<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, "</p>
<p>I’m from Upstate NY, and spent a year in grad school in Calif., and also have lived in the South and Midwest.</p>
<p>When days are short, gray, and snowy, I get sleepy, depressed and want to stay inside. Indeed, I used to skip classes as an undergrad in New England because I just couldn’t force myself to go out into that bleakness during the winter.</p>
<p>When it’s sunny and warm, I get energy that helps me focus and study.</p>
<p>I know not everyone has such a reaction to short, overcast, bleak, cold winter days, but I do, and if my Mom had allowed me to apply to go to undergraduate school in Calif., that’s where I would have gone after high school.</p>
<p>I usually laugh and tell people that I chose the U of C for the great weather :-P</p>
<p>If you’re from Chicago already, you know what winters can be like, and I don’t need to lecture you on bundling up or tell you about the greatest brands known to mankind (North Face, UnderArmor, Icebreaker, Eastern Mountain Sports). I don’t particularly like the cold either, but I find that the cold is great for a few things… I enjoy coffee, tea, chai, and hot chocolate , and fireplaces, all things with the U of C has an overabundance of, that much more, and I’m a better student because all of a sudden spending a couple of hours away from the cold and inside a library seems marvelous!</p>
<p>Absolutely consider weather. I know I did- I crossed Davidson off my list because I didn’t think I could spend four years in a place where it didn’t snow. In fact, the annual snowfall in Middlebury is one of the factors that made me apply ED.</p>
<p>Obviously weather should take a backseat to academics- don’t choose UMiami over Yale. But there are dozens of fantastic schools in warm climates (and just about every school in America is warmer than Chicago in the winter). All other things being equal, you should absolutely take weather into consideration. Remember that you want the next four years to be happy ones, and if a cold weinter will detract from your enjoyment, there’s no reason to go somewhere cold.</p>
<p>No. Though I think rejecting a college because of its rural/urban environment is rational, rejecting a college because it’s not in an environment that features 70-degree weather and palm trees doesn’t make sense. However, if an applicant is presented with two equally outstanding academic institutions, then weather certainly has a place in the decision making process.</p>
<p>I think there’s something to be said for a weather change, e.g., a student from San Diego going to New Hampshire, a Midwesterner heading to the Southeast, etc.</p>
<p>Interests may also mean that weather has an important influence, e.g., serious skiers being near snow, distance runners in warmer areas, etc.</p>
<p>Overall, I don’t see why weather can’t be a modestly important factor, rather like the college’s campus. Would you choose a college just for its campus? Probably not. Would you prefer to choose a school that had a great campus vs. one with a fragmented, ugly campus? Sure…</p>
<p>Consider, too, that relocating for college may well mean relocating for life - it does for many people - and conversely going to a very different area could lead you to exclude that climate/way of life and send you back home. Whatever your final decision after college, relocation for college is mcuh easier than relocation after you have a job, family, etc.</p>
<p>It depends. I know a student who is transferring from a far-north school to a milder climate. The prolonged darkness, cold, and snow were more than just irritating. This person was already prone to depression, and the weather did not help.</p>
<p>But I grew up in a milder climate and spent my college years in New England. It didn’t bother me. As others have said, it’s only four years. All things being equal, it’s best to go for other factors, unless you are like the kid I mentioned above.</p>
<p>Maybe because I have lived in NY all my life, but it seems weird to me that cold weather would make you depressed. Why do you guys think that is.</p>
<p>i assume you have spent most of your life in Chicago so just bear with the cold for four more years and then move off to a place with a warmer climate</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that there are different extremes of weather even within nearby areas of the northeast. Last weekend I went to Parsippany, in New Jersey, and I was MISERABLE. It was horribly windy and cold. The same day, I went to Long Island and was thrilled because, while it wasn’t warm, it wasn’t quite so cold, and the lack of wind made it feel much warmer.</p>
<p>Also, one user compared UChicago to Duke, etc. and, in reality, those are pretty different schools. Make sure to keep the whole picture in mind. If you hate a sports-focused school, but love the nerds, the weather probably won’t be too comforting. You seem like you want to consider all factors though, so I probably don’t even need to say this.</p>
<p>This is not 1920s America where all the good schools are in the Northeast. If weather is important to you you cant go wrong with the following warm weather schools:</p>
<p>Emory
Duke
Vanderbilt
Davidson
William & Mary
Rice
Pomona/CMC
Wake Forest
Stanford
USC
UCLA
UVirginia
UNC-CH
Washington & Lee
Cal</p>
<p>Actually, yeah, you SHOULD consider weather. You shouldn’t make your decision entirely based on weather, but it’s a valid factor</p>
<p>A lot of people end up falling into depressions in the northeast that start of as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you’re the type of person that becomes absolutely miserable, lonely, or demotivated in poor weather… well then, yes, you -should- consider weather in your choice of colleges.</p>
<p>As some previous posters stated, there is no need to go all the way to the University of Hawaii (my favorite university for weather xD) or even California just for the weather but you can certainly find some fantastic universities with good weather conditions.</p>
<p>The South wouldn’t be total weather shock for someone in Chicago. I live just west of Toledo, about 4 hours from Chicago. During the summers in the Midwest, the weather is usually about the same as in the South. It just gets really cold during the winter. I also know that the Northeast is not as cold as the Midwest. They get more snow there because of the Noreasters, but they rarely have spells like we’ve had lately here in the Midwest.</p>
<p>Personally, this is just one of those cyclical things that comes and goes. During the winter, I hate the cold and wish I lived somewhere warm. When I’m out running on a day in the summer when it’s 90 degrees and super humid, I wish it wasn’t so hot. I’d say I hate the cold more than the hot, but it’s still interesting to think about it that way. I would say that your college experience can outweigh any cold weather if you choose the correct college. Additionally, many colleges are now sponsoring semesters in other places. You can do a semester abroad, or at other universities in the US. Lately, it’s been this really hot commodity to pair up with other universities in the US and in the world and send students there. If you did that, you could have the best of both worlds: a degree from the college you really want (with all of the academic and networking opportunities), and a little taste of what life is like in a warmer climate.</p>
<p>I think weather is a huge, HUGE factor - don’t underestimate it. If you’re a really good to great student, there are plenty of terrific schools in the South/West that more than fit the bill vis-a-vis academics, facilities, the total experience etc: Emory, Vanderbilt, UNC-CH, UVA, Duke, Davidson, Wake, Sewanee, Rice, UC schools, Stanford, Clarement schools, Pomona etc, etc. Unless you are dying to have an Ivy degree, there are a world of possibilities outside the Northeast. And while Michigan, Nwestern, Wisconsin and UofC are wonderful schools, well, I just don’t get why you’d suffer thru those winters for one of their sheepskins! (said tongue in cheek). Good luck.</p>
<p>I personally don’t care at all about weather. It just doesn’t concern me at all. But if it does, there’s nothing wrong with that. If you feel natrually inclined to factor weather into your college decesion, I don’t see why you shouldn’t</p>
<p>Since you are self-aware enough to realize that you need a walk outside with fresh air (and hopefully sunlight) every day to make you feel productive, then weather is a factor you should consider. Not the ONLY factor, but definitely one to consider. And good for you for figuring this out at 18. I was 35 before I figured out that I go crazy if I am in a room without windows to the outside. The weather doesn’t have to be great, but I need to see the outdoors. I’ve learned the hard way not to take a job where I don’t have access to a window.</p>
<p>Also, remember at college you’ll be more affected by the weather than ever because you have to go outside to do ANYTHING. To get a meal, go to class, etc. It’s not like home where you can walk downstairs from your bedroom to the kitchen for dinner. Dragging myself across campus in the 40 degree drizzle with a horrible head cold just to get a warm dinner was one of the worst things about my college years.</p>