I have really bad seasonal allergies, but the worst bout I ever had was one late summer in Madison (summer 1999, I think). I rolled into town in mid-August after a research trip in the northeast, and within 20 minutes I couldn’t breathe. I spent the next two months praying for the first frost, so everything that was seeping allergens into the air would just die.
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My mom grew up on a farm between Madison and LaCrosse. I’m allergic to hay (among other things…). Every time we would visit those grandparents, I would suffer – ten puffs on the inhaler, popping benadryl like jelly beans, etc. Madison itself was far kinder to me.
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Thank you, everyone for your comments. I started this thread because my daughter, who has never been an allergy sufferer started having bad allergy symptoms while at a summer program at UCLA. It seemed like an odd place and time for allergies, But I don’t have seasonal allergies, so I’m ignorant about that stuff. The symptoms resolved as soon as she got home.
So this got me wondering about which schools are known to be bad for allergy suffers. But it sounds like it really varies from person to person. So I’ve decided to stop worrying about it. We have enough different variables to think about during the college search. We don’t need another one in the mix!! 
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Moving can cause seasonal allergies because the body is being exposed to new allergens which the immune system hasn’t had previous exposure.
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@momofboiler1 is right. I’ve travelled extensively and allergies can strike anywhere any time of year. There are so many allergens. Even in the winter, when things can get dusty because people are cooped up indoors.
Unless there’s a known allergen, it’s very difficult to base a college decision on seasonal allergies. The good news is that for many people, the worst of allergic reactions abate in a few weeks, after many plants have finished releasing pollen in the the spring.
IMO, Claritin is a lifesaver. No drowsiness.
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I grew up in LA and summers were awful for my allergies. Of course I’m allergic to everything in the air. But also, seasons in LA don’t work like seasons in colder climates (places with four distinct seasons, for example), and neither do seasonal allergies.
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I am an allergist. Allergies can start at any age and can vary by time of year and location. Allergies in LA can be due to dust mite, roaches and mold. This would be an odd time of year for pollen allergies but here in the northeast ragweed is starting early. Many people have worsening allergies when they move due to higher levels of allergens that they have been previously sensitized to. Northern California and the south east are very bad for allergies as are big cities that have humidity and roaches.
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