TWINS Applying to Competitive Colleges

<p>My sister and I are identical twins and we both want to apply to Columbia, Duke, and Princeton. We take almost exactly the same classes and have very similar GPAs (mine's a little higher though, 3.95). SAT scores very similar, mine is 2310 and hers is 2330. We're both the top flutists in our schools symphonic band (I placed higher at District auditions, 2nd principle flute). We're both on the Varsity tennis team (though I'm higher ranked and won MVP). We worked together as a research team and won Grand Prize at the Fairfax Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and both of us were chosen to be finalists at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
We're both in Technology Student Association (TSA) and won 1st place in the state competition for Fashion Design. But I also got 3rd in Biotechnology Design and am a TSA Regional Council Officer. </p>

<p>Another major difference is that I founded and am Captain of Science Olympiad at my school and have won multiple 2nd place medals at the State level. I'm not trying to brag that I have better credentials, just stating the truth for realistic advice. </p>

<p>We basically do everything together.... not that we try to, we just like the same things. If we apply to the same school, will that hurt our chances? As in one of us makes it and the other doesn't? Or will the school be more inclined to accept both (maybe because being twins is rare and adds to the campus "diversity")? How do colleges see twins overall? Do you know of any special opportunities for twins, like scholarships? </p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

<p>I doubt that schools of that caliber will accept you both simply because you are twins - they will look at you as individuals. The odds of either of you being accepted is slim, just because the odds of anyone being accepted is extremely slim. Simply way too many qualified applicants competing for a limited number of seats. Be sure that you are also applying to lesser ranked schools that give you better odds of acceptance as well as to the top tier schools. Do your best not to be jealous if each other when one gets into a preferred school and the other does not. Maybe you will each get into a different preferred school and it will balance out if you are fortunate.</p>

<p>Go to the financial aid threads and look at the sticky on schools guaranteeing merit scholarships. </p>

<p>There are a few colleges that give a price break to twins (there’s was a college in DC that gave a 50% discount for the second child, it might be George Washington), you can google for info. Not sure if both of you being flutists will help or not, since there are so few openings for flutes in orchestra anyhow. If you both applied to 1-2 schools that the other isn’t applying to, you wouldn’t be competing against each other and may end up with some interesting options.</p>

<p>There are many twins represented at various colleges. For example, see:
Harvard: <a href=“The Harvard Crimson”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/4/17/the-dynamic-duo-glamour/&lt;/a&gt;
Yale: <a href=“Twins team up, split up - Yale Daily News”>http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2009/11/13/twins-team-up-split-up&lt;/a&gt;
Princeton: <a href=“http://www.ohio.com/news/stow-munroe-falls-high-school-twins-head-to-princeton-1.482284”>http://www.ohio.com/news/stow-munroe-falls-high-school-twins-head-to-princeton-1.482284&lt;/a&gt;
Columbia: <a href=“http://ns.gmnews.com/news/2011-08-25/Front_Page/Twins_go_from_GEDs_to_Columbia_University.html”>http://ns.gmnews.com/news/2011-08-25/Front_Page/Twins_go_from_GEDs_to_Columbia_University.html&lt;/a&gt;
Duke: <a href=“Why Duke is Doubly Important to These Twins | Duke Today”>http://today.duke.edu/2014/02/millennialtwins&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also see: <a href=“Is There a Better Half? - The New York Times”>Is There a Better Half? - The New York Times;

</p>

<p>In our town, there are triplets who all got into Brown ED. All 3 were NMF’s too.</p>

<p>Daughter attends ND and knows more than one set of twins in her class. Also, a couple of years ago, Yale admitted quadruplets, all of whom are attending.
<a href=“Connecticut Quadruplets Will Attend Yale - The New York Times”>Connecticut Quadruplets Will Attend Yale - The New York Times;

<p>My twin sister and I have similar circumstances. We’re juniors right now and applying to the many of the same schools and ivies.</p>

<p>DD met a set of triplets at Quaker Days, all three were accepted to Columbia & UPENN. They decided to commit to UPENN. There were two sets of twins that we met st BDDs. They each had several accepted student events throughout the month of April, (Stanford, Pomona, UChicago, Rice, P’ton, just to name a few) and the parents were feeling quite fatigued by the end of April. I can’t even imagine the cost of those plane tickets!</p>

<p>Thanks everyone! The articles and anecdotes are very helpful. </p>

<p>I happen to come across this thread. I don’t think it’s going to hurt at all in your case. Reading through your credentials and if your sister is close, my gut feeling says that you two will end up at one of the top schools (Stanford?) Let us know how it pans out next April. Good luck.</p>