Twins Jada and James Northern of Clifton Heights, Pa., are first-year students at Arcadia, but each handled the process of applying to colleges a bit differently. James applied to 20 different schools, including several historically Black colleges and universities, and was accepted to 18 of them. Jada narrowed her focus, applying to two schools, and was accepted to both. However, their final decision turned out to be the same: attend Arcadia and be part of the five sets of twins to join the Class of 2029.

“I was trying to go on my own to college, I can’t lie,” said James, a Business Administration major. “I wanted a fresh start with all new people and a chance to be my own person. I can admit, though, going to the same college as my twin is not as bad as I thought it would’ve been.”

“We’ve been together our whole lives,” added Jada, who is currently in the Exploratory Studies program. “It really wasn’t that important to go to the same school, but I don’t regret it.”

The twins have a wide range of majors and interests, from Business to Criminal Justice, to athletics like hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling. For Rian and Nishay Nettles, their interest in art brought them to Arcadia, albeit heading in two different directions.

“Nishay and I applied to schools together,” Rian explained. “We’re both interested in the field of art, and therefore our school search was the same. However, I’ll be an Art Therapy major while Nishay is studying Art and Technology. It was important for us to stay together; I’ve always enjoyed not being alone and having someone to explore the world, and now Arcadia, with.” 

“When we were younger, we would catch the 22 [SEPTA bus] with our grandmother,” Nishay said. “When I asked, ‘MomMom, is that a castle? Did princesses and princes live there?’ She said it was a school, so it’s so cool that I ended up attending here. I genuinely loved the school when I first applied, and when I received the aid, I knew it was the right university for me.”

Athletics also played a role in the decision to come to Arcadia for several of the twins. The men’s hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling teams will each feature a set this upcoming season.

The hockey program drew Michael and Christopher Benkovitz to Arcadia. Not only do the twins from Jersey City, N.J. support each other on the ice, but they also have all the same classes for their major in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, and live together with another teammate.

“It was important for us to attend the same university, as playing hockey together was always a certainty,” Michael said. “We rely on each other in a lot of ways, and he knows I’ve got his back and I know he’s got mine.”

Arcadia’s nationally recognized study abroad program was also too good to pass up for the Benkovitzes.

“I’ve always been so excited about the idea of studying abroad, especially in Korea, where my mother was born,” Christopher said. “So, when I found out that on top of good academics, Arcadia’s Korean connection is strong, I had to apply.”

Layne and Peyton Williams came to Arcadia from Cambridge, Md., on the Eastern Shore, a location typically known as a hotbed for lacrosse talent. The Williams brothers bring their talents to the University to help the men’s lacrosse team build on last season’s success.

“I learned about Arcadia before Peyton,” said Layne, who is majoring in Business Administration. “Our goal was to find a place where we could both be together and play lacrosse. We also factored in distance from home and a smaller school size.”

During his junior year of high school, Peyton, a Biology major, suffered a hip injury that required him to have surgery. Arcadia still wanted him to be part of the team with his brother.

“After Arcadia contacted Layne regarding lacrosse, they offered me the chance to keep playing too,” he explained. “I looked into the school and found that it was an ideal fit for me too.”

Kehinde and Taiwo Mogaji will make history as part of the first men’s wrestling team at Arcadia.

“There are a lot of reasons why I chose Arcadia,” stated Taiwo, who is in the Exploratory Studies program. “I loved the campus; it is about a 40-minute drive from home in Darby, Pa. But the top reason why I came to Arcadia is the new wrestling program. It came down to this and another institution, and that really made a difference.”

Nelly and Ameliia Tyncherova ’26 know well the feeling of getting used to being a twin at Arcadia. Now in their senior year, the twins from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan have advice for the twins in the Class of 2029.

“Don’t feel like you have to do everything side by side,” they advise. “You are both unique individuals, and that’s something to celebrate. At the same time, lean on each other, support each other, and enjoy the fun little things only twins can understand.

If one of you ever struggles with making friends, be there for each other. Remember, your twin is the one person who truly has your back. Yes, you might argue sometimes, which is totally normal, but always share resources, go to events together, and encourage each other to get involved in clubs. Trust us, being twins at the same university is such an amazing experience!”

Of course, being an identical twin comes with unique quirks. Some of the siblings mentioned being mistaken for each other, even in the brief time since they started at Arcadia.

“New people we’ve met mistake him for me, and me for him, and they get confused on why I don’t remember them or how I changed my clothes so fast after they ‘saw me’ 10 minutes ago,” said Kehinde, who is studying Criminal Justice with a concentration in Social Justice. “The typical questions start after I say, ‘I’m his twin brother.’”

“To my new friend in the commuter lounge, I’m sorry!” Nishay made sure to say to the person who confused her and her sister recently.

For the Benkovitz twins, there’s an added layer because even professors have the tall task of telling them apart during classes.

“I think that being a twin at Arcadia is pretty cool, so many people come up to us and ask us who’s who,” Christopher said. “With my brother and I having the same classes, the teachers all get a kick out of noticing us and telling us apart too.”

“People on campus are starting to realize we’re twins and not actually in two places at once,” Michael added.

There is no doubt these students will be making their marks on Arcadia in no time, and then it will be easy to tell them apart.