Support for your graduate school applications

Our pre-graduate school team can help you explore your options and navigate the application process as you prepare for graduate school in the biomedical, behavioral, social sciences, and beyond.

Our activities and resources help you at every step of the process including considering your options, finalizing a list of programs/schools that interest you, preparing and submitting your applications, and readying yourself for interviews.

We offer workshops to provide insight into each step of the graduate school application process. Our current offerings include:

• Choosing and Applying to Graduate School
• Writing Personal and Research Statements for Graduate School
• GPP Information Session
• Preparing for Graduate School Interviews
• Funding for Graduate School
• Succeeding in Graduate School

Workshops run in the summer and/or during the academic year and occur in-person and online. Visit OITE upcoming events for detailed information and find archived videos on the OITE YouTube page.

During these virtual sessions, OITE pre-graduate advisors answer questions about the graduate school application process, application stress, and navigating responsibilities in your research group while applying. The sessions happen biweekly from June to January and monthly from February through May; visit upcoming OITE events for more information.

OITE educational advisors can meet with you individually to strategize at every step along the way. Be proactive and make an appointment early. Please re-read our information on educational advising appointments in advance of your meeting. We offer in-person and virtual meetings for current NIH postbacs. We also welcome summer interns while they are on-campus. 

The personal statement working group is for postbacs who are applying to graduate school in the current cycle. This is a synchronous virtual writing group. The goal is to guide you through the process of writing an effective personal statement. We focus on general personal statements, research statements. and responding to additional writing prompts focused on leadership, diversity, and the unique challenges you have faced. The group meets weekly for four consecutive sessions. After the last session, postbacs can make an appointment with an OITE pre-graduate advisor for a final statement review. This working group opens in September and is advertised by email (OITE-Postbac Listserv).

Group mock interviews are available for postbacs who are applying to graduate school in the current cycle.  We practice potential interview questions in a supportive environment with feedback from peers and from an OITE advisor. This opportunity is offered annually in December, and is available in both in-person and virtual formats. Mock interview groups are advertised by email.

This is an annual event, held each July, in the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Bethesda campus. There is an in-person event and follow-up virtual events focused on graduate and professional school applications and networking with representatives of programs across the U.S. This event is for NIH summer interns and postbacs with transportation and travel awards to support the participation of postbacs on more distant campuses. We also welcome college students and postbacs from outside the NIH.

In 2023 almost 300 programs and schools participated in the Fair; we are happy to provide their contact information here. We know they would be happy to hear from you! Learn more about the Graduate and Professional School Fair.

We appreciate that applying to graduate school can be stressful, even when you are making progress and feel some momentum. These are critical decisions that require you to balance personal, professional, and family needs.

Complete the Becoming a Resilient Scientist series, connect  with peers in our various resilience groups, make an appointment with a well-being advisor, and watch these helpful videos.

• Resilience in the job search
• Career choices, why is this so hard?
• Navigating Career decisions: Will I get stuck?
• The Psychology of Career Decision Making

The OITE careers blog includes posts on relevant pre-graduate school topics, such as the process of choosing, applying, interviewing, and transitioning to graduate school. Some topics discussed are:

• Getting In: Everything You Need to Know about Graduate and Professional School Admissions
• Grad School Apps – Five Kisses of Death
• Answering Diversity Questions During an Interview
• Re-Applying to Graduate Programs
• GRExit- Grad Schools Dropping GRE Requirement
• Writing Personal and Research Statements for Grad School
• Carpe Diem: Asking for Letters of Recommendation
• Preparing for Graduate School Interviews
• Help Is Out There: Navigating Graduate School’s Challenges

Reach out to us with questions at oite@NIH.gov.