You may be considering moving on to college after finishing high school or you may have taken some time off. You need a resume for college applications that shows admissions committees that you can handle the academic load. You can influence the admissions committee and land a spot in the ‘accepted’ pile by creating a college application resume tailored to the institution you wish to attend. You can update and use the same resume once you’ve graduated from college to apply for internships and positions in the next stage of your career.
What to Include on Your Resume for College Applications?
Your resume should give undergraduate admissions committees a quick overview of your grades, prior employment, honors, leadership roles, and presenting skills, as well as any creative talents you may have, such as musical or artistic talent, writing talent, or interpersonal skills.
The resume aims to prove that you possess the skills necessary to be successful both academically and socially at college. To accomplish this, the resume should typically contain the following information:
Heading:
Include all of your contact information, such as your name, address, phone number, and email address. You might want to link to your own website in this section if it features accomplishments that are pertinent to your career objectives.Academic background:
On your resume for a college application, mention your high school and the dates you attended. If you believe it may help your application, mention your exact class ranking or a generic percentage (“graduated in the top 10 percent of the class”). In addition, make a point of mentioning any advanced coursework you’ve taken, such as AP and IB classes.SAT/ACT scores:
If you took the test more than once, list your best score.
Co-curricular activities: Mention any clubs, bands, or sports teams you participated in that were linked to your school.Extracurriculars:
Describe your involvement in any extracurricular activities or groups outside of school (tutoring, for example). They will demonstrate that you have a varied background and are not one-dimensional, along with your extracurricular activities.Employment history:
This can include volunteer work, internships, study abroad programmes, job shadowing, research experiences, and part-time jobs at businesses.Skills:
Include any fluently spoken languages, computer and software skills, as well as soft talents like leadership and communication, to improve your chances of being accepted.Volunteer work:
Having volunteer work on a resume for a college application demonstrates your concern for the world and portrays you as a candidate who’s involved in their community.Recognition:
List your most noteworthy accomplishments, together with any honors or distinctions, for which you are most proud.Hobbies and Interests:
Consider hobbies and interests that are slightly related to the degree program you wish to pursue (photography for a media program or travel for an international relations program, for example).
You don’t have to list all of the aforementioned qualifications on your resume, but you should mention those that would help you stand out as the best applicant.
Research your desired school:
The majority of colleges seek out candidates who have engaged in rigorous schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work. However, if you’re applying to a school with a particular focus, you should mention in your resume that school’s particular prerequisites. For instance, a performing arts school would demand that applicants have extensive training in the arts.
Additionally, while the majority of institutions do not request your major prior to admission, certain universities do need prospective freshmen to declare the department from which they wish to receive a degree. A resume should make note of any special requirements the division may have for applicants.
The simplest approach to finding out what your school and your degree program require is to check the website for undergraduate admissions and, if necessary, the division of the school where you want to get your degree. Including the suggested criteria indicated there will demonstrate your qualifications to admissions committees.
Effective Resume Writing Tips for College Applications:
The following advice can help you stand out during the application process when you’re ready to compose your resume:
- Be brief and to the point. Don’t speak in flowery terms. Just keep in mind that the admissions committee is more interested in your credentials than your writing. Keep that for your college essay.
- Keep your resume to a maximum of one page. You don’t really have that much experience yet, after all. If you absolutely must use two pages, your content ought to be sufficient to fill the majority of the second page.
- Mention your extraordinary experiences. They will assist in differentiating you from other applicants.
- Don’t exaggerate your experience or achievements. Exaggerating or fabricating information on your CV can backfire.
- Check the resume for errors multiple times. This will assist you in catching spelling and punctuation errors, which could lead to the rejection of your resume regardless of how competent you are. Try giving it a day before returning to edit the resume. Similarly, read the resume top to bottom to look for any more mistakes or typos. If you want to make a good first impression, you only have one shot.
- Before sending out your CV, have it reviewed by a few individuals. This will assist you in avoiding obvious omissions or mistakes.
- Give a copy of your resume to anyone who is going to write a recommendation for you so they are better prepared to discuss your background.
Write Resumes with Rostrum:
Your resume for a college application should be a summary of where you stand academically and professionally right now and should ideally be no longer than one page. To put your best foot forward, make it memorable while being easy to peruse and comprehend.
Rostrum provides you all the resources you need to create a strong resume. You can discover how to update your resume by utilising tried-and-true strategies, recommendations, and resume etiquette.
Learn useful tips for producing a resume from our resume writing tutorials, and increase your chances of being invited to an interview by following our step-by-step instructions. Our knowledgeable mentors offer straightforward advice and effective suggestions to make creating a resume simple. Schedule a free consultation right away.
