This Family Had 7 Kids in College by Age 12

There's a family of 12 in Montgomery, Ala., that calls itself the "Brainy Bunch," and for good reason. Kip and Mona Lisa Harding's seven oldest children were all in college by the age of 12, KSL.com reports. At 22, Serennah Harding may be the youngest doctor of osteopathic medicine in the country; Rosannah became an architect at 18. Heath isn't just an entrepreneur at 17—he also has his master's degree in computer science. Then there’s the engineer, the composer, and the would-be archaeologist (a college sophomore at 13) and one-day lawyer (taking college classes at 10)… Their parents say their children aren’t geniuses, but that they simply found a way to make education quick and fun for the home-schooled kids.

Mona Lisa, who is following her kids' lead by earning her bachelor's degree now, explains the family quickly broke away from the "tedious" nature of "boxed curriculum and went into just reading for pleasure and reading what the kids wanted to read." When Mona Lisa was unable to keep up with her oldest daughter in math, she enrolled her in online college courses, Mona Lisa told the Today Show, where she appeared with the family earlier this month to promote their new book, The Brainy Bunch. An online poll conducted by Today showed that 93% of respondents would not want their children to grow up like the Hardings, but the kids sound pretty pleased with their childhood experiences. "It's not really a pushing environment,'' says Rosannah. "It's finding your own inspiration, finding your passion." (Read about other prodigies here and here.)