I just want to clear something up here. Homeschooling does allow a lot of freedom, but it is not the end all and be all of education. A child still has to be motivated and sometimes do things that they don't wholeheartedly enjoy. I *LOVE* homeschooling, but...
My oldest DS was homeschooled through high school and had about 50 college credits, Dean's list at the cc, great test scores (though his SAT math was only mid 600's, his other scores were near perfect) lots of community service, etc. He did not get into his top choice school, though he is doing well (academically at least) at his number two.
I think his major weakness was in group extracurriculars, and his letters of reference were written largely by people who didn't get to know him very well. I saw this coming, and encouraged him to build relationships with adults at the cc and his various jobs, internships, etc. He just couldn't do it. So the reference from the radio station owner where he interned for two years is very vague and basically says that J is really smart and a good kid. People can't write about what they don't know, and since James never let his great sense of humor show, nobody knew to mention it.
I drive James crazy with my organic and natural food preferences, but when I heard the folks on air discussing the old fashioned type of peanutbutter that you have to stir, James didn't think to pipe up that his Mom buys that kind and he hates it. He could have gone off about disliking my real maple syrup, or hummus and pita bread, etc. It would have extended the conversation and entertained, but he didn't even think of sharing. That's the way he is. He was comfortable reading news items and once faced off against the news anchor in a trivia contest on air, but he never spontaneously brought things up.
So yes, homeschooling does open up possibilities, but the student still needs to be a leader and a diligent worker. Positive relationships with tutors, instructors, coaches, and mentors need to be formed and to be nurtured. Test scores alone don't count for much at all.
