Not that the college noticed this in his applications, but the kid wasn't doing his assignments. I know plenty of very gifted kids who don't do their assignments-- and I am always concerned for them. Yes, there is a game to play in high school and college-- and some of that is work, regardless of whether you know the material or not! While it is possible that what the author says is true, that if she HSchooled her child he would have gotten into his choices they could afford; it is too far of a logic leap to make. Not all kids are suited for homeschooling.
My suggestion would be that the kid do community college for a year, do his assignments, get all A's and transfer to VT. It's not the end of the world, and maybe he'd improve his 'busy work' habits-- because college is full of that. This kid seems to have a nice stable ground for future endeavors.
