While most see the college experience as a parting from familial comforts and constraints alike, those with twin siblings face the interesting choice of whether to separate when they enter college or to bring along a big piece of home.
For sets of twins who opted to attend Tufts together, having a counterpart on campus has been an integral part of their transition to collegiate life.
Identical-twin freshmen Miranda and Hayley Young said that attending college together was a given.
"We never even thought about not going together. It was just understood," Miranda said.
The Youngs applied early decision to Tufts and asked that the admissions office accept both girls together, or decline both. Tufts acquiesced.
"We've done everything together. We do every activity and every function jointly, so I can't imagine living apart," Hayley said.
Freshmen Chris and Ken Winter - who are referred to by their middle names because their first names are both William - are also identical twins, and shared a similar sentiment when choosing colleges. Far from exhibiting a sibling rivalry, the Winters said that coming to college together was a "natural choice" and that separating even for short periods of time is difficult.
"The only time we're not together is when we take showers, but that's probably about it," Ken said.
Describing themselves as "a little more on the eccentric side," the two Winters are roommates and are enrolled in every class together.
"We both want to be dentists and open up a joint practice," Ken said.
They explained that they often use code names and can finish each other's sentences. Almost everything they do is a collaborative effort.
"We look over each other's e-mail. We only have one account for AIM. We both use it and look over each other's messages," Chris said. "We call it quality control."
But while they never spend a moment alone, the unique intensity of their bond has made it more difficult to meet people since coming to college.
"A lot of people try to separate us, and we like doing everything together," Ken said. "I think some people can be intimidated by the bond of brotherhood. We notice that people don't want to be a third wheel so they just avoid us all together."
The Youngs have also experienced negative attitudes from their peers for deciding to room together and for attending the same school.
"Sometimes we get a lot of criticism for going to school together," Hayley said. "People say that we should split up and experience new things on our own."
Both sets of twins said they have noticed several differences between high school and college in the way that people view them.
"In high school it was more understood that we were twins and that we cling together," Chris said.
"Since we aren't in all the same classes together, it's weird that some people will only know one of us. That's definitely different," Miranda said.
That same feeling is heightened for Tufts students whose twins attend other colleges. Junior Eric Porter has a fraternal twin at Brandeis University and said that college was the first time he wasn't automatically associated with his brother.
"It was weird to have to tell people that I was a twin," Porter said. "Even though we don't look alike, for 13 years we were at the same school, so people just knew us as 'the twins.' All of a sudden we came [to Boston] and we weren't."
Senior Chloe Rossen, who has a twin brother, said that it was strange not being known as a twin like she had been in high school.
"In high school everyone knew us as 'the Rossen twins.' Sometimes [after coming to college] I'd say 'we,' and people would be like, 'who's we?'" Rossen said. "I still sometimes say it."
But because her brother goes to school at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it was during Rossen's time abroad that she first felt real separation from her twin.
"I would wish my twin was there because I felt like he would have had the same opinions or would have wanted to do the same things," she said.
The Youngs agreed that being able to share experiences with someone of the same age and background has been beneficial.
"My favorite thing is always having someone there," Miranda said. "We take it for granted because we don't really experience being apart."
"It's been a comfort throughout our whole lives, especially now," Hayley added.
But for the two sets of twins, some difficulties still accompany the persistent association with another person.
"A big drawback is you're treated as a unit," Hayley said. "If one of us did one thing, it reflects positively or negatively for both people."
"Even the way we talk is always like 'we think this,' or 'our parents, our friends, our room, our stuff,' so I think we're always thought of us as twins rather than separate people," Miranda. "I respond to either name."
The Winters have had a similar experience.
"People treat us collectively," Ken said. "It annoyed me when people would call us 'the twins.' We're never really alone; maybe once or twice I've been separated from him in public, so a lot of people notice when we're not together."
Despite being together the majority of the time, pairs of twins at Tufts said they wouldn't have it any other way.
"Everyone could use a twin," Ken said.
