Colleges receive thousands of applications each fall, and that number has risen steadily since 2019. Admissions committees have their hands full sorting through all of the paperwork that goes along with the admission process, so make their job easier with the right template.
The best template for a college application is well-organized, simple, and easy to read. It should feature your most relevant academic accomplishments, work experience, and other extra-curricular activities clearly. Look for a template with a clean design, free of graphics and photos. These decorative accents may look nice, but they can distract the reader.
Applying for college is a big task, especially if you’re interested in more than one school. Not sure what to include in your resume? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Let’s look at everything that should be in your college application resume.
Even if your resume is attached to your application, include your name and contact information at the top of the document. Phone number, email, and address should be clearly stated so readers know whose resume they’re reading.
Think of your profile like a movie trailer. It gives just enough information to pique the reader’s interest without giving everything away. In two to three sentences, list your top academic and extracurricular achievements that show why you would be an excellent addition to their school.
Create a skills list that gives the college an idea of what you’re capable of. Include both technical and interpersonal abilities here to show what kind of learning style you have and how you collaborate with others. If you’re fluent in multiple languages, mention that here. Do you have experience leading a team? List your leadership skills.
Hard Skills | Soft Skills |
---|---|
Laboratory techniques | Empathetic communication |
Language proficiency | Leadership |
Musical ability | Public speaking |
Video editing | Resilience |
Web development | Time management |
Action verbs can help you communicate clearly and concisely. Instead of writing in complete sentences, start bullet points with an action verb. This active language engages readers and allows them to better envision what you’ve accomplished. Here’s a list of action verbs you can use to liven up your college application resume:
Whether you’ve had a job or not, you have valuable experiences to call on. List a few academic, volunteer, work, athletic, internship, or study abroad experiences in this section and detail what you accomplished with each one. Describe any recognition received, skills earned, or results achieved.
When you can, use numbers to describe your academic achievements and personal accomplishments. Instead of simply saying you were “top of the class,” give evidence of this through your test scores, GPA, or an award title. Or, if you were the captain of a sports team, mention how many people were on the team you led. Look at our example:
Even if you plan on submitting an application to only one school, customize your college application resume accordingly. This shows your genuine interest in that specific school. Demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and made an effort to discover what’s most important to that institution.
Highlight achievements, experiences, skills, and interests that align with the school you’re applying for. Admissions officers are more likely to notice and appreciate your resume if they can see you connected with their missions, values, and specialties.
You’re sending in your transcripts with your application, so the school already has access to the coursework you’ve completed. Go a step beyond with your resume by describing relevant academic achievements. List high grades and GPAs, awards, standardized test scores, leadership roles, and your expected graduation date.
Depending on your extracurricular activities and interests, you can add unique information that would make you stand out from other students. If you think it could be relevant to your college career, include info on things like personal projects, hobbies, passions, social media pages, contest wins, and more.
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Dedicated high school senior with a strong academic record, a consistent 3.8 GPA, and a deep passion for environmental conservation. Leadership and teamwork experience fuel a commitment to find innovative solutions for an environmentally sustainable, collaborative future.
Babysitter, Springfield, OH
September 2019 – present
Volleyball Player, Cliff Park High School, Springfield, OH
July 2018 – December 2022
High School Diploma, expected graduation date: May 2024
Cliff Park High School, Springfield, OH
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