college essay on being a twin

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Embracing My Identity: Navigating College Life as a Fraternal Twin

Table of contents, shared memories, individual paths, support and independence, creating my own community, forging a stronger bond.

• Eisenbruch, A. B. (2005). Siblings of twins: A unique resource. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 8(4), 339-349.
• Feiler, B. (2012). The siblings are listening. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/fashion/the-siblings-are-listening.html
• Kuczynski, L. (2003). Handbook of dynamics in parent-child relations. Sage Publications.
• Noller, P., & Callan, V. J. (1988). Adolescents' perceptions of their sibling relationships during middle adolescence. Child Development, 59(5), 1268-1274.
• Segal, N. L. (2019). Twin and sibling differences in educational achievement: A behavioral-genetic perspective. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 22(5), 363-369.

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"Being a Twin" - College Application Personal Essay

djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 13, 2010   #1 So I am in the process of writing my personal essay and I want it to be the best it can be. The prompt is: Describe the environment in which you grew up, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Here's what I have right now: "Are the two of you twins?" A polite, "Yes," as we walk by. When people learn I am a twin, they lead into the matter at the first available opportunity, as would be expected. No matter what we could previously be talking about, be it school...sports...weather, it is suddenly dropped in favor of this new one. When my brother and I are actually together, the fact that I am a twin is (obviously) much clearer. With this observation, someone may point and stare as if my twin and I are on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, or other times, a total stranger might come up to us like we've known each other for years. A simple glance is all it takes to spark an interest. And so begins the flow of questions. "Am I seeing double?" "What's it like to be a twin?" (As if I have any means of comparison) How does one go about answering a question such as this? How can they understand twinhood from my perspective? For the seventeen years I have lived on this earth, I have encountered this situation more times than I care to count (This number not including the first quarter of my life which remains unclear, given the fact that I was but a mere child). All my life I have had an identical twin, an exact copy of my genetic make-up, and all my life people have never ceased to be amazed by this. The first question ("What's it like?") is general enough for me to describe the simple niceties of being a twin. The second question about whether or not I find it enjoyable, however, doesn't leave me with as much "wiggle room." I can pipe off the things I may insincerely like or dislike-the ability to play games with strangers, or the headaches which arise from lifelong sibling rivalry-but can I really say whether or not I want to be a twin? Being a twin is so fundamentally a part of my fundamental existence that I could never say yay or nay; all I can retort is a hesitant "Well, it's alright, I guess. I can't complain." Though in spells of rage I have been known to regard my twin brother as someone who is incompetent and riling, Zach and I are nevertheless best friends. There is no other person I have spent more time with than my brother, and can be around and yet proceed to act so innately and so uninhibited that it feels as though I were by myself. Granted we have our moments of weakness, but our fights are never caused by anything more than misplaced aggravation or fatigue-induced irritability. I suppose the most reasonable explanation for this is relatively simple; my brother and I understand each other better than anyone else. We get a kick out of the same jokes and respond to certain things in similar ways. We share the same interests and like all of the same foods. Just because we can finish one another's sentences, doesn't make us psychological oddities but shows just how identical we really are. While I could not be happier being a twin and would never wish otherwise, I often find myself zoning out when being bombarded with these questions. I guess this is because the inquirers are so interested in Zach and me collectively, not me as an individual. Expectations that my twin brother and I are the same person (produced twice) have limited my expression of my personality. I look forward to my college experience as a chance for people to know the me, and not (just) the we. I hope that as my brother and I both go our separate ways, I will find my own self through my journey to become a physician, thus developing a new identity different from that of my brother. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ Should I add something about the university?

cmg 2 / 14   Oct 14, 2010   #2 Very good. You've gotten the environment part down and part of the shaping down, but you are actually just describing the "WE." Now you need to work on describing what exactly the environment did to make you who you are today. Other than that, this is a spectacular essay. There are no obvious grammar or spelling mistakes to distract the reader from the meaning of the essay itself.

OP djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 14, 2010   #3 Well the other prompt is: Tell us something that you have not already told us in this application that will help us better understand your potential for success as a college student at the University of South Carolina. I wasn't sure which this would fall under

cmg 2 / 14   Oct 14, 2010   #4 In that case, go ahead with your plan. Excellent job.

vturbyfill 1 / 4   Oct 14, 2010   #5 I wasn't sure what you meant by 'pivotal existence' - specifically, the use of the word pivotal. I thought your whole essay was excellent! Very interesting to read, and particularly insightful into the world of being a twin (sorry - all us non-twins will be eternally curious about that!). Your last sentence ... Although I could not be happier being a twin and would never wish otherwise, I hope my college experience will be a chance for people to know the ME, not the WE. is great in concept as a closing sentence, but struck me as just a little weak in the way it flowed. Maybe replace 'although' with 'while' (works well with the word would, i think) and perhaps choose a stronger word than 'hope' ... "I can't wait for my college experience to be a chance for people to know the ME, not (just) the WE." Good luck!!

OP djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 14, 2010   #6 Like fundamental. I'll change it to that. Thanks!

OP djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 15, 2010   #7 I'm also wondering if I should add a little about how expectations limit my ability to express myself

OP djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 16, 2010   #8 The second people learn I am an identical twin, the second everything previously being discussed is forgotten. School...sports...weather...you name it-gone. When my brother and I are actually together, there is no casual discussion. A total stranger will come up to you like you've known one another for years. A simple glance is all it takes to spark an interest, and so begins the flow of questions. ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ Let me know what you think! Responses would be greatly appreciated! :-)

Editor1010 9 / 33   Oct 16, 2010   #9 It is an overall good essay however, I dont see the point of it honestly. You can talk about a lot of stuff and then in the end its like BOOM last sentence. You should interwine that last sentence through out your whole essay. The second people learn I am an identical twin, the second everything previously being discussed is forgotten. School...sports...weather...you name it-gone. When my brother and I are actually together, there is no casual discussion. A total stranger will come up to you like you've known one another for years. A simple glance is all it takes to spark an interest, and so begins the flow of questions. This whole paragraph is so confusing what are you trying to say ? reword it I look forward to my college experience as a chance for people to know the ME, and not (just) the WE. Its poor writing to use caps as you did. I understand you are trying to emphasize it but you haev to do that another way ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------

OP djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 20, 2010   #12 What would you recommend for a word count? I'm at 647 before adding info about differences, major interests, etc. from your statement above.

OP djlundi11 1 / 9   Oct 28, 2010   #14 It's 500! Shoot... Okay, I have it down to 497. -------------------------------------- "Are the two of you twins?" A polite, "Yes," as we walk by. When people learn I am a twin, they redirect discussion to the matter at the first available opportunity. Anything we could have previously been talking about is suddenly dropped in favor of this new one. When my brother and I are actually together, the fact that I am a twin is (obviously) much clearer. A simple glance is all it takes to spark an interest. And so begins the flow of questions. "What's it like to be a twin?" (As if I have any means of comparison) "Do you like it?" How does one go about answering a question such as this? How can they understand twinhood from my perspective? For the seventeen years I have lived on this earth, I have encountered this situation more times than I care to count. All my life I have had an identical twin and people have never ceased to be amazed by this. The first question ("What's it like?") is general enough for me to describe the simple niceties of being a twin. The second question about whether or not I find it enjoyable, however, doesn't leave me with as much "wiggle room." I can pipe off the things I may like or dislike--the ability to play games with strangers, or the headaches which arise from lifelong sibling rivalry--but can I really say whether or not I want to be a twin? Being a twin is so fundamentally a part of my existence that I could never say yay or nay; all I can retort is a hesitant "Well, it's alright, I guess. I can't complain." Though in spells of rage I have been known to regard my twin brother as someone who is incompetent and riling, Zach and I are nevertheless best friends. There is no other person I have spent more time with than my brother, and can be around and yet proceed to act so innately and so uninhibited that it feels as though I were by myself. Granted we have our moments of weakness, but our fights are never caused by anything more than misplaced aggravation or fatigue-induced irritability. I suppose the most reasonable explanation for this is relatively simple; my brother and I understand each other better than anyone else. We get a kick out of the same jokes and respond to certain things in similar ways. Just because we can finish one another's sentences, doesn't make us psychological oddities but shows just how identical we really are. While I could not be happier being a twin and would never wish otherwise, I look forward to my college experience as a chance for people to know the me, and not (just) the we. I hope that as my brother and I both go our separate ways, I will find my own self through my journey to become a physician, developing a new identity different from that of my brother.

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Twins and the College Application Essay

• college application essays

College admissions ask applicants to share their unique qualities and interests, but how do you do that when you’re a twin? 

GoQuakers , who is currently studying at the University of Pennsylvania, shares how she approached the college application essay as a twin:

Starting the Common App personal statement essay has a way of channeling everyone’s biggest insecurity throughout the college process: “What if the most unique thing about me is just not unique enough?” Admittedly, I was no exception to this paradigm. In fact, I ended up choosing to write about my experience as an identical twin. My twin sister, by the way, was applying to nearly the same exact list of schools as me. You can probably understand my dilemma.

Being an identical twin was the immediate subject I considered writing about for the Common App prompt “ Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story .” However, I almost shook this thought from my head straightaway, simply because I assumed that it was the “obvious” thing to write about. I felt colleges would see this as something that was built into my life rather than a project I decided to dedicate my soul to or a place that I have found personal contentment in, a subject that solely was about my interests and personality. I was so caught up in sounding exotic and diverse that during my initial consideration of the prompt, I didn’t think it was enough to write about how being a twin has actually made me a more distinct person. To be honest (and warning: extremely sentimental), being an identical twin has truly been the greatest blessing in my life. This role has not only taught me how to be a member of a team, but ironically also how to differentiate myself as an individual that can stand on her own and follow her own destiny. Not a lot of people realize this paradox. As an identical twin, it is often vital to mentally distinguish your fascinations and quirks from those of your sibling as you embrace the qualities that you and your twin share in order to fulfill a greater sense of self.

When I tried to generate more ideas for the prompt, I realized that I didn’t have quite as much to say regarding other accomplishments and experiences. When I finally ran through ideas with a counselor, he noticed this, too, and told me that I was crazy to insist on not going with my gut instinct. Of course, I listened.

Coming from this process, I have two words of advice: be genuine . It’s called a personal statement for a reason. Even if you have an idea that is great in theory, you have to have a lot to say about it, because that it ultimately what conveys passion to admissions officers. That’s right: admissions will see right through your essay if all it consists of is lofty concepts and baroque diction rather than a true bond between the subject and the writer. You could have gone on an amazing service trip during which you saved tens of children from starvation in Sub-Saharan Africa, but if you really don’t connect with that experience on the deepest level possible, that is not necessarily what you should be writing about.

On a general note, I urge applicants to think long and hard about finding a topic that is completely distinct and sincere in regard to what has shaped them and to make sure that they run through their ideas with a counselor, family, friends, or all of the above. That’s what I did, and hey, I’m going to my dream school this coming fall, so something here must have gone right.

Want to read the final version of the essay that got her accepted to UPenn ? You can  unlock her profile  and read her full application. For more inspiration, make sure to search through profiles of students accepted to see  essays, stats, and advice . See how they got in, and how you can too!

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Twins — Exploring the Unique Bond: Being a Twin

Exploring The Unique Bond: Being a Twin

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Published: Sep 1, 2023

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Twins in College Admissions: Advice for Twins, Triplets

Gelyna Price

Head of programs and lead admissions expert, table of contents, advice for twins and triplets.

Stay up-to-date on the latest research and college admissions trends with our blog team.

Looking for advice for twins or triplets in the college admissions process? I interviewed our superstar counselor Alix C. to learn what he had to say about twins and college applications. In this article, we mostly talk about twins (that is, two siblings born together), but much of the advice is useful for triplets or other close sibling relationships as well. From building college lists to handling essays, Alix brings stellar first-hand advice from his experiences helping twins apply, and reading twin student applications to college.

Growing up with siblings is a rich life experience. Facing challenges together, you have the opportunity to share many important milestones. Learning from one another (and a dose of healthy competition and mutual support) can absolutely push each of you to become the best version of you as can be! 

If you are a twin or triplet, you well know that closeness is amplified. Whether you know it or not, there are a few important things to know for twins applying to college. So, let’s dig in.

Approaching College with a Twin Mindset

These are the main three tips to keep in mind when you start thinking about twins in a college admissions process. 

• If you stick together, you do increase your chances of dual acceptance ( even if one is more competitive than the other ). That said, it doesn’t overcome complete ineligibility… so still try your best.
• On the other hand, if you really need separation, that is okay too! If this is the case, just talk to each other in the process and communicate about your top schools. If you want to be extra sure, you can ask that your sibling doesn’t apply to the same ones. 
• Yes, twins applying together can be more appealing to admissions officers. It’s just the reality! In high school and in college, a pair or team of brains brings a unique perspective to your work. That edge works to your advantage. But obviously, don’t do this if you want to seek distance from one another. 
• It can be personally advantageous to seek individuality and separation if that is what you want to explore. Ultimately, this choice depends on the family and the students themselves.

Filling Out the Application

If you do end up submitting together, it will be apparent that you are related. You don’t need to do anything extra to indicate that you have a close sibling. In addition, counselors and teachers will definitely mention it in letters of recommendation. (Even if you apply to different schools, it will likely be mentioned, without the specifics.) Because of all these things, admissions officers will know.

And we’ll say it again: twins are two different people! Your scores and lists, aspirations, and achievements will be unique. If you participate in many activities together, you may look similar on paper. Still, don’t worry too much about your application sounding like a copy. Even if you have very similar experiences and activities and mindsets, you won’t sound the same. Represent yourself authentically. That’s the ultimate goal, and the thing to focus on. 

You may be wondering if it’s something worth writing about in your personal essays. Alix says yes – being a twin can make a great essay topic! 

• First of all, there’s this guiding principle in the college admissions landscape: emphasize your rarity. So, go ahead and write about your twin experience to set yourself apart. 
• Second, there are a wealth of different areas to choose from! You can write about your experiences, struggles, support, and how you complement each other. More likely than not, having a close sibling or sibling(s) will largely impact most areas of your life. 

Being a twin is biologically rare, so it’s a strong essay topic if you handle it well. As you do, it’s a good idea to look for support and second opinions to make sure it’s well-written, no matter what. 

College List

Here’s Alix’s advice: create two lists. That way, you can build one list of schools that you’d like to apply to together, and one list that you’d like to apply to on your own. (Building these two lists is a great place to ask for guidance for a counselor’s perspective and expertise.) Decision-making can come later once you have your offers and options. In other words, keep all your windows open: both my/yours windows, and our windows. 

Counseling Resources

You may want to work with the same guidance counselor because they know both of your track records. It can make communication easier, and potentially easier for your parents to follow along. However, you don’t need to work with the same college counselor. If you have very different interests and personalities, one person isn’t necessarily going to be equipped to help you both equally well. 

Sibling legacy does matter, so it’s worth discussing your journey and process as you work through the applications. For all applicants, communication is important.

Advice for Parents

• Step back. It’s okay. Let each kid do what they want to do; you don’t need to intervene in any major way. (Yes, we give this advice to all parents, but it’s always good to be reminded!) 
• Don’t try to hold yourself or your kids back because you don’t want to take advantage of this unique asset . College applications ask you to use all your advantages, so go ahead and do it if it makes sense for them! Think of it as a tool you can utilize to continue moving forward into healthy, open futures.
• On the other hand, don’t force your kids to follow the same path if that’s not what they want. If they want to go to different schools and branch out, naturally, you should let them. 

That covers the main advice we want twins and triplets to know as you approach the college admissions process. Be yourself, make the most of the opportunities and advantages that are available to you, and go follow your dreams! Alix is a wonderful counselor (and great human being) that knows what it’s like to be in your shoes. Alix and the entire Empowerly community are all here to support your best possible future. 

If you’d like to work with one of our expert college admissions counselors for more one-on-one advising as you embark on your application journey, reach out today. We have experience helping twins in college admissions reach their best futures! Learn more about the Empowerly approach and book a free consultation below. We’ll learn a little more about your situation, review the scope of our unique program, and recommend how to get started. 

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Being a Twin

"What’s it like being a twin?" This is a question I’ve been asked countless times; I don’t blame people for their curiosity. It is an incomparable experience. Few people have the opportunity to experience such a close bond with another individual. From the day of conception, we’ve literally been side by side or metaphorically, attached at the hip. Such a close relationship resulted in our mutual dependence. Growing up, we were always, “the twins”, sometimes even referred to as “Carlana.” We were thought of, and began to think of ourselves, as a whole. Throughout the first sixteen years of our lives, we literally spent just about every moment together. At home, we shared a room and even in school my mother always made sure we were in all of the same classes. Then, when summer came along, we went away for eight weeks to a sleep away camp where we also spent every moment together. As twins, we shared basically everything. From our clothes, to our friends, and even dinner out; everything that was mine was hers and vice versa. This (lack of division OR level of concurrence...WHICH IS BETTER??) between the two of us hindered our personal and individual development. This past summer, I got a job at a local ice cream stand. Instead of spending my summer at camp, I was home working while Carly went off to camp without me. It seemed like a good idea to get a break from each other, but it was a scary concept. In all my years I had always been with her; she was someone to back me up or keep me company when I needed it. In the months leading up to our separation I thought I had accepted it. Then the morning came when she was leaving. Usually she, our best friend and I boarded the bus together saying goodbye to our parents. This year Carly and our best friend got on the bus together saying goodbye to me. This was the moment when it really hit me; I was going to be apart from the most prominent person in my life. I was losing my other half. Although at first intimidating, I embraced my circumstances. I was able to do things I wouldn’t have done with her like form some new relationships. I formed closer connections with all of my friends on an individual level. The experience gave me the opportunity to develop as a being, replete with my own idiosyncrasy, rather than half of a whole. While maintaining our connection, we each discovered a new found independence and with that, a confidence. This confidence will allow me to thrive in any environment, with or without my sister- including an exciting adventure such as attending college.

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Twins Applying to the Same College: How to Approach Admissions as Siblings

Padya Paramita

June 24, 2019

Twins Applying to the Same College: How to Approach the Admissions Process as Siblings

You’re comparing your college list with your twin, and surprise! You both have the same dream school. Science hasn’t identified the genetic code behind college selection, but your lists may be remarkably similar. There are a lot of questions on your mind, and naturally so. Are twins applying to the same college a good or a bad thing? Are you more likely to be accepted if you both apply, or less likely? How do you go on navigating an already stressful process with this added layer?

You could be the type of twin pair who has done everything together for as long as you can remember, from enjoying the same subjects in school to playing on the same soccer team. Or you might have grown past the matching outfits in your early days and set off to find completely different sets of friends, academic paths, and extracurricular activities. Either way, when the alarm goes off for thinking about college options, it’s definitely helpful to start familiarizing yourself with the protocol and admissions process for twins applying to the same college .

As identical as you and your twin might be, the two of you are unique individuals and will (for the most part) remain treated as such by admissions officers if you decide to apply to the same college. To guide you through how to navigate the admissions process as a twin, I’ve outlined some policies and notable stances schools take regarding twins applying to the same college , colleges which provide tuition discounts for twins, and how to strategize and boost the chances for college admissions when it comes to twins applying to the same college .

Policies at Different Colleges Regarding Twins

There’s not an overwhelming amount of data released on twins applying to the same college , and how the admissions process works behind the scenes. A lot of college profiles used to include the number of twins in their incoming stats, but only a few continue to track such info today, including the College of Charleston in South Carolina. However, when exceptional cases arise, such as the 35 (yes, thirty five!) sets of twins in Temple University’s Class of 2022, it’s definitely worth taking note.

According to our Former Admissions Reader from Rice University, Adrienne Gilbert, “ At Rice we would consider each twin applicant individually on their own merits, but I found that in my cases of twin files, almost always both twins were admitted.”

She added, “We didn't have a policy or any standing rule that if we have twins/multiples, they would be treated in a different manner. But I actually found that twin files almost read identical to one another more often than not. In those cases, since the applications were near identical, they often received the same admission decision.”

There is an option on the many college supplements which asks whether a student has a sibling in the same applicant pool. For example, Stanford University includes the following:

According to David Merson, our Former Admissions Reader at Brown, admissions officers want to know from the twins themselves whether they are okay with both twins not being admitted. They ask for this information via an alumni interview or through email. The general belief at the school is that it’s both or nothing, which can make matters difficult for a more qualified twin.

Having two kids from one family going to college in the same year can pose a financial burden to families. Some cities have twins clubs which offer scholarships and support to families of twins. A few schools around the United States offer financial aid discounts for twins. These are:

• Carl Albert State College in Oklahoma (Paula Nieto Twin Scholarship)
• George Washington University in Washington, DC (50% discount for second sibling)
• Kelley School of Business at Indiana University (Layton Frazier McKinley scholarship for identical twins)
• Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio (each twin gets the scholarship in alternate years)
• Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia ( waives tuition for one twin if both are enrolled full-time)
• Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (Twin Value Room Waivers provide two-for-one housing allowances for twins that attend the school together)
• Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, VA (15% discount)
• Sterling College in Kansas (50% discount for each twin)
• West Chester University of Pennsylvania (Bonnie Evans Feinberg Scholarship)
• Wilson College in Pennsylvania (45% scholarship to one set of twins each year)

Often the information about twin policies and sibling discounts isn’t readily available. To find out more on individual school policies regarding twins applying to the same college , you might have to dig deep or call the admissions office or financial aid office and inquire on the specifics.

Strategy for Applying as Twins

So, how do you approach the admissions process when it comes to twins applying to the same college ? It will be helpful to talk through your lists together and see whether you’re actually interested in going to the same school and spending the next four years at the same place. Yes, your relationship might be excellent, your activities could be the same, and you might end up having the same group of friends. But if you want to pursue other interests and don’t want to be roommates for another four years, make it clear, so as to avoid expectations or arguments about it later.

Then there’s the pleasant task of talking about what happens if one of you gets in and the other doesn’t. This is more of a possibility if one of you has a much stronger profile than the other. It’s good to start thinking early about that scenario because one of you might grow resentful if only your twin is accepted. As the admissions process becomes all the more competitive, at InGenius Prep we’ve seen multiple cases where one twin receives admissions offers at all of their top schools, and the other gets waitlisted across the board. And it’s not always the twin whom the family expects to find admissions success! This scenario is agonizing, with one twin so close yet so far. But in today’s cutthroat application process, admissions officers have to be ruthless, even with sets of twins. You must be realistic and apply with these outcomes in mind.

Since most colleges do state that they look at applications individually and many don’t even ask if you have a sibling applying, the best option for you is to focus on boosting your own application. Even if a college does consider the twin factor, they won’t simply accept you just because your twin happens to be an incredible candidate. You must meet the standards of the college yourself to receive admission. But in the same way that you should consider how you stand out from other top candidates from your high school, it’s all the more important to consider differentiating yourself from the one who shares your last name and address. Remember that your applications would be typically read side by side, while also understanding that you don’t always come as a package deal.

Approach college admissions strategically and understand how being a twin plays a role for your application process. Don’t overthink applying to the same college as your twin too much, and instead work on your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. If you want to go to a top national university or liberal arts college, make sure you take the most challenging courses and excel in them. Top schools look for students who’ve performed well under a rigorous academic load. Your twin isn’t going to take the SAT for you either, so you should both prepare - study together if that’s what works for you, but getting a respectable standardized test score is up to you!

You both need to stand out in your communities. Joining the same clubs as your twin might sound fun, but you have to think about how you will establish yourself as a leader in your community. You can each start your own organization or non-profit. Even if you and your twin have similar interests, there are ways you can distinguish yourselves. If you’re both interested in engineering, one of you could focus more on your leadership in the robotics club, while the other could get involved in a research lab at a local university. If you’re both writers, one of you could specialize in non-fiction and try getting published in newspapers or journals, while the other could focus on fiction and start a creative writing club or literary magazine.

Another essential way to stand out in your application is through the personal statement. Remember this is an essay about you , and not your twin. You both may have grown up under similar circumstances, but there will be stories that you can tell that your twin can’t, and vice versa.

When it comes to twins applying to the same college , it’s important to go into the admissions process with the mindset that it might be both or neither of you who are accepted. But don’t let that stop you from working hard to build your individual profile. If you are both standout leaders in your community with strong academic and extracurricular profiles, you will know that you gave it your best shot!

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Advanced Essay #3: The Value of "Self"

“You guys are twins right, how come you don’t dress alike”, a phrase I’ve heard all too often growing up. I remember me and my sister side-eyeing each other every time, a routine that became so second hand I could do it with my eyes closed. We would reply politely, teeth-gritted, hands clenched, and somehow explain the need for us to wear our own clothes, annoyed that this even had to be explained. It seems as though nobody got the memo when it came to twins. Whether you came one fertilized egg or two, twins affect each other which shapes how they are individually. A study on twins also mentions similar findings, “In such a twin-defined bubble, you learn at a very young age to accommodate and compromise. Your perspective is that of a twin couple, so that you habitually think of yourself in relationship to your twin. You may find that you are in constant collusion—enabling, accommodating, and depending on each other—rather than feeling free to act on your own or make your own decisions.” (Friedman pg.23)The impact  on each other really builds up each others personalities and the way in which they interact with one another. No matter if the twins are identical or fraternal, same or opposite gender, having a twin no matter how small, for your entire life. Society will always see twins as one unit, ignoring their individuality.

In mainly all pairs of twins, there is almost always a more dominant twin. This dominant twin will tend to always make final decisions, will be heard more over the other. The less dominant twin might even look to the other for guidance and approval. For example, imagine an identical set of twins, named Katie and Kenna. Katie is more dominant than Kenna. Katie is more loud and aggressive than her, causing Kenna who is generally more soft spoken and shy to always obey her sister. This causes major tension and a feeling of insufficiency for Kenna throughout her life. She would generally be more dependent on Katie and show more sympathy towards her, or always giving in because she’s done it her whole life with her sister. Having that one person who is the same age as you, being raised in with you, doesn’t allow the less dominant twin to be comfortable or feel as if they have a voice. Our societal views don’t help either.

Society promotes twins to compare themselves to each other, and even compete; whether that be for the approval of their parents, in school or just daily life activities. It’s as if it is a norm, for when greeting twins to point out the ways in which they don’t act or look alike, whether they be identical or fraternal. I believe this is stemming from the ideology that since they were birthed together and look the same (in cases of identical twins) that they must act, talk and dress alike, as if twins are each others clones and can’t be independent individuals. For example, as a child my mother would always dress my twin sister and I exactly alike, she would always buy us the same clothes and in this way I always felt attached to my sister, but in the same way tied down to her, and that yearn for independence only grew stronger and firmer as I got older. I wanted to develop my own sense of style and free myself from only being known as someone else's other, so I started with my clothes. I was tired of always being looked at as someone’s twin, I wanted to be known for being just me. I didn’t want their to be any similarities in which someone would notice we were twins, because that would automatically diminish my value from one whole to a half.

However, this didn’t stop people from asking the most obnoxious questions that fraternal twins get: “Why don’t you guys look alike?” As if we would hold the answer in the back pocket of our matching Children’s Place jeans. There were many common misconceptions when it came to twins, and fraternal twins weren’t really as known as being identical. My sister and I have very vast distinctions with facial and bone structure and skin complexion. As I got older I thought this would help me be seen as more of my own person, in did in some ways, it didn’t most of the time. I became dependent on my sister and vice versa, we did everything together, we were with each other all hours of the day, we made all decisions together. Making the transition into high school a bit more challenging.

For our freshmen we were forced to part ways and attend separate high schools. My sister and I would always rely on each other, walk home from the bus together and sit with each other at lunch. Our school wise relationship was severed, and it took some time for adjusting, but we are finally seen as individual units. Although some people know we are twins, aren’t put together in the same location, no one group's us together as one. We can be wholes, while still being twins.

This idea would seem unbelievable to some people who are still stuck in that mentality, that individuality can’t exist in the case of twins. Nonetheless, having a twin sister has really shaped me and affected in both negative and positive ways, which I am sure it did for every other set of twins, who have lived with each other their entire lives. In most cases twins depend on each other more than anyone else in their lives, this unspoken agreement that they will care and protect each other against whomever; parents, friends, other siblings. Sometimes you can’t be to see yourself as a half in your own life. Your identity is combined with theirs. We as a human race need to recognize individuality within each human, no matter if you think they’re two halves of a whole.

Works Cited

Friedman, Joan A. The Same but Different: How Twins Can Live, Love, and Learn to Be Individuals . Los Angeles, CA: Rocky Pines, 2014. Print.

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The twin parent’s guide to college admissions.

Last updated on August 18th, 2023 at 01:49 pm

Do you remember how overwhelmed you felt preparing for the birth of your multiple birth children? You had many questions. What equipment will they need? Do I need two of everything? Breast or bottle? Cloth or disposable? Then they started school and there were more questions. Public, private, or home school? Keep them together or separate them? As your multiples approach college-age, those questions don’t cease; they just become a new set of questions.

I became a single mother at the start of my twin daughters’ senior year of high school and fully shouldered the daunting task of their college application and preparation process. It was truly a “baptism by fire.” I’m proud to report that they have successfully completed their sophomore year in college, and I will be starting the process all over again with my son, who will be a high school senior in the fall.

The task may be daunting but it doesn’t have to totally overwhelm you. Thankfully, there’s lots of information on the Internet. I could probably write a book on the subject, but my intent is to provide you with some of the basic information that I sought out as I was going through the process.

Community College, State College, or Private University?

The answer to this question will depend on many factors including your child’s high school academic successes, standardized test scores, choice of college major, future interests, your family’s household budget and the ability to contribute towards college costs, whether your children will live on or off campus, etc. Start flushing out these factors early in the high school years so you and your children will be fully prepared for the application process come junior and senior year.

Together or Separate?          

And you thought you graduated past this question when your multiples left their elementary years! Not necessarily. When my twins started the college search process they both stated they didn’t want to go to the same school. Their argument… “We’ve been together for 18 years – we want to be apart!” This surprised me because when given the choice during elementary and middle school, they always wanted to be together. With this in mind, we visited several colleges (in and out of state). Ultimately, our state university turned out to be most affordable and they were both able to qualify for scholarships and grants. They have never regretted the decision and with two very different majors, they hardly see each other on campus.

Standardized Tests

• PSAT/NMSQT: Administered fall of the sophomore year of high school at some schools and fall of the junior year at all schools, the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test provides firsthand practice for the SAT. It also gives students a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.
• SAT:   Most students take this in the spring of their junior year, and many students take it again in the fall of their senior year.
• SAT II (AKA SAT Subject Tests): These can be taken every time the SAT is offered except for the March/April test. The SAT and the SAT Subject Tests cannot be taken in the same day.
• ACT: Usually taken during the spring of the junior year so students will have their test scores and other information in time to help them plan their senior year. The ACT follows the same schedule as the SAT except that students can pick and choose which scores they want to send to colleges.

Registering and paying for these standardized tests is easy and can be done online. Additionally, students have the opportunity to retest if they feel their initial scores didn’t accurately reflect their abilities in the areas they tested. Students can practice for the tests buy purchasing The Official SAT Study Guide and The Real ACT Prep Guide .

College Visits

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential colleges to two or three, start scheduling visits. For my girls and me, spring break of their junior year was a great time for this. While we were not able to observe campus life with students actually “in” classes (because the colleges were also on spring break during that time), we were able to get a very clear picture of college life, academic programs, tour the dorms, etc. We actually visited four campuses and my girls quickly narrowed down their college choices to two. Check each college’s website for information about tours. They schedule group tours at various times during the year. Also get on their mailing list so you can be kept apprised of application deadlines, scholarship opportunities and deadlines, campus happenings, etc.

Applications

Be prepared. This can get expensive if you are applying to more than one school. Check the school’s website for fees associated with applying, deadlines, required documents, test scores, etc. Fortunately, many colleges and universities have gone completely digital in their application process making it a little less daunting. Colleges and universities use fairly standard definitions to describe each form of an application, which makes it easier for students to understand the differences between each university’s programs.

Many colleges and universities participate in The Common Application , a not-for-profit membership organization that serves students, member institutions, and secondary schools by providing applications that students and school officials may submit to any of their over 500 members. When using the Common Application, you can create one application (per child) and submit it to multiple colleges (provided the college or university is a participating member), and even pay the application fees right online.

If your child is interested in attending a military academy, that process needs to be started early in the junior year of high school. Be prepared, it is a tedious process. Both my girls applied to and were accepted at the Air Force Academy. One received a congressional recommendation—the other did not. While they both decided to attend their state university, I was glad they went through the Air Force Academy application process. It was a learning experience and the interview conducted by community leaders gave them a taste of the “real world” of being an adult.

Application Essays

Your college applicant will be required to submit an admission essay with their application. This is how the college or scholarship provider gets to know them. They should make this essay personal and free from grammatical errors. Check out the 10 Tips for Writing the College Application Essay on U.S. News.com. Also check out the personal essay tips on Collegeapps.about.com .

College Financing

Once you have narrowed down your school(s) of choice, it’s time to start looking into college financing. There are so many options including scholarships, grants, student loans, parent loans, work study, etc. The best place to start this educational process is at the respective colleges’ websites. They provide links for scholarship and grant opportunities, state-sponsored opportunities, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), where you can apply for federal grants, loans, and work-study funds.

The FAFSA is now also an online application and you will be required to complete a FAFSA for each child; but they offer a great feature that allows you to copy all the information you submit over to additional children in the family.

College Scholarships for Multiples

Multiples.about.com provides information about opportunities for college tuition assistance in the form of scholarships specifically for multiple birth children.

Together or Separate?

AGAIN with the together or separate question? Yes, sorry.

If your multiples end up at the same college or university, you will need to discuss their housing options. My girls’ university required that freshman live in the dorms. My twins decided to have roommates randomly assigned to them so they could meet new people and fully experience college life. Check out the colleges’ websites regarding housing requirements, costs, the application process, roommate selections, etc. Many colleges will allow students to apply to be Resident Assistants (RAs) in their sophomore year. This is a great opportunity for your child to cut housing costs while also taking on some leadership responsibilities.

My girls had a very successful and fun dorm experience their freshman year, including making lots of new friends, getting involved in group functions, etc. They decided to get an apartment together their sophomore year and are rooming together (again) along with one of their best friends from high school. They will not be rooming together junior year.

Living in the Dorms

What will they need? What can they live without? Start a list and start it now! My girls brought way too much stuff to the dorm their freshman year and I ended up bringing a lot of it back home.

Here are some links to just a few of the many college packing lists you can find online. Check them out and then create a personalized packing list for your children.

• Campusexplorer.com
• Dormsmart.com
• Collegepackinglist.com

Be prepared for the expense. It cost me $300 per child to get my girls set up with linens, toiletries, cosmetics, non-perishable food and drinks, eating utensils, electronics, cleaning supplies, etc. for their dorm rooms.

Additional Expenses

You’ll want to consider the following additional expenses when making college choices:

• Meal plans (most colleges offer several different plans with varying costs)
• Parking (my twins opted not to take their car to college freshman year because they were on campus all the time and the parking fees were too high. Instead, they brought their bikes. There even ended up being a $25 “bike registration fee” that we had not planned for).
• Health insurance. If your children will not continue to be covered under your family plan, you’ll want to see if the college offers student insurance.
• Check out Slugbooks.com to buy, rent and sell textbooks.
• Campus Book Rentals offers new and gently used textbooks for typically less than half the price paid in school bookstores. They also offer RentBack , an initiative that allows students to rent the textbooks they own—to other students—and earn money.
• Travel expenses to come home on breaks and over the summer. Most colleges don’t allow students to remain in the dorms over the summer months so your children will have to move their belongings out of the dorms and either into storage or back into your home.

By the time your multiple birth children are college-aged they’ll have completed many monumental tasks and you’ll have survived a variety of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Preparing your children for college is just one of an assortment of important roles you’ll play in their lives over the years. You’ll perform those roles best if you are well informed so continue gathering information and asking questions, and hopefully your children will give you a break for a few years before they start asking you for advice on parenting their own children! Best of luck to each of you!

Donna May Lyons is a single mother of 20-year-old fraternal twin daughters and a 17-year-old son. She is pleased to report that after twenty years of parenting multiples plus one, her parenting motto is finally “Semper Gumby Omni Nocte Dormiens” (Always Flexible with a Full Night of Sleep). You can connect with Donna May on Facebook and Twitter .

Resources for College Admissions

Steps for the United States Military Academies Application Process

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) – Nearly 13,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. Offering extensive resources for students and parents.

College Navigator – A resource of the U.S. Department of Education. College Navigator gathers admission, retention, graduation, and financial aid data for every college in the country.

You Can Go – A College Board project connecting students with success stories about preparing, applying, and paying for college.

SR Education Group – An organization striving to be the most authoritative online resource to help students choose the best school for their career aspirations and budget. You can find their list of 2014 Most Affordable U.S. Online Colleges on their website.

Scholarships Trending Now – A great list of scholarships trending now at Scholarship.com.

Scholarship.com – A website filled with well-researched and thorough information for searing, finding, and applying for scholarships, grants, and financial aids. You can also search colleges, find your best fit, and receive notifications on new scholarships. They even offer an iPhone and Android app.

Find scholarship contests and sweepstakes, and scholarships sorted by:

• Grade Level

And scholarships for:

• First In Family/First Generation

Need some twin parent friends? Get the support you need with a Twiniversity Membership. Benefits include a monthly twin parent club meeting on Zoom, access to a private Facebook group just for twin parents, and a video library of twin parenting lessons. Visit Twiniversity.com/membership to join today!

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Being a Twin Essay Example

One of the most common things people say to me is “I wish I had a twin too!” But what they don’t understand is that twinhood isn't exactly as incredible as it seems in the movies. The idea that twins always have a close-knit relationship with each other leaves people dreaming of having a twin of their own. While this stereotype has a basis of truth, people don’t understand that the relationships between twins almost completely mirror those of everyday siblings. The only difference between the relationships of twins and those between other siblings is the labeling placed upon us by others in society. Sometimes twins simply want to be seen as “normal”, rather than stand out due to something we can’t control. Being a fraternal twin has been both a blessing and a detriment, but has undoubtedly shaped me into the person that I am today.

My whole life my brother and I have been known as “the twins”. Although we share few physical similarities and educational interests, people don't distinguish us as individuals. This situation has created real tension between my brother and I, as we both stride to be recognized. Whether it’s grades, academics, or athletics, we are constantly trying to outdo the other. The reason we feel the need to compete is because we are constantly being compared by others. People tend to ask who the “smart” or “athletic” twin is, not considering how psychologically destructive these questions can be. What makes the situation worse is that after years of constantly being compared, I began to do it as well. 

Looking back, I have realized that when I was younger I developed a feeling of resentment towards my brother; I didn't understand why people continued to group us together. In my head I knew that we were completely different people, but this simply didn't seem to resonate to others. I spoke with my parents about my concerns, and they told me there was little to be done about my situation. I realized they were right, I understood that it was time to let go of my predisposed ideology that twinhood was a burden. I began to understand that I was blessed with someone who will always be able to relate to my issues, and give me reliable solutions. Ever since then my relationship with my brother has flourished tremendously; rather than compete with each other we have begun to collaborate on issues we both face. This turn in my life changed me into a completely different person. I am now more open to cooperation with all people in general, and use my competitive spirit towards bettering myself. I transformed from someone who was quite introverted and self-conscious, to someone who is outgoing and driven. After overcoming my initial struggles, being a twin has changed my outlook on both life and society as a whole.

Being a twin doesn’t define me. What defines me is how I dealt with my early struggles, and improved as an individual. Early on in my childhood I would lay in bed late at night wishing that when I woke up, I could have a “normal” sibling. I wanted to get out of the center of attention, and fit in with everyone else. But now when I lay in bed, I think about how much better my life is because of my twin brother. Without him I wouldn’t have grown up with conflict, I wouldn’t know how to deal with competition, I wouldn’t even know how to overcome adversity. In retrospect, the situations that at the time were hardships, were actually blessings. I am proud to have a fraternal twin who has made a huge impact on my life. Not only did he help mend our once broken relationship, but he has helped me better myself as a human-being and as a whole.

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The Ivy Coach Daily

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July 28, 2023

How to Navigate College Admissions with Twins

Originally Published on May 24, 2019:

Are you a parent of twins navigating the highly selective college admissions process? If so, your two children likely don’t want to apply to the same school in the Early Decision/Early Action round . “But, Ivy Coach , how did you know?” Duh, we have a crystal ball at Ivy Coach, which has even been cited on the pages of America’s oldest college newspaper.

In any case, it’s not uncommon for twins to want to go off on their own adventures after high school. After all, they’ve been together since before birth. Maybe they want to go their separate ways for college before reuniting to share a studio apartment with three of their closest friends in Manhattan’s Alphabet City.

Your Twins Probably Want to Go Their Own Ways in College

We get it. And we get that it’s hard to argue with that child as they have every right to want to go off on their own adventure. You don’t want to control their college decision.   You don’t want to limit their choices to the schools their twin likes. You’re not  that  parent .  But we urge you to do one thing before agreeing that your twins should apply to different schools in the Early Decision/Early Action round. “Alright, alright, Ivy Coach. What is it? What must I do?”

But They Can Go Their Own Ways At the Same College

Elite colleges don’t like separating twins.

You must first relay to them the advantage of applying to the same school as their sibling in the Early Decision/Early Action round. You see, human beings run our nation’s elite college admissions offices, and they don’t like to split up siblings — much less twins — if they can help it. The twins’ advantage doesn’t get much publicity, especially now with the legacy admission advantage being contested all across America in the wake of the fall of Affirmative Action . But it’s a real advantage nonetheless.

The Stronger Twin Can Pull Up the Weaker Twin

So if one of your twins boasts perfect grades and SAT scores while the other twin has a couple of B+’s and a not-so-perfect but pretty close to perfect SAT score, the twin with the more robust profile can bring up the twin with the weaker profile. We’re not talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in the movie  Twins . They both have to have the stuff, but if one is  slightly  stronger, the  somewhat  stronger one can help the weaker candidate.

Of course, this assumes that both students are singularly talented and wonderfully weird in the admissions process — just as are all of our students at Ivy Coach. This way, the student with the lower grades and scores might get into a higher-reach school than had they applied to different schools in the Early Decision/Early Action round.

Your Twins Can Pretend Not to Know Each Other in College

So, after hearing all this, we get it if your twins still want to choose their own Early Decision/Early Action schools. But at least let them hear the advantages of applying to the same school together. College is a whole lot bigger than high school. They’ll never have to see each other if they wish to live their own lives once on campus. They can even pretend they don’t know each other — unless they’re identical twins, in which case that’d be tough.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance Optimizing the Admission of Twins

If you’re interested in optimizing the chances of admission for both of your children, fill out Ivy Coach ’s consultation form , and we’ll contact you to discuss our college counseling services. And, yes, we offer a discount just for twins. Or triplets. Or quadruplets!

You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.

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Parents: How to Handle College Applications with Twins or Multiples

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For parents of twins or multiples, most milestones are a little different. From the baby years to starting school to juggling a myriad of activities and social events, everyday happenings are all a bit busier than the norm. College admissions are no different.

For some parents of multiples, college admissions present unique stressors. Not only are there double the deadlines, double the test scores, and double the paperwork. There are also double concerns—two or more students to worry about, instead of just one.

Some parents worry that their children will struggle to find themselves as individuals after a lifetime of being part of a unit. Others worry that feelings will be hurt when one sibling outperforms the other during the admissions process. Indeed, juggling the needs of two or more children both going through the college admissions process at once can be difficult. In this post, we outline our three top tips for parents of multiples who are undergoing the college admissions process.

1. Foster Independence Through Individual Conversations With Each Child

For twins and multiples who have gone to school together throughout their lives, the idea of splitting ways for college can be intimidating. Your children might be scared of setting out on their own for the first time and may be tempted to stick together just for the sake of comfort.

Remind your children that college represents a unique opportunity to reinvent themselves as individuals. For the first time, they have the chance to create an identity that doesn’t include their siblings. While this can be a scary prospect and might even seem like it’s denying an important part of who they are, it’s also an invaluable opportunity to focus on oneself and branch out beyond the comfort of the family unit.

Creating a college list is an ongoing process, and the final product should represent the schools that most closely align with your student’s academic and personal goals and ambitions. Many multiples struggle with the decision to make an independent college list, uninfluenced by the choices of his or her siblings.

You can foster your children’s unique interests by having individual conversations with each about college goals, priorities, and ambitions. While the temptation exists to roll these conversations into a family discussion, in the long run you will be doing yourself and your children a favor by allowing each the time to consider these things on their own.

To get the conversation started, take a look at these CollegeVine tips about creating a college list:

The College List, Decoded: Safety, Target, and Reach Schools

Seven Tips for Creating Your College List

Five Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Your College List

10 Considerations For Making Your College List

2. Remind Your Children that College Admissions Committees Don’t Judge Their Worth

Another common stressor for families with multiples undergoing the college admissions process stems from the concern that one child will feel less worthy than another when their college applications are evaluated. Sometimes, multiples present similar applications in terms of interests, grades, and test scores.

During most instances, when multiples present very similar applications, their admissions decisions will be the same. In fact, some admissions committees specifically review twin and multiple applications to ensure that similar decisions are made for similar applications.

At other times, though, the applications presented by twins or multiples are distinctly unique. When this is the case, applications will be evaluated differently and if siblings apply to the same schools, they may receive different admissions decisions. This can be a hard thing for families, but it will be easier if you have prepared your children in advance by reminding them of the bigger picture.

Make sure your children know that admissions committees are looking for students who shine on paper. They often have good grades and strong test scores, along with a variety of extracurriculars that easily translate onto an application. What college admissions committees often to struggle to measure is how kind a student is, what a good friend someone can be, and any number of less concrete but arguably more important factors. College admissions can sometimes seem unfair, but they aren’t a judgement of your child’s worth.

For more perspective on how college applicants are evaluated, see these posts:

What Type Of Student Do Colleges Want?

Know Your Reader: What Your College Admissions Committee Members Look Like

3. Consider Enlisting Some Help

Deadlines and test scores and finances, oh my!

With two or more kids going through college admissions at once, the paperwork and important dates can really add up. At the very least, you should employ an organizational system that works for your family. This might be a family calendar posted prominently, a shared organizational app, or a task manager like Trello. Efficiently sharing information, creating clear expectations, and ensuring that all members of the family have access to a common calendar should be top priorities.

Many families also find it helpful to bring a third party onboard. College guidance services vary from simply handling the paperwork and ensuring that everything gets submitted on time to managing the entire process closely, curating a college list, gathering scholarship applications, and editing application essays. Independent college counselors can be found in most areas through a simple online query, or the guidance counselor at your children’s school might be able to recommend someone.

Alternatively, you might consider an online college counselor to help. These services also vary widely, but in general they might be more convenient for busy families who struggle to coordinate times to meet in person.

To learn more about your role in the college application process, see these posts:

Parents, How Involved Should You be in the Application Process?

Parent Perspective: What You Need to Know About Today’s College Applications

How Can I Help My Child Prepare for College Applications?

What Parents Need to Know About SAT and ACT Studying Prep

Does your teen want access to expert college guidance — for free? When they create their free CollegeVine account, they will find out their real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve their profile, and get their questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Encourage them to sign up for their CollegeVine account today to get a boost on their college journey.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Being a twin = cliched topic?

<p>I was thinking of writing an essay on being an identical twin for my common app.</p>

<p>at first, I thought this would be a pretty unique topic,</p>

<p>but then I thought about it… </p>

<p>Wouldn’t most of the twins applying to schools be writing essays on the same topic?</p>

<p>I mean it is a pretty obvious topic to write about if you actually are twins…</p>

<p>So what do you guys think? Would this be a cliched topic?</p>

<p>cliche when it comes to twins-- yes. but you aren’t in a “twin pool.” your experience as a twin is unique when it comes to the entire applicant pool. plus, you can make it unique depending on your perspective.</p>

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N.C.A.A. Athletes’ Pay Deal Raises Questions About Future of College Sports

The landmark settlement made many wonder what the reality — and impact — of revenue-sharing plans with college athletes would look like.

By David W. Chen ,  Jacey Fortin and Anna Betts

Brent Jacquette knows a thing or two about college sports. A former collegiate soccer player and coach in Pennsylvania who is now an executive at a consulting firm for athletic recruiting, he’s well aware of issues surrounding pay for college athletes.

But even for an industry veteran like Mr. Jacquette, the news of the N.C.A.A.’s staggering settlement in a class-action antitrust lawsuit on Thursday came as a surprise, with more than a little anxiety. The first words that came to mind, he said, were “trepidation” and “confusion.”

And he was not alone in feeling unsettled. Interviews, statements and social media posts mere hours after the settlement was announced showed that many were uncertain and concerned about what the future of collegiate sports holds.

“These are unprecedented times, and these decisions will have a seismic effect on the permanent landscape of collegiate athletics,” Phil DiStefano, chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder, and Rick George, the school’s athletic director, said in a statement .

If the $2.8 billion settlement is approved by a judge, it would allow for a revenue-sharing plan through which Division I athletes can be paid directly by their schools for playing sports — a first in the nearly 120-year history of the N.C.A.A. Division 1 schools would be allowed to use about $20 million a year to pay their athletes as soon as the 2025 football season.

Mr. Jacquette thought of the word “trepidation” because of the impact that the settlement, shaped by the biggest and wealthiest universities with robust football programs, could have on coaches and athletes at smaller institutions and in low-profile sports.

And “confusion," because families of college athletes might soon be overwhelmed by all the possible ways for a student to get paid. In past years, the only form of compensation that students could get was athletic scholarships. But now, with the possibility of a revenue-sharing plan and pay arrangements involving students’ name, image and likeness , they have a lot more to consider when planning their collegiate sports careers.

“As this makes big news, people see this pot of gold at the end of the tunnel,” Mr. Jacquette said.

Many questioned what the financial burdens stemming from a revenue-sharing plan would look like.

Smaller conferences, such as the Big East — which includes Georgetown, Villanova and the University of Connecticut — have voiced “strong objections ” to the settlement, worried about shouldering an unfair burden of costs involved in revenue sharing. They said schools that have higher-profile sports teams and are part of bigger conferences, which often have TV contracts and much higher revenues, should be responsible for covering more of the costs.

Even coaches at powerful athletic programs, such as the University of Florida, which is part of the Southeastern Conference, had qualms. Tim Walton, the school’s softball coach, wondered in an interview with The Associated Press what this would mean for smaller sports programs on campus, and how the university would handle sharing revenues with athletes.

Another concern from critics of the settlement was whether female athletes would be compensated fairly. The settlement did not address how they would be paid compared to men, but Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational settings.

“Oftentimes, we put all of our eggs in the revenue-generating sports, which is comprised of mostly male sports,” said Jasher Cox, athletic director of Allen University, a historically Black and Division II school in South Carolina.

But many still questioned how the settlement would pan out in practice. Terry Connor, the athletic director at Thomas More University in Kentucky, said in an interview that the reality of revenue sharing felt somewhat distant. Although his school is Division II and would not necessarily be part of a revenue-sharing plan, Mr. Connor said that this still affects college sports as a whole.

The settlement is only the latest in a series of big changes at the N.C.A.A. in recent years, Mr. Connor said, and “how we’ll have to adapt to that is going to be the big question.”

Mr. Jacquette cautioned that it was still “premature” to assess the full impact of the settlement, since the details had not been released. And Sam C. Ehrlich, a professor at Boise State University who has written extensively about college athletes, said that while the settlement was a milestone, it should not be seen as the be-all and end-all of college sports.

Pointing to the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling in 2021 that the N.C.A.A. could not bar payments to college athletes, Mr. Ehrlich said the college sports landscape has been ever-changing. That decision paved the way for N.I.L. arrangements, or payments based on an athlete’s name, image and likeness. He also cited Johnson v. N.C.A.A. , a pending case over whether college athletes should be classified as employees, which could have profound labor and tax implications.

“This is a big moment, for sure, but it’s not like we have reached the finish line,” Mr. Ehrlich said. “I wouldn’t even necessarily go as far to say, ‘this is the climax here.’ This is still going to be ongoing for several years.”

Billy Witz contributed reporting.

David W. Chen reports on state legislatures, state level policymaking and the political forces behind them. More about David W. Chen

Jacey Fortin covers a wide range of subjects for the National desk of The Times, including extreme weather, court cases and state politics all across the country. More about Jacey Fortin

Anna Betts reports on national events, including politics, education, and natural or man-made disasters, among other things. More about Anna Betts

Inside the World of Sports

Dive deeper into the people, issues and trends shaping professional, collegiate and amateur athletics..

The N.C.A.A.’s New Era: If a judge approves, a $2.8 billion settlement  would let colleges and universities pay athletes directly for the first time. How would it work ?

Bringing Back Reebok: Shaquille O’Neal pushed to be in charge of the company’s return to the hypercompetitive world of basketball sneakers. The Hall of Famer understands the stakes .

The Capital of Women’s Soccer: The success of Barcelona Femení has made the Spanish city, and the broader region of Catalonia, a laboratory for finding out what happens when the women’s game has prominence similar to the men’s .

A Minnesota Rallying Cry:  Fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves have picked up on a phrase  uttered by the team’s star, Anthony Edwards, and are hardly put off by its mild vulgarity.

A Beloved Manager:  A coach’s soccer legacy is often reduced to titles and trophies. In Liverpool, Jürgen Klopp will endure in murals, music and shared memories .

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Books | Literary calendar for week of May 26

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She writes about being the only Black student in a prestigious and predominantly white creative writing program, about institutional racism and implicit bias in writing instruction and violent legacies of racism in this country. She muses on why, more than 50 years after the Fair Housing Act passed, she and her Black African husband are the only Black family on their block and the forces behind the fact that she and her husband, college graduates, make less money than less-qualified white neighbors.

Coleman is a poet, writer and educator, and associate professor of English and women’s studies at St. Catherine University . Her work has been widely anthologized.

• Launch program at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, Moon Palace Books , 3032 Minnehaha Ave., Mpls., in conversation with Lester Batiste and April Gibson; Noon Sunday, June 2, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Ave., Mpls., in a discussion about Black women’s mental health, sponsored by Minnesota Women’s Press . Register at womenspress.com .

APRIL GIBSON: Discusses “The Span of a Small Forever” in conversation with Erin Sharkey. 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

ALAN GROSTEPHAN: Georgia-based author of “Bogota” presents his latest historical novel, “The Banana Wars,” which follows four characters — a banana worker making a play for power over guerillas, a decadent Colombian banana planter, a widow struggling to stay on the right side of the paramilitaries, and an American banana executive. The story is based on violent strikes in 1990 across the banana zone in Colombia. In conversation with Frank Bures. 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.

What else is going on

Congratulations to V.V. Ganeshananthan, who teaches in the University of Minnesota MFA program, for winning the $150,000 Carol Shields fiction prize for her novel “Brotherless Night.”

The award, announced earlier this month in Toronto, is the largest English-language literary prize in the world for women and non-binary authors, named in honor Carol Shields, a beloved Canadian-American author.

Ganeshananthan is a member of the boards of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and the Minnesota Prison Writing workshop, a former vice president of the South Asian Journalists Association and co-host of the Fiction/Non-Fiction Podcast Literary Hub. In a news release announcing the award, the judges said: “An ambitious and beautifully written novel, ‘Brotherless Night’ explores how ordinary people can be swept up in political violence and, despite their best efforts, eventually be swallowed by it. Through her sensitively crafted characters, (the author)) asks us to consider how history is told, whom it serves, and the many truths it leaves out. A magnificent book.”  Ganeshananthan is also the author of “Love Marriage.” Her writing has appeared in major national publications.

Did you know there are 13 St. Paul Public Library locations across the city? Friends of the St. Paul Public Library are offering you a chance to visit all of them through the new Discover Your Library Passport Program that encourages Passport participants to experience unique features of the Public Library’s collections, spaces, and programs including the Innovation Lab at the downtown George Latimer Central Library, Merriam Park’s vinyl record collection, and the reading garden at Sun Ray. Here’s how the program works. Participants pick up a passport at any of the libraries. At each venue, visitors will show their passport to library staff and get a sticker for that location. They also have a chance to earn another sticker for completing each of four bonus challenges included in the passport. Those who complete all stops are eligible to win prizes. For more information, go to thefriends.org/passport .

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