College admissions can be unpredictable, especially when two siblings with very different records apply to the same dream school.

We all want to celebrate an incredible opportunity, but when your twin sister was just rejected from Cornell – would you accept your place, or turn it down to protect her feelings?

That painful decision leaves one student questioning whether she deserves her acceptance, even as her sister supports her more than their own parents do.

See why this college decision was a surprise to all.

AITA for going to my sister’s dream school when she just got rejected?

So, I got into Cornell last week. Honestly I think it was fluke. I’m not smart, at all.

I got a 28 ACT, a decent GPA (because my school grade inflates considerably). I had some decent extracurriculars but nothing remotely competitive enough to get me to a school like Cornell.

But anyways…

My twin sister is the opposite of me. She’s a GENIUS, she has way more impressive stats (34 ACT and she only took it once, compared to my 3 times), she has way better grades, way cooler extracurriculars.

Everyone always looked up to her as the smart one. I didn’t and still don’t mind, it’s true.

This sister seems cool with her role in the family. But is it about to be upended?

The only reason I can fathom I got in and she didn’t is that she applied to the engineering college while I applied to Arts and Sciences.

(I don’t know if too many of you guys are familiar with Cornell, but they have a bunch of different colleges you can apply to, each with their different admission criteria).

Well last week, decisions for ivies came out.

Unfortunately for my sister, she didn’t get into a single one, including her first choice (Cornell). She checked as SOON as it was available and called me bawling.

Yeah, that’s a bad feeling. But is her sister going to twist the knife?

I consoled her and told her everything was going to be okay, that who cares what school you go to, that she was brilliant and was going to be successful no matter where she goes.

Well anyways, I pretty much resolved that I was getting rejected, so I didn’t even bother to look at my email until later that night. Well, I guess surprises do happen sometime, because I’m a Cornellian.

I got in. I just don’t know how but I did.

Sometimes life is pretty random. But congrats to OP, right?

I really want to go guys. But this would devastate my sister. All week she’s been crying and solemn and sad.

She’s been angry at her friends who got into top schools (especially the ones with lower stats). She’s decided to go to NYU, but she just hasn’t been herself.

I haven’t told our parents (I think they assumed I didn’t get in because she didn’t).

Am I being selfish?

You gotta live your life. But also, I don’t envy OP’s position.

Should I just go with her to NYC? We always thought we were going to school together but like… it’s Cornell. I couldn’t in a million years imagine I’d get in.

I’ve been researching obsessively about it and I can’t shake the desire that if I don’t go, I’ll regret it.

Ithaca looks beautiful, it’s a small town (which I would LOVE to get away with from the huge city that is New York). It seems like a dream opportunity.

Yeah, no regrets OP. But how will she break the news?

Am I being a bad sister?

I KNOW she would be upset; we were supposed to go to school together. It would crush her. I really don’t have anyone else to talk to :(.

AITA for going to her dream school? Especially considering how much harder she’s worked compared to me…

I’d say OP did nothing wrong. Sometimes that’s just how the cards are dealt.

What do the comments think about this sister’s dilemma?

This person understands the twin energy.

A current Cornell undergrad says, don’t undermine yourself.

This person says, oh the places you’ll both go.

Another person says, don’t wonder what if.

This poster says, you’re not an imposter.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a woman who got family pushback after gifting jewelry to her stepdaughter.

Beyond the college decision, this story shows how years of comparison can convince someone that even their greatest accomplishments belong to somebody else.

Choosing between Cornell and NYU based on one’s personal fit would be reasonable, but giving up an opportunity solely because her parents believe the “smarter” twin deserved it would only reinforce a kind of cruelty.

Her sister’s initial sadness was understandable, yet standing up for her acceptance proved that the twins cared more about each other than competing for bragging rights.

Cornell accepted the right applicant, even if her parents apparently thought the admissions office needed a reminder about which twin was which.