How to Get Started with Your Resume

1. Brainstorm everything you've

accomplished. Take time to think about your
accomplishments over your high school years. Ask
your parents and your counselor to help with
brainstorming.
2. List everything that makes you most stand
out besides grades and scores. That includes
awards, leadership roles, community service, special
talents or hobbies, jobs, projects you led, and so on.
3. Note experiences that vividly show your
determination, initiative, and passion. For
example, colleges might be impressed if you stayed
after school to tutor struggling students, or if you
picked up a second language by engaging with
coworkers at a part-time job.

Tips for Making the Best Impression

Use simple formats with plain fonts.

Spell out the names of entries. Don't use acronyms.

Explain local or unique awards and clubs.

Proofread (several times!) before sending. Then have

someone else proofread it again.
 Decide What Should Go Into Your Resume
Whittle your list down to your most impressive
accomplishments. (If you are not sure it's impressive,
it probably isn't.) You don't need to include your GPA
and scores, since colleges will see them in your
application.

Include your highest achievements and honors.

Describe major leadership roles and initiatives
you have undertaken.
Include unusual but impressive activities,
experiences, and special skills that don't fit neatly into
the activity sections of college applications.
If you have spent significant time working outside
of school, include your work experience.
Mention special circumstances, such as a part-
time job, that kept you from participating in outside
activities as much as you wanted to.
Organizing Your Resume
Organize the information into an easy-to-read
document that is no longer than two pages. Below are
handy categories to use.

Activities and work. Briefly describe the

activity, your role in it, your contribution to it, the
 school year(s) you participated, any leadership
positions you held, and how many weeks and hours
per week you contributed.
Honors and awards. Provide the name of the
award or leadership position, a brief description, why
you won it, and the date you received it.
Other experiences and skills. Choose those
that show your initiative and commitment. Describe
the experience or skill, the challenges you faced, the
period of time you devoted to it, and the result of
your commitment.
Make Your Resume Easy to Scan
Put your full name, address, phone number, e-mail,
and your high school(s) at the top. Here are some
commonly used approaches to listing your entries.

Reverse chronological order, with the most recent

entry listed first
By importance, with the entry most important to
you listed first
By time commitment, with the largest time
commitment listed first
By leadership, with the strongest leadership role
listed first
 By type, e.g., school-based activities, community
service, work experience, honors/awards, hobbies and
special interests
You might want to have a second version of your
resumeone that includes your weighted and
unweighted GPAs and your standardized test scores
to use for scholarship applications.

Sections to Include in a College Application Rsum:

Heading(includespersonalinformationname,
address,phonenumber,&emailaddress)

AcademicProfile(highschoolanddatesattended)

SummerProgramsAttended

Honors/Awards/AP/IBcourses

SAT/ACTscores/classranking

CoCurricularActivities(schoolclubs,music,
sports,etc.)

ExtracurricularActivities(outofschoolgroups)

WorkandVolunteerExperience
 Hobbies/Interests/Travel

Skills(Language/Computer/etc.)
College Application Rsum Tips:

1. Eachexperienceshouldbeincludedinreverse
chronologicalorderbeginningwiththemostrecent.

2. Itsimportanttomentionanyuniqueexperiences
thatwillhelpyoustandapartfromothercandidates.

3. Beconsistentwhenwritingyourresume
abbreviations,periods,capitalization,dates.

4. Provideanyindividualswhohaveagreedtowritea
recommendationwithacopyofyourresume.

5. Haveoneormorepeoplelookoveryourresume
priortosendingitout.

1. LastbutnotleastProofread,proofread,proofread!
Tips for writing an effective resume:

Includeanyandallinformationthatwouldmakeyou
standoutinthecollegeadmissionsprocess.

1. Onyourresume,itsimportanttoincludewhatever
informationyouhavethatwouldbevaluableforthe
AdmissionsDepartmenttoknow.Ifyouhave
receivedanyawardsorgraduated#3inyourclass,
besuretoincludethatinformationonyourresume.
Now,thismayseemlikeanobrainer,butIcant
tellyouhowmanyresumeswherethishasbeenleft
out.Modestyonaresumecanbeakiller.Inreal
life,itmaysuityouwellbutwhentryingtoearnthe
respectandattentioninthecollegeadmissions
process,itsessentialthatthisinformationbe
included.

2. Althoughitsimportanttoincludeyour
accomplishmentsitsjustasimportantnotto
embellishonthemtoapointwheretheyare
unbelievableandnottotallytrue.Embellishingon
 yourresumecanbejustasdamagingasnot
includingimportantinformationthatmakesyou
standout.

Usebulletpointstodescribeyourexperiences:

Whendescribingyourexperiencesonyourresume,its
mosteffectivetoincludethemusingbulletpoints.This
makesiteasyforthecommitteetoreviewandmakesit
moreeffectivetomakeyourexperiencesstandout.

Importanttipsforusingbulletpoints:

Begineachbulletpointwithanactionverb.

Writeeachbulletpointusingspecificconcise
languageomittingarticlessuchasan,and,andthe
wheneverpossible.

Includeyourskillsandaccomplishmentsinyour
bulletpointsratherthanfocusingonyour
responsibilities.
 Example:

Researched,wrote,andpresentedlaboratory
findingsofwaterqualityusingsamplesfromHovey
PondinChelsea,Massachusetts.

Includeessentialinformationthatwillmakea
positiveimpressiononthecommittee:

Sinceyouonlyhaveonepage(twoatthemost)towrite
downallofyourexperiences,itiscrucialthatyou
includeinformationthatshowsexcellentgrades,awards,
leadershipactivities,presentationskills,aswellas
individualcreativecapabilitiessuchasmusic,art,
writing,and/orexcellentcommunicationand
interpersonalskills.Itisthesetypesofattributesthat
willmakeyoustandoutfromtheothercandidates.

Wrote5pageessaytobepublishedinhighschool
artmagazine.
 Led45studentsinhighschoolsweekend
leadershipdevelopmentprogram.

Participatedinscientificlaboratorystudyto
establishthesurvivalinstinctsofrats.

Treasurer,StudentGovernmentAssociation,Grades
912

FlutePlayer,St.GeorgesHighSchool,Laramie,
WY,Grades912

Captain,SoccerTeam,St.GeorgesHighSchool,
Laramie,WY,Fall20XXSpring20XX

Player,SoccerTeam,St.GeorgesHighSchool,
Laramie,WY,Fall20XXPresent

Organizer,St.GeorgesMarathonDance,Laramie,
WY,Spring20XX

Helpedraiseover$20,000forscholarshipstobe
giventounderprivilegedchildrenintheschool
 Examples:

Education:

GPA:96/100
Graduatedthirdinclassof425students
AttendedHarvardUniversitysSummerPreLaw
Program

Experiences:

Theexperiencesbelowprovideinformationthat
highlightswriting,leadership,andresearch
experiencesthatcouldbeveryusefulincollege.

CoCurricularActivities:

Volunteer:

Fundraiser,MakeAWishFoundation,20XX
Volunteer,DomesticViolenceShelter,20XX
The letter that helps determine whether or not you
will be accepted into the college of your choice is a big
feat. The admissions process has increasingly
become more competitive. No specific letter-writing
approach can promise that you will get admission, but a
few tips help you to have a better chance at obtaining
acceptance.

Research the College

Study and read everything there is about the college.

The main objective is to convey how much you adore
this college and that it is perfect for you. Think about it
as if you were trying to convince someone to date you.
When looking for someone to go on a date with, you
want to know all there is about this person. You would
want to know a great deal about this person to be able
to communicate effectively. Dating is a long process
that lets two people to get to know each other better to
see if the relationship can develop further. A college
application letter is very similar to the dating process in
how it works. The goal is to let the admissions
counselor know all about you and to give them enough
that they think you might be a good fit for what they
have to offer.
Convey Why You Want To Attend

The main thing that the letter needs to convey is why

you want to attend this specific college. It is important
to not embellish too much and end up sounding
unrealistic. Avoid statements like I think Washington
State is the greatest college in the entire world and I've
desired to go there since I was a child. Try to honestly
lay out all the reasons why you think this college is
perfect for you. After all, isnt this whole reason youre
applying to this college anyway.

Market Yourself

Every college has a type of student that they

specifically look for, market yourself as that student.
Clearly, you must mention the academic qualifications
you have, especially if you are on the honor roll. While
applications do look at academics, admittance is not all
based on a persons academic standing. If the college
is known for having an outstanding drama club or
sports team, and those areas are something you excel
in, then be sure to make mention of this. Take a look at
the brochure for the college; does it talk about
community or civic events? If you are involved in
different things around the community, mention that.
Reading all documentation on the school can give you
an advantage.

Clarify That You Have Something Unique To Offer

Clarify that you have something unique to offer. After

talking about why you are perfect for the college, start
focusing on what the college offers that is good for you.
You can focus on anything from the local art club to the
desire to be a part of the football team. Just because
you are an honor roll student wont necessarily give you
an advantage. Keep in mind that there will be
thousands of other individuals who have great greats
applying as well. It is important to showcase why you
will be a great addition to the college campus.

Double-Check the Letter

The worst thing you can do is submit a letter with

grammatical or spelling errors. Have others look over
the letter and make sure it is error free. While it may be
a pain, one of the first reasons that and choose one
application over another is a badly spelled letter. Below
is a sample entrance application letter.
Sample 1 - College Application Letter

Name of Applicant
Address of Applicant
City, State, Zip Code

DATE

Name of Head of Admissions

Name of College
Address of College
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Name of Head of Admissions:

After doing much research about colleges in the area

that have a Psychology program, I am applying to Ohio
State University because of the outstanding reputation
and the exceptional reviews that I have read from other
recent graduates. Additionally, I am enthusiastic about
Psychology program at the Ohio State University
because of the graduate psychology programs that are
offered.

Currently, I am just beginning my journey and ready to

dive into the undergraduate studies program. My
ultimate goal is to finish the Psychology program at
Ohio State University. Once I have completed my
undergraduate in psychology, my desire is to continue
my studies and enter the graduate program for
psychology where I may be a counselor dealing with
children. I am sure this is the correct career path, as I
grew up in a family where my father was a counselor
and my mother a social worker. My father is a graduate
of the Ohio State University, and my mother a graduate
of OU University. Considering both of my parents have
similar career paths, I feel like I would be honoring
them and their dedication to helping others by entering
this field of work.

Pursuing a psychology major is my long-term goal, and

I would like to start by earning my Bachelors Degree in
Psychology from Ohio State University. I have attached
my application, as well as transcripts, an essay, and all
of my letters of recommendation as defined in my
admissions packet. I appreciate your time and
consideration and look forward to hearing from you
soon.

Sincerely,
Signature of Applicant
Printed Name of Applicant
Enclosure: Application Form, high school marks list,
Advanced Placement scores, SAT scores and all other
required information
 Sample 2 - College Application Letter

Name of Applicant
Address of Applicant
City, State, Zip Code

DATE

Name of Head of Admissions

Name of College
Address of College
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Name of Head of Admissions:

This letter is a formal request for admission to Name of

College. I have looked at several colleges that offer
Bachelors degrees in Environmental Applications, and
chose Name of College because of its commitment to
its environmental program. Your program is very
extensive covering many more aspects of global
warming than other colleges in this state. For example,
you offer courses on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature, the Forest Stewardship
Council and the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design among other things.

My aim is to participate in forming government

environmental policy, and believe that Name of College
is the best option to prepare me for this challenge. I
have worked for the past two years in a waste
management company and helped create innovative
approaches to recycling certain items. Learning as
much as I can about sustainable living in different
aspects of commercial enterprises, will help me create
fair and beneficial public policy.

My application form and all of the required document

are enclosed. I hope for a favorable response from you.
If you would like arrange an appointment or have any
questions, I can be reached at Phone Number or at
Email Address. Thank you for your kind attention to my
application.

Sincerely,
Signature of Applicant
Printed Name of Applicant
Enclosure: Application Form, high school marks list,
Advanced Placement scores, SAT scores and all other
required information