Eastern US Weather Forums

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 05:40 PM

well i was upstate visiting some colleges a couple of days ago, and i liked 2 particular ones. Onenota and Oswego which both offer meterology.

I took the old SAT and got a crappy score of 770 total. I took the new SAT just recently and got a 1260 out of 2400 on the new one. But some if not all the colleges aren't looking at the essay so i would have a total of 830.

What should i do look for a different major, college, or wat??

any suggestions or ideas would be super!!

mike

EHoffman

Posted 23 November 2005 - 05:46 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 05:40 PM, said:

well i was upstate visiting some colleges a couple of days ago, and i liked 2 particular ones. Onenota and Oswego which both offer meterology.

I took the old SAT and got a crappy score of 770 total. I took the new SAT just recently and got a 1260 out of 2400 on the new one. But some if not all the colleges aren't looking at the essay so i would have a total of 830.
What should i do look for a different major, college, or wat??

any suggestions or ideas would be super!!

mike

What's your GPA?

Southland Wx

Posted 23 November 2005 - 05:56 PM

Some people's SATs are far from a good gauge of how well/poor they'll do in college. You HAVE to be good at math or willing to really give it your all to survive college in meteorology. Most meteorologists are horrific spellers, so..don't use your verbal as a gauge. As far as upstate schools go...I'm just getting a crash course in how they are (I graduated from Rutgers). Oswego has a well developed program...Oneonta is new with meteorology, but they seem pretty enthusiastic. At this point, I'd put more stock in Oswego. You may also want to look into Stony Brook, Rutgers, Kean, Albany, Western Connecticut State Univ. Check them out and good luck.

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 05:58 PM

well um last year when i was in 11th grade i pretty sure it was about 2.3 or so and well right now as of first quarter is about 83.333333 and well its now the beginning of the second quarter!! so idk lol wat im to do hhe

kdxken

Posted 23 November 2005 - 05:59 PM

Utica WX, on Nov 23 2005, 05:56 PM, said:

Some people's SATs are far from a good gauge of how well/poor they'll do in college. You HAVE to be good at math or willing to really give it your all to survive college in meteorology. Most meteorologists are horrific spellers, so..don't use your verbal as a gauge. As far as upstate schools go...I'm just getting a crash course in how they are (I graduated from Rutgers). Oswego has a well developed program...Oneonta is new with meteorology, but they seem pretty enthusiastic. At this point, I'd put more stock in Oswego. You may also want to look into Stony Brook, Rutgers, Kean, Albany, Western Connecticut State Univ. Check them out and good luck.

You can add Umass Lowell to that list , though the City itself isn't the same since the crackdown on prostitution.....

Delaware

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:00 PM

Millersville University( PA near Lancaster)

Penn State

SUNY's in NY

Rutgers(NJ)

These are ones i plan on applying too

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:06 PM

well, hmm ya u are right. I had a tour with a meterology student (senior year) and he said the meterology program there is the best in the country and onenota has a good variety of meterology programs i saw on monday however, the whole campus is like empty for break. As far as campuses, i like onenota a lot and oswego lol but um onenota campus is like super!! wireless for the most part i like the dorms and the sat and gpa requirement seems lower. so Ya i'm going try for both but well see if either go good or bad lol

gkrangers

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:06 PM

No offense...and I know some people are just bad at standardized tests..and that those scores don't mean everything...but you MUST raise your SAT scores, especially since your GPA is also fairly low...you really need to raise both.

Don't take this as a bash, but if you are serious about meteorology, you need to find a way (outside cheating) to improve your grades...

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:07 PM

I live on long island lol so stony brook i didn't even think bout however, lol its hard hard hard school!!

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:13 PM

yes and no lol. i mean last year i was like crap i didn't even get near a 77 gpa all year but this year i startingout good in Math B and well science wise thats a whole differnet story my chem grade been taked off transcript and whole nine yards over teacher giving me a 65 passing grade when i guess it was suppose to be a 57. parents made whole big thing checked teh grades and sent letter to school saying that the grade i got didn't match the grade they came up with. chemistry last year was wat brought me down newish teacher i had. she always talked about her personal life and sometimes talked about science stuff so basically that will screw up my chances a bit too lol

arg no ezpass for me:(

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:14 PM

I had to step into this conversation because my SAT scores were far from great. I took them 10 years ago and had a 1020/1600...mostly because I just wasn't focused, didn't care, etc...I had a 570 Math. Pathetic, I know. Anyhow, I ended up with a B.S. in Math from UMD...I always liked math, but in high school I cared more about girls and basketball. So, I'm proof that SAT's aren't always the best gauge for college success. It's important though to know what you're interested in and to roll with that. I should mention though that I did start out at a community college...so it wasn't like I went straight into a good college...gotta have the GPA and SAT scores for that...but again, if there's a will there's a way, and you can always transfer.

RiemannSun

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:15 PM

Delaware, on Nov 23 2005, 06:00 PM, said:

Penn State

:thumbsupsmileyanim:

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:21 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 06:13 PM, said:

yes and no lol. i mean last year i was like crap i didn't even get near a 77 gpa all year but this year i startingout good in Math B and well science wise thats a whole differnet story my chem grade been taked off transcript and whole nine yards over teacher giving me a 65 passing grade when i guess it was suppose to be a 57. parents made whole big thing checked teh grades and sent letter to school saying that the grade i got didn't match the grade they came up with. chemistry last year was wat brought me down newish teacher i had. she always talked about her personal life and sometimes talked about science stuff so basically that will screw up my chances a bit too lol

arg no ezpass for me:(

If you focus on Math and do well there, you will do well in the Met program.

gkrangers

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:22 PM

Oneonta...

Academic profile of incoming freshmen

Grade Point Average: 89.5
SAT: 1115

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:28 PM

haha hmm ya i know my dad's being pain in *** and keeps saying i should go to community college since he's part of it and so i could go for free as long as i pass the courses lol idk i just want to get away from this crap and get to someplace where its quieter lol

i have been told by college friends though that i could get into these schools even though i got crappy sat and stuff as long as i have good acadamics since they also look at them!!

well see in the coming months lol

that or the good old military(coast guard, navy, or air force)

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:28 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 06:28 PM, said:

haha hmm ya i know my dad's being pain in *** and keeps saying i should go to community college since he's part of it and so i could go for free as long as i pass the courses lol idk i just want to get away from this crap and get to someplace where its quieter lol

i have been told by college friends though that i could get into these schools even though i got crappy sat and stuff as long as i have good acadamics since they also look at them!!

well see in the coming months lol

that or the good old military(coast guard, navy, or air force)

Hey, California Univ of Pa has a met program and you only need a 2.0 to get in!

BroadSt_Bully

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:29 PM

My sig says it all...

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:30 PM

BroadSt_Bully, on Nov 23 2005, 06:29 PM, said:

My sig says it all...

Go UCLA Saturday, ehh?

BroadSt_Bully

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:32 PM

rob_22, on Nov 23 2005, 06:30 PM, said:

Go UCLA Saturday, ehh?

I am currently the biggest Bruins and Aggies fan in the nation right now, even though I cannot name 5 players on both of their rosters combined.

:guitar:

AMJD12131987

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:33 PM

Well since we are on the college thing, I just got my scores back from the ACT test I took in October and I got a 22, I guess thats alright. I applied to Northland, Valparaiso, and still deciding about CUP or Lyndon State. My GPA is a 3.34, I have somewhat high confidence I can get into Valparaiso and Northland, but I am not going to get my hopes up about anything.

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 06:37 PM

ya well um hmm ya to warm for me lol al the weather is here on the east coast lol and the west coast arf thats to much hehe

NorEaster27

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:06 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 06:37 PM, said:

ya well um hmm ya to warm for me lol al the weather is here on the east coast lol and the west coast arf thats to much hehe

with those SAT scores maybe Meteo isnt for you, I am having a very tough time with the Math and I did fairly well on the SAT with a GPA of 3.9 in HS.

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:18 PM

ya i know my cousins both were in meterology down south at tallhasse and stuff but not now. however, they also have changed majors like 15 times it seems lol

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:23 PM

NorEaster27, on Nov 23 2005, 07:06 PM, said:

with those SAT scores maybe Meteo isnt for you, I am having a very tough time with the Math and I did fairly well on the SAT with a GPA of 3.9 in HS.

It depends how good you are with math. I know people who did terrible in HS, but hit the math in the met program and got nearly 4.0 gpa's. You can get a 4.0 gpa in hs, but if you are weak in math, you can fail the met program.

NorEaster27

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:32 PM

rob_22, on Nov 23 2005, 07:23 PM, said:

It depends how good you are with math. I know people who did terrible in HS, but hit the math in the met program and got nearly 4.0 gpa's. You can get a 4.0 gpa in hs, but if you are weak in math, you can fail the met program.

If you arent getting in the 700s in math on the SAT, when you enter calculus 2 and 3 I can't see how you would do good. I don't know anyone who was terible in HS math and gets 4.0 in calc3 and diferential equations.

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:35 PM

next question how do i use this dam bufkit lol

its confusing me now kid told me bout it when i was at oswego lol

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:35 PM

NorEaster27, on Nov 23 2005, 07:32 PM, said:

If you arent getting in the 700s in math on the SAT, when you enter calculus 2 and 3 I can't see how you would do good. I don't know anyone who was terible in HS math and gets 4.0 in calc3 and diferential equations.

I do know some people. With the SAT'S and High School, the style of work is different. People can do poorly on homework and do bad because of the fast pace of the SAT'S. Then once they get to the more relaxed atmosphere of college, they do well.

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:47 PM

coryvp, on Nov 23 2005, 07:44 PM, said:

Well, if a full Met degree wouldn't be possible for you, you might consider the Certification in Weather Forecasting from Penn State. It might be a good experience if you don't think you can handle a Met degree (though I don't know how much it helps career-wise.) It's certainly not a "gimme" course though.

http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/wc/WeatherF...recasting.shtml

Damn, I should have seen that back in 2002 before I went to met school. I rushed in too fast without the math and writing base and could not handle it. Now I am out of college with a 2.0 gpa. I could have used that sort of base to build on.

NJSnowYeti

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:48 PM

gkrangers, on Nov 23 2005, 06:22 PM, said:

Oneonta...

Academic profile of incoming freshmen

Grade Point Average: 89.5
SAT: 1115

hey where do you get those stats from?

NorEaster27

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:50 PM

rob_22, on Nov 23 2005, 07:35 PM, said:

I do know some people. With the SAT'S and High School, the style of work is different. People can do poorly on homework and do bad because of the fast pace of the SAT'S. Then once they get to the more relaxed atmosphere of college, they do well.

well me college isnt more relaxing, lol. HS was relaxing :lol:

My calc3 is :axesmiley:

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:52 PM

NorEaster27, on Nov 23 2005, 07:50 PM, said:

well me college isnt more relaxing, lol. HS was relaxing :lol:

My calc3 is :axesmiley:

Yeah, I hear that. I couldnt even get into those classes because i kept failing the enterance exam. I kept taking it but kept failing it! The problem with failing out is that once you do, your gpa is shot, and nobody but community college will accept you and they don't have any sort of met classes. You can get straight A's in Community College but the only thing they will see is your grades in the 4 year college.

winterymix

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:54 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 06:28 PM, said:

have been told by college friends though that i could get into these schools even though )

You can get into a lot of private schools because they want your money.

You will go no where if you don't put the time needed into studying.

If you want to be a meteorologist, you may have to put all of your conscious time into studying with grades and SATs like yours.

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:56 PM

winterymix, on Nov 23 2005, 07:54 PM, said:

You can get into a lot of private schools because they want your money.

You will go no where if you don't put the time needed into studying.

If you want to be a meteorologist, you may have to put all of your conscious time into studying with grades and SATs like yours.

And even that may not be enough. People who learn more slowly especially are prone to failing in Meteorology due to the advanced stuff taught.

gkrangers

Posted 23 November 2005 - 07:59 PM

Rangerz, on Nov 23 2005, 07:48 PM, said:

hey where do you get those stats from?

I just checked the college's website.

mchl638

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:08 PM

ya the guy at oswego that gave me the tour said like his class started out asss lik 145 and went to like 45 or something like that major drop out lol

AlYourWxPal

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:19 PM

So if you have trouble in math and want to get a degree in met but you really want that degree and you try your hardest on the math do you think that the willpower will get you through it? Any advice from a pro met?

winterymix

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:27 PM

Mdwxlover, on Nov 23 2005, 08:19 PM, said:

So if you have trouble in math and want to get a degree in met but you really want that degree and you try your hardest on the math do you think that the willpower will get you through it? Any advice from a pro met?

You have do a full court press. Tutoring. Record the lectures. Study with the smartest people in the class. Beg borrow or steal last year's tests. Talk to the prof. Talk to the teaching assistant. Study over and over til it sinks in. Make your bathroom reading your testbook. Bother everyone that you can to explain the stuff you don't know til it sinks in.

Make mnemonics. Have someone quiz you on the mnemonics.

1000% committment or it won't happen.

Rib

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:29 PM

winterymix, on Nov 23 2005, 08:27 PM, said:

You have do a full court press. Tutoring. Record the lectures. Study with the smartest people in the class. Beg borrow or steal last year's tests. Talk to the prof. Talk to the teaching assistant. Study over and over til it sinks in. Make your bathroom reading your testbook. Bother everyone that you can to explain the stuff you don't know til it sinks in.

Make mnemonics. Have someone quiz you on the mnemonics.

1000% committment or it won't happen.

And even then, you may just get passed with a lowish gpa and not be able to find a job. The job places look at gpa and only usually hire the people with 3-4's.

AlYourWxPal

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:30 PM

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:53 PM

haha maybe i should just do go to college for forensic science, computers, or fire fighting

now thats EZ-PASS

hehe

:)

RiemannSun

Posted 23 November 2005 - 08:58 PM

The SAT Reasoning Test's math section has little relevance to what you'll see in college, imo. The College Board and ETS are currently changing it a bit to be more of a practical / less tricky test, but it still contains stuff that is just used for the SAT and basically nothing else (fun manipulation with the average formula, prime numbers, etc.). My favorite problems are the ones that state something like, "what is the sum of all integers from 1 to 100?" or "what is the sum of all even integers from 1 to 50?". They are just silly and stupid ways to test the mathematical knowledge of students, imo.

Calculus isn't on the SAT RT. Nor is trig. Calc is focused moreso on new topics and how they are applied to word problem solving, where the SAT is more like, let's do some neat/strange exercises with basic algebra to see who can catch on to our style of thinking and who cannot.

If you practice enough, you should be able to raise your score, especially in the math section (as it follows more of a pattern in its questioning than critical reading does where you may not know certain words [that cannot be determined from context clues]).

Best of luck to you.

stormpc

Posted 23 November 2005 - 09:07 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 08:53 PM, said:

haha maybe i should just do go to college for forensic science, computers, or fire fighting

now thats EZ-PASS

hehe

:)

mchl:

I went to Oswego originally as a Comm major in the late '80's. Transferred into the Met department my sophmore year. The math is serious and can derail you. In addition, this is an established Met program and is most likely tougher than the fledgling Oneonta program. You most likely will not get into OZ anyway. Try to, but it's not likely. Oneonta will most likely accept you, even if not initially a Met major. You can transfer in after you have a few good semesters. Good Luck!

mchl638

Posted 24 November 2005 - 12:55 PM

ya thanks that what i was thinking as well!! lol haha

after seeing oneonta, i look there there course book and saw that there courses are much easier looking and would suite me much better!!

hah thanks for the word of advice though!!

Posted 24 November 2005 - 01:19 PM

Have you considered SUNY Albany? Not only do they have an excellent BS program in atmospheric science, but they also offer a BA in Broadcast Meteorology and a BA in Earth and Atmospheric Science, which are nice to fall back on or pursue initially if your career interests are non-NOAA or non-research.

http://www.atmos.alb...s/atmossci.html

aslkahuna

Posted 24 November 2005 - 06:00 PM

One other thing about becoming a Met Major is that you must learn how to get along without a social life and sleep since once you hit your Junior and Senior years you will have none of the former and very little of the latter.

Steve

mchl638

Posted 24 November 2005 - 07:24 PM

aslkahuna, on Nov 24 2005, 06:00 PM, said:

One other thing about becoming a Met Major is that you must learn how to get along without a social life and sleep since once you hit your Junior and Senior years you will have none of the former and very little of the latter.

Steve

well um since i don't have to much of a social life and i am always up long into the night and i have add, i have the staying up long hours down good:)

Socially, i am better then i say actually lol

i go to football games, after school things, not to many partys because of the paretns :thumbsdownsmileyanim: but besides that i don't have to many problems in that area!!

hahah

wannabehippie

Posted 24 November 2005 - 07:45 PM

as someone who went to oneonta state for 2 years in the met program i have to agree. my SAT math scores werent that great and i never was a big math person and my grades in calculus reflected that and was part of the reason why i wasnt asked to return for a 3rd year.

NorEaster27, on Nov 23 2005, 07:32 PM, said:

If you arent getting in the 700s in math on the SAT, when you enter calculus 2 and 3 I can't see how you would do good. I don't know anyone who was terible in HS math and gets 4.0 in calc3 and diferential equations.

AndyNJWx

Posted 24 November 2005 - 07:57 PM

Rowan University may be starting a program in the next year or two. They have an incredible science and engineering school, so if they do implement it, give Rowan some thought. Hell of a party school too with plenty of hot girls. More girls than guys at this school actually. It's primarily a teacher's college, well used to be at least.

forkyfork

Posted 24 November 2005 - 08:22 PM

NorEaster27, on Nov 23 2005, 07:32 PM, said:

If you arent getting in the 700s in math on the SAT, when you enter calculus 2 and 3 I can't see how you would do good. I don't know anyone who was terible in HS math and gets 4.0 in calc3 and diferential equations.

NorEaster27, on Nov 23 2005, 07:06 PM, said:

with those SAT scores maybe Meteo isnt for you, I am having a very tough time with the Math and I did fairly well on the SAT with a GPA of 3.9 in HS.

I've generally found out that SAT scores and HS GPA can mean very little when you're in college.

Rib

Posted 24 November 2005 - 08:33 PM

forkyfork, on Nov 24 2005, 08:22 PM, said:

I've generally found out that SAT scores and HS GPA can mean very little when you're in college.

I agree

mchl638

Posted 24 November 2005 - 08:39 PM

oh ya idk
its so diff. to know wat will work and not work lol

AlYourWxPal

Posted 24 November 2005 - 08:54 PM

The only thing that scares me about becoming a met major is the math and I'm not saying this because I don't like meteorology enough. Most people say that if you want it bad enough, you will get through. Sometimes it just seems even that isn't enough when you study for days and feel no sense of accomplishment.

StormchaserChuck

Posted 24 November 2005 - 09:03 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 05:58 PM, said:

well um last year when i was in 11th grade i pretty sure it was about 2.3 or so and well right now as of first quarter is about 83.333333 and well its now the beginning of the second quarter!! so idk lol wat im to do hhe

I hate to tell you this but...

You probably wont get into any real colleges with a 2.3GPA and 700SAT.

Try community college out for a few years, then decide.

Rib

Posted 24 November 2005 - 09:04 PM

SkizophrenicStormChaser, on Nov 24 2005, 09:03 PM, said:

I hate to tell you this but...

You probably wont get into any real colleges with a 2.3GPA and 700SAT.

Try community college out for a few years, then decide.

You can get into Millersville with a 2.0 :bike:

Same with Cal-U

StormchaserChuck

Posted 24 November 2005 - 09:06 PM

Posted 24 November 2005 - 10:21 PM

how long do u think?

Rib

Posted 24 November 2005 - 10:25 PM

mchl638, on Nov 24 2005, 10:21 PM, said:

how long do u think?

several semesters in community college

nynjpaweather

Posted 24 November 2005 - 10:27 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 04:40 PM, said:

well i was upstate visiting some colleges a couple of days ago, and i liked 2 particular ones. Onenota and Oswego which both offer meterology.

I took the old SAT and got a crappy score of 770 total. I took the new SAT just recently and got a 1260 out of 2400 on the new one. But some if not all the colleges aren't looking at the essay so i would have a total of 830.
What should i do look for a different major, college, or wat??

any suggestions or ideas would be super!!

mike

Look SAT's are BS to begin with. I got a 1590 on the damn thing and I'm NOT that smart. I doubt if I could pull that off again. Anway, I went to Oswego, which is a GREAT college for meteorology. You'll get a lot of forecasting experience, professors that care about you, and the ability to get on air via WTOP. Plus the girls were always pretty cute up there. Anyway, I would go and talk to the recruiters at Oswego. I'm sure they'll listen to you. Last, as a last resort, spend a year at a local state college and do some GENED classes, and then transfer to Oswego. I know a few people who did that.

mchl638

Posted 24 November 2005 - 10:56 PM

ya i was just up there last friday and stuff and onenota on monday i think i have a very slight better chance with onenota then oswego but idk lol

jm1220

Posted 25 November 2005 - 12:52 AM

For all future meteo majors-get ready to attempt suicide from all the math requirements. I'm currently in the middle of my math/physics prereqs and it's killing me. I consider myself an intelligent student and this is coming from someone with almost straight As in high school and a 1340 on the SAT, I'm barely staying afloat in my physics and math classes. They're destroying my current GPA and they did last year also. I'm on my second try for my calculus class and unfortunately I'm probably going to be trying again next semester. I'm pretty sure I can pass through my physics class. I'm already a semester behind most meteo students and it looks like I might slip further and I might have to spend the summer catching up. My other courses are just fine, in my Poli Sci class I have an A-/B+ probably. It's my undying loyalty to this profession that's keeping me going at this point, nothing else. I'm just not a math student, it's that simple, and the transition to college level is killing me. And I study plenty and I see almost no rewards for it. I'm not trying to discourage you from pursuing this, but if you're not either extremely dedicated like me or a good math student, chances are you'll have to drop the major especially if you come to a school like Penn State. What's keeping me alive at this point is the thought of the reward in the back of my head if I do make it, a Penn State meteo degree is one of the best there is. But if I can't seriously raise my GPA pretty soon I don't know what I'll do.

StormchaserChuck

Posted 25 November 2005 - 01:31 AM

jm1220, on Nov 25 2005, 12:52 AM, said:

For all future meteo majors-get ready to attempt suicide from all the math requirements. I'm currently in the middle of my math/physics prereqs and it's killing me. I consider myself an intelligent student and this is coming from someone with almost straight As in high school and a 1340 on the SAT, I'm barely staying afloat in my physics and math classes. They're destroying my current GPA and they did last year also. I'm on my second try for my calculus class and unfortunately I'm probably going to be trying again next semester. I'm pretty sure I can pass through my physics class. I'm already a semester behind most meteo students and it looks like I might slip further and I might have to spend the summer catching up. My other courses are just fine, in my Poli Sci class I have an A-/B+ probably. It's my undying loyalty to this profession that's keeping me going at this point, nothing else. I'm just not a math student, it's that simple, and the transition to college level is killing me. And I study plenty and I see almost no rewards for it. I'm not trying to discourage you from pursuing this, but if you're not either extremely dedicated like me or a good math student, chances are you'll have to drop the major especially if you come to a school like Penn State. What's keeping me alive at this point is the thought of the reward in the back of my head if I do make it, a Penn State meteo degree is one of the best there is. But if I can't seriously raise my GPA pretty soon I don't know what I'll do.

Sorry to hear it JM...

Hopefully, you can pull through. Good luck

AndyNJWx

Posted 25 November 2005 - 01:50 AM

All the reasons expressed herein is precisely why I decided NOT to go for a met degree. The most beneficial aspect of college is the social experience you gain. Also, an Econ degree can gain you far more money than a met degree can, UNLESS you get a big market TV job. I could have done that, but I wasnt going to wait around for 15 years to make some $$. I do, however, plan to take a few met courses and perhaps work towards a minor in meteorology.

AS for the decision, I do not regret it one bit. I would not trade the life I've had here at Rowan for anything in the world. The growth I've had in the past few years as a person and leader cannot be harnessed. I've had the great honor of being president of my fraternity (got reelected so I have another year), working in all kinds of organizations on campus involved in Greek Life, but also some outside of it, and most of all played baseball. The other incredible benefit is the eons of friends and companions that I've made with so many people, that in some cases, will last a lifetime.

Don't forget though, EDUCATION IS VERY IMPORTANT. I have a GPA around a 3.0 (f'd up in one class last semester so it dropped slightly below) so don't think I do nothing but party my face off. All I'm trying to say is that you should not underestimate the social values that the life experiences you gain in college bring to you.

I really suggest pledging a fraternity! Best thing I ever did. Made me become a man, but also helped me to be more responsible and a good leader (still working on it though). Not to mention all the people I've met and had relationships with, not only in my fraternity, but in other fraternities and sororities. Pledging is very difficult and time consuming, but worth EVERY second of it. Some of the BEST memories of my life were from pledging!

jdsnow85

Posted 25 November 2005 - 03:13 AM

jm1220, on Nov 25 2005, 12:52 AM, said:

For all future meteo majors-get ready to attempt suicide from all the math requirements. I'm currently in the middle of my math/physics prereqs and it's killing me. I consider myself an intelligent student and this is coming from someone with almost straight As in high school and a 1340 on the SAT, I'm barely staying afloat in my physics and math classes. They're destroying my current GPA and they did last year also. I'm on my second try for my calculus class and unfortunately I'm probably going to be trying again next semester. I'm pretty sure I can pass through my physics class. I'm already a semester behind most meteo students and it looks like I might slip further and I might have to spend the summer catching up. My other courses are just fine, in my Poli Sci class I have an A-/B+ probably. It's my undying loyalty to this profession that's keeping me going at this point, nothing else. I'm just not a math student, it's that simple, and the transition to college level is killing me. And I study plenty and I see almost no rewards for it. I'm not trying to discourage you from pursuing this, but if you're not either extremely dedicated like me or a good math student, chances are you'll have to drop the major especially if you come to a school like Penn State. What's keeping me alive at this point is the thought of the reward in the back of my head if I do make it, a Penn State meteo degree is one of the best there is. But if I can't seriously raise my GPA pretty soon I don't know what I'll do.

Good luck with all this jm. Just remember that college isnt ALL about getting good grades, that is important, but you need to develop as a person too. Social life is important, dont let your parents tell you otherwise

I am currently a third year met major, and I agree with all of you here that the math and physics reqs are incredibly difficult. I also agree that if you have the drive, you can get through it... barely. hah. I do not have a very good gpa in college, for several reasons, but the math is very hard, and (unfortunately) useful. I do not know anything about the Oneonta program, so I cannot make any comment on that, but in general, if you cannot do the math it will be very tough to complete the major. The same goes for physics.

I only applied to schools with a met major because I knew that was what I wanted to do...if you really want to do it, do not get down because of a low SAT score or moderate GPA. Studying for the SATs (SAT IIs mostly) brought my scores up quite a bit, so definitely work on that. Just do your best.. things may not work out exactly as you hope, but the people on this board have thus far given some great insight into other options, similar pathways outside of the "official" met major.

Good luck to all of you.

mchl638

Posted 25 November 2005 - 02:53 PM

i'm going need all the luck i can get hehe

RiemannSun

Posted 25 November 2005 - 03:05 PM

jm1220, on Nov 25 2005, 12:52 AM, said:

For all future meteo majors-get ready to attempt suicide from all the math requirements. I'm currently in the middle of my math/physics prereqs and it's killing me. I consider myself an intelligent student and this is coming from someone with almost straight As in high school and a 1340 on the SAT, I'm barely staying afloat in my physics and math classes. They're destroying my current GPA and they did last year also. I'm on my second try for my calculus class and unfortunately I'm probably going to be trying again next semester. I'm pretty sure I can pass through my physics class. I'm already a semester behind most meteo students and it looks like I might slip further and I might have to spend the summer catching up. My other courses are just fine, in my Poli Sci class I have an A-/B+ probably. It's my undying loyalty to this profession that's keeping me going at this point, nothing else. I'm just not a math student, it's that simple, and the transition to college level is killing me. And I study plenty and I see almost no rewards for it. I'm not trying to discourage you from pursuing this, but if you're not either extremely dedicated like me or a good math student, chances are you'll have to drop the major especially if you come to a school like Penn State. What's keeping me alive at this point is the thought of the reward in the back of my head if I do make it, a Penn State meteo degree is one of the best there is. But if I can't seriously raise my GPA pretty soon I don't know what I'll do.

jm,

Did you complete any AP calculus courses while in HS? I am just curious to see if the problem lies in the college pacing or the content itself.

mchl638

Posted 25 November 2005 - 03:34 PM

i just can't understand why everything is just so hard and so many requirements these days!!

gkrangers

Posted 25 November 2005 - 03:57 PM

mchl638, on Nov 25 2005, 03:34 PM, said:

i just can't understand why everything is just so hard and so many requirements these days!!

Because meteorology is more than reading the GFS at face value.

AndyNJWx

Posted 25 November 2005 - 03:58 PM

mchl638, on Nov 25 2005, 03:34 PM, said:

i just can't understand why everything is just so hard and so many requirements these days!!

That's life. Nothing comes without hard work.

But I would agree that the majority of the required courses for Meteorology really have no bearing whatsoever on the quality of the forecaster that he/she will become. You can know every mathematical model in the world and could be worst forecaster in real world terms (underlying problem in the industry today). Some of the best forecasters on this board, even prominent ones, never did that well in math.

Delaware

Posted 25 November 2005 - 03:58 PM

how are the PSU and Millersville meteo programs? those are schools that i will be applying to next year and one of them with almost definately be where im going.

Math isnt my best subject and im holding out with a C+-B in Alg 2.

my gpa last qrtr was 3.6143 but because of last year( laziness) my cumulative is about a 3.0, i got a 1080 on my psat, and by the time i graduate im probly going to have around a 3.3-3.4 cumulative average.

im going to apply to Penn state, rutgers, millersville, and university of delaware.

AndyNJWx

Posted 25 November 2005 - 04:00 PM

gkrangers, on Nov 25 2005, 03:57 PM, said:

Because meteorology is more than reading the GFS at face value.

lol, true, but what you don't realize is that most met programs teach the GFS as gospel! Most programs teach very little in forecasting expertise/strategy and focus more on "what the GFS says". The best forecasters, such as LC, HM, DT, and the like, focus more on teleconnections and pattern recognition and use the data as tools, not fact.

aslkahuna

Posted 25 November 2005 - 04:06 PM

It is very helpful indeed to get AP and College level courses under your belt before graduating from High School as it will prepare you for the College course load and pace and will also get some of the early course work out of the way. I would also recommend that you have Calc 1 out of the way when you graduate from HS as then you will have some Calculus when you begin taking the first Physics course instead of having to learn Calculus while taking College Chemistry and Physics.

Steve

jdsnow85

Posted 25 November 2005 - 04:10 PM

aslkahuna, on Nov 25 2005, 04:06 PM, said:

It is very helpful indeed to get AP and College level courses under your belt before graduating from High School as it will prepare you for the College course load and pace and will also get some of the early course work out of the way. I would also recommend that you have Calc 1 out of the way when you graduate from HS as then you will have some Calculus when you begin taking the first Physics course instead of having to learn Calculus while taking College Chemistry and Physics.

Steve

Excellent Point! Trying to learn calculus WHILE learning the work that uses it is quite difficult. I agree completely that it would be highly beneficial to learn some calculus before getting to college. It is POSSIBLE to learn the methods while learning how to apply them - but itll be much "easier" if you know the methods beforehand.

Great point, again, Steve.

AlYourWxPal

Posted 25 November 2005 - 05:08 PM

I love weather..but do I love it that much? lol My brain is not wired for math.

gkrangers

Posted 25 November 2005 - 05:09 PM

Mdwxlover, on Nov 25 2005, 05:08 PM, said:

I love weather..but do I love it that much? lol My brain is not wired for math.

Make it a hobby and find something else you really enjoy as a career. Thats what I'm doing.

AlYourWxPal

Posted 25 November 2005 - 05:10 PM

gkrangers, on Nov 25 2005, 05:09 PM, said:

Make it a hobby and find something else you really enjoy as a career. Thats what I'm doing.

I'm not really sure what else I like and I am already in my 2nd year of college anyway.

gkrangers

Posted 25 November 2005 - 05:11 PM

Mdwxlover, on Nov 25 2005, 05:10 PM, said:

I'm not really sure what else I like and I am already in my 2nd year of college anyway.

Are you in a met program? I wasn't really paying attention to the last 5 pages.

AlYourWxPal

Posted 25 November 2005 - 05:15 PM

gkrangers, on Nov 25 2005, 05:11 PM, said:

Are you in a met program? I wasn't really paying attention to the last 5 pages.

No, I am planning on transferring in the fall to major in met. I really am not sure at this point because the extensive math courses. I'm sure I can do it but I most likely will not pass a few courses the first time

gkrangers

Posted 25 November 2005 - 05:19 PM

Look at it from this perspective...its more fun to come on here and bash the mets, than it is to be a met and get ripped on by dumbass weenies.

gkrangers, on Nov 25 2005, 06:12 PM, said:

Good for you.

Now get an 850 on the SAT and see if you still get into college.

No thanks. Not following your lead.

jdsnow85

Posted 25 November 2005 - 06:19 PM

gkrangers, on Nov 25 2005, 06:12 PM, said:

Good for you.

Now get an 850 on the SAT and see if you still get into college.

LOL no reason to be mean. Funny though

Rangers makes a good point though, asmuch as SAT scores do not reflect intelligence, you need to do well on them to get into a good met program. Study hard for them and you should be OK.

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 25 November 2005 - 06:20 PM

jdsnow85, on Nov 25 2005, 06:19 PM, said:

LOL no reason to be mean. Funny though

Rangers makes a good point though, asmuch as SAT scores do not reflect intelligence, you need to do well on them to get into a good met program. Study hard for them and you should be OK.

Obviously. I wouldn't think anyone on there right mind expects to be in a good college by there HS.

jdsnow85

Posted 25 November 2005 - 06:30 PM

whiteoutwx1796, on Nov 25 2005, 06:20 PM, said:

Obviously. I wouldn't think anyone on there right mind expects to be in a good college by there HS.

Right, I think. Do your work and youll be fine.

patsrule417

Posted 25 November 2005 - 06:55 PM

mchl638, on Nov 23 2005, 05:40 PM, said:

well i was upstate visiting some colleges a couple of days ago, and i liked 2 particular ones. Onenota and Oswego which both offer meterology.

I took the old SAT and got a crappy score of 770 total. I took the new SAT just recently and got a 1260 out of 2400 on the new one. But some if not all the colleges aren't looking at the essay so i would have a total of 830.
What should i do look for a different major, college, or wat??

any suggestions or ideas would be super!!

mike

dont plan on meteorolgy

i got a 990

mchl638

Posted 27 November 2005 - 12:10 PM

how come?

StormchaserChuck

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:10 PM

Delaware, on Nov 25 2005, 03:58 PM, said:

how are the PSU and Millersville meteo programs?

Millersville is great, but if you can get into PSU then go there

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:19 PM

I'll be applying to:
Reading (UK)
Liverpool (UK)- climo course but then masters in meteo somewhere else...
Leeds (UK)
Penn St
Plymouth St
Oswego
Stony Brook

maybe some others later, if anyone has any suggestions.

StormchaserChuck

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:35 PM

bostonwinterweather, on Nov 27 2005, 03:19 PM, said:

I'll be applying to:
Reading (UK)
Liverpool (UK)- climo course but then masters in meteo somewhere else...
Leeds (UK)
Penn St
Plymouth St
Oswego
Stony Brook

maybe some others later, if anyone has any suggestions.

What do your grades look like?

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:50 PM

SkizophrenicStormChaser, on Nov 27 2005, 03:35 PM, said:

What do your grades look like?

this term:

History A

English A

Math B+

French B+

Ceramics B

in past terms not so good... but I'll end up with a GPA at or a bit better than 3.0. My SAT scores should be excellent though (1800-2100 or so.)

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:57 PM

Umm... right now I have about a 3.5 GPA (All honors/AP classes) and I got a 1310 on the PSAT last year (Out of 1600). Results should be coming in soon for what I got on the PSAT this year...

Is this good enough for Penn State? I'm really concerned at the moment because I think I need to improve my GPA alot.

StormchaserChuck

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:58 PM

bostonwinterweather, on Nov 27 2005, 03:50 PM, said:

My SAT scores should be excellent though (1800-2100 or so.)

Is that even possible? :huh:

Nikolai, on Nov 27 2005, 03:57 PM, said:

Umm... right now I have about a 3.5 GPA (All honors/AP classes) and I got a 1310 on the PSAT last year (Out of 1600). Results should be coming in soon for what I got on the PSAT this year...

Is this good enough for Penn State? I'm really concerned at the moment because I think I need to improve my GPA alot.

PSAT's dont count.... Have you taken any regular SAT's?

Posted 27 November 2005 - 03:59 PM

SkizophrenicStormChaser, on Nov 27 2005, 03:58 PM, said:

Is that even possible? :huh:

PSAT's dont count.... Have you taken any regular SAT's?

Nope. But are they a good indicator? I heard the PSAT's were actually harder than the SAT's from some of my Senior friends.

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 04:06 PM

SkizophrenicStormChaser, on Nov 27 2005, 03:58 PM, said:

Is that even possible? :huh:

Yes, the new SATs are out of 2400.

PSAT's dont count.... Have you taken any regular SAT's?

They are supposedly a good indicator.

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 04:07 PM

Nikolai, on Nov 27 2005, 03:57 PM, said:

Umm... right now I have about a 3.5 GPA (All honors/AP classes) and I got a 1310 on the PSAT last year (Out of 1600). Results should be coming in soon for what I got on the PSAT this year...

Is this good enough for Penn State? I'm really concerned at the moment because I think I need to improve my GPA alot.

your 3.5 is out of 4, right? That'll definitely get you into Penn St, especially if you do get a 1300-1400 (plus writing) on your SATs.

StormchaserChuck

Posted 27 November 2005 - 04:08 PM

Nikolai, on Nov 27 2005, 03:59 PM, said:

Nope. But are they a good indicator? I heard the PSAT's were actually harder than the SAT's from some of my Senior friends.

I got an 890 on my PSAT then got a 1100 on my SAT, but arent your SAT's different in that they arent out of 1600 which you mentioned above?

RiemannSun

Posted 27 November 2005 - 04:58 PM

I am not done w/ standardized testing, so I cannot comment on any personal experience WRT the PSAT and SAT.

Nikolai, remember that if you qualify for semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program, you are likely to become a finalist, and this would grant you a full ride to OU...which is Brett's scenario. For VA, you need a 220-222 the last I heard. I was going to try for this, but my score came in 10 points lower than PA's cutoff (which is 215). I visited OU this summer anyway and enjoyed it, but I also visited PSU this OCT (and was previously there for weather camp in 2002). I just like Penn State's student involvement more than OU's...if you go to the weather station, there are always students in there working on the TV graphics computers, preparing forecasts for CWS (radio/TV/Internet), teachers around, and students just hanging out/doing hw in the lounge (a corner of the weather station). OU and PSU are quite close, but if you are eligible for the full ride and wouldn't mind being in the heart of tornado alley vs. access to more snowfall, I'd look into OU.

It is important to note that Penn State does not count/care about the writing section of the SAT attm. Overall, this is probably a negative thing to most b/c it is very easy to get a high score on the writing skills section (with some prep, if necessary). The questions follow a pattern, and most of us have been taught sound writing methods b/c of the noticeably more stringent requirements established by the states' Departments of Education lately. Writing has been shoved down my throat the past few years.

If you get into PSU UP, try to get into Irvin Hall (the interest house for Earth and Mineral Sciences majors)! The living is great there, from what I hear.

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 05:37 PM

RiemannSun, on Nov 27 2005, 04:58 PM, said:

I am not done w/ standardized testing, so I cannot comment on any personal experience WRT the PSAT and SAT.

Nikolai, remember that if you qualify for semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program, you are likely to become a finalist, and this would grant you a full ride to OU...which is Brett's scenario. For VA, you need a 220-222 the last I heard. I was going to try for this, but my score came in 10 points lower than PA's cutoff (which is 215). I visited OU this summer anyway and enjoyed it, but I also visited PSU this OCT (and was previously there for weather camp in 2002). I just like Penn State's student involvement more than OU's...if you go to the weather station, there are always students in there working on the TV graphics computers, preparing forecasts for CWS (radio/TV/Internet), teachers around, and students just hanging out/doing hw in the lounge (a corner of the weather station). OU and PSU are quite close, but if you are eligible for the full ride and wouldn't mind being in the heart of tornado alley vs. access to more snowfall, I'd look into OU.

It is important to note that Penn State does not count/care about the writing section of the SAT attm. Overall, this is probably a negative thing to most b/c it is very easy to get a high score on the writing skills section (with some prep, if necessary). The questions follow a pattern, and most of us have been taught sound writing methods b/c of the noticeably more stringent requirements established by the states' Departments of Education lately. Writing has been shoved down my throat the past few years.

If you get into PSU UP, try to get into Irvin Hall (the interest house for Earth and Mineral Sciences majors)! The living is great there, from what I hear.

I know it wasn't directed this way, but thanks for the info. If I stay in the US (a huge if,) then Penn St is my #1 choice.

And is the writing section only multiple choice? I had assumed you were to write an essay.

NJSnowYeti

Posted 27 November 2005 - 05:42 PM

Wow, 3.5 is pretty low for someone in all AP/honors classes.

gkrangers

Posted 27 November 2005 - 05:52 PM

Rangerz, on Nov 27 2005, 05:42 PM, said:

Wow, 3.5 is pretty low for someone in all AP/honors classes.

In my HS...AP/Honors classes got 1 point higher on their GPA...A = 5, not 4...

So yeah, that is kinda low for an honors/AP student.

Posted 27 November 2005 - 05:53 PM

gkrangers, on Nov 27 2005, 05:52 PM, said:

In my HS...AP/Honors classes got 1 point higher on their GPA...A = 5, not 4...

So yeah, that is kinda low for an honors/AP student.

We don't. We get +.5 on our AP classes if we pass the AP test thingy, but that's it. Plus, I can only take one AP class this year since I'm a sophomore.

gkrangers

Posted 27 November 2005 - 05:56 PM

Nikolai, on Nov 27 2005, 05:53 PM, said:

We don't. We get +.5 on our AP classes if we pass the AP test thingy, but that's it. Plus, I can only take one AP class this year since I'm a sophomore.

Oh. 3.5 is good then.

RiemannSun

Posted 27 November 2005 - 05:56 PM

bostonwinterweather, on Nov 27 2005, 05:37 PM, said:

I know it wasn't directed this way, but thanks for the info. If I stay in the US (a huge if,) then Penn St is my #1 choice.

And is the writing section only multiple choice? I had assumed you were to write an essay.

Yeah, man -- we are Penn State! Go for it. From what I've seen, it's a freakin' awesome university. The student life (in the Walker Building and the living options) and climate (for me, and this may seem irrational, snow > severe wx) are what really made me decide on PSU over OU. I got accepted to UP on Nov. 5, and I want to send in the response/housing contract ASAP, but my parents are sluggish, lol.

The writing section of the SAT RT consists of one essay, where you pretty much have to write the full 2 pages they provide you, or you will receive a 4 or less on the essay (most likely) and 49 multiple choice questions. The essay is always the first section, and the shorter of the two multiple choice sections is always the last section. I suppose you could sleep through the writing sections if PSU is really where you want to go and you are confident that you will get in there, but it may be best to try on the writing section anyway for scholarship programs, etc. that do care about the section.

RiemannSun

Posted 27 November 2005 - 06:04 PM

Nikolai, on Nov 27 2005, 05:53 PM, said:

We don't. We get +.5 on our AP classes if we pass the AP test thingy, but that's it. Plus, I can only take one AP class this year since I'm a sophomore.

That could be sufficient, depending on what your unweighted GPA is. It might be difficult to get your school to show you your UW GPA, but ask for it anyway. I only saw mine for the first time in the summer when my guidance counselor printed an unofficial transcript for me to bring to OU, lol. The HSs love their weighted GPAs, which is great, but the colleges dislike them b/c each school weights differently.

At PSU main campus, the middle 50% of incoming freshmen / accepted students had GPAs of 3.48 - 3.89 out of 4.0. Remember that they decide basically with a numerical index. 2/3 is GPA and 1/3 are test scores and the optional essay/activities list/etc. on the application. Link: http://www.psu.edu/dept/admissions/steps/u...g/fyprofile.htm

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 06:23 PM

RiemannSun, on Nov 27 2005, 05:56 PM, said:

Yeah, man -- we are Penn State! Go for it. From what I've seen, it's a freakin' awesome university. The student life (in the Walker Building and the living options) and climate (for me, and this may seem irrational, snow > severe wx) are what really made me decide on PSU over OU. I got accepted to UP on Nov. 5, and I want to send in the response/housing contract ASAP, but my parents are sluggish, lol.

The writing section of the SAT RT consists of one essay, where you pretty much have to write the full 2 pages they provide you, or you will receive a 4 or less on the essay (most likely) and 49 multiple choice questions. The essay is always the first section, and the shorter of the two multiple choice sections is always the last section. I suppose you could sleep through the writing sections if PSU is really where you want to go and you are confident that you will get in there, but it may be best to try on the writing section anyway for scholarship programs, etc. that do care about the section.

congrats on entering... as far as writing... Definitely not one to sleep through anything like that, especially seeing as I'll probably do quite well on it due to some of the reasons you gave.

bostonwinterweather

Posted 27 November 2005 - 06:25 PM

RiemannSun, on Nov 27 2005, 06:04 PM, said:

That could be sufficient, depending on what your unweighted GPA is. It might be difficult to get your school to show you your UW GPA, but ask for it anyway. I only saw mine for the first time in the summer when my guidance counselor printed an unofficial transcript for me to bring to OU, lol. The HSs love their weighted GPAs, which is great, but the colleges dislike them b/c each school weights differently.

At PSU main campus, the middle 50% of incoming freshmen / accepted students had GPAs of 3.48 - 3.89 out of 4.0. Remember that they decide basically with a numerical index. 2/3 is GPA and 1/3 are test scores and the optional essay/activities list/etc. on the application. Link: http://www.psu.edu/dept/admissions/steps/u...g/fyprofile.htm

yeah, I tend to go by unweighted for that reason... my current unweighted GPA is something like 2.95 or so due to medical issues last year, so we'll see.

Delaware

Posted 27 November 2005 - 06:56 PM

if colleges look at unweighted GPA's then what the heck do phases do for u, in my school we have 1-2-3-4-5(ap) phases, im in all 3's and 4's , so a person getting a 4.0 in phase 1's vs me getting a 3.0 in phase 3-4's.

do colleges look at phasing?

mchl638

Posted 27 November 2005 - 07:14 PM

ya i agree!!

jdsnow85

Posted 27 November 2005 - 09:11 PM

Delaware, on Nov 27 2005, 06:56 PM, said:

if colleges look at unweighted GPA's then what the heck do phases do for u, in my school we have 1-2-3-4-5(ap) phases, im in all 3's and 4's , so a person getting a 4.0 in phase 1's vs me getting a 3.0 in phase 3-4's.

do colleges look at phasing?

I think colleges, especially the better ones, like to see that you push yourself. During my HS years, the kid who graduated #1, unfortunately, took (phase 4) instead of 5(honors), and his gpa ended up slightly higher than mine. However, i got into my first choice school and he did not. I am not saying this was the deciding factor (my sat scores were higher as well), but I am confident that a 3.5 in phase 5 is AT LEAST equivalent to a 4.0 in phase 3-4.

WxUSAF

Posted 28 November 2005 - 10:55 AM

BroadSt_Bully, on Nov 24 2005, 12:29 AM, said:

My sig says it all...

BEST signature EVER :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Drvortex

Posted 28 November 2005 - 12:05 PM

Hey all,

I'm kinda late in posting on this thread (page 7) but here is my input on weather schools. I went to Millersville Univeristy (stated on first page which was cool) from 1994-99. I didn't have the greatest grades in H.S. I had (I think) a 2.5 overall w/ 980 on SAT. Only took the SAT once. I was accepted but had to go to summer classes to prove I could handle the work load. The weather dept at MU is awesome. New building and equip. However, not as impressive as PSU I'm sure and other universities. But it all depends on what kind of school environment you like. If alot of ppl and not much one-on-one interaction is more like your cup of tea...then big schools are the way to go but is more difficult to get in those schools. Grades are very important for places such as PSU, FSU, OU, CU, etc. I got a great education from MU and was employed prior to graduation. I worked for the FAA several yrs then went into the Air Force. I'm a Capt working as Wing Weather Office at Barksdale AFB. Not a bad career so far. But it all depends on what you want to do w/ your wx career. Anyways, that is my few cents. Take care.

bostonwinterweather

Posted 28 November 2005 - 04:18 PM

Drvortex, on Nov 28 2005, 12:05 PM, said:

Hey all,

I'm kinda late in posting on this thread (page 7) but here is my input on weather schools. I went to Millersville Univeristy (stated on first page which was cool) from 1994-99. I didn't have the greatest grades in H.S. I had (I think) a 2.5 overall w/ 980 on SAT. Only took the SAT once. I was accepted but had to go to summer classes to prove I could handle the work load. The weather dept at MU is awesome. New building and equip. However, not as impressive as PSU I'm sure and other universities. But it all depends on what kind of school environment you like. If alot of ppl and not much one-on-one interaction is more like your cup of tea...then big schools are the way to go but is more difficult to get in those schools. Grades are very important for places such as PSU, FSU, OU, CU, etc. I got a great education from MU and was employed prior to graduation. I worked for the FAA several yrs then went into the Air Force. I'm a Capt working as Wing Weather Office at Barksdale AFB. Not a bad career so far. But it all depends on what you want to do w/ your wx career. Anyways, that is my few cents. Take care.

get this man a red tag!

mchl638

Posted 28 November 2005 - 05:08 PM

agree dam he is like top of dah line here ! he knows a whole lot being in air force!! or being employed there but he could be the best but weather is tricky lol

NJSnowYeti

Posted 05 March 2006 - 03:55 PM

Can someone give their view on these Universites I'm considering going to for a Met major

Rutgers

SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oswego

SUNY Stony Brook

Millersville

Plymouth State

Any particular advantages/disadvantages of the Meteorology program in these colleges?

MerquryMan

Posted 05 March 2006 - 03:59 PM

Rutgers you might wanna void dorm life. Worst STI/STD percentage of any college, alot of crime, especially the newark campus, but an amazing meteorology program.

Im a junior checking out the SUNYs and millersville right now. Rutgers is third on my list followed by penn state then lyndon state, up in vermont.

Penn state is too big and expensive for me. I wouldnt wanna live at a college thats literally bigger in size and population of my town.Its also more than twice as expensive for out of state tuition than in-state.

w7xman

Posted 05 March 2006 - 08:09 PM

MerquryMan, on Mar 5 2006, 03:59 PM, said:

Rutgers you might wanna void dorm life. Worst STI/STD percentage of any college, alot of crime, especially the newark campus, but an amazing meteorology program.

Im a junior checking out the SUNYs and millersville right now. Rutgers is third on my list followed by penn state then lyndon state, up in vermont.

Penn state is too big and expensive for me. I wouldnt wanna live at a college thats literally bigger in size and population of my town.Its also more than twice as expensive for out of state tuition than in-state.

Your Rutgers remarks are rather unfounded. The met program is in New Brunswick, at the agricultural school, essentially on a farm. Very nice communtiy within the small campus. Very little, if any crime. Great program yes! A few pro mets on this board including myself got their start there. A must to check out.

I wouldn't rule out plymouth st. either. I've spent some time around that campus since graduating and I like it/ the program there very much.

SouthCoastMA

Posted 05 March 2006 - 08:14 PM

I should've went into Meteorology. I took Computer Science instead, but my love has always been the weather. I'm 22 now...hopefully its not too late.

allexpertmike

Posted 05 March 2006 - 08:22 PM

I'm a senior in hs and I was deciding between millersville and Cali. U of PA and I decided to go with Cali. U of PA. Both have good wx departments but I really liked the campus at CUP.

scope1

Posted 05 March 2006 - 08:36 PM

aslkahuna, on Nov 25 2005, 04:06 PM, said:

It is very helpful indeed to get AP and College level courses under your belt before graduating from High School as it will prepare you for the College course load and pace and will also get some of the early course work out of the way. I would also recommend that you have Calc 1 out of the way when you graduate from HS as then you will have some Calculus when you begin taking the first Physics course instead of having to learn Calculus while taking College Chemistry and Physics.

Steve

bingo!....very gud info here steve....ppl please read this

scope

MerquryMan

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:14 PM

w7xman, on Mar 5 2006, 08:09 PM, said:

Your Rutgers remarks are rather unfounded. The met program is in New Brunswick, at the agricultural school, essentially on a farm. Very nice communtiy within the small campus. Very little, if any crime. Great program yes! A few pro mets on this board including myself got their start there. A must to check out.

I wouldn't rule out plymouth st. either. I've spent some time around that campus since graduating and I like it/ the program there very much.

Yeah well what kind of information can you glean from freshman you know there :drunk:

I'll take a tour in a couple weeks before I tour the SUNYs

LocoAko

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:23 PM

I was at PSU last summer and I loved it. I'm hoping to go there.....

MerquryMan

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:26 PM

LocoAko, on Mar 5 2006, 09:23 PM, said:

I was at PSU last summer and I loved it. I'm hoping to go there.....

Last time I checked it was $21,864 for a full year in the science program on campus for non PA residents

Rutgers: 18,728 in state, same program.

LocoAko

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:31 PM

Yeah, I know. I'm gonna need some serious scholarships to go there.....

MerquryMan

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:33 PM

heh, good luck.. My high school is quite pretentious with scholarships. We're divided into two groups: the kids who take nothing but AP and honors classes above their level and do 6 hours of homework a night (They get scholarships) and the kids who take normal classes, do 2 hours of homework a night max, and get A's and B's. Theyll be lucky to get a thousand bucks and a good recommendation letter.

I belong to the latter group.

StormchaserChuck

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:34 PM

From what I hear, PSU is a great graduate school, but they dont put a lot of focus on their younger meteorology students.

Chris L

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:37 PM

Go to UMLowell.

Heck of a Met program.

I am looking into that.

Southland Wx

Posted 05 March 2006 - 09:44 PM

w7xman, on Mar 5 2006, 08:09 PM, said:

Your Rutgers remarks are rather unfounded. The met program is in New Brunswick, at the agricultural school, essentially on a farm. Very nice communtiy within the small campus. Very little, if any crime. Great program yes! A few pro mets on this board including myself got their start there. A must to check out.

I wouldn't rule out plymouth st. either. I've spent some time around that campus since graduating and I like it/ the program there very much.

Agreed. Rutgers dorm life on Cook (the Met. school) is the best of any campus. It is a farm, it's quite quiet..tucked away. Which is why I loved it. Rural feel in an urban surrounding. The STD stat is overblown and is actually a popular urban legend. A complete fallacy. Actual statistics suggest RU has one of the LOWEST rates in the country. Newark campus is unrelated to the met. program. I also went there, and one thing that stands out is their co-op program. To get that kind of on the job training/experience is PRICELESS. Check it out and give it some thought. It's a wonderful, underrated place.

beavis1729

Posted 05 March 2006 - 11:29 PM

I haven't read this entire thread, so I don't know if this was mentioned at all...but College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL has one of the top meteorology programs for a community college. It's also not very expensive to attend. In fact, I taught mathematics at this school from 1999-2000, and it's a great place to be a student.

Paul Sirvatka basically built the meteorology program there. Here is a nice article about him:

http://www.cod.edu/A...ic/Sirvatka.htm

This programoffers a solid intro to meteorology in your first 2-3 years of school, as opposed to having to wait until junor/senior year at many universities. Hope this helps any interested met students out there!

LocoAko

Posted 05 March 2006 - 11:46 PM

MerquryMan, on Mar 5 2006, 09:33 PM, said:

heh, good luck.. My high school is quite pretentious with scholarships. We're divided into two groups: the kids who take nothing but AP and honors classes above their level and do 6 hours of homework a night (They get scholarships) and the kids who take normal classes, do 2 hours of homework a night max, and get A's and B's. Theyll be lucky to get a thousand bucks and a good recommendation letter.

I belong to the latter group.

I belong to the first group. :axesmiley:

jdsnow85

Posted 06 March 2006 - 01:39 AM

Chris L, on Mar 5 2006, 09:37 PM, said:

Go to UMLowell.

Heck of a Met program.

I am looking into that.

Great choice.

I made the incredibly tough decision to transfer this past semester, as a junior, from MIT to UML solely for the MET program at UML. Although I have only been here 5 weeks, I am already astounded at the difference between the program at MIT and here at UML. I had to lose my YoG to make the transfer, but I am ok with that just because of the number of met classes I need to take here. I feel that in 5 weeks at UML I have learned more about meteorology than in 2.5 years at MIT. Plus, the professors, thus far, are great, and the students really work together - and not just doing the minimum required. Everyone here really seems to be passionate about meteorology, which makes it really just that much better.

Plus, if you are in state, the cost is incredibly cheap. And yes, it is a "heck of a met program," and with the size, there are many opportunities for networking later.

WxUSAF

Posted 06 March 2006 - 04:59 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 6 2006, 03:31 AM, said:

Yeah, I know. I'm gonna need some serious scholarships to go there.....

I'll put in my recruiting for the month. An ROTC scholarship would pay for a good chunk of that if you are interested. And you get the benefit of having a guarenteed job when you get out of school(in weather...with a much bigger paycheck than other Met grads).

WxUSAF

Posted 06 March 2006 - 05:01 AM

SkizophrenicStormChaser, on Mar 6 2006, 03:34 AM, said:

From what I hear, PSU is a great graduate school, but they dont put a lot of focus on their younger meteorology students.

I can sort of understand what you mean, but there are reasons for it. When I went in as a Meteo freshman in 99, there were approximately 200 other Met freshmen entering the program. That number rapidly dwindled...I graduated with a class of about 10 in 03, and there were another 10 or so who would graduate a semester or 2 later. So that's about a 90% attrition rate for starting freshmen. That's NORMAL. So...why invest the time/money on these new students, most of which are gonna bail soon anyway?

LocoAko

Posted 06 March 2006 - 06:32 AM

I'm not in JROTC in my school, if that's what youmean.

I'm hoping for an either music scholarships or academic scholarships, but I doubt either would be enough to pay enough for me to go to PSU.

I didn't realize that the Rutger's met program was so highly respected.

WxUSAF

Posted 06 March 2006 - 07:10 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 6 2006, 12:32 PM, said:

I'm not in JROTC in my school, if that's what youmean.

I'm hoping for an either music scholarships or academic scholarships, but I doubt either would be enough to pay enough for me to go to PSU.

I didn't realize that the Rutger's met program was so highly respected.

No, I was referring to ROTC at college. When I went to PSU, tuition was around $18K a year. ROTC paid for $15K/year, plus a few hundred bucks a month stipend, plus an allowance for books each semester (which didn't cover the costs usually, but it helps). I got a few academic scholarships which helped pay for some of the remainder.

dg12x

Posted 06 March 2006 - 07:45 AM

SkizophrenicStormChaser, on Mar 5 2006, 09:34 PM, said:

From what I hear, PSU is a great graduate school, but they dont put a lot of focus on their younger meteorology students.

I would definitely have to disagree with that. I just transferred to PSU from a rather small school (U of Rochester-4000 kids), and I can say that the one-on-one interaction with professors is equal to or even better than what I got where I originally was. The professors in the meteo dept want everyone to succeed there. And since the meteo dept is one of the smallest majors on campus, the class sizes are small. My intro to atmospheric science class has 12 students, while my Atmos Thermo class has about 50. Plus, after only being there a week, I was already practicing making videos on the chroma-key and doing weather forecasts for radio stations in C PA. Also, the College of EMS (earth and mineral sciences...which meteo falls under), has some of the best advisors who really work with you in forming schedules or just with any decisions in general (internships, job placement, etc...) Lastly, PSU also offers a special interest housing for EMS students, where you can dorm with fellow students sharing similar interests (mostly meteo).
(Also, Big Ten football is awesome...I can't wait 'til fall for my first PSU game...and hopefully an NIT appearance for basketball)

(And yes, having that BC Calc or AP Physics experience is invaluable, even if you decide to retake it in college)

LocoAko

Posted 24 March 2006 - 12:01 AM

This thread is back! :axesmiley:

I'm only a sophomore but have been thinking about it lately. I haven't been tooooo much research but based on reading this thread, I'm kind of torn between Rutgers and PSU. Sorry Lyndon, just not my thing.

People are like "meh, rutgers" but reading the info in this thread makes me wonder ... is it respected in the met community? It would be cheaper for my to go there, and I could dorm, so I'd be away from home but still close at the same time. If the met program is good,, it's cheap, close, and farmsy/one-on-one training, I don't see why I WOULDN'T go there.

People are just like eh it's Rutgers. Meh.

Thoughts?

NorEaster27

Posted 24 March 2006 - 12:18 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 24 2006, 12:01 AM, said:

This thread is back! :axesmiley:

I'm only a sophomore but have been thinking about it lately. I haven't been tooooo much research but based on reading this thread, I'm kind of torn between Rutgers and PSU. Sorry Lyndon, just not my thing.

People are like "meh, rutgers" but reading the info in this thread makes me wonder ... is it respected in the met community? It would be cheaper for my to go there, and I could dorm, so I'd be away from home but still close at the same time. If the met program is good,, it's cheap, close, and farmsy/one-on-one training, I don't see why I WOULDN'T go there.

People are just like eh it's Rutgers. Meh.

Thoughts?

it's Rutgers, Meh.

AlYourWxPal

Posted 24 March 2006 - 12:23 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 24 2006, 12:01 AM, said:

This thread is back! :axesmiley:

I'm only a sophomore but have been thinking about it lately. I haven't been tooooo much research but based on reading this thread, I'm kind of torn between Rutgers and PSU. Sorry Lyndon, just not my thing.

People are like "meh, rutgers" but reading the info in this thread makes me wonder ... is it respected in the met community? It would be cheaper for my to go there, and I could dorm, so I'd be away from home but still close at the same time. If the met program is good,, it's cheap, close, and farmsy/one-on-one training, I don't see why I WOULDN'T go there.

People are just like eh it's Rutgers. Meh.

Thoughts?

I'm sure it's a fine and solid program.

MEkster

Posted 24 March 2006 - 12:56 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 24 2006, 12:01 AM, said:

This thread is back! :axesmiley:

Sorry Lyndon, just not my thing.

Chicken.

Southland Wx

Posted 24 March 2006 - 01:07 AM

Rutgers is a well respected program. I can speak, again, on behalf of it. Any questions, ask away. A couple other pros on here are from RU as well. Remember though, i can talk all day about Rutgers and how good it is, but you have to like it and feel it fits YOU to go there.

forkyfork

Posted 24 March 2006 - 01:08 AM

MEkster, on Mar 24 2006, 12:56 AM, said:

Chicken.

Answer your PM.

StormAtSea

Posted 24 March 2006 - 02:01 AM

I lived across the street from one of the campuses of Rutgers, so I have plenty of background and knowledge considering the school. When I was a senior in high school, RU was everyone's safety school. Everyone wanted to avoid it like the plague. For one, the campuses are all in separate areas of C NJ. Hence, you are forced to take a 10 minute bus ride between classes. College Ave. is in the heart of New Brunswick, a town that has seen much better days. Meanwhile, the STD rate is still way up there, and I mean in a notorious and embarrassing way (there used to be rumors of STD rates nearing 70% !!!). Don't get me wrong; the academics at RU are STELLAR. In fact, a Rutgers education makes a Penn State education look elementary. I have taken summer classes at RU and can honestly say the curriculum is much more challenging and difficult at RU. Other than the math courses, a reasonably intelligent individual can graduate from Penn State without breaking a sweat. During my junior and senior years at PSU, I did nearly never studied during the week and still graduated with a 3.6. At PSU, it's all about the marketing of the name mixed with the facilities. The one thing that RU does lack, from what I hear from friends there, is a respectable social scene. Fraternitiy life at RU is lame; there are no major apartment complexes; and worst yet, you have to drive to your friend's place to party. At PSU, the social scene is honestly brilliant. A 5 minute walk to College Ave. takes a freshman to the line of no return. Once on across the street, 30+ apartment complexes, dozens of bars and retaurants, thousands of happy kids, are all within your reach in a 2 x2 MILE RADIUS! For those that have never visited State College, it is the opposite of RU; Penn State has taken over State College meanwhile, the City of New Brunswick has taken over RU. I really don't beleive there is a better place on this Earth for a teenager looking to grow both personally and intellectually, than Penn State. Penn State is a phenomenal place. In fact, I plan on working at their Healthcare Services on campus while attending their new Law School (which should open in about 5 yrs) if I can get my girlfriend to agree.

LocoAko

Posted 24 March 2006 - 06:57 AM

Wow. So you think that Rutgers is actually harder than PSU, but you think the social life sucks?

I'm reading about things on their website and it sounds decent... they don't mention requiements to get in or anything about dorming (RU). I've been to UP and I loved it (weather camp), but I've always heard that it was very studious there.

I'm really confused. Is Rutgers highly respected amoung the meteorological community? I know PSU is, and it IS thed weather capital of the world. Still, it's expensive and kind of far. Not sure if I want to stay close or far, I'm not really sure.

Also, I can get a BA from either university, but how much does the school matter after college, like for employment purposes? I've honestly never heard of Rutgers being really highly respected but maybe I haven't been looking.

And then there's Millersville, and I haven't even looked into SUNY or UML or Oswego. :arrowheadsmiley:

I'm lost.

LocoAko

Posted 24 March 2006 - 07:18 AM

I'm looking at pictures of Cook College is looks so welcoming and cozy! I thought the STD rate was only for the Newark Campus?

My friends would laugh at me if I said I WANTED to go to Rutgers, but I dunno. Should I?

They say they have a student - teacher ratio of 15:1 and they have a Co-Op program would be great experience, and possibly help find me a job out of college. They have tennis team even thuogh I suck. Their website is sucking me in!

And only $7,000/year tuition?

Southland Wx

Posted 24 March 2006 - 10:25 AM

While at RU, as a met. major, you would have very limited amounts of time that you NEED to spend on college ave. or the other campuses. There are a handful (1-3) of required classes that are only offered there, but everything you really need is on Cook. The atmosphere on Cook is amazing. You'll always see someone you know. There's lots of stuff to get you involved with recreation and all. I have nothing but good things to say about it. The co-op program is amazing. The classes are generally small...not necessarily the lectures for like chem and physics, but the recitations are small. And the met. classes probably won't have you with more than 15-20 at once. But the co-op program is why I am where I am right now, and is also probably why I'll get further (in TV or private sector) in the future. Some awesome opportunities and they know a lot of people. The STD rate is an urban legend. A study confirmed that RU actually has a lower STD rate than most schools. And besides, if you use your head, you don't need to worry about that

But it's near everything and then some. It comes recommended. Cook is like a rural setting in an urban area. I could not have asked for better.

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 24 March 2006 - 10:36 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 24 2006, 07:18 AM, said:

I'm looking at pictures of Cook College is looks so welcoming and cozy! I thought the STD rate was only for the Newark Campus?

My friends would laugh at me if I said I WANTED to go to Rutgers, but I dunno. Should I?
They say they have a student - teacher ratio of 15:1 and they have a Co-Op program would be great experience, and possibly help find me a job out of college. They have tennis team even thuogh I suck. Their website is sucking me in!

And only $7,000/year tuition?

Also in NJ there is KEAN university.

Which one of the members "Analog" attends too.

I'm hearing good things about that kean too..

http://www.kean.edu/

InfectedCabbage

Posted 24 March 2006 - 10:50 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 23 2006, 11:01 PM, said:

People are just like eh it's Rutgers. Meh.

Thoughts?

Loco - Choosing a school is usually a hard decision. You want to do what's best for you. But one important thing to realize is that it's just one part of the total package. There's also you, how hard you work, the research you do in school for your professors, speaking at various conferences (even as an undergrad), connections you make, and all that kind of stuff.

That doesn't really solve your problem, but I thought it was worth stating. I'm in college myself, but if I were looking at your resume and saw you got your B.S. from Rutgers, I'd be impressed. Then I'd look at the rest of it to see what else you've done that seperates you from every other resume in my pile.

If I saw a resume from a Penn State grad that was otherwise unimpressive and a resume from a student from any other school that was full of research, conferences talks, and accomplishments... you know who'd get hired.

Good luck in your search. :scooter:

nyratk1

Posted 24 March 2006 - 01:12 PM

NJSnowYeti, on Mar 5 2006, 03:55 PM, said:

Can someone give their view on these Universites I'm considering going to for a Met major

Rutgers

SUNY Oneonta

SUNY Oswego

SUNY Stony Brook

Millersville

Plymouth State

Any particular advantages/disadvantages of the Meteorology program in these colleges?

I'm currently an atmospheric sciences (met track) major in my sophomore year (heading into my junior) at SUNY Stony Brook. I'm in the recently reformed SBU meteorology club and have a 3.0 GPA (higher within the atm. sci. courses)

Advantages of SBU:
- small enough department where there's only ~45-50 majoring in atmospheric sciences and ~8-10 graduating a year, allows for hands-on teaching by some of the best professors (especially Prof. Brian Colle, who's extremely knowledgeable and helpful)
- the math and especially the physics courses are excellent
- lots of opportunities in NYC/LI area, including the NWS OKX office 15 miles southeast of SBU (3 SBU students are interning there currently and I'm planning to try to get an internship there)
- quite inexpensive as it's a state school (but like everything, NYS may screw THAT up)

Disadvantages:
- it's a suitcase college, as in half the school commutes and most of the other half go home to NYC/NJ/Westchester/CT for the weekend (looks like you'd probably do this too, as you live far enough to dorm and close enough to go home on weekends)
- starting in your sophomore or junior year, an increasing amount of the classes in the major take place at the Marine Sciences Research Center that's a bit isolated at the south side of the campus (don't worry, there's a frequent bus shuttle there that also goes to the South P commuter parking lot)
- the sciences and engineering related departments are the strongest, other non-science/engineering departments aren't as strong (but as you're interested in atm. sci., this shouldn't really matter that much)

WNC_SnowMachine

Posted 24 March 2006 - 03:45 PM

I know this is out of your area, but does anyone know of good met schools in or close to north carolina?

Delaware

Posted 24 March 2006 - 04:15 PM

for lower gpa sat check:

Lyndon State College Lyndonville,VT

Plymouth State University somewhere in NH

Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT

All the requirements are below a 3.0 gpa and under or equivalent to an 1000 SAT

Delaware

Posted 24 March 2006 - 04:36 PM

Schools offering Degrees in Meteorology:

http://www.srh.noaa....schools_map.htm

Penn State University(State College)
GPA: 3.56
SAT: 1210

Millersville University
GPA:Not Provided(my school's system for colleges says 3.0)
SAT: 1038

Rutgers University
GPA: 99% in top half of graduating class
SAT: 1195(determined from range on collegeboard.com)

SUNY Oneonta
GPA: 3.40
SAT: 1115

Plymouth State University
GPA: 2.85
SAT: 969

Lyndon State College(Cantore went here)
GPA: 2.5
SAT: 950

North Carolina State University
GPA: 4.07
SAT: 1186

SUNY Oswego
GPA: 3.29
SAT: 1089

Western Connecticut State University
GPA: Not Provided
SAT: 998

Kean University
GPA: 2.88
SAT: 1000

California University of Pennsylvania
GPA: 2.97
SAT: 988

all this information is from Princetonreview.com and collegeboard.com( who make the SAT test)

RiemannSun

Posted 24 March 2006 - 04:45 PM

This is just a suggestion, and possibly far-fetched, but with the brilliance present at this board, it wouldn't surprise me if someone pulled it off.

For those interested in PSU, check out the Schreyer Honors College. I have read quite a bit of information about the program, and it is pretty prestigious. I'm not going to describe each and every thing they do -- you can read about it here: www.shc.psu.edu-- but I will say that you receive a $3500/year "Academic Excellence Scholarship" if you are accepted for your freshman year and maintain at least a 3.33 overall GPA. Additionally, the college into which you are accepted (Earth and Mineral Sciences, Eberly College of Science, etc.) might have scholarships available. [Note: I have read in the SHC's Strategic Plan that they are considering full rides for some of their accepted students sometime in the next couple of years ... they just upgraded the AES from $2500 to $3500 this year.]

To the out of staters, $3500/year from the ~$30,000/year [total price] may understandably not seem like much. Here's the suggestion: if you are accepted into the SHC, the Eberly College of Science, AND fill out an application for the "Braddock Scholarship," you would be eligible for a full ride. I know meteorology is not housed under Eberly, but who said you can't double major in something closely related to meteorology? Physics and meteorology, mathematics and meteorlogy, maybe chemistry and meteorology, etc. I'm not entirely sure if this would fly with them, but it at least seems acceptable.

Just some things to think about, and ideally some helpful advice for the prospective students, since it is quite difficult to obtain large/full scholarships from PSU.

Anyone here heading to PSU for Fall 2006?

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 24 March 2006 - 05:04 PM

some of you mention stony brook..

May I ask why?

I mean theres even a website stonybrooksucks.com and reviews are terrible on that college..

so let me ask again, why?

If anyone can tell me otherwise...please do..BECAUSE I was planning on stoony brook too until i read a few reviews.

nyratk1

Posted 24 March 2006 - 05:40 PM

whiteoutwx1796, on Mar 24 2006, 05:04 PM, said:

some of you mention stony brook..

May I ask why?

I mean theres even a website stonybrooksucks.com and reviews are terrible on that college..

so let me ask again, why?

If anyone can tell me otherwise...please do..BECAUSE I was planning on stoony brook too until i read a few reviews.

I've heard about SBU placing 4th on the most unhappy students list, but I don't think that's fair to SBU because the respondents are probably either overworked bio/biochem/BME students, overworked engineering students, native LIers there for the mediocre liberal arts or people just expecting a party school like SUNY Albany (which you might want to check out as well). It pisses me off because many of the students just bitch and whine (especially some of the NYC students who come in with a chip on their shoulder) and don't bother to do anything about it. The atm. sci. major is pretty close knit and friendly, so you don't have the problems an engineering or premed major might. The school is diverse and the sciences are top notch.

Stonybrooksucks.com is a joke as well, it's infested by trolls and the webmaster seriously had a major grudge against SBU. Sure, there are lots of things that SBU can improve on (updating some of the facilities, uprooting the ineffective and apathetic student government and the overly bureaucratic administration) but to just pile on SBU, keep a chip on your shoulder and not do anything to improve it yourself isn't fair.

If you just want to learn and gain valuable experience, go to SBU. If you just want to party, go to Albany.

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 24 March 2006 - 05:44 PM

DerangedHermit, on Mar 24 2006, 05:40 PM, said:

I've heard about SBU placing 4th on the most unhappy students list, but I don't think that's fair to SBU because the respondents are probably either overworked bio/biochem/BME students, overworked engineering students, native LIers there for the mediocre liberal arts or people just expecting a party school like SUNY Albany (which you might want to check out as well). It pisses me off because many of the students just bitch and whine (especially some of the NYC students who come in with a chip on their shoulder) and don't bother to do anything about it. The atm. sci. major is pretty close knit and friendly, so you don't have the problems an engineering or premed major might. The school is diverse and the sciences are top notch.

Stonybrooksucks.com is a joke as well, it's infested by trolls and the webmaster seriously had a major grudge against SBU. Sure, there are lots of things that SBU can improve on (updating some of the facilities, uprooting the ineffective and apathetic student government and the overly bureaucratic administration) but to just pile on SBU, keep a chip on your shoulder and not do anything to improve it yourself isn't fair.

If you just want to learn and gain valuable experience, go to SBU. If you just want to party, go to Albany.

I can party elsewhere. I don't need to party at my college.

Sounds good then. Especially since I live in Bayside, NY (Queens), isn't much far away from me at all.

Your saying friendly, people are open to each other etc?

What GPA ranges do they accept..and SAT scores?

nyratk1

Posted 24 March 2006 - 06:08 PM

whiteoutwx1796, on Mar 24 2006, 05:44 PM, said:

Your saying friendly, people are open to each other etc?

What GPA ranges do they accept..and SAT scores?

The atm. sci. major is friendly, others not much so. The student body overall is apathetic (get used to that word!).

Average GPA is 3.6 and SAT is 1210 (equivalent to 1815 now), although I got in with a 3.2 GPA and 1250 (equivalent to 1875 now) SAT. As long as your SAT is above 1600-1700 and your GPA is above 2.75-ish, you should be fine. There are no requirements to declare yourself an atm. sci. major, but you must stay above a 2.0 GPA in the major to graduate (with a C or above in 61/65 credits) (no surprise there).

I also believe many of the SUNY schools have similar admission requirements (especially the university centers; that is SBU, UBuffalo, Albany and Binghamton)

Since you're from NY, SBU (and the other SUNY schools) should be one of the cheapest options out there.

MerquryMan

Posted 24 March 2006 - 06:18 PM

Heres my list from most interested to least
and drive times
Rutgers Cook College-20 minutes-half hour
Millersville-3-4hours
SUNY Stony Brook/Oneonta-2 hours/5 hours
Penn State-6 hours
Plymouth State-7-8hours
Lyndon State-6-7 hours
Kean University-10 minutes
Oklahoma state-3 hours on a plane

GPA (Freshman-Junior) 3.35
SAT: 1880 (new) 1250 (old)

powderfreak

Posted 24 March 2006 - 06:34 PM

I know several friends who go to SUNY Oswego...none in the met program, but they like the school overall. Knowing the kids, that gives it more respect in my book. I've thought of transfering there for meteorology as it is not offered up here at U of Vermont. Also, they weren't complaining during that massive lake effect storm back in Jan 2004 when they got 4-5 feet of snow and school was closed for two days.

That wouldn't suck.

MerquryMan

Posted 24 March 2006 - 06:35 PM

Powder, how long was school closed when it got down to the -20's in 2004?

MEkster

Posted 24 March 2006 - 06:41 PM

Delaware, on Mar 24 2006, 04:36 PM, said:

Lyndon State College(Cantore went here)
GPA: 2.5
SAT: 950

Yeah, Lyndon's entrance requirements are fairly low. However, that tricks a lot of people. In order to graduate from that met program you have to work extremely hard. When I was there, the school (at least the met, math, and physics departments) was against curving exams. During my 4 years there, I think only one of my exams was curved between those 3 departments. If everyone in the class got a 40% on a dynamics exam, that's what went into the gradebook. I've met a lot of people that have graduated from other colleges with met degrees and tell me they could have never graduated from LSC. Anyway, excellent program, very glad I went. However, it is not easy.

PSUVball

Posted 24 March 2006 - 07:02 PM

PSUPete, on Mar 24 2006, 02:01 AM, said:

I lived across the street from one of the campuses of Rutgers, so I have plenty of background and knowledge considering the school. When I was a senior in high school, RU was everyone's safety school. Everyone wanted to avoid it like the plague. For one, the campuses are all in separate areas of C NJ. Hence, you are forced to take a 10 minute bus ride between classes. College Ave. is in the heart of New Brunswick, a town that has seen much better days. Meanwhile, the STD rate is still way up there, and I mean in a notorious and embarrassing way (there used to be rumors of STD rates nearing 70% !!!). Don't get me wrong; the academics at RU are STELLAR. In fact, a Rutgers education makes a Penn State education look elementary. I have taken summer classes at RU and can honestly say the curriculum is much more challenging and difficult at RU. Other than the math courses, a reasonably intelligent individual can graduate from Penn State without breaking a sweat. During my junior and senior years at PSU, I did nearly never studied during the week and still graduated with a 3.6. At PSU, it's all about the marketing of the name mixed with the facilities. The one thing that RU does lack, from what I hear from friends there, is a respectable social scene. Fraternitiy life at RU is lame; there are no major apartment complexes; and worst yet, you have to drive to your friend's place to party. At PSU, the social scene is honestly brilliant. A 5 minute walk to College Ave. takes a freshman to the line of no return. Once on across the street, 30+ apartment complexes, dozens of bars and retaurants, thousands of happy kids, are all within your reach in a 2 x2 MILE RADIUS! For those that have never visited State College, it is the opposite of RU; Penn State has taken over State College meanwhile, the City of New Brunswick has taken over RU. I really don't beleive there is a better place on this Earth for a teenager looking to grow both personally and intellectually, than Penn State. Penn State is a phenomenal place. In fact, I plan on working at their Healthcare Services on campus while attending their new Law School (which should open in about 5 yrs) if I can get my girlfriend to agree.

So true on the social aspect of penn state.... If you cant find something to do up here, then u have some serious problems. Always something to do....

On regards to the challenge of classes at Penn State.... it's kind of ironic in a way. I went to PSU Berks for two years to get gen eds out of the way and to save some money and to still do some things close to home... work on weekends in fall and spring etc. I can honestly say that some of the general classes at Berks were much difficult than up here. Much more challenging and attendance was required. A much different interaction with professors to say the least.

For the turf program there really isn't anything easy about. The only thing that comes to mind is the math requirement... they only require Algebra II. Nothing easy about organic chem in my mind and Turf 434 and Turf 435 is more chemistry than anyone realizes. What I feel makes turf different from most majors is the diversity that is required in classes to get the degree. Anyways.. yes i do agree that some gen ed classes are pretty easy up here

NorEaster27

Posted 24 March 2006 - 07:13 PM

MerquryMan, on Mar 24 2006, 06:35 PM, said:

Powder, how long was school closed when it got down to the -20's in 2004?

why would school be closed? I walked to class in -24 degree weather. :aarambo: :axesmiley: I see my school is not on anyone's list

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 24 March 2006 - 07:16 PM

DerangedHermit, on Mar 24 2006, 06:08 PM, said:

The atm. sci. major is friendly, others not much so. The student body overall is apathetic (get used to that word!).

Average GPA is 3.6 and SAT is 1210 (equivalent to 1815 now), although I got in with a 3.2 GPA and 1250 (equivalent to 1875 now) SAT. As long as your SAT is above 1600-1700 and your GPA is above 2.75-ish, you should be fine. There are no requirements to declare yourself an atm. sci. major, but you must stay above a 2.0 GPA in the major to graduate (with a C or above in 61/65 credits) (no surprise there).

I also believe many of the SUNY schools have similar admission requirements (especially the university centers; that is SBU, UBuffalo, Albany and Binghamton)

Since you're from NY, SBU (and the other SUNY schools) should be one of the cheapest options out there.

I just read the SBU website and there GPA range is 2.5 +
My GPA currently is 3.0 - so that's fine. SAT scores need to be around 1600 you say out of 2200 I think the max is now. I'm taking SAT prep classes w/ KAPLAN so that should help. I think SBU fits me well both grade wise location and other factors.

Again thanks for all the help.

Dsnowx53-

Posted 24 March 2006 - 07:19 PM

METARMan, on Nov 24 2005, 01:19 PM, said:

Have you considered SUNY Albany? Not only do they have an excellent BS program in atmospheric science, but they also offer a BA in Broadcast Meteorology and a BA in Earth and Atmospheric Science, which are nice to fall back on or pursue initially if your career interests are non-NOAA or non-research.

http://www.atmos.alb...s/atmossci.html

I am considering SUNY Albany. I think meterology would be good for me because I excell in math.

Some other schools I'm interested in are Penn State, SUNY Oswego, Stony Brook, Cornell, but that might be a reach school, and this thread has also gotten me interested in Rutgers.

Our school is weird though. Our math is split into 2 classes. One is just Math b2, which 1st quarter I had a 99 average, and 2nd quarter I had a 97 average and got a 100 on the midterm. Then there is "advanced topics" that meets everyother day. Its kind of dumb, since its a harder class, and it meets every other day, so its easy to forget things. I got a 95 in that class last quarter.

BTW, I am a sophmore.

LocoAko

Posted 24 March 2006 - 08:11 PM

Wow, impressive. If anything, this thread just got me more confused, but maybe in a better way.

You guys have really convinced me about Rutgers, and it's cheap for me since i'm in-state!

I guess what you're trying to get across is that a degree is a degree, it's what you do while in college, not the college right? The college choice is more for your preference, not for a reputation?

I got a forwarded PM from someone (thanks Delaware!

) where Utica-wx stated that Rutgers is more for actual scientific knowledge and not for forecasting. I'm not sure if I understand exactly what the difference is, or if that is a bad thing....

powderfreak

Posted 24 March 2006 - 08:40 PM

NorEaster27, on Mar 24 2006, 07:13 PM, said:

why would school be closed? I walked to class in -24 degree weather. :aarambo: :axesmiley: I see my school is not on anyone's list

University of Vermont has closed once in the past twenty years. Schools up north, don't close for cold...and your run of the mill snowstorm won't close a college.

A 4-5 foot lake effect event that closed Oswego for two days was ridiculous and deserved as students were asked not to leave their dorms as I heard it.

Last time we were closed was for the March 2001 storm. Quite epic. A general 20-40" across the state of VT.

MerquryMan

Posted 24 March 2006 - 08:42 PM

powderfreak, on Mar 24 2006, 08:40 PM, said:

University of Vermont has closed once in the past twenty years. Schools up north, don't close for cold...and your run of the mill snowstorm won't close a college.

A 4-5 foot lake effect event that closed Oswego for two days was ridiculous and deserved as students were asked not to leave their dorms as I heard it.

Last time we were closed was for the March 2001 storm. Quite epic. A general 20-40" across the state of VT.

My brother attends champlain college and they had to shut it down temporarily last year when it hit -22ºF and the main building was still undergoing construction.

Ive been up there when its -10 and its not so bad, Until your eyes dry and nasal cavity freezes... Then it hurts.

Coldest I've ever been was -23 at Lake George January of 2003. It looked like alaska. the freezing fog hung through the valley and rimed alot of stuff over

Anyway, Im going on a SUNY/vermont tour in april possibly during or just after spring break. Oneonta to lyndon state to albany to stony brook then back to NJ.

nyratk1

Posted 24 March 2006 - 09:44 PM

whiteoutwx1796, on Mar 24 2006, 07:16 PM, said:

I just read the SBU website and there GPA range is 2.5 +
My GPA currently is 3.0 - so that's fine. SAT scores need to be around 1600 you say out of 2200 I think the max is now. I'm taking SAT prep classes w/ KAPLAN so that should help. I think SBU fits me well both grade wise location and other factors.

Again thanks for all the help.

It's no problem. And the max SAT score now is 2400, you should do great if you know your stuff. Also tour Stony Brook if you can and decide if the school is for you. Here's a link on the Atm. Sci. program:

http://atmos.msrc.su.../undergrad.html

powderfreak

Posted 24 March 2006 - 09:49 PM

MerquryMan, on Mar 24 2006, 08:42 PM, said:

My brother attends champlain college and they had to shut it down temporarily last year when it hit -22ºF and the main building was still undergoing construction.

Ive been up there when its -10 and its not so bad, Until your eyes dry and nasal cavity freezes... Then it hurts.

Coldest I've ever been was -23 at Lake George January of 2003. It looked like alaska. the freezing fog hung through the valley and rimed alot of stuff over

Anyway, Im going on a SUNY/vermont tour in april possibly during or just after spring break. Oneonta to lyndon state to albany to stony brook then back to NJ.

Ahhh, that's Champlain

I've never heard of UVM closing for cold...alas, I believe it was a Champlain College student back in 2003 or 2004 that got drunk, went for a walk somewhere at -20 or -25 in the middle of the night, passed out and froze to death in a snowbank.

That might have had something to do with them being closed in the last year or two.

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 25 March 2006 - 02:47 PM

The grades during your highschool are only a very little piece of it. Once you go to college your going to take the real math thats needed, the math that they really look at to see your potential as a meteo major.

NorEaster27

Posted 25 March 2006 - 04:45 PM

whiteoutwx1796, on Mar 25 2006, 02:47 PM, said:

The grades during your highschool are only a very little piece of it. Once you go to college your going to take the real math thats needed, the math that they really look at to see your potential as a meteo major.

Who are they? At least in my school you declare your major on your application, I am a meteo major entering the school.

ORH_wxman

Posted 25 March 2006 - 04:56 PM

NorEaster27, on Mar 24 2006, 07:13 PM, said:

why would school be closed? I walked to class in -24 degree weather. :aarambo: :axesmiley: I see my school is not on anyone's list

They didnt close Cornell for weather the entire time I was there, unless they have closed it in the last few years (I cant imagine they did as no major weather events there in that time)...the last time they closed for weather was a big snowstorm in March 1999.

whiteoutwx1796

Posted 25 March 2006 - 10:37 PM

NorEaster27, on Mar 25 2006, 04:45 PM, said:

Who are they? At least in my school you declare your major on your application, I am a meteo major entering the school.

I'm saying in college along with the meteo programs you have to take the math courses, no?

And if you struggle you probably won't last.

Your math in HS really is a very small part of it, its what you do in your beginning years in college.

From HS the two key things are general that colleges look at- they're your GPA and SAT.

NorEaster27

Posted 25 March 2006 - 11:42 PM

whiteoutwx1796, on Mar 25 2006, 10:37 PM, said:

I'm saying in college along with the meteo programs you have to take the math courses, no?

And if you struggle you probably won't last.

Your math in HS really is a very small part of it, its what you do in your beginning years in college.

From HS the two key things are general that colleges look at- they're your GPA and SAT.

Colleges look at more than just your SAT and GPA. All of your activities, clubs, community service, and the essays on your application all weigh into the application decision; the Cornell application had 5 essays :axesmiley:

brettjrob

Posted 25 March 2006 - 11:55 PM

MerquryMan, on Mar 24 2006, 05:18 PM, said:

Oklahoma state-3 hours on a plane

I'm guessing you meant OU, which would be where I am. I'm not going to type up a dissertation because I know it's probably out of the question for most high school posters on an "Eastern US" weather board, but after seven months here I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, especially those interested in the severe weather and mesoscale aspects of meteorology. Like LSC and a few others mentioned, the admissions standards here are anything but tough, yet the meteorology program is world-renowned. We have a beautiful (and fairly large) campus, and more importantly, the School of Meteorology will be relocating to the National Weather Center just down the street next year:

http://www.nwc.ou.edu/

This building will also house the Storm Prediction Center, National Severe Storms Lab, NWS OUN (one of the most "cutting-edge" offices in the nation), and a plethora of other organizations. Needless to say, taking classes and hanging out in the same building as these entities makes for some great internship and "getting your foot in the door" opportunities, probably moreso than can be found for meteorology at any other university.

In addition to the government meteorological hub in the new building, Norman and the Oklahoma City metro area are home to quite a few major private sector employers like WeatherNews and WeatherBank, another plus.

It's also worth mentioning that we're in a city of around 100,000 and a metro area of over 1,000,000, which I personally find much more comforting and liveable than the prospects of spending four/six years in a place like State College, but that's just me and I'm sure others might have the opposite preference.

Bottom line, if you're a high school student serious about majoring in meteorology it may be worth checking out, if only as an excuse to see a different part of the country.

ict1523

Posted 26 March 2006 - 12:34 AM

The thing with me is I'm really good at math as long as I have a good teacher. I was always getting near 100 in math, then in 7th and 8th grade, I had this filipino teacher that couldn't speak english or teach, and my math skills went down the drain, now my 9th grade math teacher cant teach either, so its not a big help. I'm in class for 45 minutes, and don't understand what the hell he is doing, but then I ask my mom for help at home, and I get it in 5 minutes...so when I go to college, I better hope for a good math teacher.

Now as for my grades, they are pretty good my average so far this year is 96 in everything, and 93 in Algebra 1 (Honors so 97 if you add honor points). I need to continue keeping my average this high or better cause I'm definitely going to need scholarships/financial aid, cause there is no way I could pay much for college...

As for which colleges I like right now, its Oswego (LES

) and Cornell, because it seems really good and you also get interesting weather there.

Southland Wx

Posted 26 March 2006 - 12:45 AM

LocoAko, on Mar 24 2006, 09:11 PM, said:

I got a forwarded PM from someone (thanks Delaware!

) where Utica-wx stated that Rutgers is more for actual scientific knowledge and not for forecasting. I'm not sure if I understand exactly what the difference is, or if that is a bad thing....

Loco,

Let me clarify. Rutgers is good for any form of the field you want to go into. I'm a forecaster and I went there so, there's one example (among many, many others). I think the program is there is probably stronger for one who wants to go into graduate school (research) than for one who wants to forecast... BUT... it is an excellent school for both. This is just my $0.02 too...other alum would say other things. Whatever you want to do in the field, you'll be fine there.

MerquryMan

Posted 26 March 2006 - 12:51 AM

Utica WX, on Mar 26 2006, 12:45 AM, said:

Loco,

Let me clarify. Rutgers is good for any form of the field you want to go into. I'm a forecaster and I went there so, there's one example (among many, many others). I think the program is there is probably stronger for one who wants to go into graduate school (research) than for one who wants to forecast... BUT... it is an excellent school for both. This is just my $0.02 too...other alum would say other things. Whatever you want to do in the field, you'll be fine there.

How much would it affect an application to rutgers if the letter of recommendation was written by my bio teacher who also taught at rutgers?

forkyfork

Posted 26 March 2006 - 01:23 AM

People waste too much time with the college process.

If the school is accredited and the program is approved by the NWS, what's the big deal?

RiemannSun

Posted 26 March 2006 - 12:39 PM

NorEaster27, on Mar 25 2006, 11:42 PM, said:

Colleges look at more than just your SAT and GPA. All of your activities, clubs, community service, and the essays on your application all weigh into the application decision; the Cornell application had 5 essays :axesmiley:

It depends on the college. Penn State largely bases their decisions off a numerical formula. 2/3 of their decision for one student comes from his/her GPA, then the remaining 1/3 comes from standardized test scores and maybe the optional essay, if he/she is on the fence. The Schreyer Honors College is a different story, however, with a much more comprehensive personal/written application.

Re: Brett's post...I can completely vouch for that. I visited OU in August last year and loved the area. Very nice campus, nice town (Norman), nice city and metro area (Oklahoma City). The OU staff and faculty members we met were very friendly and personable (particularly the meteorology department head, Dr. Fred Carr). All in all, my family and I decided it might be too far away for me at this stage in my life, though I have a strong feeling that I will be back in sooner territory at some point in the next several years (grad school? job/career?). Check it out if you can.

colleges offering meterology (View original topic)

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