(UPI) A pair of 17-year-old North Carolina twins have some big decisions ahead of them after being accepted into 15 colleges -- and receiving $1.53 million in merit-based scholarships.

Reagan and Ricardo Razon, 17, who are preparing to graduate June 12 from Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh, received acceptance letters from 15 schools including Harvard University, Yale University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University.

The twins also collectively amassed $1.53 million in non-need, merit-based scholarships.

"We were both pleasantly surprised, but also grateful to receive all the offers that we did receive. Especially, as we're experiencing a global pandemic. This year has been different for many students and the college application process has also been increasingly difficult," Reagan Razon told WRAL-TV.

The twins said their parents, Ricardo Razon III and Michelleta Razon, instilled them with a love of STEM subjects and the drive to succeed in their educations.

"They made sure that we knew how to read before we walked into the school doors, when we were in kindergarten, so I'm very grateful that they did that for us," Ricardo Razon told Black Enterprise.

The twins said they share an interest in computer science, but they are planning to make their college decisions separately.

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