“Is your sibling considering Amherst?”
I consistently ask people with younger siblings this question. The answer varies, mostly firm no’s accompanied with a shake of the head and a short laugh, with a few yes’s. People who answer “no” often explain that their sibling is vehemently opposed to being at the same school as them. Others who answer “no” say that their sibling is not interested in a small liberal arts college like Amherst. The reason may vary, but the answer is almost always “no.”
I ask this question consistently because my younger sister is also a student at Amherst. Neither she nor I are vehemently opposed to being at the same school (obviously), which is why I find the answer, “I would hate being at the same school with my sibling” so fascinating. We attended the same high school, where we were often confused with each other because of our similar appearances. We were even in a few of the same clubs together. But we had different friend groups and interests, so we remained separate personalities even in the same club or activity. While someone might mistake one for the other based on appearance, no one would make that mistake while talking or working with one of us. After all, we are sisters, not clones.
Given all that, we weren’t determined to go to the same school together, but neither were we opposed to it. I knew that since we are in different grades, we wouldn’t see each other as much as we did in high school, which has proven to be true. I knew that even in a school of 1,800 we could choose how much time we wanted to spend together. I also knew that my sister was mature and responsible enough to not require me to act as a substitute mother for her.
Now that the school year is underway, we eat together a few times a week, and generally eat out together once a week. Since we are both in ACF (Amherst Christian Fellowship) we see each other at activities, and of course we see each other around campus, but other than that, our lives run on parallel lines, only intersecting every so often. (Forgive the terrible geometry metaphor.) We are neither joined at the hip nor totally oblivious of the other’s existence, but rather enjoy a healthy balance between the two.