Composing a Compelling Resume for College Apps

As students enter a new calendar year, thinking back on prior accomplishments and planning new ones for the year ahead, there’s an important task to undertake: compose a resume.  That’s the best way for students to assess their achievements and identify the gaps that need to be filled in before the time arrives to file college applications.   

The best time to first compose a resume is early in one’s high school years. Resume categories typically include: Education (listing G.P.A., SAT scores, A.P. courses, and other academic accomplishments such as summer courses taken on college campuses), Athletic accolades, Volunteer activities, Work experience, Extracurricular involvement, and, hopefully, details of a “passion project” where you are engaged in an activity that demonstrates a talent or interest not common among your peers which will ultimately help you stand out to college admissions officers.

 

Not every student needs to feature each category on a resume.  Athletes, musicians, and others involved in a time-consuming activity may not have the opportunity to take on a paid job.  Students with after-school family or work responsibilities may not have the liberty of being engaged in extracurricular activities.  But all students should be able to account for how they spend their out-of-school hours – hopefully developing a passion or talent that colleges will want them to bring to their campus.

While it’s an impressive resource to include when submitting college applications, a resume serves many more purposes. It’s helpful to have a resume prepared ahead of time to be used when an opportunity arises to apply for an internship, scholarship, part-time job, or membership in a prestigious organization, such as the National Honor Society.  It’s also a black-and-white reminder of what you have accomplished, and what you still need to focus on.  For example, all colleges expect students to have engaged in some form of volunteer work.  They want students, for their campus, who recognize the needs of others in their surrounding community and are willing to become involved to try to make the world a better place.  So, if the “volunteer activities” column on your resume is currently blank, it’s time to engage your talents in a meaningful endeavor.

 

A resume is actually a lifelong document that you will certainly add to and alter as the years go by and your goals and ambitions change.  But having one on hand, and updating it when needed, will prove invaluable more often than you can imagine.   

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362