Companies say that they won't hire without a degree, but exceptions are made for those who have written substantial code for open source projects that are highl

Companies say that they won't hire without a degree, but exceptions are made for those who have written substantial code for open source projects that are highly visible. It is possible, albeit difficult, to get around the very policy that you mention existing in most companies. A bachelors degree is only four years of education and is in a very controlled and contrived environment, it cannot make up for excellent achievement in the real world.