Interesting point . . . how do all these child phenoms get into college before the age of 12, yet millions of others are 'trapped' in a system they can't escape?
They are almost always homeschoolers. And....Aren't you the first to point out that not everyone can homeschool?
In my state, students can do joint enrollment at local colleges during their junior and/or senior years, with tuition paid for by the state. The college courses count for high school graduation credit AND for college credit.