Excellent Grades In Challenging Courses
The first important part of the college application is the transcript, which consists of your GPA and the names and types of classes you’ve taken in high school.
Most people believe a high GPA will make an application stronger. And this is true!
According to NACAC, 75% of colleges ranked grades in high school classes considerably important. In fact, this factor was ranked the most important of any in the report.
What’s truly important, though, isn’t that you simply have a high GPA overall but rather that you have a GPA that’s higher than the average GPA of admitted students at the college you’re applying to.
To find a college’s average GPA, search ” PrepScholar admission requirements” on Google and then click our database link to that school. This page will show you what the school’s average GPA is, in addition to other admission requirements.
For example, if you want to apply to Notre Dame, you would search for “Notre Dame PrepScholar admission requirements” and click the link to our Notre Dame admission reqs page, which looks like this:
As you can see, Notre Dame’s average GPA for admitted applicants is 4.06. As a result, if you’re applying here, you’ll want to have a GPA of at least 4.06, preferably higher so you will be an above-average applicant.
The 2019 NACAC report found that a whopping 84% of colleges ranked an applicant’s rigor of curriculum moderately or considerably important.
Myth : An A In An Easy Class Is Better Than A B In A Hard Class
Many students believe it’s better to stick to the classes you know you’ll get As in, but this piece of advice is misguided when it comes to college applications.
In general, colleges prefer students who challenge themselves by taking an array of difficult classes, such as AP and honors classes. And you don’t have to get perfect grades in them. If you get a B in a tough AP class, for example, this will emphasize to the admissions committee that you are willing to take on new challenges and test your limits, traits that are necessary for succeeding in and after college.
On the other hand, getting As in all easy classes, though not totally unimpressive, is not nearly as interesting to colleges, as it suggests you’re unwilling to push yourself and further hone your higher-level critical thinking skills.
All of this being said, try to avoid getting very low grades in any classes you take . C and D grades obviously won’t look great to an admissions committee, even if you got these grades while challenging yourself in AP classes.
If you can’t get at least a B or B+ in a difficult class, it’ll probably be better for you to drop it and switch to either the regular version of that class or an entirely different class altogether.
What Is A Resume And What Makes A Good One
A resume is a condensed list of your work experience, education, skills, and achievements. A college resume can be used to apply to college or an internship, in a job search for a part-time job or on-campus work opportunity, or even after graduation, as a record of what you did during school. Whether youre a high school student applying to college or a college graduate applying to grad school, you need a resume.
A good resume is all about what information to include and how you design and lay out that info. Resumes and cover letters are your opportunity to make a good first impression with recruiters or potential employers. A college resume is often a little different from a standard professional resume, mostly because students have less experience. To counter your lack of experience, you can highlight other benefits or strengths, like academic achievements, extracurricular activities. and community service.
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Provide Detail Whenever Possible
The details are what set a resume apart from a list of extracurriculars on a standard college application. For example, when describing your involvement in the French Club make sure to include:
- your role
- school years/hours per week you participated
- specific contributions
- leadership roles
- unique details that will make you stand out
Your Guide To Resumes & Cover Letters
Even in a job seeker’s market, gaining valuable and lucrative employment can be a challenge for the most experienced professionals. A large part of the difficulty comes from the sheer number of applications that companies receive for a single position. The career website Glassdoor reports that the average corporate job opening attracts at least 250 candidates.
To stand out from a similarly skilled applicant pool, candidates need to boast impressive resumes and cover letters, the tools for creating a good first impression. The best resumes/cover letters detail the candidate’s qualifications while conveying personal characteristics that demonstrate understanding of the company’s culture and the ability to collaborate with colleagues and supervisors.
A survey by the research organization The Ladders reveals that hiring coordinators spend an average of six seconds scanning a resume before making a decision. Candidates who want to maximize the impact of their resume and cover letter should focus on information hierarchy, placing the most relevant skills and experiences at the top and using proper formatting to guide the reader’s eyes to these items.
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Scholarship Applications May Require A Resume
Many private scholarship applications will request or require the inclusion of a resume, so if you plan on applying to one or more such 3rd party contests, it will be necessary to create a resume, even if your prospective colleges do not ever desire to see it. However, before you dedicate too much time to applying for private scholarships, revisit our article on How to Find College Scholarships for a breakdown of where most scholarship money actually comes from and how you can position yourself to receive the most aid possible.
Do I Need A Resume For My College Applications
If you are a teenage prodigy who spent your spare time in high school interning at a cancer research laboratory and founding a charitable organization which distributes prescription glasses in Zimbabwe, then being asked to formulate a resume as part of your college application might sound like a perfectly natural proposition. Its quite easy to summarize your prodigious achievements in resume form if you happen to be a wunderkind with a list of accomplishments longer than most MacArthur Fellows.
Yet, for 17/18-year-olds who happen to be mere mortals, the task of writing a resume might feel as absurdly impossible as being asked to perform an act of alchemy. Tasked with magically creating pure gold from a menacingly blank MS Word document, crazed thoughts begin to flood your mind: The only people agonizing over a resume should be middle-aged executives who were downsized after a hostile corporate takeover, whatever that isIm a senior in high school for crying out loudI go to school and work the cash register at CVS in the summers. What more do you want from me!?
Try to take a deep breath as you emerge from your Mike-Judgean nightmare and back into reality. In the following article, we will explain everything you need to know about college application resumes, including:
- Which college accept resumes
- Honors College applications that require resumes
- How to write a college resume
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How To Write A High School Resume For College Applications
Think resumes are only for job seekers? Think again. High school student resumes give colleges a snapshot of your accomplishments, extracurriculars, hobbies, and work history. They can also be a useful tool for prepping for a college interview or to give to the teachers who are writing your letters of recommendation.
Not sure how to get started? Follow our tips for crafting a standout resume for college and scholarship applications.
Colleges That Encourage Resume Submission
The College of New Jersey says that applicants are encouraged to mail in an Activity Resume to detail involvement in clubs and organizations, employment, internships, volunteering, education, etc. Business-oriented Bentley University applicants are instructed not to hesitate in sending a resume along with their application. Southern Methodist University strongly encourages homeschooled applicants to submit an activities resume, but does not place the same expectation on traditional applicants. Washington State University asks undergraduate applicants 25 years and older to strongly consider submitting a CV, but they do not have the same demand of the regular applicant pool.
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How To Write The Best College Admissions Resume
Resumes are important tools for seeking employment but are not usually associated with college admissions. Recently, colleges have become more interested in seeing student resumes as part of the overall application package. College applicants should provide a college admissions resume along with their traditional application materials. In this article, we will explain what a college admissions resume is, what to include in it, how to write one, tips, a template and an example.
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Will A Resume Add Anything To My Application Profile
This is the essential question that applicants need to ask themselves when debating whether or not to submit this extra info to a resume-optional institution. There are, after all, plenty of admissions officers who get annoyed at the inclusion of extraneous submissions from an applicant. When you are responsible for sifting through the 108,837 applications at UCLA and a student has included a dozen writing samples and a seven-minute video about their passion for LARPing, annoyance may only be the tip of the emotional iceberg. To a lesser extent, the inclusion of a student resume that restates everything verbatim already laid out in the activities section of the Common App will also cause consternation for super-busy admissions professionals.
A fair way to weigh whether an optional resume adds any value to your overall submission is to make a list of the impressive things about yourself not included anywhere else in your application. If that list ends up containing nothing of actual committee-swaying quality, consider shutting down the whole operation. If there are indeed brag-worthy achievements on your list that, for one reason or another, cannot be included in the regular application and are resume-appropriate, fire away.
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Whats The Difference Between A Cv And A Resume
The most significant difference between a résumé and a CV is the audience.
- A CV speaks largely to an academic audience and documents your academic and intellectual accomplishments.
- A resume is read by hiring managers in a nonacademic organization and should be tailored to this group.
- Both must provide a persuasive account of your specific skills and experiences as they relate to a specific job. One of the biggest differences between a résumé and a CV is in the audience.
How You Improved Processes
According to Laszlo Bock, Google’s SVP of People Operations, one of the easiest ways to make your resume stand out is to use a simple 3-step process when crafting bullet points on your resume.
The point of the process is to help you to clearly tell the story of how you generated change or impact in your organization. The more specific you are–especially in terms of numbers and percentages–the better.
Remember: This is doable.
Now get out there and do it.
Inc. helps entrepreneurs change the world. Get the advice you need to start, grow, and lead your business today. for unlimited access.
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Demonstrated Enthusiasm In Attending The University
Whether through the college application essay or by directly connecting with admission representatives, students should proactively demonstrate their enthusiasm in attending the colleges theyre interested in attending. This can be demonstrated with every campus visit and interview, and through ongoing contact with the admissions office.
During your college planning process, schedule a campus visit as early as possible. This should include an informational session, tour of the campus, and an interview with an admissions representative, if available. Also try to stay in contact with the college admissions office and attend any local presentations or informal orientations.
Check Out Samples Resumes And Cover Letters
Job seekers often find it challenging to create cohesive resumes and cover letters, a process made even more difficult if they have to stare at a blank page. Fortunately, online samples abound and provide a starting point that candidates can use to jump-start their own applications. Job listing and professional networking websites like Indeed, Monster, and offer resume and cover letter samples for all career fields. In addition, college students can look to their university’s career center for examples of effective application materials. Candidates should also ask their network for successful resume/cover letter samples.
Templates are useful for helping job seekers visualize the basic structures of resumes and cover letters and lay out their own qualifications in a way that best emphasizes their strengths. This guide examines formatting in the next section.
Resume/cover letter templates also give job seekers a good understanding of industry-specific terminology. Recruiters often scan for these terms because they indicate a prospect’s hands-on experience in the field. Using the correct language can also assist with meeting the standards of a company’s applicant tracking system. Ultimately, templates help job seekers display information cogently. Professionals should still take the time to personalize their resumes and cover letters to the specifications of individual positions.
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Sincere Specific And Well
The personal statement is an important part of your college application as it’s one of the only areas where you can really showcase your personality.
According to the 2019 NACAC survey, 56% of schools consider application essays moderately or considerably important. While some colleges don’t require essays, those that do usually place at least moderate importance on them.
So how can you ensure your essay will impress the admissions committee? Generally, colleges are looking for three main qualities in a personal essay:
- Honesty: What you write about should have actually happened to you and should be how you actually feel. Exaggerating details and outright lying are big no-noes here!
- Specificity: Using concrete details to effectively convey your thoughts, view, and experiences will make your essay a lot more memorable, personable, andmost importantlyunique.
- Eloquence: Don’t expect to get accepted anywhere if your essay is poorly written and full of grammar and spelling errors. A great personal statement has a sensible organization, tells a compelling story, and is completely free of technical errors.
Below are some steps you can take to guarantee that your essay will have all three qualities.
Step 1: Brainstorm Significant Moments From Your Life
What you write about for your college essay will vary depending on the prompt you’re given from your school or the prompt you choose .
In general, you’ll want to pick a topic that meets the following criteria:
So Do Colleges Need Resumes
Itâs probably the only question that you care about. So, the simple answer is that you should if your college has provided space for uploading optional resumes in the common app.
Colleges like Brown, Boston College, Georgia Tech and Carnegie Mellon provide space for uploading optional resumes in the Common App. In fact, many colleges like University of Texas at Austin strongly recommends that you send your resume in.
See the list of schools that the guys at âScore At The Topâ put together for colleges that recommend adding a resume.
In short, check your list and see whether they have mentioned the resume as option. If any of them have, create a resume and attach it to your application.
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Include Professional Contact Information
The first thing potential employers should see is a section at the top of your resume with your name, contact information and a link to your professional profile or website if you have one. In this section, you should include:
- First and last name
- Current phone number
-
Current and professional email address
Preferably, your initial contact information should fill one to two lines of the page just under your name at the top. Your name should be the largest heading on the page with 16 to 18 point font. Use the City, State format to list your locationtheres no need to include your physical address on your resume. Remember, your resume is not a legal document, which means you can select whichever name represents you best and what youd like to be called during the hiring process and eventually at work.
Heres an example of what your contact information section might look like:
512 Wide AvenueChicago, Illinois555-102-1512
Pro Tip: Use professional contact information. Employers will notice your level of professionalism, so use your college or university email alias or create a professional address consisting of your first and last name such as . In addition, create a professional message for your voicemail.
What Looks Good On A College Application 7 Key Elements
In addition to key personality traits, such as ambition, passion, genuine interest, and academic curiosity, what looks really good on a college application?
In general, a great application will have most or all of the following elements:
- A high GPA and a rigorous curriculum
- Strong test scores
- A specific, honest, and well-written personal statement
- A unique extracurricular interest or passion
- Volunteering experience with measurable impact
- Compelling letters of recommendation written on your behalf
- Work experience, particularly jobs related to your academic or professional interests
It’s OK if you don’t have every single quality listed above, but if you do, your chances of getting accepted to the college of your dreams will go way up!
Now then, let’s take a look at each of these qualities in more detail.
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