Just when you thought you had taken everything into account in the college admissions process, it turns out there is one thing you may not have considered: the weather. According to TheBookofOdds.com , students’ admissions interviews can be either adversely or positively affected depending by the weather outside. A study by researchers at the University of Toronto found that medical school applicants who interviewed on sunny days did better than their rainy day counterparts. Specifically, those who interviewed on rainy days received a 1 percent lower score than those who interviewed on sunny days. While the difference was modest, the authors of the study point out that “such small differences can be important in some cases because each year there about 100 candidates who receive a score within 1 percent of the admission threshold.”
Their findings were in keeping with a 2006 study by the University of Pennsylvania, which concluded that students who interviewed on sunny days had a higher predicted probability of admission. But turnabout is fair play, and studies also show that students who take a campus tour are actually more likely to enroll in the university if their visit takes place on a cloudy day. While there are no clear answers as to why clouds discourage admissions officers but encourage students, researchers generally agree that weather can affect moods. For a few, the mood swings are so severe that they are diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder. But in light of the research, even those not suffering from SAD might want to check the weather forecast before scheduling their college admissions interview.