A proven job specific resume example + writing guide for landing your next job in 2024. You can edit this College Admissions resume example to get a quick start and easily build a perfect resume in just a few minutes. Just fill in your details, download your new resume & start your job application today!
Published: March 01, 2019 Last Updated: September 17, 2024 Average rating people’ve already rated it
You’re looking beyond your high school career or maybe you took some time off and are ready to move onto university. You need a college admissions resume that tells admissions officers that you’re up to the academic challenge. But how do you develop a document that caters to the college and study program of your choice?
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This resume guide, along with the corresponding resume example will cover the following topics:
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The very first step in writing your college admissions resume is understanding what sections to include. Your resume should contain the following elements:
You have one or two colleges that are your top choices and you have your heart set on them, but you may also have a few other schools you’re applying to. Each school deserves your full attention. That means you need to tailor your college admissions resume for each school by doing your research. Get to know the makeup of the student body, what the program you intend to enroll in focuses on and what the school is known for.
A college admissions resume that will get you to the head of the class does the following:
What do college admissions deans look for?
Applying to college in this post-lockdown era may be a bit different. Colleges understand the constraints of COVID have had lasting effects on young people. This is what they say they are looking for in candidates now, according to Grown & Flown:
Admission to the top tier of colleges is highly competitive and has only gotten more so in the past year. The numbers of applications are up, but the numbers of admissions are down. Less selective colleges admit many more of their applicants than those top tier colleges, so if you’re not looking to go to Harvard or Stanford and you are looking at smaller, lesser known colleges, you have a much better chance of getting into the school of your choice, according to the New York Times.
Stanford University had the lowest admissions rate of any U.S. college, at 4%. Columbia, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Harvard followed with 5% admission rates. You can see the entire list at U.S. News and World Report.
Expert tipYou can find details for any college in the United States at the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator.
For a job hunt resume, we recommend the standard reverse chronological order format most of the time, but your college admissions resume is likely to veer from that format. Unless you are returning to school after participating in the workforce for some years, you should choose a resume that focuses on your skills and academic achievements so far.
You may also consider a hybrid resume format, which begins with a skills or experience section before moving on to the employment history.
You will write your college admissions essay with an eye toward illuminating what makes you an excellent candidate for your chosen university, but your resume summary gives you another chance at it. It’s likely there was something you wanted to say in that essay that did not fit in 500 words. You have 3-4 lines at the top of your resume, so say it here!
Try not to repeat information you offer elsewhere and remember that your goal is to answer the question: “How will you contribute to the student body and academic environment at our university.”
Expert tipThese other education resume samples may give you more ideas:
See the resume example text below for summary ideas.
Adaptable summary exampleMotivated and passionate student with the intention of gaining admission into your renowned University. Hardworking and driven, with goals of flourishing in your respected Liberal Arts program. Bringing forth a strong academic background with a steady GPA above 3.5, and a decorated Softball career resulting in a 2017 Championship for our school. Committed to working hard and serving my school, peers, and community.
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Knowing when and how to include your GPA on a resume can be a tricky question. Resume.io is here to help with straightforward advice that can be implemented right away.
For college admissions resumes, we recommend moving your education section to directly under your summary. Unless you are returning to college after a longer working break, this is where most of your achievements will fall. Think of your classes as work experiences and list your projects or proudest accomplishments within those classes. Highlight your collaborative skills as well as individual projects. If you have extracurricular activities, you may list them here along with your role or you may create a separate section.
Any honors or distinctions should be highlighted here as well, or in their own specific section on your resume.
AP computer science: Created program that collected and sorted data on class demographics.
AP computer science: Completed class with an A.
See resume sample content for an education section below.
Adaptable education example2012-2016 Westhills High School, High School Diploma Westhills, NJ
Copy to clipboardAn outstanding college admissions resume, such as this example, will include a strong balance of soft and hard skills that make you stand out as a unique applicant. Choose attributes that your target college admissions officers have said they look for.
See resume example content for a skills section below.
Adaptable skills exampleIf you worked in the summer or after school, this is the place to list those jobs. Colleges want to know that you are responsible and know how to manage your time. Your part-time work shows them you have those attributes, so even if you think the job was menial or if you worked only one day a week, include it.
If you do not have any work experience, be sure to focus on your academic experiences and accomplishments.
Here's our resume sample content that showcases high school academic and extracurricular experiences.
Adaptable employment history exampleYou’re taking a step up from your days of slapping stickers on your computer, or maybe not, but your resume layout and design should take a more mature approach. You may think that the way to stand out is to get overly creative, but that will just make your information difficult to read.
You don’t have to lose all personality, but make sure you present yourself as someone who paid attention to the details and takes the college admissions process seriously. You may use a bit of color or add a flourish to your contact information, but don’t go overboard. An easy way to accomplish this is by using a pre-designed resume template complete with professional fonts and an attractive header.
If you are applying to a creative department, you can err a bit on the side of artistic expression, but it is your portfolio that will show off your talents at their best.
Expert tipIf you don’t have one already, sign up for a professional sounding email address. [email protected] is a format that works well. Definitely don’t use the silly one that’s an in-joke with your high school clique.
Take advantage of our expert-tested resume layouts to eliminate the time-consuming job of formatting and use our online resume builder with built-in spell check to avoid embarrassing (and potentially candidacy-damaging) typos.
