Help with twins

doubletroubledad · 07-31-2009, 10:14 PM

I have twin sons who will be applying to high-end schools later this year. Both have strong academic stats, 4+GPA. top 10%, 7+APs (5s) after junior year, top1% ACT and SAT. Both have similar ECs. They both tend to like the same schools. I'm concerned that they will be competing against each other for entrance and whatever limited merit aid may be available. Is this a valid concern? Any advice?

mathmom · 07-31-2009, 10:31 PM

No advice, some schools offer a discount for the second child though, so it may not all be bad even if they do like the same school.

AdmissionsAddict · 07-31-2009, 10:40 PM

Can only add anecdotal reassurance that there seemed be a set of twins in every Yale class while I was there as well as twins who had been cross-admitted at the same HYP schools with siblings choosing to attend different schools. Have seen more of the same in my post-college life. I think if you have two very high achieving twins it can actually be a boost--if they really want one twin badly they may admit both for fear of losing the twin they most desire. My point is that it's not the kiss of death and may help if there is a top-drawer but slightly-less-exceptional twin.

UCLA Band Mom · 07-31-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

I'm concerned that they will be competing against each other for entrance and whatever limited merit aid may be available. Is this a valid concern?

That was exactly what my mother feared when my twin sister and I applied years ago. And it was a totally unfounded fear. Two students from the same household increase the amount of aid offered, because more need can be shown. And it is a LOT of fun to go to college with your twin. Twins can share books, study together, and make double the number of friends.

historymom · 08-01-2009, 01:43 AM

I worried about this too. But my daughters had luck applyng together and their stats were not as even as your sons'. If a U believes that your boys are more likely to attend if they are both accepted and they want one they will do their best to make a spot for the other. Of course this may not be true everywhere but I certainly would allow each to apply wherever he wanted and allow the chips to fall as they will.

Best of luck!

Debruns · 08-01-2009, 08:24 AM

I have a high-acheiving twin girl and her sister is more laid-back but also does well in school. I thought the more relaxed twin would look worse in her sister's shadow, but they are individuals and have different interests. I have heard form other parents, that they felt some colleges took both (if grades were close) because they felt they wanted to come together, a few wait-listed the other one. Some colleges admit they take both twins, others wont comment on it, saying it's application by application. Time will tell, but it will be interesting to see the outcomes. Some of the twins got acceptances but different packages because one got an award the other didn't.
I don't say it often to them, but I hope if they both lilke a school, they go together. Bringing them, picking them up, graduations, breaks, etc. would be easier and I would save money with potential discounts, less dorm items and our old clunker would get less mileage. But I can't control certain things, so we will see.

stillnadine · 08-01-2009, 09:19 AM

In my s's HS class this year, the val and sal were twins AND #3 and # 4 were also twins! All four will attend the same university. We have friends whose daughters were like Debruns' girls: one slightly more focused and one more laid-back but both with excellent grades, SATs, EC. etc. They ended at at different schools but in the same area (Vassar and Marist). They seem happy to be near one another but finally on their own.

Northstarmom · 08-01-2009, 10:05 AM

A couple of years ago, a CC poster named FrecklyBecky was applying to colleges that her twin brother was applying to.

Her twin, who had a stronger app than she did, got into all of the colleges that he applied to, including Ivies.

FrecklyBecky got only into her safety, U Michigan. She was happy for her brother, but disappointed for herself.

Fall of freshman year, though, FrecklyBecky posted an update: She'd gotten the ingenue role in a fall production at Michigan. She also loved Michigan and couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

So...whatever happens, things can work out.

Debruns · 08-01-2009, 01:33 PM

I agree with that Northstarmom, although I wonder if they look at boy/girl twins differently.

Stillnadine, my girls are looking at Marist and we thought of looking at Vassar also since it is close by. They said to me, if their sister was close, they wouldn't mind being apart and having some space, but they do have a close bond, even being fraternal and different in personality.
It will be interesting to see how they and other twins fare with discounts, admission and other things. I'm sure as with admissions in general, there will be surprises, good and bad.

twinmom · 08-02-2009, 02:00 AM

My boy/girl twins applied only to the same safety schools and were both accepted with different amounts of merit aid. They had always planned to go to different schools and indeed did just that.

Anonymous91 · 08-02-2009, 02:05 AM

I am a twin and I can really relate. Both my twin and I had ACT's in the top 1%, were ranked in the top 2% in a class of 1000+, and were also interested in the same schools. We had the same concerns, especially witht he financial aid. We received the same admissions decisions at almost every school we applied to, and truthfully i do believe that some of our wait lists were from the aid that we needed. However be both got into some top schools. In conclusion, don't worry, apply to top schools which don't rely on merit aid, but rather need based, and it should be fine.

seekingknowledge · 08-02-2009, 10:25 AM

My daughters had what appears to be the same stats and situation as your sons. I had the same worries as you. My advice...let the situation play out. A year ago, I thought the girls would attend different universities on different planets and worried about the scholarship/admissions competition between them. The result...they will be attending the same university and were awarded the same institutional & competitive scholarships (thank goodness...we just missed the financial aid cutoff). And to top it all off, this past month they announced that they would be rooming together! Go figure...

FindAPlace · 08-02-2009, 11:43 AM

A friend of mine had twins who were val and sal of their senior class. They were also swimmers. They both attended Emory (where the also swam), and are now both attending grad school at Stanford. Although by now their academic interests have diverged just a little, they have had no problem in being admitted at their places of interest (to say, they were either both accepted or both rejected at the same places.)

PackMom · 08-02-2009, 01:33 PM

A few years ago identical triplet sisters from our school system were all admitted to same Ivy.

2by2 · 08-02-2009, 02:00 PM

Hey guys- I am sure I can tell you some stories about our experience and how they managed the process and how I survived it. If you have an questions you can PM me but in short I had twins that were accepted to all the top schools they applied with fabulous merit opportunities at the ones that offered it. The road is just a bit different for mulitiples and their parents but as with everyone- it does work out. Also Historymom has twin girls and her posts can give some additional insight.