By: Nancy Griesemer
 |
Union College makes provisions for resume uploads
on both
the Coalition and Common applications.
|
Getting into college
bears an uncommon resemblance to applying for a job: you need to persuade an
organization that you possess sought-after skills and that you’re a
great fit for their community.
It
sounds a little like marketing. And yes, you are marketing. Only instead of
years of progressive work experience, you’re mostly marketing academic
achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, and special
skills.
So
it makes sense that you would need a tool summarizing those accomplishments in
a clear and concise format. And that’s where a resume comes in and
possibly why over a third of all Common App members make provision for a
resume upload
on their applications.
Yes,
there’s debate among counselors about the use and usefulness of a high school
resume. Some ruin the effect by referring to it to as a CV (curriculum vitae)
which is Latin for pretentious, and others persist in calling the document a
“brag sheet,” which sounds well, a little icky.
And
the effect diminishes if you do a sloppy job or go on for pages and pages. Even
the most accomplished student can fit everything onto two pages—really! It’s
also important that you keep your resume current and ready to send on a
moment’s notice.
But
whatever you call it, never underestimate the value of a well-constructed
document summarizing your high school career. In fact, here are 12 excellent
reasons to add a resume to your college
application tool box:
1.
Historical record.
A resume helps you keep track of accomplishments. It’s easier to remember you
won Most Valuable Player for the junior varsity lacrosse team in the 10th grade
if you’ve been documenting activities since you walked through the door of your
high school.
2.
Gaps.
A properly constructed resume that follows along the lines of what college
applications request (honors, extracurricular activities and work experience)
will suggest where gaps exist in your portfolio. If you’ve never volunteered or
don’t belong to any clubs, those gaps will quickly become evident as you put
together your resume. And the sooner you act on the gaps, the better.
3.
Special skills.
A resume may be structured to highlight special skills in the arts, sports, or
in academics. If you’re a dancer, your resume can provide a foundation for an
arts supplement that tracks where you’ve studied, under whom, and where you’ve
danced.
Smart athletes also use a resume presenting relevant stats to
communicate with coaches.
4. Degree of
involvement.By
providing a general timeline and noting dates of participation, a resume
suggests how deep the involvement and how extended the commitment. And by
including information relative to hours or days per week and weeks per year, a
resume drills even deeper into the role the activity plays in your life.
5.
Applications.
It’s easier to tackle the task of completing a college or scholarship application if you
already have a single document summarizing all of your high school achievements
and activities. Having a printout of your resume sitting beside your computer
as you fill in blanks not only saves time but also helps you prioritize which
of your many activities are most important to you.
6.
Color.
Electronic applications tend to be fairly cut and dry. They ask only for facts.
A resume gives you the opportunity to color in between the lines and provide
additional information that makes you come alive or stand out as a candidate.
If you have specific computer skills, language fluency or certifications, a
resume is a great vehicle for presenting them. If you’ve conducted research,
given presentations or participated in enrichment activities, you can add
titles, summaries, or the names of your mentors.
7.
Upload.
Most electronic applications severely limit the amount of information you can
provide in the way of extracurricular activities. The Common Application, for example, allows applicants to
present ten activities, including school clubs, community service, and
employment. Each entry is allowed 50 characters for a label and 150 characters
for a description. Because of these limitations, many colleges specifically ask for resumes, so it’s good to
have one on hand. But remember that a resume should “inform”your
application not “duplicate” it. If it doesn’t add anything, don’t
attach it unless specifically requested.
8.
Links. Resumes
are becoming increasingly internet-friendly. Most of the time, documents
converted to PDF format will support live links to online media including blogs, videos, websites, Facebook pages or articles
appearing in newspapers, journals or magazines. Don’t hesitate to include these
links in the form of complete URLs on your resume to encourage readers to visit
websites where you create, contribute to, or manage content.
9.
Recommendations.
An up-to-date resume should be provided to anyone you ask to write a recommendation on your
behalf—school counselor, teachers, or even the classmate who's agreed to write
a peer recommendation. It helps them get to know you better and to remember all
the details of your amazing high school career.
10.
Interviews.
A resume is a great conversation starter for an interview. It puts you and the
interviewer on the same page—literally. It also helps an interviewer remember
specifics about you after the conversation ends. NOTE:You should
always have a resume available for an interview, but ask first before handing
it over. Some college interviewers have rules concerning the use of background
materials.
11.
Employment. Having
a resume to attach to an application for a job, internship, or mentorship makes
you look that much more professional and job ready. It can answer questions
employers haven’t even thought to ask about your background or experience and
will make your credentials stand out from the crowd.
12.
Self-confidence.
At the end of the day, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of all you’ve
accomplished. Maintaining a resume and looking at it once in a while will help
you remember the highlights of your high school career. And that’s a good
thing.
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