<p>I went through this a few years back with identicals with very similar stats, but very different interests: one math/science and one with a rather obscure humanities focus. Although best friends they wanted different colleges so they could have a break from being the twins and always being compared. It is rather difficult to be know as the "dumb one" when you are sal and NMF. Since their interests were so different they had only a few schools in common and I tried to talk to the admissions officers at those schools about the twin issue. Only Swarthmore gave me a straight answer, which I will always appreciate. They said, "if we want one, we will take both." All others said that each applicant was considered individually yada yada. I don't think, with the rising numbers of twins these days, that being a twin is much of a hook. And I think having one accepted and one rejected by a school must be even worse than that first single birthday party invitation. The birthday party is unavoidable but the college rejection could perhaps be avoided with really good planning. It must be so much more difficult when they are interested in the same field? We were very very fortunate that they were both accepted to the four schools to which they applied in common. The schools were Cornell, Duke, Swarthmore, Wesleyan. Where they got early letters, they both got early letters. I don't know if the twin issue came into play but that is rather coincidental in my opinion. Of course after an early letter from one of these schools, which was a top choice for both, there were some extremely heated discussions about who was going to "get" to go there but in the end there were more acceptances and they both had enough good choices that they could happily choose different colleges.</p>
<p>My advice: lots of applications with enough safeties that both feel they have choices and, if possible, apps to different schools in the reach/match/safety category. Mine did 28 apps total because I wanted to be sure both had numerous acceptances. Start now with the apps, especially the essays because it is absolutely overwhelming to do with two... or at least with my two! Plan now for the spring acceptance visits. Mine ended up with several scholarship interviews which took time out of an already tight accepted student visiting schedule. If you could recruit a family member or friend to help you out with transportation, etc at that time it may be well worthwhile.</p>
<p>Some interesting after acceptance revelations: twins extremely lonesome for each other which adds another layer of difficulty to the typical freshman angst, move-in/move-out may sometimes coincide at the different schools.. yikes!, and graduation will be the same date .. twin yikes!!</p>
<p>Just typed a long response and got wiped out! I'll try again--</p>
<p>28 apps?!?! Bless you blb--then scholarship apps on top of it all? I don't think we would have lived through that--getting my guys to complete the 5 each plus scholarships took fortitude! </p>
<p>The one rejection S2 got was hard, but the true scope of his disappointment didn't come out until S1 considered tossing Georgetown to the side based on comparative FinAid. It all worked out as GU does not have ChemE which is what S2 will pursue at Lafayette.</p>
<p>The move-in day dilemma was upon us until S2 decided to participate in a pre-orientation service project. Not that I'm looking to get rid of him early, but the logistics will be so much easier.</p>
<p>When both sons attended a Marquis scholar day at Lafayette the Admissions Director (a delightful woman named Carol Rowlands) shared a story of a recent grad whose twin was at Georgetown. She had no idea that Georgetown was a consideration for S1. Of course, both schools grad ceremonies were the same day--Lafayette, in the morning, allowed their student to go to the front of the line. He and family were then whisked off to the waiting chartered helicopter that took them to DC in time for second twins' grad ceremony at Georgetown. My poor hubby went pale at the thought of the cost for the helicopter. I will need LOTS of dramamine!!</p>
<p>I am a twin myself (who went through this process the past year). We shared the same interests, clubs, ECs (for the most part). I applied only to two schools the same as my twin brother though - BU and a small local one. We were both accepted to BU, but for some reason we did not receive the same financial aid package (his was larger - if you desire, I'll post the reasoning, but this thread is for other purposes so I will refrain from unless you wish to hear why). So, we could have gone to the same college (me for biochem, he for graphic design) but since his costs were less than half of mine ($3,300 vs $8,300) I decided to attend Rutgers (in my homestate of NJ!). Because of grants and merit aid, that is only costing my family (and I) $4,400 a year. If you have any specifics, just post a request.</p>
<p>Crypto, would love to hear the reasoning about the different aid packages, if you have the time to fill us in.</p>
<p>And bbl, 28 applications! Holy cow! How did you do it??? How did you keep them all straight? And how did you get your kids to do it?? I myself hated the application process so much that I applied to only one school (early decision) just to avoid the whole thing. My twins, unfortunately won't be able to do that because of financial aid concerns. We're looking hard to find more schools to apply to that have what they want to study, but I don't think we'll ever get anywhere near 28! How many different schools were included in that 28?</p>
<p>I'm so glad I started this thread! It's terrific hearing from all you twins and twin parents about your very special experiences -- times two!</p>
<p>My friend witht the twins was lucky.No conflict of moving in/moving out/and graduation was one on a weekend and the next one on the follow Thursday.Parents made it a week long vacation trip,flying from one to the other location and staying the few extra days at the "better" locale!</p>
<p>My fraternal twins are also rising Seniors - I can't even fathom the thought of 28 apps! We're having enough trouble trying to visit all the schools that either have demonstrated interest in. As of now, they don't want to go to the same school, though there may be some overlap in applications. I look forward to hearing more about everyone's twin experiences in the college process.</p>
<p>How to do 28 apps for two students (in case anyone is really interested):
Divide work room using one side for one student.
Create a large envelope addressed to each college with student's return address. (I had one side of the room with 16 envelopes and one with 12)
Get students to write a couple of very basic, all purpose essays that will plug into most applications, especially those that allow applicant to pick a topic.
Have student complete the common application (check for typos; have students redo common app until finally there are no typos) and print it out for every school that takes it. Cut and paste the basic essays. Have students complete any supplements and "why college x" essays.
Put common app, any supplements, on top of each college's envelope. Check to be sure student name on app and on return address match. Be sure you have "why college x" with college x.
Write lots of checks, stuff envelopes, take to post office.
Schools that won't take the common application can be done in a second round. And I know this doesn't address those schools that want the first part of the application on-line. Keep a record.. on the correct side of the room.. with the appropriate envelope.. so you don't lose track of who has done that part where.
It wasn't easy but was doable. It was extremely expensive but well worth it to us because of unanticipated competing offers at the end of the process.</p>
<p>I posted the overlap schools that accepted them because it seems to me possible, on such a board, that if enough twin parents posted school names and whether both twins were accepted we might be able to get a sense of whether the twinship issue is or isn't considered in admissions.</p>
<p>Toss a stamped post card addressed to your home in each envelope for everything your mail. On the other side write rec'd by________ and the name of the school. You can put a notation in the corner Teacher req. & initials, application, supplmentals, etc. whoever opens it at the school is ususally pretty good about sigining and date stamping the card to be mailed back to you. That way you have a written record that the school received your documents.</p>
<p>My son just finished his first year at USC, and he met an identical twin who will be studying film at USC, and his twin will be studying film at NYU. Many people consider those two schools fairly comparable in many ways (size, both urban, etc.), and they are both excellent film schools. These two boys had similar goals, but I think one of them received the trustee (full tuition) scholarship at USC, and they were quite content pursuing similar academics at similar but separate institutions. My son will be moving off campus next year, and two of his roommates are triplets (I think they are both studying engineering at USC), with the third of the triplets attending UC Santa Barbara. This may not be any help, but I would treat them as two separate students (unless thay specifically want to attend the same school).</p>
<p>I knew a couple of pairs of identical twins in college.</p>
<p>One pair chose to room together, majored in the same thing, and went off to the same graduate school in the same year.</p>
<p>The other pair, even though they were good buddies, chose to live in different dorms and picked completely different academic paths (humanities vs. science) and had different sets of friends. I would never have known that my friend "Jane," the pre-med twin, was a twin at all if I had not seen her at a party one night (or so I thought). I was very offended that she didn't even say hello and treated me like a complete stranger. This apparently happened to them a lot, because when she saw the PO'd look on my face, she said, "Hi, I'm Mary. I take it you're friends with my sister Jane?" Ohhhh...</p>
<p>Our high school has had several sets of twins over the last few years--two years ago one to Brown, one to Northwestern-from what we heard from the parents, the adjustment was tough but they made it through. Last year, two sets (1 male, 1 female) both sets chose to attend with twin and I know the boys, at Penn State, roomed together, not sure about the girls. The boys never considered anything else--they were going together and rooming together from the start of the search process. This year, my guys, another set of boys and a set of girls--none of the three sets are attending the same school.</p>
<p>My twin and I applied to all the same schools, both because we liked them and I made her apply to all the ones I applied to. We applied to 10 each, and were both either accepted or rejected. We're going to an awesome school now. We're werent allowed to room together- we asked. We ended up in different dorms, but they are in the same complex of a group of three dorms. We are close enough that we dont have to leave a building to go see each other, and we share a dining hall. It worked out better than we'd excected. Since we're still so close, yet still in our own dorms, I think it's going to work out great. Plus, I have a feeling going to the same college, we'll handle the homesickness better than other kids moving to the other side of the country. I dont think i would really consider going that far without her.</p>
<p>My twin brother and I didn't have any problems getting into the same schools. We only applied to three. We roomed together for two years before I transferred to another university with a less stressful academic environment. I also changed majors. My brother graduated this year and I have one more due to the change of majors. Being apart was actually good for us. We had been roommates all of our lives and we needed our own space. We are more like brothers...not the kind of twins who constantly need to be with each other. We both share similar interests. He majored in chemical engineering and I'm in mechanical. Despite our interests in engineering, our college careers have been pretty different. I'd say mine has been more turbulent. My brother had smooth sailing through 4 years of ChemE and steady internships. My first two years of college as a computer science major were very rough. I also spent a year in AFROTC but that eventually ended. Then I had to deal with the failure of having to transfer out due to bad grades. I eventually got back in the game and got on the Dean's List. I've also had steady internships as well as some research experience.</p>
<p>Great stories! My fraternal girls have already split up. One daughter started at West Point last week. The other will be an architecture major at the University of Illinois beginning next month. They are great friends and good sisters to each other. Scores and grades are nearly identical. They already miss each other, but are also excited about the different paths they are taking. </p>
<p>At one point, it seemed that they would both attend the U of I. They chose the same dorm, then laughed about the fact that they would insist on being placed on different floors. Or they would just have to find another college.</p>
<p>I recall visiting Butler and being told a story by the Admissions Rep. She said that a set of twin girls both selected Butler as their #1 school. Both were admitted, but the mother would not allow them to go to the same college. One attended and the other reluctantly went to a 2nd choice school. It sounded like one of those Solomon decisions that I would never want to make.</p>
<p>We've been on vacation (visiting colleges, of course :) ) so I'm late to this thread, but Swarthmore specifically told us this spring that they treated applications from twins on an individual basis. Maybe they've changed their policy? The admissions officer said that, last year, there were sets of twins who had had one twin accepted and the other rejected, and one accepted and the other waitlisted. Since it was a private, fairly informal conversation outside of the office, I didn't get the feeling that he was just spouting the company line that one frequently hears.</p>
<p>Our fraternal twins are interested in the same types of schools, but one's stats are slightly better. However, the other one would be much better at interviewing.</p>
<p>My wife and I were originally very much opposed to the kids' going to the same college, but we're relenting. They claim that they don't necessarily want to go to the same place, but I'm sure that there will be quite a few overlapping applications. We'll see how it goes...</p>
<p>I remember interviewing a triplet for Duke. All three girls were accepted and my first thought was, oh lord, what a tuition bill!!</p>
<p>A friend has twins: one (the more social one) is staying home for a year to work and the other one (the shyer one) is going to state school about 45 minutes away. She is already starting to panic about being "alone" and not able to ride her sister's social coattails.</p>
<p>My sister and I (identical twins as well) have similar interest at least we did in HS. both were in the soccer team, national honor society, chess club, volunteer work (more than i can count) etc. She, however did volunteer work/cross cultural immersion in Poland although this i believe doesn't make a difference as i did many volunteer things that she didn't and she also won the New York Times Scholarship (i didn't apply although they later asked her why i didn't as though we aren't two separate individuals ) Anyway, we both applied to barnard, swarthmore, connecticut college, amherst, yale, city college, binghamton, and she in addition applied to Darthmouth. We both were rejected to Yale, i was waitlisted to amherst and she was accepted, and we were both waitlisted to Connecticut college; we got in everywhere else. I ended up going to swat and she ended up going to Darthmouth. during freshman orientation at my school when bringing up statistics, they kept saying that our class was made up of 2.5 twins (me being the 1/2) twin so that it led me to believe that the admissions office had indeed taken note that we were twins and had perhaps considered it in admitting both of us. My advice is that your daughters accept that a bit of their individuality may be lost when applying to the same schools. Sometimes the twin thing works sometimes it doesn't</p>