GUIDE TO WRITING THE ADMISSIONS RESUME AND ESSAY
The College Application Resume
You may be wondering why you need a resume. Most resumes include the same information
that your college application asks for, but it can provide you with an opportunity to include
information that did not fit elsewhere on the application. What follows is a general outline for a
resume. If you have nothing vital to offer under a certain heading, omit it. Your resume should
reflect your personality, strengths and interests. Use a plain font such as Times New Roman or
Arial, and try to keep your resume to one page.
Personal
Last name, first name, middle
Address, telephone number, email address
Date of birth, social security number
Family
Parent’s names, occupations, educational degrees
Sibling’s names, age’s, occupations, educational degrees
Education
High schools attended
Counselor’s name and telephone number
Include testing plans if you have not taken or will be taking the ACT/SAT
Courses or programs taken outside of your high school (leadership
conferences, etc)
Activities
Itemize your community, school, religious, athletic, artistic and
any other activities, including offices held and awards received.
Work
List paying jobs you have held chronologically, with the most
recent one first.
Accomplishments
Include all awards and accomplishments you have earned
during your high school years.
Skills
List your skills. If you have any foreign language, computer or
other specific skills, list them in this section.
Major/Career Plans
Describe your career goals and any steps you may have taken to
that end.
The Admissions Essay
The essay(s) portion of a college application can mean the difference between acceptance and
rejection. How you write your personal essay shows the admissions committee why you are
different from everybody else. You can use the essay to describe a favorite activity, memory or to
tell a story about yourself. Tapping into your feelings and emotions as opposed to your actions
will make your essay more unique. Many people travel to foreign countries or win competitions,
but your feelings during these events are unique to you.
Spend the most time on your introduction. Try to grab their interest from the beginning by
creating mystery or intrigue. Raise questions in the minds of the admissions officers to force
them to read on. Be sure to give your draft to others and make any necessary revisions. For
more tips or to view a sample college application essay, visit
www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/9407.html