What to Include in Your College Resume
Most U.S. colleges have similar application processes. You'll usually need to submit official transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, personal essays, letters of recommendation, and a resume.
Creating a college resume can be intimidating, especially if you don't have much professional experience. But not to worry — unlike a traditional resume, a college application resume focuses on your extracurricular activities, academic performance, volunteer work, hobbies, and awards.
This guide will help you highlight your achievements and show off desirable qualities like determination and initiative, making the process less stressful.
How important is your college resume?
Not all college applications require a resume, but submitting one can be a great move if it's allowed. For example, the Common App only needs an activities list, but adding a resume can give a fuller picture of your achievements, interests, and hobbies.
A resume gives admissions a detailed look at your academic achievements, work, and volunteer experiences, showing what you bring to the community beyond the classroom. It can also help your recommenders write stronger letters and be useful for scholarship applications.
What you should include in your college student resume?
Your contact information
When creating your college resume, start with your name and contact details to keep it professional and consistent. Here’s what to include:
Full Name: Use the name that matches your college application. If you use a nickname, add it in parentheses and quotation marks (e.g., Elizabeth (“Liz”) Gilley).
Professional Email: Create and use a professional email address that you check regularly, ideally your first and last name. Avoid using old or unprofessional addresses like ZendayaLover99.
Cell Phone Number: Include your current cell phone number.
Address: List your home address.
Organizing your contact information clearly at the top of your resume makes it easy for admissions officers to reach you and verify your details. This sets a professional tone for the rest of your resume.
Your education
For students or recent grads, prioritize your education over work experience on your resume. Highlight academic achievements and relevant projects first, as these often show your skills and enthusiasm better than limited work experience.
Your experiences
When putting together your college resume, highlight your experiences and skills to stand out. Go beyond just listing your responsibilities; focus on what you've actually accomplished and use numbers to add context.
Responsibilities vs. Accomplishments: Instead of simply saying you hosted meetings or planned events, detail your achievements. For instance, if you were the editor of your school’s newspaper, mention how many issues you published, articles you contributed, meetings you led, and the size of your team. If you babysit, note how many kids you look after, their ages, and how often you babysit.
Use Strong Active Verbs: Bring your experiences to life with dynamic past-tense verbs like led, managed, organized, created, and problem-solved. This not only makes your resume pop but also shows your active role in these experiences.
Relevant Experience: If you don’t have much formal work experience, consider renaming this section to "Relevant Experience" and include internships, volunteer work, leadership roles, and extracurricular activities. Highlight experiences that showcase your skills and dedication.
Skills Section: Add a skills section that lists both hard and soft skills. Hard skills are job-specific, like proficiency in technical software, while soft skills, such as problem-solving and time management, are valued in any field. Focus on skills that are in high demand and align with your goals.
Other things to consider
Be concise
Organize this information in a clear, easy-to-read format, keeping it concise and no longer than two pages (one page is preferred). This structured approach ensures your resume effectively showcases your strengths and readiness for college.
Formatting Tips:
Make your resume easy to scan by dividing it into sections with clear headings, bulleted lists, and a consistent font.
Organize information in reverse chronological order.
Use a ready-made template to save time. Check out our college student resume template here.
Be honest
Be accurate in your descriptions. Colleges can verify information and will spot inconsistencies. Do not exaggerate your involvement or achievements.
By following these guidelines, you can create a clear, concise, and compelling resume that effectively showcases your qualifications and readiness for college.
Write your college resume today
A well-crafted college resume is super valuable for the admissions process and beyond. It can help with applications for internships, scholarships, leadership positions, and jobs. While it takes some time to put together a great resume, it's definitely worth the effort.
That said, Admissions Accelerator can help you save some time. Our downloadable college resume template for Word is pre-formatted and ready to customize with your information. Find it, and other valuable tools for your admissions journey, in our online shop. Good luck with your resume writing!
