Online Graduate School Fair on Oct. 28

10/26/2020 

SUNY Cortland has teamed up with SUNY Oswego, SUNY Oneonta and Elmira College to create the Central New York Graduate School Fair for students and alumni on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

This year this major event will be held virtually from 1 to 4 p.m.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be held virtually through Handshake, a social networking website for college students. Employers and schools partner up to give students the best opportunity to find a job or an internship through this site.

To sign up, visit Handshake. A total of 134 colleges and universities will have representatives available to speak about their programs. A full list of participating graduate schools is included in the Handshake Graduate School Fair Listing.

“Students may set up private appointments if they are ambitious enough to ask recruiters,” said Michelina Gibbons, employer relations and recruiting coordinator in Career Services at SUNY Cortland. “If they see a school they’re really interested in and want to connect with them at another time, all the contact information is right in the Handshake event so they’ll have access to that.”

Universities will give sessions at a certain time, so students must ask to be a part of their presentation. Students have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one and group sessions with the schools in which they are most interested. 

Students from other campuses will be signing up as well. All appointment requests are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gibbons urges students to think about what information they need to know before choosing a graduate school program. Example questions include:

• What is the faculty-to-student ratio in the department?
• How much is tuition? Are there other costs?
• What are the options for financial aid?
• Does the school require the Graduate Records Examination?
• What is the admissions process like?
• Can you take classes remotely?
• Have admission requirements changed due to COVID-19?

The Central New York Fall 2020 Graduate Fair is one of many events Career Services is hosting this semester. Others include drop-in resume and cover letter critiques, Handshake and LinkedIn workshops and resources for interviewing and job searching. A full list of virtual events is available online.

For questions about the Central New York Graduate School Fair, contact Gibbons at 607-753-2224.

Prepared by Communications Office writing intern Christina Cargulia