Graduate and Professional School Fair

The Graduate and Professional School Fair is an in-person event designed for those who are planning to apply to graduate or professional school in the near future. Summer interns, college students, and postbacs can gather information about how to apply to graduate or professional school, explore institutions and programs, and network with program directors and faculty members from institutions across the country.
This event is for NIH summer interns and postbacs. We also welcome college students and postbacs from outside the NIH.

• Panel sessions provide recommendations for getting into graduate and/or professional school.
• Short informative sessions (“knowledge bites”) touch on relevant skills and advice for successful application process.
• In-person exhibitor sessions are an opportunity to connect and speak with institutions representatives to learn more about their programs and schools.

The list of participating institutions will be posted when available. The program book will be available by June 15, 2026.

The 2026 NIH Graduate and Professional School Fair will take place in person in the Natcher Conference Center (Building 45) on the NIH Bethesda campus on July 15, 2026.

The event will run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (ET).

If you are not local to the area and looking for lodging, Bethesda and Rockville both  have a multitude of hotels that are conveniently located near the NIH campus.

The Natcher Conference Center is Building 45 on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bethesda Campus, about five miles from Washington, DC. Check out NIH Visitor Campus Information for instructions on how to navigate to campus.

NIH main campus in Bethesda, MD is also accessible by metro. Please note that from July 6-Sept. 6, 2026, Metro will complete major construction on the Red Line. During this period, trains will not operate between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights. Free shuttle buses will replace trains at the following stations: Grosvenor-Strathmore, Medical Center, and Bethesda.

All visitors 18 and older must display an ​approved form of identification and undergo a security screening to obtain a visitor badge to enter NIH facilities. It is highly recommended that Lawful Permanent Residents present their valid Green Card to allow NIH security to verify that VisitNIH pre-registration was not required.​​

Important information about Coming to NIH and Visitor Campus Access can be found here.

Non-U.S. person visitors (those without U.S. citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card) status) are required to complete the VisitNIH pre-registration process and be approved to visit. If this applies to you, please register by June 8, 2026 and email us as soon as possible to ensure your information is included in the VisitNIH pre-registration portal with enough lead time for processing. Failure to complete the pre-registration process will result in denied entry to campus.

The cafeteria in the Natcher Conference Center will be open for breakfast 7:00 am – 9:00 am and lunch from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. There will also be food trucks offering a variety of options for breakfast and lunch. You are also welcome to bring your own food, drink, and water.

American Sign Language interpreting services are available upon request. Individuals who need interpreting services and/or other reasonable accommodations to participate in this event, should contact the NIH Interpreting Office directly, via email, at [email protected] by July 1. Requests should be made in advance in order to ensure interpreter availability.

Prepare for the Graduate and Professional School Fair ahead of time so that you can get the most out of your experience.

Complete these four steps to prepare yourself to attend the fair:

1. Register for and attend orientation. Use the link below to register.
2. Make a list of schools and panels you want to visit. Use the event agenda and the list of participating institutions to plan your day. Research programs ahead of time. Make note of where and at what time sessions you are interested in are taking place.
3. Practice your elevator speech. Be prepared to talk about yourself, your academic work and experiences, your skills and competencies, and what interests you about a program.
4. Prepare a list of questions to ask the representatives. Make sure to prepare questions that are not including in the list of things you can find by perusing the institution's website. Your questions should be tailored and specific to a program.
   1. Don't ask: "I’m interested in public health; can you tell me about your program?"
   2. Do ask: "I see that you have the [name] program in public health/free clinic; can you tell me about how a first-year student can participate?"
   3. Don't ask: "Tell me more about your school", " My GPA and test score are [#, #]; what are my chances of getting into your program?"
   4. Do ask: "What are the components of a competitive application to this program?"

Remember: this is an opportunity to introduce yourself to an insitution that you hope to attend in the future. Make a good impression by presenting yourself professionally in both demeanor and attire. Follow these three pieces of advice:

1. Dress appropriately and be neatly groomed. In this context, appropriate dress means clothes and accessories designed for a professional workplace. Consider modest, well-fitting clothing that is free of images, graphics, rips, holes or stains. T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops are not considered professional in this setting.
2. Bring materials to share and to use. Bring copies of a one-page resume that is appropriate for the educational path you want to pursue (Check out our Guides to CVs and resumes for help). You should also bring materials to take notes. Write down names of panelists and list institutions you want to follow up on later.
3. Give people your full attention. Introduce yourself by starting the conversation with a firm handshake. Put away your phone when talking to school/institution representatives. By doing this, you signal that you are paying attention and that you value their time.