While GED holders are as smart as graduates, in terms of future outcomes (annual income, unemployment, divorce, drug use) they look exactly like dropouts.

The study made clear that “non-cognitive skills” like persistence, planning and self-control can be more important than intelligence in the long run.

File under "Talent only gets you so far; hard work gets you everywhere." Via Are people with GED’s more like high-school graduates or high-school dropouts? | Barking Up The Wrong Tree.