From Breeding Goats to Taking Notes

There are few schools that have a 100 percent acceptance rate into Harvard. But there is at least one that can make such a claim--The Mountain School in Boonville, California.

Boasting a mere four students, The Mountain School is not a school at all, but a ranch. There are no teachers, no classrooms, and no tests. And all the pupils happen to be brothers.

Students who met the two alumni of this school during Freshman Week probably hadn't heard of their hometown, but they might have read about them on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

J. Drew Colfax '90 and brother Grant Colfax '87 never attended elementary or secondary school. Instead, they grew up on the Shining Moon Ranch, raised goats, did chores and studied on their own. Because the Colfax parents found the local schools unsatisfactory, they registered their ranch as a private school.

Grant, Drew and their two younger brothers have lived for 14 years in a house built by the family. For the first two years, it lacked running water, and for nine years, a phone. Until Grant's freshman year here, when Drew hooked up a solar panel, the Colfaxes did not have electricity.

"Our study routine was pretty dependent on the weather," freshman Drew says. The Brothers say that their parents never really assigned them work. They never had deadlines or specific topics they had to study.

"We basically studied on our own from the age of 12 on. We helped each other a lot," Grant says. The family received textbooks by asking for sample copies from publishing houses. "Grant was really the guinea pig," Drew says. "He would tell me which books were good."

"It was never questioned that we would come to college," Grant says. Harvard was the first choice for both brothers. Grant came to Harvard because he "wanted to come East and go to a large school."

One of Grant's freshman year roommates, Paul Felix '87, says that Grant had no problems adjusting. "Nothing took him by surprise. He was eager to dive in and liked the urban surroundings," Felix says. He adds that Grant was not too curious about what went on in high school, and he did not seem to think he missed out on anything.

Freshman Drew says he feels the same way. "I knew everyone at the local high school. Sometimes, I would wonder what it would be like to waste six hours a day there."

Many of their classmates comment that the Colfax brothers seem, if anything, to be better prepared for college. "Grant's study habits are better than all of ours," says Perry S. Hewitt '87. "I think he got discipline from not being told what to do."

Pennypacker roommate Edward P. Kohn '90 says that his mother had read an article about Drew before he even came to Harvard. "I thought the guy would be a social reject. I was prepared for the worst," Kohn says, adding Drew quickly proved him wrong.

Drew says he likes the college atmosphere, adding, "the social life distracts from one's studies. It's quite nice."

More Than a 'Goat-Boy'

Cabot House resident Grant describes his life at Harvard as going through three stages. "When I first got here, a lot of people knew who I was, but that didn't bother me at all," Grant says. "Then I went through a period where I was tired of being perceived as a `goat-boy.' Now I feel like I've established my own identity away from typecasting."

As a biology concentrator, Grant is a "very competitive fellow," says Dan F. Voytas, a teaching fellow for Biology 7. Voytas says he found that surprising, since "before, he had no one to compete with but himself." He adds that Grant is very "gung-ho" about everything, but has become more focused since his freshman year.

Back on the ranch, Grant raised goats, wrote articles about them and entered them in shows. In order to win, Grant says he had to do a lot of select breeding of certain lines. Voytas attributes Grant's interest in genetics and applied science to his hands-on experience.

"He is the only person I know who has Dairy Goat Journal and Time on his coffee table," Hewitt says. Grant himself writes for the Harvard Biology Review and also has worked in two labs. He currently is applying for various fellowships and plans to go to medical school.

In addition to his academic life, Grant has had an active extra-curricular life. "He is an extrovert, very personable and witty," Felix says. Grant has appeared in both Loeb Experimental and house plays and was an associate producer for Citystep.

Those who know Grant admire his individuality. "You gotta love him. He's the only person who ever named a goat after me. I got third place in a show," says Hewitt.

According to Drew, "Grant would moan and groan about how much studying he had to do, but in the next breath talked about the Saturday night parties." Drew says that the fact that he had a brother here encouraged him to come to Harvard.

Grant says he has been giving Drew a lot of advice. "I tell him not to panic, not to over-study and warn him about the food." Drew says that Grant told him he would be well-prepared and would not have any problems despite his lack of formal education.

Spanish A teacher Maria L. Davila considers Drew one of her brightest students. "I find his interest admirable for a student. He takes it more as a personal challenge than a requisite that he is filling. He definitely has a different attitude than the other students."

Having known Grant for four years as well, Davila sees the brothers' desire to learn as their greatest asset. "They study because they want to learn, not for an exam," she says.

Drew's fall term course load is almost identical to Grant's freshman schedule. Despite their parents backgrounds in sociology and English, both sons are studying biology. They believe their similar interests may stem from having studied together.

In addition to his pre-med classes, Drew is rowing freshman crew, taking advantage of Harvard's urban setting and, all in all, behaving much like any freshman with a more traditional background.

But underneath, both brothers are quite different from the typical Harvard student. Neither one will mention their unusual background, though, unless you ask them.

As Drew's roommate Peter L. Rukeyser '90 says, "We have to brag for him."