Don’t buy it. Colleges can smell fabricated or inauthentic resumes. You need to follow your passions. Don’t feel you have to go overseas or attend expensive programs. Following your passions is key. Please spend time on crafting a real resume that is filled with your development through several activities during the school year and summers.
Don’t just repeat the same information you have stated on the common app. Give some depth or context for your activities, i.e., you might mention that you have been pursuing a particular activity since you were 5 and that you have spent several summers attending programs related to that activity. Try not to exceed 1 page unless you have some major accomplishments-admissions officers have limited time and no one wants to read 5 pages relating every participation award you ever received. Make sure you place the most important activities in the beginning of the resume, check for typos and keep the format consistent. And make sure that whatever you write does not conflict with your common app extracurricular descriptions and that you don’t lie or overly exaggerate about your accomplishments.
Do’s: Spell out acronyms, don’t leave it to the reader’s imagination. Be consistent when formatting the document Stick to one page Don’t: List every little event in your life, be selective Forget to proof, proof, proof, you want to make a good impression Include a resume if they have asked you to just fill in the activities section on the application
Certainly resume writing is new for many students and seeking guidance is always a good idea. When working with kids the first thing I give them is a template to organize their thoughts and activities to ensure a clean, professional looking document.
DON’T…
Do write in sound bites Make sure your name is in a large font List your life’s accomplishments in addition to academic performance Mention travel & summers List your interests Be sure to list your numbers Mention anything unusual in your family, such as 1 of 11 kids or 8th generation Floridian Language fluency can be a plus Under Misc you could say something like, I have the respect of my peers. That’s actually on MY resume.
Do be specific about what you have done. But more important than what you have done (“I was elected president of the Spanish club”) include what you ACCOMPLISHED (“under my leadership the club doubled in size and raised $1500”).
DO tailor a story that illustrates your unique leadership. For example, if you want to college to be a journalist, it makes sense to showcase that you were the school newspaper editor, participated in Princeton summer journalism program, or won several writing awards.
Do: Keep it current. Don’t include cub scouts or little league. Do: Include not only the activity, but your role as well. Do: Keep it clear but concise. Don’t: MAKE STUFF UP Don’t: Be too wordy. Your resume will be one of many. Don’t: Fail to proofread.
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