Well no, of course the school isn't going to provide ambition and motivation magically wherever the family has failed to. �The same family that would call video-games and free babysitting "the unschooling lifestyle" wouldn't really care about grades or achievement in school other than maybe to pass. �Just agreeing with what PTP said better than me in that the PR hype of unschooling is "quit the rat race, forget all the standards, throw away all expectations and just enjoy life while it's happening in the here and now, and the proof it works is the wildly amazing success stories," as if those are a representative sample. �As if unschooling is most likely going to produce the most successful college students.
Another way to see it maybe that the unschooling lifestyle is very attractive to the type of families who are raising the type of kids who will make the best college students later in life. �But that's a different thing than saying the process of unschooling produces better college students. �
I can see it being attractive to several types of families for a variety of reasons. �I think a lot of families who are motivated and are trying to raise little successful adults often end up trying a variety of things before it's all said and done. �I don't know what I'm going to do with my kid yet. �Like I said I like the supportive exploration of a child's interest, I love the interactive parental involvement with the child's pursuit of his interest, I love how the unschooling seems to be completely about maintaining a supportive family and constructive home-life so the kid is free and secure to explore their interests. �I'm not so thrilled with the part of unschooling that tells the kids it's ok if you don't want to try it or you don't think you'll like it, you don't even have to try; and if you're not good at something you don't want to work on it, that's fine too. �That's just my gut reaction to the philosophies of unschooling. The practical choice to unschool is a different matter. � Anyway the practical choice to unschool could be to relieve a child's suffering due to developmental differences. �It could be just because the family wants to try it and it's their right to raise their kids the way they want to. �And it's not irreversible. �You can always at any time choose to get your free public education up until the age of 18 (I think...)

If I win the lottery I will immediately choose unschooling. �My kids will explore Egypt and the Mediterranean in person. �I'll read them the history books on the flight over there then we'll look for the landmarks (I can still dream, right?). �I'm still saving nickles and dimes to show the most of the world live and in person anyway.

Youth lives by personality, age lives by calculation. -- Aristotle on a calendar