Hey, it’s not just a twin thing. My younger brother is better looking, taller and more talented.
Speaks 4 languages fluently and 1 passably. (Including Japanese)
Incredibly talented artist and musician in multiple media and instruments.
His success has not subtracted from my life or happiness. Your sister’s success will mean she probably won’t be mooching off you in the future, believe me, it happens.
Anyway, what your sibling does is irrelevant to your life. I was very focused in high school because I knew from about the age of 8 what I wanted to do. It only required a college degree from an accredited institution so I went to the local commuter college in CA, one in the CSU system. I did exactly what I wanted.
Community college is a great place to knock out a lot of prerequisite and core courses at a cheaper price. (Have you been following all the articles and discussion on the over-investment in education? Students going into incredible debt and finding it will take years to pay off. Basically there’s an education bubble with student paying far more than is rational to get a degree from a named institution.)
Named institutions don’t provide a better education, they do provide networking to alumni throught the rest of your career. May or may not be important depending on your career.
Do you know what you want to do with your life? Do you know what kind of degree? I had a friend who was an artist, his dream in high school was to go to the Pasadena Art College- made sense due to the prestige of the school, credibility it gave him, and networking opportunities. He’s done very well as a commercial artist as a result.
I have nephew who had his heart set on a military-style college (VMI, Citadel etc.), he went to one, paid a fortune and is heavily in debt. He decided to become a police officer. He could have paid a lot less for a degree and be in the same position.
I had another friend who went to school for an engineering degree, mid-way through he decided he loved carpentry and quit school. He is now a master carpenter with his own business creating custom furniture and cabinets, again he does very well and loves what he’s doing.
My long winded point is your pursuit of an education should be in support of your goals in life and with a rational decision on the investment of time and money. Don’t be down about a community college, it is a wonderful opportunity to either explore various subjects to find what interests you, or if you have goals- to focus in on those things that will support your achieving them. Boost grades, build your academeic resume for the college of your choice that you want to transfer to.