According to a new study, I was destined not to be a Rhodes Scholar. In addition, researchers say because I was born in the month of August, there is little chance I would have graduated at the top of the class from Harvard, Yale or Oxford.
They’re right. In fact, I didn’t even get accepted to Harvard… then again, I never applied.
I was doomed to be a failure and that goes double for the rest of you Leos, or so says the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
The group just released findings from a study it conducted, which shows that babies born in August, were less likely to be admitted to Ivy League colleges and are more likely to study practical courses than those born at the start of the academic year.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies also found that children born near the end of the academic year were likely to fall behind their classmates in most subjects by the age of seven, regardless of their social background. Researchers say they saw the biggest difference in academic success between children born in August and those born in September.
“We find evidence of large and significant differences between August- and September-born children in terms of their cognitive skills, whether measured using national achievement tests or alternative indicators such as the British Ability Scales,” the study said.
In addition, according to researchers, the youngest students in the school year were 20 percent less likely than those with September birthdays to take on leadership roles, such as captain of a sports team or club president, and have less confidence in their academic abilities.
The study also found that children born in August were more likely to be the target of bullies than those born in September. What’s more, kids born near the end of the academic year also reported being unhappier than children whose mothers gave birth to them in September.
I don’t know about you, but I did quite well in school, am rather jovial, and made it all the way through college without being bullied… even though I was born smack in the middle of August.
What do you make of the study’s findings? Does it describe you or your child?
Related Articles: