Key Takeaways
- A college resume can be defined as a brief, one-page summary of a student’s high school accomplishments that highlights relevant education, extracurriculars, work experience, and skills.
- Important sections in a college resume include contact information, a summary statement, education, extracurricular activities, work experience, and relevant skills.
- Essential tips for creating a college resume include keeping it to one page, using professional fonts and clear formatting, listing experiences in reverse chronological order, and saving it as a PDF for consistency across devices.
If you’re filling out your application and you suddenly hit a section asking for a college resume, are you prepared to upload a detailed resume with all of your high school activities and accomplishments? If not, don’t sweat it—now is the perfect time to create a version that will help you stand out. And we’ve got you covered! We’ll walk you through everything your college resume should include, plus we’ll share some templates you can personalize to fit your own experiences.
What Is a College Resume?
Your college resume, also known as a student resume, is a brief snapshot of what you accomplished in high school. It should summarize your education and any extracurricular activities, work experience, volunteer work, internships, awards, and skills—all on one page. Keep it professional by using the recommended formatting and bullet points.
What Information Should It Include?
The most important information should be listed at the top, starting with your contact information—name, physical address, email address, and phone number. Here’s a tip: Double-check that your email address is professional and appropriate for college admissions (think something like [email protected], rather than something fun or quirky).
Next, you’ll want to make sure your resume includes most, if not all of the following key sections:
- Summary: This is a three to four-sentence statement that outlines relevant information about who you are and your goals as they relate to your college experience. For example: An enthusiastic and collaborative student who is knowledgeable in areas of working with others and cultivating relationships that last. Committed to making others feel valued and successful, with strong interpersonal skills. Eager to embrace new challenges and opportunities for growth at [College Name]. A student excited to learn from diverse perspectives and contribute to the campus community.
- Education: List your high school’s name, GPA, honors, or advanced placement classes. You may also include any educational awards or honors you’ve received over your four years.
- Extracurricular Activities: Include any clubs, sports, or other pursuits you’ve participated in. Be sure to highlight any notable achievements or contributions, whether you were student body president, debate team captain, or led a school-wide campaign that made a difference.
- Work Experience: In this section, you can include any part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer experience that you’ve had.
- Skills: List skills that are relevant to the college or major. Use a combination of soft skills, which are those personal traits that help you connect with others (i.e. teamwork, adaptability, and communication), and hard skills, which are the specific abilities you’ve learned or mastered (i.e. coding, video editing, biology labs).
Where Can I Find a FREE College Resume Template?
You don’t have to start your resume from scratch! Free college resume templates are available in several places online with several different formats. Here are a few popular options:
- Google Docs: When you open Google Docs, click on “Template Gallery,” and you’ll find a variety of free resume templates.
- Canva: You can search for resume templates” through Canva, but know that some options may only be accessible through the paid version.
- Microsoft Word: If you have Word, there are dozens of templates you can use—ranging from simple and sleek to bold and colorful.
- GDOC: These are free online templates that are designed to be used with a Google Docs account.
College Resume Templates You Can Customize
Now that you know what needs to be included on your resume, let’s talk about the actual formatting and design of your resume. We’ve picked out five! Each free resume template showcases the recommended format and sections to include for the college admissions process. Just choose the one you like best and start customizing—it really is that simple!
1. SIMPLE STUDENT CV TEMPLATE
2. RESUME FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
3. UNIVERSITY STUDENT RESUME
4. ACADEMIC CV
5. STUDENT MINIMAL CV
Tips for Creating a College Resume
As you are writing and customizing your college resume, keep these quick tips in mind:
- Limit everything to one page.
- Choose clean and professional fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
- Don’t try to squeeze more in by making the font smaller—stick to 10-12 point font.
- Organize your information using bullet points, besides the opening summary.
- Use standard one-inch margins around your document.
- List your experiences in reverse chronological order
- If using colors, stick to one or two colors that maintain professionalism.
- Save your resume as a PDF to ensure the formatting stays the same on all devices.
If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to creating your resume for college, using a free template can make the process seamless. This way, you just need to focus on highlighting your accomplishments without worrying about the design and the formatting. With free resume templates, all you have to do is pick one that feels like you, fill it in with your own experiences, and you’re ready to impress. Good luck!
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