report cardAccording to a recent study, Moniker Maladies: When Names Sabotage Success, students whose first or last initials begin for A or B tend to be more successful than those whose initials start with C or D. The theory is that if you are used to seeing C or D in your name, you’re less “averse” to seeing those on your report card.

MBA students whose first or last name began with a C or a D tended to end up with lower grade-point averages, and law students with A or B in their initials tended to end up at better-ranked programs than those whose initials included a C or a D. Students with initials from the very beginning of the alphabet did not, however, earn higher grades than those with grade-irrelevant initials.

~The Atlantic

The authors also found that people perform worse if a consolation prize begins with their initial. They conclude:

These findings provide striking evidence that unconscious wants can insidiously undermine conscious pursuits.

Note: if you have none of those letters as initials, then you’re exempt from this bit of tomfoolery.