<p>I am from NYC. I hate the cold too. Should I go to California for college? I applied ED to Pomona for reasons despite the weather. Also I think a school like Pomona in CA will help me get into Stanford Medical School. I would probably like to live in Los Angeles when I am older.</p>
<p>Weather is a legitimate factor in choosing a school, just as “greek scene”, “number of students”, etc. are. It shouldn’t be the main factor, but by all means, it’s a consideration. Living now in NC, after years of living in Chicago (as well as other places), I can vouch for how nice it is not to freeze your a** off all winter. Note, it still can get WAY cold, but knowing that it will be bearable again in a day or 2 is great…vs. knowing that you’ve got until at least April until you feel your fingers again.</p>
<p>That said, Boston was D’s first choice for college destination…she “likes” the cold, and a place where she could see snow was one of her factors that she wanted in a school! She ended up in DC…somewhere in the middle.</p>
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<p>First off, Arizona is in the Southwest, not the South. Very different climate. When you hear that it’s 114 in Phoenix, and someone says “But it’s a dry heat”, don’t believe them - it’s hot.</p>
<p>Agree with the poster that weather should be considered IF its important to you. And can run both ways - can’t stand the heat; can’t stand the cold. Everything else being equal (and they rarely are), weather might be a factor if deciding between between UMichigan or UNC-CH or Rice. It isn’t any fun walking to your 8 a.m. class when its dark and 20 below zero. And it may not be fun if it starts to get really hot in April. </p>
<p>It gets oppressively hot and humid in the summer, when you might not be there anyway. </p>
<p>States in the upper south (Virginia, NC, Kentucky, Tennessee) MOST DEFINITELY have four-season climates. Yes, summers are hot, but average winter temp is in the 40’s, and fall and spring are gorgeous. </p>
<p>Electricity has come to the south, so most buildings on a campus will be air-conditioned.</p>
<p>“A man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s a heaven for…” - Robert Browning. Experience life… consider a college in a different region if that is what interests you; perhaps you will decide to relocate there; meet new people, explore different settings… Work hard, have fun, be prudent and live your life with no regrets.</p>
<p>I’m from Chicagoland so I know exactly what you are talking about and I’m actually transferring out of my southwestern VA college to a college further <em>north</em> (hoping for Lawrence U, in Appleton, WI. Yep, WI.) It definitely does affect you; if it’s really hot, for instance, I know I’m one to be sluggish and sleepy and not want to do anything (except to sleep.) I’m the opposite of you; I really enjoy cold weather. I’m going back home to Chicagoland in a week and I’m looking forward to real winter haha (a couple weeks ago, it was still in the 70s here. Yes. The 70s. I don’t understand it!!!) I absolutely LOVE shopping for new mittens and hats and jackets and snow boots and that sort of thing and warming up with some hot chocolate or something when you finally get inside. So yes, I believe that weather is a legitimate reason to pick a school. You are, after all, choosing a place to live for the most part of four years. (Theoretically, of course.)</p>
<p>I don’t regret relocating to the South for a little while and living in a completely different culture than what I grew up with, for sure. It was definitely an experience that I’m glad that I have had. But by going here and seeing life here versus life back home, I can give an educated opinion by saying that I’d prefer to go back north and then some.</p>
<p>isn’t part of the educational experience to develop critical thinking skills. . .make decisions, accept the consequences, and be nimble in one’s response. . .what do you think you should do?</p>
<p>Sure. You should consider all that’s important to your choice. My daughter wanted warm weather and that was part of the whole picture. With undergrad studies you can choose what you’re looking for pretty easily. Med school later may narrow the climate choices.</p>
<p>Um, why would you? You should consider weather, but don’t let it “define” your choice. </p>
<p>If it’s cold, wear a sweater.</p>
<p>When I was a student many years ago I went to college in upstate New York and the weather was freezing with howling winds all winter, and winter lasted a long time. I thought that I hated it, so I went to grad school in Southern California to escape it. What I realized later was that I would have been better off staying in the bad weather. It forces you to concentrate on your school and your studies, which is really why you go to college anyway. The good weather just made it too hard to concentrate on my studies. In retrospect, I would pick a school that I really liked, particularly if the climate is not so perfect. It is just a better idea unless you have incredible self discipline.</p>
<p>I’m with those who say factor it in! Quality of life is important. You face so many changes and stressors when you go off to college, why not make this one, big thing easier on yourself? Some students don’t want to go to school in the middle of nowhere, the “location” of many fine colleges. Both weather and locale are valid (and very individual) factors re: quality of life. </p>
<p>With regard to weather, of course everything is relative. Several people on this thread from NJ, for example, have complained about the cold. I live north of Boston, and my D is a freshman in NJ. I regularly torment myself with the fact that her weather is usually about 5-10 degrees warmer in the winter. ;-)</p>
<p>Wow, i have a featured thread!</p>
<p>That brightened my terrible, sub-zero wind chill day.</p>
<p>If weather is a factor, by all means take it into consideration. The south and west have way too many colleges that compare to NE and Midwest counterparts. Definitely consider schools like Rice, Emory, Vanderbilt, Duke, Davidson, Wake Forest, UCLA, Stanford, UCB, etc.</p>
<p>You need to take this carefully into consideration. I mean, thinking about it logically, everybody loves warm weather. It is pleasant and brightens the mood of many campuses. However, there are also plenty of colleges that are in frigid climates that have very warm personalities to compensate for the weather.</p>
<p>If you are a person who is flexible and can adapt well to the cold, you shouldn’t let this bother you. However, if you feel like it would be just too much for you to handle, and it is so extensive that you feel like it would impact your ability to enjoy life, then you should not go to a school in a colder climate.</p>
<p>There are some people who get depressed in the winter so that they refuse to go outside, and do not attend class and do not want to socialize. if you feel like this could be a threat to you, then do not take your chances.</p>
<p>I always thought weather was a silly factor in people’s decisions. It bears 0 weight for me.<br>
I, in fact, prefer freezing winters and snow… what I like to call “sweater weather”</p>
<p>You shouldn’t let weather define your college choice, but just in case you do anyway, Southern California is really quite cold.</p>
<p>Those tales of year-round sun and tropical climates? Lies.</p>
<p>Heck yes, weather matters (maybe not as a defining choice, but an important one all the same). As an Alaskan, my freezing coldness brings all of your Lower 48 places to shame. Well, not including now (where it is an unusual 45 degrees; must be a sign of global warming or something 
). But normally, Anchorage’s average temp. is about 20 degrees in the winter, our winter meaning 6 months long from the end of September to the beginning of April. If this doesn’t sound pleasing to you at all, you should not apply to any colleges in Alaska (not that most of you were planning to). </p>
<p>Likewise for every other place. As a lover of generally warm weather, I’ve applied to a couple California colleges. I’ve also applied to Michigan state/some other localities that don’t have the warmest weather in the world (but are still better in comparison). If you love a college, don’t let bad/mediocre weather deter you completely.</p>
<p>I was from California and chose New England because I thought cold and snow would be romantic :). Four years later, when I was applying to law school, I ONLY applied to California law schools because I had gotten so depressed during the winters in the cold climate. I can only take a couple of days of it at a time. </p>
<p>Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can really affect not only your emotional state but your productivity. I agree with all the others who say yes, do consider the weather! (I am probably an extreme, but I have now been back in California since 1975 and I am grateful for the weather just about every single day). BTW–it’s in the 30s and 40s this week, during the day, which is about as close as we get to minus 10 degrees and we are whining about it.</p>
<p>My first winter in college was a disaster. My grades came out better than ever, however, I was miserable. I was EXTREMELY depressed and almost transferred out of my school. Now keep in mind there were some other circumstances going on, but the winter weather did not help. I was always depressed and only wanted to sleep. Thank God, my classes weren’t extremely difficult and I was able to get away with being lazy. I was so grateful when the spring arrived. Needless to say, after I graduate college, I’d like to move somewhere a little warmer.</p>
<p>Sure, you have to make decisions somehow.</p>
<p>This, coming from the most unbiased source possible. Why?</p>
<ol>
<li>I have lived in Southern California all my life.</li>
<li>I am literally allergic to the cold (yes, this is possible), and will be throughout my college years. I’ll grow out of this allergy eventually, according to doctors.</li>
<li>I ONLY applied to schools on the east coast, mostly in New England.</li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously, it’s not stopping me.</p>
<p>I have to agree with the posters who say that weather should be a factor in your decision. . . especially if the cold weather messes with your mood. </p>
<p>As others have stated, there are several great colleges all across the country. Additionally, many people wind up living near where they go to college–it makes sense to try to find a place you wouldn’t mind setting up shop.</p>