Danbury High School quadruplets, from left, Ray, Martina, Ken and Carol Crouch will all attend Yale University in the Fall.DANBURY -- The Crouch quadruplets expect to graduate from Danbury High School in June and head to Yale University in the fall, most likely the first set of quads to enter the Ivy League college in New Haven.
Four months after their early acceptance, the four 18-year-olds -- Carol, Ken, Martina and Ray -- said Wednesday morning they plan to go to Yale.
After spending three days last week on campus with other students who had been accepted, seeing the programs and meeting the staff, they were sure this was the best fit for each of them.
But, they agreed in unison, they will not room together.
"We didn't sit down and say we were all going to go to Yale," Martina said. "Staying together wasn't a factor. We're four different people."
Instead, each decided that the programs at Yale were what he or she wanted and the people were welcoming.
"It was really warm,'' Martina said.
"And the people were very humble,'' Carol added. "We met people from every background. You don't have to be a stereotype. You can be a regular kid and, if you work hard, you can get in."
Carol was impressed with the drama, writing and humanities offerings, while Martina looks forward to the art and writing programs.
Ken will pursue politics with a global focus.
"I was really impressed with the political union," Ken said. "I went to a discussion with (former presidential candidate and Vermont Gov.) Howard Dean. I loved all the political groups. It's a friendly rivalry."
Ray expects to concentrate on environmental studies, which Yale offers as a major. He said he knew soon after arriving on campus that he wanted to attend Yale.
"I took a yoga class there," he said. "Once I got in, I didn't look back.''
The four were accepted at all the schools they applied to, which included Wesleyan University in Middletown for all four, and Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Vassar, Tufts and Williams for one or more of them.
Their mother, Caroline Crouch, was glad they made their choice.
"It was difficult seeing them struggle to make a decision," she said Wednesday. "I wanted them to make up their minds, and I'm glad they did."
She saw that they liked the atmosphere at Yale.
"They felt comfortable," she said. "The reception was really warm and people were down-to-earth."
Danbury High School principal Robert Rossi said the quads lived up to what he had been told before he arrived at the high school last fall.
"They're all individuals, and each one is different. I think they're going to do great things in all their chosen fields,'' Rossi said. "They've left a lasting impression on so many people in Danbury."
The four siblings look forward to a relaxing summer, without the regimen of schoolwork that filled their past vacations.
While they declined to reveal the financial aid Yale will provide, they said it was very good, based on family income, and awarded to each as an individual, not for the group.
They want other students to know that Yale is within reach for them, too.
"If you are qualified and you get in, money won't be a problem," Ken said.
"A lot of kids miss the opportunity because they don't think they will get the support they need,'' Martina said. "But they have it all there."
To read more about these wonderful young people, click here.See interview with the Crouch Quadruplets on GMA, click here.
