Graduate Student Consulting Challenge 2026 (10/14/2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

How Does the Consulting Challenge Work?

WHEN: Wednesday, October 14th – Monday, October 19th

WHO: All graduate students studying I-O or a related field in the DC Metro area and beyond are welcome to apply to participate in this year's Graduate Student Consulting Challenge, sponsored by the International Personnel Assessment Council (IPAC)! We will select ~30 students to participate. Students are considered in the order that they register. Selected students are then placed on a team of 3-6 people with students from other universities.

PTCMW membership is required
This event will be completely virtual just as last year. This allows a broader reach to students in farther geographic locations.
Note on team composition: PTCMW leadership reviews applications in regard to previous work or research experience, university affiliation, and year in school in order to develop diverse and fair teams.

WHAT: During the kickoff meeting, PTCMW presents teams with a Request for Proposal (RFP) that outlines a real organizational challenge. Over the following three days, teams work together to develop a proposal to be presented both orally (in a 30-minute presentation) and in written form (via a 2-page executive summary). Representatives from PTCMW and expert I-Os will judge presentations and rate executive summaries.

Why Should You Participate?

EXPERIENCE A REALISTIC JOB PREVIEW: PTCMW presents a real challenge that organizations are currently facing in a realistic RFP format. Students present as if they were external consultants bidding on a consulting project. Solutions are judged by expert practitioners based on theory, technical merit, and innovation. This offers participating students an opportunity to experience a realistic a work sample, expand their professional networks, develop consulting skills, build communication skills, and win prizes.

EXPAND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK: Students currently enrolled in I-O and related programs are assigned to a group made up of students with differing expertise, knowledge, and program affiliations. Students will be assigned to teams and given the opportunity to network with other students, and PTCMW members. It also provides the sponsoring organization (IPAC) with an opportunity to identify high potential I-Os that may be a good fit for their organization.

DEVELOP CONSULTING SKILLS: Teams are responsible for building an effective team, developing products, and presenting results.

BUILD COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Each team presents to a panel of expert I-O judges and receive invaluable feedback.

WIN PRIZES: The first-place team will be awarded with $1,500 and the runner up team will receive $800. The first, second, and third place teams will receive free admission to the Fall Event.

Student Testimonials

"The consulting challenge was an amazing experience. It was such a great opportunity to network with the other graduate students, work on a real-word RFP, and to get great feedback from experts in the field. I will definitely be signing up for the next one."

“I gained invaluable practical experience that will undoubtedly enhance my career prospects. In addition to working on a diverse project team comprised of I-O graduate students from prestigious universities across the east coast, we were provided developmental feedback from esteemed I-O psychologists from the most renowned consulting companies. This experience generated a level of self-confidence in my professional skills and ability to become an elite researcher and practitioner. Perhaps most importantly, the Graduate Student Consulting Competition allowed me to become visible to the large network of respected I-O psychologists in and around Washington, D.C. I am very much looking forward to participating in PTCMW’s 2015 Graduate Student Consulting Competition and further developing my professional skillset."

"The PTCMW Consulting Challenge was my first taste of applied I-O practice. I learned valuable lessons about the industry that will prove vital in future organizational consulting. Through the Challenge, I established professional connections with both graduate students and I/O professionals that I still maintain today. It really was a cool experience. It’s a great entry-level opportunity for I-Os to get some early experience under their belt.”

Event Details

Day 1: Wednesday, October 14^th (evening)

Teams virtually meet IPAC and PTCMW representatives to learn the challenge topic and be assigned to teams.
Teams meet virtually and begin planning.
Network with HumRRO and PTCMW representatives, board members, and your peers.

Days 2-5: Thursday, October 15^th – Sunday, October 18^th

Teams work independently on their response to the challenge.
Draft a 2-page executive summary.
Create a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation.
Teams submit their executive summaries and presentations by 11:59 PM ET on October 18th.

Day 5: Monday, October 19^th

Teams deliver oral presentations and submit executive summaries.
Judges evaluate presentations and executive summaries are sent to evaluators for review.

Post-Challenge:

Winners Notified: Early-November
Winners Announced: PTCMW Annual Fall Event (November 11)

How to Register

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Apply by October 7th.

ELIGIBILITY:

Must be a PTCMW member (join here).
Students must be in a Master’s or Doctoral program in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Management or related field.
Students must commit to collaborating virtually throughout the event and to contribute equally and fairly to their team for the entire duration of the challenge. Attendance is required for both the Wednesday kickoff event and Monday presentation.
Note: We encourage students from outside of the greater Washington, DC Metro to participate also.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

Complete online event registration
Upload your Resume (submit during event registration)
$20 application fee

FOR QUESTIONS: Contact us at gscc@ptcmw.org

2026 PTCMW Fall Event with Featured Speaker (TBD) (11/11/2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 21:00:00 GMT

2026 PTCMW Fall Event

Wednesday, November 11th, 2026 4:00 - 9:00 PM

George Mason University - Mason Square Campus

3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201

What is the PTCMW Fall Event?

The Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington’s annual Fall Event is the D.C. area’s largest gathering of Industrial-Organizational Psychology professionals and students. Attendees range from academicians to working professionals in both the public and private sectors to current graduate students. We are excited to see you all at another in-person Fall Event!

Agenda

4:00 - 4:30 PM: Event sign-in

4:30-5:00 PM: Program and Announcements

PTCMW Service Award
Graduate Student Consulting Challenge winners

5:00-6:00 PM: Featured Speaker: To be announced soon!

6:00-9:00 PM: Networking, Hors D'oeuvres and Drinks, and Booths for Sponsors

Registration closes at 11PM EST on Tuesday, November 10th. Register now!

PTCMW upcoming events

Graduate Student Consulting Challenge 2026 (10/14/2026)

2026 PTCMW Fall Event with Featured Speaker (TBD) (11/11/2026)