(Source: University of San Diego)College admissions offices, especially those at selective schools, face the daunting task of choosing the best students. Comparing the relative merits of applicants isn't an exact science. At least you can use standard barometers such as grades, class rank and SAT scores.



But what if an applicant has none of the above? What if he or she is home schooled? How do you evaluate learning and achievement in relation to that of peers?

As this article points out, home schooling is becoming increasingly popular. Already about one to two million kids learn at home, and that number has been growing at a rate of 10 percent per year. Colleges need to account for these students in the admissions process because many of them actually perform very well academically once they arrive at college.

Here's one example. This year's winner of the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation's premier high school science competition, is home schooled. The prize carries a $100,000 award, which this student could use for tuition. If you were an admissions officer, would you take a chance on him? I bet you would.