".... But I know that employers DO in fact prefer high school diplomas to GEDs. "
***Would most employers prefer an 18 year old with a straight HS diploma or an 18 year old with an AA degree? Assume the same GPA in both cases.
Obviously the one with the AA degree. But most people with GEDs don't go on to get AAs.
My husband dropped out of high school, and took his GED. He lived and worked on his own, and decided he needed to go to college. He put himself through, starting first with a community college and Cal Poly.
Now, he is the director of software engineering for firm in the Silicon Valley.