As identical twins, freshmen Melissa and Monique Brown share almost everything: appearance, clothes, textbooks and even a dorm room at Northwestern. The Browns behave alike as well, answering “easy” questions in unison during a video chat interview, the screen seemingly split into two indistinguishably symmetrical halves.

Age? Hometown? Major? “Eighteen. Chicago. Social Policy,” they respond in simultaneous voices, but an uncertain pause comes when they describe how their relationship has changed since becoming freshman roommates.

“You still are independent and grow as a person, especially when you have someone who keeps you grounded and knows who you really are,” says Monique after a short pause.

For the Browns, attending college with each other after graduating from high school in Chicago was an easy choice, one they had always envisioned. They both applied to Northwestern early decision. Yet other sets of twins have a harder time planning their futures.

The dilemma facing same-aged college-bound siblings is not new, but it is becoming more common as the number of twin births continues to rise. In 1991, the rate of multiple births in the United States was the highest it had been in a half-century, according the Center for Disease Control. The twins born during this time period are now the age of most college freshmen, and enrollment at two- and four-year institutions has climbed 17 percent since 2000, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Whether they wind up at different schools or in the same place, siblings’ already complex relationships are bound to change in the college setting. And that transformation, which can take different forms depending on the twins, often complicates the self-growth many students seek after high school.

Weighing tough decisions

No matter what the siblings opt to do, it will likely change their unique relationship, says Dr. Lynn Perlman, a Newton, Mass. psychiatrist specializing in twin behavior.

“It depends on the twin; it’s a very individual thing,” says Perlman, who writes for Twins magazine. She speaks from experience; Perlman herself is an identical twin who attended college with her sister for three years.

“It was necessary to do at the time, but eventually I gained my independence and we went to different schools,” she says.

Although they graduated from different schools, Perlman and her sister both obtained doctorates and practice the same profession. She says the distinctive relationship each set of twins share determines whether they should go to college together.

It then seems sensible for the Browns to not only attend college with each other; but also take the same classes, participate in similar extracurricular activities and live together. Melissa and Monique say they feel they are each developing into their own person while away at school, although it is nearly impossible to ignore the sisters’ intimate cohesiveness when they are together.

At Sargent dining hall one evening in January, Monique stood in the panini line as her sister ventured off, unsure of what she wanted to eat. Moments later, Melissa (who stands an indistinguishable half-inch taller than her twin at 5’9 1/2”) easily navigated her way through the dinner rush to check on Monique, who was still waiting impatiently for a sandwich.

But when Monique saw her sister’s grilled cheese, she groaned and said, “Now I want that!”

“She always does this,” says Melissa as Monique convinced her sister to trade her half of the grilled cheese for half of her panini. She then plated some fries as well and the girls’ meals, like the twins themselves, were rendered identical.

Following, and sometimes crisscrossing, paths

One week later, another set of 18-year-old twin sisters ate together on campus. But for Communication freshman Eliza Helm and her fraternal twin Sally, it was the first dinner they shared since winter break. Unlike the Browns’ everyday routine, this dinner was not habitual because the Helms had made significantly different plans after high school.

While Eliza studies theater here at Northwestern, Sally is taking a year off before matriculating to Yale University. Their reunion, which included Sally’s first “college party” lasted only one week before Sally flew back to their home in Los Angeles.

“We had been together since kindergarten and needed a break. Here, you can become your own person,” says Eliza. She noted that her and her twin’s college graduation dates will be a year apart; it’s the first time a big event in their lives will not be shared.

While the change in their relationship is unfamiliar, it is welcomed by both Helms as they grow into their own individual identities. “We’re both doing exactly what we wanted to do, it’s just that it’s completely different,” says Sally.

Sally, whose dark curly locks provide a stark contrast to her sister’s straight red hair, says she too is experiencing a surge in independence, even if her college deferment to volunteer in South America is a somewhat unconventional next step after high school.

While the change in their relationship is unfamiliar, it is welcomed by both Helms as they grow into their own individual identities. “We’re both doing exactly what we wanted to do, it’s just that it’s completely different,” says Sally.

In contrast to the Helms’ decisive separation, Communication sophomore Erin Cutler and her identical sister applied to all the same schools two years ago. Both girls were accepted to Northwestern, Erin’s top choice.

But for Stephanie, “something about Northwestern just didn’t click”, according Erin, who says her sister wound up attending the University of Kentucky (UK), an institution just 15 minutes away from their Lexington home.

Stephanie missed her sister as a college freshman, and was considering transferring to Northwestern just to be with her. When asked if she wanted Stephanie to join her in Evanston, Erin was not entirely sure.

“It was nice being independent and I was afraid that if she came it would kind of change that. But still I didn’t want to tell her she couldn’t come, because it’s her choice, not mine,” says Erin, a theater major, in a voice much quieter and more wavering than one generally accustomed for the stage.

Distancing their independence

Unlike the Cutlers’ uncertainty about independence, Weinberg freshman Becca Reddicliffe and her two siblings saw clear advantages in separating for college — even if it meant being taken out of their comfort zones.

“I was hanging out with two friends I’ve known since I’ve been here, and one of them mentioned I was a triplet and the other guy freaked out. He had no idea.” Becca explains, with wide eyes that she finds it amusing, if not strange, to think that many of her new Northwestern friends may not know she is part of ‘the triplets’ at home.

It is not only college friends that look at the Reddicliffes in a different light; Becca and her siblings have noted a change as well.

“Even we see each other independently now instead of our little entity of three. I’ve realized that all my life, I’ve been known as part of ‘the triplets’, and it’s nice to be known as myself,” she says.

Although not without some hesitation, Stephanie Cutler eventually reached a similar conclusion. She applied as a transfer and was accepted to Northwestern, for the second time. “But she decided to stay. Things are better now at UK,” explained Erin, who seemed as happy for her sister and she was relieved for herself.

Erin adds that had it not been for Northwestern, she might have never even started to part ways with her sister. She appreciates their almost-compromised distance now, because all though independence has been easier to find alone, “things haven’t really changed” between Stephanie and her.

Facing a fickle future

For the sets of twins who parted ways for college, the concept of keeping in touch with one another can present itself as an unfamiliar challenge. Becca Reddicliffe and her siblings video chat with one another, but not without technical and sometimes even emotional difficulty.

“Usually iChat doesn’t allow any of us to not be fuzzy. When my brother came to visit, the two of us chatted with my sister, but it wasn’t the same and it was really strange that we weren’t all in the same place,” says Becca.

Meanwhile the Browns, who have never been apart for more than a weekend, face an entirely different situation. Their interactions are in person and do not rely on a good Internet connection, but they too are beginning to consider attaining more physical distance. The twins know they want to live in separate rooms next year, preferably singles. However, Melissa and Monique still hope to live in the same dorm, if not on the same floor, so they can continue to share a printer and a fridge.

Thinking about what the distant post-graduate world holds for her and Monique after graduation, Melissa says, “I don’t know how our relationship would change, and that could be stressful.”

Evidently, the choice of whether or not to attend college together may be only the first of many difficult decisions twins face. They might forever be balancing the intertwined roles of sibling and self, for the complex nature of twins’ relationships continues well beyond the college years.

Still the Browns’ future plans aren’t too specific yet, especially since both girls insist they will still spend nearly all of their time at Northwestern together. But reflecting on life with her twin, Monique muses to herself, “we’re going to have to start figuring this all out.”