Zoe Eilers of St. Louis Park found lots to like about Santa Clara University, a private Jesuit school that the freshman now calls her home away from home.
Sunshine 300 days a year. An abundance of hilly running trails. A rich cultural and culinary scene, thanks to the school's proximity to San Francisco.
But the biggest selling point? Zoe is a mere 20-minute car ride, or one train stop, from her twin brother, Jackson, who just began his studies at Stanford University.
"Jackson told me to go where I wanted to go," said Zoe, who was accepted to all 14 schools to which she applied. "But I couldn't resonate with that. I'm still really protective of him."
Morgan Downing said it was "a running joke" in her family that she'd take the East Coast and her twin sister, Trianna, would take the West Coast when it came time for the Hopkins High School seniors to begin their college application process.
"Our parents said, 'Nope. Pick one coast.' "
Morgan is a freshman at American University in Washington, D.C. Trianna is 10 Metro stops away at The George Washington University.
"I don't think I ever, in my heart, believed that we would be going to the same school," 18-year-old Morgan said. "But I knew we'd be pretty close."