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Graduate, professional school fair set Oct. 15

September 30, 2013
NIU Graduate School commencement, May 2013

NIU Graduate School commencement, May 2013

NIU will host the fifth annual Graduate and Professional School (GPS) Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center.

The fair is free to all and is intended to help students and community members get a head start on their graduate and professional school searches.

“The Graduate and Professional School Fair is an opportunity for everyone who is interested in earning a master’s, doctoral, or professional degree to get information about institutions and programs,” said Joyce Keller, associate director in NIU Career Services and coordinator of the event.

Attendees will have the chance to talk face-to-face with graduate and professional school representatives from more than 90 programs throughout the United States.

“This year’s fair presents an extraordinary range of programs for students to consider,” Keller said, noting a 30 percent increase in exhibitors over last year’s GPS Fair. The fair includes exhibitors from law, technology, health, business, education, sciences, social sciences, and humanities programs, among other areas of study.

Although graduate and professional school information is available on the web, attendees will appreciate the quality and quantity of information they can gather in one convenient visit to NIU’s GPS Fair.

Joyce Keller

Joyce Keller

Students need to begin collecting information about graduate and professional schools as early as possible in their college careers.

This preparation gives them a competitive advantage by knowing early what the admissions standards are for selected programs, so they have plenty of time to meet these criteria. Early preparation will also help students to plan financially for their schooling and seek scholarships and other sources of funding.

“Earning an advanced degree can put students at a significant advantage in terms of salary and career prospects and can provide graduates with valuable skills,” Keller said, adding that a graduate or professional degree is a required or expected credential for entry to a number of career paths.

Although attendees do not need to dress professionally or bring copies of their résumés, it is recommended that they prepare by reviewing the list of schools and programs scheduled to attend the fair. The growing list of exhibitors for this year’s GPS Fair is available at www.gpsrecruit.niu.edu. NIU students are encouraged to pre-register for the fair online.

For more information about the process for applying to graduate school, students can visit the Career Services table at the Graduate and Professional School Fair and learn about services and upcoming career events.

To see additional information about the fair, call (815) 753-1641 or email careerservices@niu.edu.