schools to look in to for meteorology?

[Ben Cotton]

Don't forget Purdue and Wisconsin-Madison. St. Louis University has also turned out a few meteorologists. There's also Ball State (in Muncie, Indiana) but I'll stop there before I get in trouble.


Ben

 

[James McCormick]

I would add that it depends on what type of program do you want to be in. Going to a well known or big university doesn't necessarily bring the best education or happiness. I got my undergraduate degree at the lesser known University of Nebraska, but I got just as good of an education as I could have anywhere. I learned a great deal personally from my advisors at my alma mater, the University of Nebraska, and I don't have the relationships with the professors now at Florida State that I did while at UNL. And going to a lesser-known school didn't hurt me one bit when it comes to material - I am every bit as prepared as my classmates. Nick, (long time no see, BTW!) is that something you feel at OU, coming from Creighton?

If you want to work at an NWS WFO, it is hard to get into - unless you have the right training. The keys are experience and knowledge - work for the best grades you can get and get as much experience as you can. You can start out with a volunteer internship and then move on to paid internships later in your undergraduate work. Some schools are more 'reknowned' for synoptic and mesoscale meteorological prowess (St. Louis, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M come to mind right off the bat), but you can become a good forecaster anywhere. One of my best friends is a student intern for the NWS while at the aforementioned lesser known Creighton University, but she is as bright as pretty much anybody in the country. The key is to pick a university that you enjoy for whatever reason (location, size, proximity to home and family, affordability, friends, etc.) and to make the most out of the situation. When I started my undergraduate degree, all I cared about was severe weather. Everything blossomed from there - you're at a good starting point in my opinion!

Finally, there are a few schools co-located with NWS offices, which makes it easier to be around forecasters and forecasting. Florida State, North Carolina State, SUNY-Albany, Penn State, and Oklahoma (soon) are a few off of the top of my head. Other schools are a short drive from an office, and some schools (Creighton and Nebraska come to mind immediately) are heavily involved with the local WFO.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Jordan,

I was in your shoes 4 years ago... I grew up just south of St. Paul, MN, and my best friend goes Minnesota State - Mankato. At any rate, I seriously considered the following (seriously meaning that I visited the school): Oklahoma, Wisconsin, St. Louis University, Nebraska - Lincoln, and Creighton. Wisconsin, as a campus, was too big for me personally, and Nebraska and Creighton were too small for me (not that there's anything wrong with any of these schools, but it was a personal decision). SLU is a good program, but I wasn't sure about going to school in an urban environment. In the end, I chose OU, which is more suburban, has a relatively compact campus, provides many opportunities for experience for students (with CAPS, CIMMS, NSSL, SPC, NWS, and private firms such as WeatherNews Inc.), and just felt like the right place for me. As long as you work hard, I'm not sure you can go wrong with most of the scools mentioned in this thread.

I suggest visiting as many schools as you can. Some will feel just right... Can't really put it into words, but you just get the feeling that you want to go to that school.

I actually just went through the school search again, but this time for grad schools. I seriously looked into Wisconsin, Texas Tech, and OU. But again, for similar reasons as undergraduate, I decided to stay here at OU and will work under Dr. Bluestein for the next few years.

 

[Joe Nield]

If your long term plan is to get into the weather service, then START EARLY. Volunteer at an office during the summer or during the school year if feasible. I started as a volunteer after my freshman year and haven't worked anywhere else since.

Hopefully our budget will recover over the next few years and there will be some cash for student employees, because the STEP (Student Temporary Employment Program) and SCEP (Student Career Experience Program) programs are what got me in. It is getting much harder to get in with a bachelor's these days.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Metro State College of Denver... most inexpensive higher education you can get for Meteorology...

http://www.mscd.edu

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I'm in this boat as well right now. I'm finishing my last semester of HS right now...and will be attending the junior college here in Champaign for two years, before transferring elsewhere to pursure a degree in meteorology. I have narrowed it down to two schools, those being OU, and Valparaiso. I chose Oklahoma for many reasons, but really like it simply for its location, right in the heart of tornado alley. Also knowing folks out there would help me feel not so lost in a new big place. However, Valpo offers some great oppurtunities, and is much closer. The Valpo campus would be about 3 hours from my home, where as OU would be a good 10 hour haul.

Im about 99% on these two schools, but there are others that are in the back of my mind, such as Wisconsin and Iowa State, but I'm fairly close to ruling out any others aside from the previously listed two.

Essentially, I will make my final decision after visiting each campus, and as Jeff said, finding which school feels the best.

 

[Mike Smith]

Mr. Prichard,

Congratulations on one of the most exciting points of your life -- and -- one of the most important decisions you will make to this point.

Let me offer you some advice from the point of view of a University of Oklahoma graduate and an employer of meteorologists.

The two schools very good but in different ways and you would not go wrong with either. How to decide? Valpo is probably the stronger choice if you want to go into forecasting or another area of applied meteorology. The University of Oklahoma may be the better choice if you wish to focus on severe storms or get a PhD.

No matter how much you may enjoy chasing, the location of a meteorology school should not be a significant consideration. This may seem like a contradiction from the above comment about OU, but it is not. If you wish, for example, to specialize in severe storm meteorology, OU is a fine choice...but the university chosen should flow from your interests, not the other way around. The fact OU is in the center of the "tornado belt" is a bonus.

Like everything else in life, a university education is what you make it. Go beyond the classroom. Get an internship at the NWS, at a private sector weather company, at a research institution in different summers. Find out what YOU like and at what you can excell, not what a professor gently pushes you toward (can't tell you the stories of woe I have heard in this regard over the years). Once you find what you really like, you will be in a position to excell. Success, no matter what area in which you chose to specialize, follows from excellence.

Again, congratuations!

 

[Nick Benson]

Minnesotan going to OU

I'm from Northfield, MN (not too far from Mankato) and ended up going to OU.

Why OU?
- I have some extended family nearby
- Tuition isn't too terrible (out of state is ~$13,000 / year) - you can get in-state tuition (~$4000 / year) if you go to a community college down here to take care of some general ed classes and then enroll at OU
- Numerous internships/jobs related meteorology are available
- The weather is great (except for the summer - too hot!)
- The campus is beautiful
-The National Weather Center will be completed eventually (it'll be done by the time you would get here) and offer additional opportunities


A few other points...

South Dakota School of Mines and Tech doesn't have an undergrad program... however they have an awesome little campus (which I have visited) and NWS is on-site.

From what I've gathered, SCSU (St. Cloud State) has a great program, especially if you're interested in forecasting weather. I didn't care much for the campus, and I thought it was too close to home.

 

[ckbehnke]

Jordan,

You may know this but Wisconsin and Minnesota have reciprocity. Which means if you fill the paperwork out, you can go to public Wisconsin schools for resident tuition, and WI students can go to public Minnesota schools for the same.

That being said, a school with a great program is University Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Visit www.uwm.edu and look under the mathematics department. There will be a section for atmospheric sciences. It is a growing program that emphasizes the math end of things. If your looking for smaller class sizes this is an option. The faculty is very approachable. A very good thing.

Some advice. Take all of the math you can, and pay attention. Pick a school that is right for you, both socially and what will be conducive for your learning style. Not all schools are created equal.

 

[Khristian Snyder]

Hello,
Im a freshman right now in High School. What exactly do you do with an internship at a NWS WFO??

I was thinking about doing this for the San Diego office but im not sure what it is.
This thread has been a great help so far....Thank You!!

 

[Jordan Manderfield]

^^^^wow another person my age here lol...^^^^^

I have learned a lot about which schools to look into from this thread. I think my questions have been pretty much solved. I now understand that math is a huge part of a career in meteorology better then before!


Thanks a lot!

 

[Todd Beal]

I went to Mississippi State (non-BMP) for my undergraduate (graduated May 2004). They did not have an on campus full blown met. degree, but starting in the fall of 2005 they will be offering an on campus track to satisfy civil service requirements.

Mississippi State is heavily known for its broadcasting program (on and off campus). It is a very application based program. However, the program is very flexible, which can be tailored to the student's needs/interests.

I will be going back to MSU for graduate school to complete the civil service requirements as that will be all I am lacking.

Also, I strongly agree with the others about volunteering with the NWS. The earlier you can get involved the better off you will be. I am currently volunteering with the NWS and hoping it will lead to bigger and better things! Best of luck to you!

 

[Joel Wright]

I was going to attend Northern Illinois University until I decided to pursue a different career, and left meteorology as a hobby.

 

[Angie K Holliday]

I went to Western Illinois University, and got a geography degree with a meteorology emphasis. Just as I graduated though, they introduced a meteorology program instead of the degree I got. I think they cut out a few of the unnecessary geography classes that I had to suffer through!!!

Its a great little school, and it was 40 miles drive for me each day, so it was pretty easy to decide what to do. I finished in 2 years, cause I had previously gone to University of Iowa for an astronomy degree which I didn't complete. All those physics and math classes were required for meteorology anyway, and I got a math minor without taking any math classes at WIU. I had also started out at the local community college to get some of the basics out of the way.

I think community college is a great way to go, cause at Iowa I didn't have to take much of anything other than astronomy/physics classes and math. I took some chemistry, but that was for my own interest more than anything.

Just another way to look at things. I'm not working now, but that has a lot to do with personal things. Still hope to get a meteorology job at some point in the future, if other things allow it.

 

[Tom Dulong]

Metro State College of Denver... most inexpensive higher education you can get for Meteorology...

http://www.mscd.edu

Metro State has an excellent undergrad program. While I was a forecaster at the Denver NWS Forecast Office (1984-1996), a handfull of Metro students got into the NWS by volunteering and then getting on as an Intern.

Of course, don't forget Texas A&M (my alma matter) for good solid, basic meteorology