities for those without advanced degrees. Always work on your education, however, even if it is not in a formal setting. There is so much to be learned by just switching off the television and picking up some good reading material.

For more information on how to get a high school diploma online you can check PCDI Canada's website for a list of available distance education courses and request a free information kit.

High School Accreditation and College Acceptance

Graduates from online and private high school programs may face additional challenges when applying to colleges and universities. These hurdles are caused by a difference in the high schools' level of accreditation, or the lack thereof. The most universal form is Regional Accreditation, which is accepted nationwide by colleges, universities, public high schools, and other educational institutions. All public schools are regionally accredited, and as part of their accreditation they are required to accept credits from other regionally accredited schools. The second standard is a National Accreditation, a much looser standard that isn't always accepted. It's important to note that while Nationally Accredited may seem like it is more valued than Regional Accreditation, it's actually much less valuable. Regional is a much better option than National, and the regionally accredited diplomas go much further.

How Universities in Oklahoma Process Applications

There is even a difference between universities in Oklahoma based on what accreditation they will accept. Here's what we've found:

Oklahoma Christian University

Admission requirements for OCU allow students to apply with any diploma, as long as it was awarded from an accredited institution. Students could use either a Regionally, or Nationally Accredited diploma, as long as the accreditation was current at the time of issuing.

Oklahoma State University

OSU accepts all diplomas from Regionally Accredited high schools, and only accepts Nationally accredited diplomas on a case-by-case basis after evaluating the high school curriculum. Diplomas from non-accredited schools aren't accepted at all, so a student who graduated from a non-accredited school will need to complete a GED before being accepted. If a student has a Nationally Accredited diploma, their acceptance will be tied heavily to their scores on the ACT or SAT exams.

University of Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma accepts all diplomas from Regionally Accredited high schools, but they won't accept any diplomas from Nationally Accredited schools.

The Regional Accreditation Agencies

It's important to check your schools accreditation status with the regional agencies. Here is a list of the 6 regional agencies and the states that they service.

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

    * Oklahoma
    * Arkansas
    * Arizona
    * Colorado
    * Iowa
    * Illinois
    * Indiana
    * Kansas
    * Michigan
    * Minnesota
    * Missouri
    * North Dakota
    * Nebraska
    * New Mexico
    * Ohio
    * South Dakota
    * Wisconsin
    * West Virginia
    * Wyoming

Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)

    * Alaska
    * Idaho
    * Montana
    * Nevada
    * Oregon
    * Utah
    * Washington

New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges

    * Connecticut
    * Maine
    * Massachusetts
    * New Hampshire
    * Rhode Island
    * and Vermont

Middle States Association Secondary

    * Delaware
    * Maryland
    * New Jersey
    * New York
    * Pennsylvania
    * District of Columbia

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

    * California
    * Hawaii

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

    * Alabama
    * Florida
    * Georgia
    * Kentucky
    * Louisiana
    * Mississippi
    * North Carolina
    * South Carolina
    * Tennessee
    * Texas
    * Virginia

When it comes to private high schools, you want to carefully evaluate the different high school programs. Make sure to check that your private school or online high school is regionally accredited,

Bryce Bertola is the Director of Marketing at Park City Independent, a regionally accredited online high school with current students in Oklahoma, the United States, and throughout the World.

The Gap Year After High School - Attending a Spanish Immersion School Before College

One of the single smartest moves graduating high school students can have is to take full advantage of the gap year. Between high school and college, these students most likely want to have an amazing experience traveling and seeing the world. More and more graduating seniors are choosing to study abroad during their gap year to make it productive and to gain something that will look good on a resume or college application. Spanish language schools are particularly popular during the gap year in that students can have an exciting travel experience and learn Spanish abroad simultaneously. Students also have the opportunity to live in a different country for a series of months immersing themselves in a different cultural environment.

The gap year is a very common concept in Europe. It is beginning to catch on in the States as well. Once you understand the core principle behind the idea, it makes a great deal of sense. The theory is that a gap year, the year between high school and college, should be spent getting some real world experience in hopes of becoming a more well-rounded and informed individual. This type of experience will help students become more than just "book smart." Many people are putting this gap year concept to work by teaching English in Korea or learning a language in a foreign country.

The idea to learn Spanish abroad in South America is recommended for three main reasons. The first major reason is that there will soon be more Spanish speakers in the United States than just about anywhere in the world. Only Mexico is projected to stay ahead of the United States in terms of the number of native Spanish speakers. This means that learning Spanish is now becoming something of a necessity. The second major reason many experts recommend the idea of learning Spanish in South America is that while you will most definitely be experiencing a new culture, the culture shock will be less severe than other options such as volunteering in Africa, for example. Additionally, with a Spanish language school immersion program you learn much faster than you would have in standard classes. Native speakers, who you will be interacting with on a daily basis, will help you become most comfortable with the language faster. The final reason that it makes sense to head to South America to learn Spanish abroad is that often student's credits will transfer to their university. This could potentially save the costs of a semester of tuition.

When you are looking for a gap year program it is a good idea to find a reputable organization that will give you the best instruction along with cultural enrichment as well. Some Spanish immersion programs have specific gap year programs. For example, you can take a four- month program that includes course work in Argentina, Chile and Peru and month of volunteer work as well. Look for a Spanish immersion program with small classes. A high teacher to student ratio provides each student with a more intensive learning experience. If you can find this sort of environment with 4-7 students per class, it will undoubtedly give you more of a "dinner table" experience rather than that of a large informal class.

Another factor in choosing a Spanish school is whether or not the program includes a range of international students. By doing so, students can become friends with people from different cultural backgrounds. Levi McFarland from Kentucky recently studied Spanish abroad in Buenos Aires. He stated, "The classes are arranged so that you meet many interesting people from all over the world, while also offering a fun, challenging environment in which to improve your Spanish. The teachers really care for their classes, and manage to make each day an absorbing experience."

Here is an example of one Spanish immersion program gap year program to give you an idea of the wide array of experiences it provides. Students start their studies in Santiago, Chile, which is South America's most modern city. In Santiago, of course, students can go snowboarding in the gorgeous Andres Mountains, or head west for a beach trip on the Pacific. The second leg of the Gap Year program then ventures to Argentina, which also includes kayaking in the Tigre river delta, before the final stop of Peru. While in Lima, students can visit the famous Incan ruins in Machu Picchu as well as surfing and festivals of native culture. The program's final month has you perform volunteer work in Lima, Peru. Projects in Lima could range from working with local orphanages to working on environmental projects.

Gap Year Spanish immersion programs generally begin in mid-August and run until mid-December and are surprisingly inexpensive overall. The rough costs, even with airfare and housing, are still less than half of what a semester at a private college might run. Many students are having a once in a lifetime experience as they learn Spanish abroad and volunteer in South America.

ECELA Spanish schools provides several options for Gap Year students in South America. For more information on Spanish language schools in Argentina, Chile, and Peru => http://www.ecela.com.

Ideal High School Graduation Gift Ideas

Graduating from high school means a new start of life for a college-bound student, indicating the transition from adolescent to adult. It's an important phase of lifetime, so, high school graduates need the congratulations and good wishes from their friends and family members to support them in the future life. If you have friends or family members graduating from high school and going to college, you probably would like to send them some ideal graduation gifts to express your sincere congratulations and best wishes. In this article, I will provide some great ideas for high school graduation gifts.

When choosing ideal high school graduation gifts, you should take several criteria into consideration. First, the item should be useful for the recipient's upcoming college life and can help make the college life easier. Second, the gift should be able to bring back great memories even years later. Third, the gift should be appropriate for the recipient's phase of life and can help develop new good habits.

Electronics products and home appliances such as a laptop or computer, durable mobile phone with good signals, microwave, coffee maker and other practical everyday technologies are extremely ideal gifts for high school graduates because they can take the gift into everyday use. Some home decorations such as picture frames, bed sheets, curtains, rugs and other household additions are also great choices because they help make the dorm more comfortable and homey.

Giving schooling funds is another appreciated and practical graduation gift. College tuition is one big burden for high school graduates, since a lot of them have to do many part-time jobs to support their lives, it would be very generous and helpful to provide them found for education.

A study gift basket will be a very thoughtful and inspiring gift choice. Since learning knowledge is the main purpose for a college student, sending them baskets filled with items that can help them study is just a sweet action. You can make various combinations and make sure you have the best one to encourage the graduates work hard at college. Inspiring books, folders, notebooks, pens and vitamin pills are all good stuffing, they can keep them alert and focused at learning time.

To sum up, with some great planning, you can find a useful, memorable and ideal high school graduation gift to express your best wishes to convey courage to the recipient who is walking to a new level of life.

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School Fundraising Ideas - 9 Fundraisers for High School Students

School fundraising helps schools to have the money that they need. Fundraising earnings can be used to cover the expenses of music programs, art classes, field trips or any other expense that your school might have. Keep reading for nine school fundraising ideas that are ideal for high school age students.

Sell Candy Bars

Candy bar fundraisers are an effective fundraising choice for high school aged students. Your school will purchase candy bars and the students will resell them to their classmates and friends. There are many types of candy available to sell including chocolates, lollipops and novelty treats. Your school may even decide to sell healthy treats like trail mix. Candy bar fundraisers are both tasty and profitable.

Sell Garden Products

A garden themed fundraiser can be a profitable fundraising choice during the spring months. Your school fundraising company may have a garden themed fundraising brochure available if you want an easy way to make this fundraiser a reality.

Hold a Car Wash

Car washes can earn a lot of money and require very little investment or effort before the actual day of the fundraiser. When you plan a car wash make sure to sell tickets in advance as this will increase your earnings. You will also need to find a convenient location that has a water hookup available.

Sell Gourmet Foods

A gourmet treats fundraiser will appeal to many potential buyers. If you choose this type of fundraiser find a catalog with many different types of treats. Gourmet candies, soup mixes, cheese spreads and trail mixes are just a few of the many food options that you will find. When you offer a large selection you will be more likely to find willing buyers.

Holiday Gift Sales

The holiday season is a great time for fundraising. Many people are happy to buy their holiday gifts from your school's fundraising catalog. By buying their holiday gifts from your school people will save time while supporting a good cause. Timing is essential with this type of fundraiser so be sure to order and distribute the items several weeks before winter break starts.

Hold an Art Auction

Art classes and clubs may be able to fundraiser by having an auction of student art. This type of fundraiser allows students to showcase their talent while earning money for the school. Art auctions can be a lot of fun for the students and are a great way to boost self-confidence.

Cookie Dough Fundraising

Everyone loves cookie dough which makes this fundraiser a profitable choice for your school. Try to find a cookie dough provider that offers several types of delicious premade dough. The best cookie dough will be made from fresh ingredients like real vanilla, chocolate chips and butter.

Hosting a School Carnival

School carnivals allow many school organizations and clubs to fundraise together. Several different organizations can plan the carnival together and then each group can raise money using their individual booths. Some schools have a carnival during the school day only for students and others have a weekend carnival for families and community members.

School Plays, Concerts and Other Performances

Your schools theater and music departments can earn money through ticket sales to their various performances throughout the year. This is an easy way to earn money while helping to cover the expenses associated with school productions. Students often enjoy selling tickets to their family and friends.

With these great ideas it will be easy to plan your next school fundraiser. School fundraising is an important way to ensure that your school has the money they need.

The Goodies Factory fundraising company specializes in cookie dough fundraiser. In fact, we make our own cookie dough in our FDA inspected facilities. We have over five different cookie brochures, over 15 gift brochures, over 20 types of lollipops and Dollar and Hershey's candy bars. We also have an extensive prize program which includes daily prize programs and grand prizes like limo lunch and bouncy house.

Finding Scholarships for High School Students

Finding the right financial aid program can seem like a tough task. If you are a student and are concerned about scholarships for high school students there are a few tips that might help you to get yourself into a better place to receive a scholarship.

Preparation is key to getting scholarships for high school students. It is important to start early to get yourself in a good place. Planning can go a long way in securing financial aid for students.

Tip # 1

When you are young four years can seem like a long time, but in reality it is a very short time. Time that you can not afford to waste if you are going to get yourself in a good position to earn some scholarships.

As a freshman you should be joining clubs that you enjoy being in and partaking in after school activities. This is where the scholarships come from the easiest.

Your grades matter from the time you step in high school. It is much harder to make up bad grades than you think! So getting off to a good start is very important. If you have made some academic mistakes than work your tail off to make it up.

Tip # 2

Start sucking up! Teachers know where the scholarships for students are coming from, learn to work hard to get along with your teachers. Be respectful and engage them as much as you can so that they will keep you in mind when those potential scholarship packages cross their desks.

Click here to learn more about college scholarships and grants and other high school scholarshhps.

High School Lab Equipment

Are you a teacher? If you are, you will need quality high school lab equipment with which to equip your high school chemistry lab. This will entail obtaining high quality glassware, personal protective equipment and the right chemistry textbooks for the job. It is important that you have enough sets of high school lab equipment to equip each lab bench with the necessary tools to complete each and every assignment completely, correctly and safely. What would a well equipped high school chemistry lab have so as to be equipped properly?

It would certainly have the following items: Professional Chemistry Lab Sets. A professional chemistry lab set would include a variety of items such as: Electronic Digital Balances for weighing our materials used in reactions, Test Tubes for combining small amounts of reactants for easily observable lessons, Support Stands With Cast Iron Bases for setting up glassware used in experiments, Cast Iron Support Rings to assist in this function, Buret Clamps also to assist in this process, Wire Gauze and Bunsen Burners to setup up for boiling and effecting reactions and digestions, Porcelain Crucibles With Lids for oxidation reactions and evaporation of hydrates and solvents, Glass Graduated Cylinders for measuring liquids, Shaped Separatory Funnel With Glass Stopper for extractions, Volumetric Flasks for solution preparation, Graduated Glass Beakers to measure and as reaction vessels, Glss Laboratory Thermometers to track liquid temperatures, Poly Wash Bottles to keep everything rinsed and clean, Assorted Diameter Rubber Lab Tubing for pulling a vacuum, Glass Tubing for fashioning custom glass tubing setups, Dropping Pipets (medicine droppers) for measuring out small amounts of liquids, Glass Stirring Rods for facilitating mixing, Test Tube Clamps, Crucible Tongs and Beaker Tongs to hold test tubes, crucibles and beakers, Stainless Steel Forceps to handle hot and reactive materials, a Spatula that is Stainless Steel for measuring reactants, a Clay Pipe Triangle to hold a crucible, Weighing Canoes for measuring on the mass balance as well as Rubber Stoppers.

PPE. PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment. PPE is essential to a complete set of high school lab equipment. When working in a lab, protection for you eyes, skin and respiratory system is absolutely necessary. Safety goggles would fit snuggly round your eyes so as to help protect your eyes from spill and splashes that result from spills in the lab. Additionally, a lab coat would help to protect your skin and your clothes from materials that can splash and burn or irritate your skin and eat holes in your clothes after they are washed. Additionally, chemical resistant gloves are useful in helping to prevent exposure with respect to your hands. Safety should be top priority in any lab. High School Chemistry lab Textbooks. If you are going to equip your high school with lab equipment, you will need well outlined chemistry lab textbooks to provide you with experiments that you can perform. Chemistry lab textbooks that are well written with step-by-step instructions included as well as strong emphasis on safety.

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