FREE Admissions Event + Unlock up to 50K in Exclusive Scholarships

Hi Scholars, there's a free event happening this month, and I need you to know about it.

If you've been thinking about graduate school — or even just curious about what your options look like — this is one of those opportunities I'd feel bad not telling you about.

QS Discover is a free graduate school fair coming to New York City (Feb 21) and Chicago (Feb 26), and I'm personally partnering with them because the value packed into this event is genuinely unmatched. We're talking scholarships, headshots, resume reviews, and direct access to admissions directors — all under one roof, all free.

💰 THE SCHOLARSHIPS

Let's start here because this is the one that stopped me. Attendees get exclusive access to apply for scholarships worth up to $50,000 total. These scholarships are not available anywhere else — you have to be physically present at the event to access them. If you're in NYC or Chicago on these dates, there is no reason not to go.

🎓 THE ACCESS

This is what QS Discover does better than almost anything else. You walk in and you get face-to-face, one-on-one timewith admissions representatives and directors from some of the most prestigious graduate programs in the country.

We're talking schools like:

In NYC: NYU · Columbia · UPenn · Fordham · Baruch · St. John's + more In Chicago: UChicago · Northwestern · Notre Dame · Loyola · Michigan Ross · WashU · UIC + more

No middleman. Just you, your questions, and the people who actually make admissions decisions. Ask them what they look for. Ask them about funding. Ask them what makes an application stand out. This kind of direct access is genuinely rare.

Note: Participating schools vary by city.

📸 THE EXTRAS

Because QS Discover clearly understands students, they also built in:

✅ Free professional LinkedIn headshots — taken on-site, instantly upgrades your personal brand ✅ 1-on-1 resume reviews — real feedback from career experts before you apply anywhere ✅ Panels & presentations from leading universities on navigating grad school admissions ✅ Special test prep discounts for anyone still working on their scores

👩🏽‍💼 NYC EXCLUSIVE: Women in Leadership

If you're in New York, there's an additional event running the same day that I especially want the women in this community to know about.

The Women in Leadership session features a keynote from Tricia Maia of TED titled "Pay Attention to What Pulls You: Designing a Life Without a Ten-Year Plan" — followed by roundtable discussions with admissions directors on topics like overcoming imposter syndrome, building your personal brand, and preparing for graduate study with confidence.

📅 Feb 21 · 2:00–3:30 PM · Marriott Marquis, Times Square

📍 EVENT DETAILS

New York City 📅 Friday, February 21, 2026 📍 Marriott Marquis, Times Square 🕑 QS Connect: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM | QS Discover: 2:00 – 5:30 PM

Chicago 📅 Wednesday, February 26, 2026 📍 Doubletree by Hilton, Magnificent Mile 🕑 QS Discover: 5:00 – 8:30 PM

💲 100% free to attend

👉 Register for free here

Use my link to register — it's the same free sign-up, it just lets me track how many of you actually go so I can keep bringing you opportunities like this 🙂

If you found this useful, forward it to a friend who's been talking about grad school. They'll thank you later.

Until next time, Sierra College Insider | @sierraperosa

P.S. — Spots are limited. NYC is this Saturday. Don't sleep on it.

Disclosure: This newsletter contains a paid partnership with QS Discover. I only partner with brands and opportunities I genuinely believe in and would share with my own community. I've been following their incredible work since high school. All opinions are my own.

Till next time,

The College Insider