Like most educators, I’ve worked with a healthy number of twins, triplets, and other siblings very close in age. The variation in how these students approach the idea of working together always amuses me: some siblings would never think of studying apart, while others crave just an hour or two a week respite from their brother or sister. And that’s just for test prep. Imagine how much thought goes into the question of whether siblings that have progressed in lockstep–and often matching outfits–from nursery school through high school want to attend the same college and university. Then imagine those same important questions from the position of the college admissions office…
Many experts assert or at least infer that being a twin or sibling doesn’t influence admissions decisions. Yet, the Common App and other applications inquire about siblings, sometimes even asking if a sibling is applying to the same school. Legacy influences admissions decisions, so the idea that demonstrated interest by more than one member of a family might improve admissions odds. To test that hypothesis, we’d need evidence of schools that admit multiple sets of twins a year…
Temple welcomes 36 — yes, 36 — sets of twins and triplets in new class
Clearly, at least one university values the ineffable bond connecting offspring produced by the same pregnancy. Many admissions officers profess to being equally “multiple sensitive” in terms of respecting siblings as a set. In fact, some schools and organizations even offer scholarships for twins. Who, after all, wants to break up strongly attached siblings, especially when they are closely matched in grades, activities, and other measures of college fit?
Padya Paramita of Ingenius Prep offers some excellent tips on How to Approach Admissions as Siblings, with special attention given to twins. Even the most basic research, though, suggests that applying as a twin, triplet, or contemporary sibling never hurts in college admission and can often help.
Mike Bergin