College without high school diploma?

You can check in today's New York Times (NYT) the following:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/education/30dropouts.html

I gave high school students a conceptual physics test today. I did not ask them to study for it, I just asked them the same questions I asked them at the beginning of the year.

Then I read the above article informing us that some colleges take students without General Education Development (GED) diploma, nor high school diploma.

My opinon is that everybody deserves a place in college, but they have to demonstrate high school equivalency.

As far as my students are concerned, I believe they will do well in college, but they definitely need to know more physics.