College Resume Templates

college application resume template free pdf

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A  college resume is a document that represents a high school student’s academic achievement, after-school activities, work experience, and other relevant accomplishments.

It is used when applying for college or university and will accompany the student’s overall college application. Since high school students do not have an extensive list of professional work experience, the college resume highlights the student’s extracurricular involvement and achievements.

Sample College Application Resumes

college application resume template free pdf

What Should a College Resume Look Like?

While college resume templates have many structures and designs, each form must look clean and professional. University administrators prefer easy-to-read documents written in a business-like tone and free of grammar, spelling, and mechanical mistakes. Students should avoid flashy, distracting, or gimmicky resumes to boost the chances of receiving an acceptance letter. All information listed in the template needs to represent the student’s authentic experiences and accomplishments. Colleges automatically reject applicants who lie or include false information on their resumes.

Experienced individuals can guide you through the resume-writing process. For instance, online professionals, libraries, job centers, and state resources support people of all ages. Friends, family members, teachers, and peers can also provide helpful feedback if needed.

College Resume Examples

college application resume template free pdf

How to Make a Resume for College

Identify what the college admissions committee is looking for in its candidates. Specific colleges or programs search for applicants who have served in leadership positions while others only emphasize academic achievement. Knowing this information ahead of time allows students to tailor their resumes to match the application requirements.

Compile a list of all the student’s relevant accomplishments, experiences, and awards. Consider exciting and innovative projects or presentations, in addition to standardized items, such as high grade-point-average (GPA) or being a captain of a varsity sports team.

For instance, if the college application is for a design school, the candidate should include their work from a high school project. Yearbook designs and other visual content or images help the applicant demonstrate their skill(s).

college application resume template free pdf

Which Skills Should be Included?

Each college resume has a unique style and format with specific information about the applicant. Although the templates look different from one another, they generally include the following information:

  • Work experience (including seasonal and part-time positions)
  • Extracurricular / club activities
  • Volunteer work
  • Leadership positions
  • Projects, performances, and/or presentations
  • Summer internships
  • Academic achievements (i.e., high GPA, Honor roll, etc.)

Include both “hard” and “soft” skills in a resume. “Hard” skills are technical in nature and typically job-specific, such as coding in HTML, audio/video editing, or cabinetry. “Soft” skills are character or interpersonal traits that are transferrable to many types of positions, such as being a self-starter, possessing close attention to detail, or resolving conflicts effectively. Colleges want to see how applicants align with the goals and values of their program or institution.

For example, a student applying to a pre-med program should include the hard and soft skills that best match the program’s requirements. Applicants who can provide first aid (hard skill) and personable patient care (soft skill) best demonstrate that they are a good fit for the program.

Building a solid resume takes time – that is okay. Start by referring to local resources. Volunteer opportunities, clubs, organizations, and part-time jobs help strengthen the “experience” and “skills” sections of your resume. In addition, these details prove to recruiters that you are motivated and enjoy helping the community – both of which boost your chances of being accepted. If you have enough time before the college application deadline, consider involving yourself in activities that best suit your interests to build your resume.

College Application Resume Examples

college application resume template free pdf

Key Takeaways

A college resume summarizes the student’s background and achievements. It allows the candidate to highlight their best qualities, relevant experiences, and skills to admissions officers in the prospect of receiving an acceptance letter.

Recruiters will read a well-crafted resume that stands out against other candidates. For instance, a student can provide information about club activities or high school leadership positions to counteract a lack of work experience. Overall, applicants have the freedom to include the skills, experiences, and accomplishments that they feel best represent their personality and capabilities.

College Application Resume for 2024 [With Examples, Tips & Template]

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They say college is the most exciting time in a student’s life and we couldn’t agree more! 

The only thing standing between you and your dream university, though, is a college application resume.

You open the resume document, get ready to start writing…

And nothing comes out! After all, how can you even make a resume when you haven’t worked a day in your life?

Worry not - you don’t need any work experience to write a compelling college application resume. In this article, we’re going to teach you just how you can do that!

What Should a Resume for College Application Contain?

  • 5+ College Application Resume Formatting Tips
  • How to Write a Resume for College Applications?
  • 3+ College Application Resume Tips

College Application Resume Template

So let’s dive in! 

Before we get into the knits and grits of writing a resume for college application, let’s first do a quick review of what your resume should contain: 

  • Contact information , including your full name, address, phone number, and professional email.
  • A resume objective , where you state the goal of your college application resume.
  • Education section , where you list the history of your grades and exam scores.
  • Relevant activities , including any work experience you might have.
  • Skills relevant to a resume for a college application, e.g. soft skills such as active listening, interpersonal skills, communication skills, or hard skills such as public speaking, MS Office, or computer skills.
  • Additional sections , such as awards and honors.

6 College Application Resume Formatting Tips 

Before we dive into the nits and grits of CV making, let’s talk about formatting. Here are our top tips on how to format your college application resume: 

  • Choose the functional/skills-based resume format. This format is perfect for those who lack work experience , as it focuses more on your skill-set. If you DO have some work experience, though, then you can opt for the chronological format.
  • Keep your college application resume one page long . As a rule of thumb, this is the optimal length for a resume—professionals with 10 years worth of work experience stick to the 1-page limit, so there’s no excuse for someone with little to no work experience to go overboard.
  • Add plenty of white space , especially around your resume’s margins. It will make your resume look less cluttered and more reader-friendly.
  • Include clear section headings and use the same heading for each section.
  • Use an easy-to-read font. Some resume fonts (such as Ubuntu or Overpass) are resume friendly—professional-looking, easy-to-read, and yet modern. Others, like Comic Sans, are just one big NO.
  • Save your college resume as a PDF. You might be used to Microsoft Word, or even think it’s the safest alternative, but MS Word has a good choice of messing up your resume format if opened in different computers or operating systems. PDF files, on the other hand, remain the same no matter what computer opens them.

How to Write a Resume for College Applications? (With Examples)

Once you’ve got the formatting done right, it’s time to get to writing your college application resume.

In this section, we’ll walk you through that process, starting with:  

#1. Order Your Contact Information the Right Way 

As we already mentioned, your college application resume should start with your contact information. 

These are your contact information section must-haves :

  • Full name and address
  • Functional phone number where you can be reached.
  • Professional email address, preferably consisting of your first and last name.

And here’s what this looks like in practice: 

Sharon White

123 Main Street

New York, NY

Phone Number: 553-123-1234

Email: [email protected]

#2. Write an Attention-Grabbing College Resume Objective

A resume objective is a 2-3 sentence long paragraph that should communicate your motivation for getting into college or for studying a specific major.

As such, a well-crafted resume objective can instantly attract admission officers to read the rest of your college application resume. 

There is, however, a right and wrong way to write a resume objective.

A convincing resume objective is:

  • Tailored to the university/major you’re applying to, instead of looking like a one-fits-all kind of statement that you can use to apply to several colleges.
  • Highlights the achievements that give you an edge over the competition.  

The following example does that right: 

Aspiring journalist with a knack for creative writing looking to deepen their knowledge through NYU’s renowned Journalism track. Founder of my high school’s first online newspaper, the ‘Daily Prophet,’ which now has over 2,000 subscribers. Hardworking, with a grade A average in social sciences and commitment to improving. 

Now compare it to the following resume objective, which although articulated looks like a one-fits-all kind of statement that you can just insert into several college applications. 

Very committed high-schooler with a calling for social sciences. With an SAT score of 1400, a passion for psychology, and experience as a peer counselor, I am confident that my hard work and motivation will shine through as a college student. 

See, the resume objective is your chance to show exactly why you want to attend that college, right from the start. 

So, even if you don’t have many achievements to highlight, make sure to personalize your statement by expressing a genuine interest in your application.  

job search masterclass novoresume

#3. Put Weight on Your Education

Taking into consideration that, as a student, you most likely lack significant work experience, your education is the first thing admission officers will look at. 

As such, you should give your education its due importance in your college application resume. 

For starters, make sure to include this must-have information:

  • Your high school’s name and location
  • The date of your graduation

In addition, though, combine that with some relevant achievements that can make your education pop out. 

Let’s take a look at two examples. The second student has simply listed out the essential education information, whereas the first has taken their education section to the next level. 

Dunnellon High School FL

2017 - 2021

  • 3rd place at the International Mathematical Olympiad 
  • Vice-President of the Science Club
  • SAT Scores: 1350 (650 Verbal, 700 Math)
  • SAT Scores: 1400

#4. Showcase Relevant Activities

Extracurricular activities have a great number of benefits when it comes to your college application resume. Most importantly, they:

  • Demonstrate you who are outside of the classroom
  • Provide an opportunity to showcase your skills

Any activity and/or interest related to the college you’re applying to has a place on your college application resume,  but you don’t have to necessarily stop there. 

Any kind of interest, field, or activity where you’re good at can be of benefit to your application. 

That’s because it can prove that your interests are not focused solely on your favorite subject or desired career path and that you are engaged and well-rounded . 

So, don’t just list your college resume activities dryly (e.g. “reading” or “swimming”). Instead, be specific and creative about your interests, and rest assured that you will get extra points for diversity and commitment. 

Don’t believe us? Compare for yourself how the activities sections of two different students look like: the first has put minimal effort into it, whereas the second has put his A-game into writing it.

  • Passionate about science
  • Co-founder of the Astrophysics Club

Activities 

  • Two-times winner of my high school’s Science Fair
  • Co-founder of the Astrophysics Club, finalists of the MIT-founded THINK challenge
  • Swimmer from an early age and member of my high school’s swim team during junior and senior year 
  • Traveling; I have so far visited 10 countries and 15 states in the USA. 
  • Photography, with a focus on architectural photography. 

#5. Highlight Your Work Experience

Now, if you’ve spent your summer holidays working any type of job for teens , that means that you also have some work experience under your belt. 

Although work experience is not necessary when you’re applying for college (meaning that you won’t get left out of college if you don’t have any), it does help to include it if you have it. 

Here’s how to list work experience in your college application resume:

  • Start with the company name (e.g. if you worked at Starbucks), your job title, and the period you worked there. 
  • Put your job title first if you worked, say, as a high-school tutor or camp counselor. 
  • Include 1-2 of your main responsibilities in bullets. If you have achievements to show for, however, make sure to put them first.  

Let’s see how that works in a practical example.

Starbucks Coffee 

  • Awarded employee of the month for 3 months straight
  • Fielding customer complaints and questions
  • Maintaining good customer service and speedy delivery

Even if the above position isn’t related to the student’s desired field of study, the work experience still highlights some of their skills such as commitment, time management, effective communication, and motivation.  

#6. Include Your Skills 

Skills—we all got them, but not everyone knows how to demonstrate them effectively in a college application resume. 

There are two things to consider when you include skills in your college resume:

  • Know the kind of skills that are relevant to your major/field.
  • Prove your skills, instead of just listing them 

Let’s show you how that works through practical examples:

  • Time management
  • Critical thinking

Are these great skills for a college applicant? Sure! 

But anyone can claim to have those skills (and frankly, most people do).

Rather than just listing these skills, you want to also back them up with achievements and experiences like so: 

  • Attention to deadline: managed to update the high school’s online newspaper daily
  • Leadership: successfully led a team of 6 reporters.
  • Creativity: won the 2021 Young Writers competition 
  • Self-motivation: founded the high school’s first online newspaper

Now, this is a skills section on a college application resume that proves you deserve a spot in your favorite university.

College application resume skills 

Wondering which skills to include in your college application resume? Here’s a list to draw some inspiration: 

Soft Skills

  • Good judgment 
  • Open-mindedness
  • Communication  
  • Self-motivation
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Active listening
  • Problem-solving

Hard Skills

  • Computer Skills
  • Programming
  • Public Speaking

#7. Use These Additional Sections

If you’ve followed all our tips till now, congrats - you’re around 90% into creating a top-notch college application resume.

Now, let’s talk about how you can take that to 100%!

In addition to the conventional resume sections we’ve covered till now, you can include the following to help you stand out in a sea of other applicants:

  • Awards. Here, you can list any awards won in competitions (spelling, art, storytelling, math, etc). 
  • Volunteer experience . Did you clean up your town, or maybe you volunteered at an animal rescue center as a high school student? Any kind of volunteering can help your college application resume because it shows you’re a responsible community member. If it’s somehow related to your field or future major, that’s a big plus. 
  • Projects. Be them individual (e.g. you built a website from scratch, or started an informational podcast), or school-related (e.g. an art portfolio for a class, or a history documentary), projects can show that you’re passionate and creative. 
  • Sports. Poet Juvenal said “ a healthy mind in a healthy body. ” This means that physical exercise is an important part of mental and psychological well-being (which is why sports in a college application resume make all applicants look good). Do you excel at specific sports? Include them in your resume!. 
  • Languages. Being fluent (or even just a beginner) in a foreign language is another plus for a prospective college student. Make sure to show it in your college application resume. 

5 College Application Resume Tips

Finally, here are some of our college application tips that didn’t fit anywhere else in the article:

  • Be direct and to the point. Your college application resume is not the right place to show how many SAT-level words you know. Keep your language simple, direct, and to the point. Let your achievements and results speak for themselves. 
  • Don't lie about your academic background or accomplishments. Lying about the awards you’ve won or your achievements won’t get you into college. More often than not, admission officers will see through your lies by asking behavioral interview questions . 
  • Proofread your college application resume.   Spelling and grammar mistakes can make you appear like a less serious applicant. Imagine telling recruiters that you have great SAT scores and GPA but having spelling mistakes in your resume. Kind of contradictory, isn’t it? To avoid these kinds of mistakes, use spelling and grammar apps such as Grammarly and Heminway . 
  • Have one or more people look at your resume before you send it out. There are kinds of mistakes that Grammarly or Hemingway cannot catch. To avoid such mistakes, have one or more people that know you give your college application resume a look. 
  • Emphasize specific achievements over general responsibilities. As mentioned before, emphasizing your achievements over your responsibilities is the best way to set yourself apart from other candidates. The reason is that your achievements effectively show how well you handle responsibilities and they are uniquely yours.

Making a resume from scratch can take what feels like ages—especially if it’s your first time doing it.

You’ve got to tweak the formatting. 

You make a change at MS Word and the layout falls apart in front of your eyes. Or you end up using a bland and outdated template. 

Well, you don’t have to worry about any of these things with Nóvóresume’s free resume templates . 

With 8 free templates to choose from - college application resume included - you don’t have to worry about anything other than inputting your information.

Let our resume builder do the rest! 

college application resume template

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap on college application resumes. We hope to have made the process of writing yours easier and even more enjoyable. 

For good measure, let’s go over the main points we covered: 

  • Your college application resume should contain the following sections: contact information , personal profile , education section , relevant activities , your skills , and additional sections , such as awards and honors. 
  • In terms of formatting, the functional resume template fits your college application best. Additionally, make sure to keep your resume one page long and save it as a PDF. 
  • Write a resume objective that doesn’t surpass 3 sentences and that clearly communicates your motivation for getting into college and your most relevant skills. 
  • Make sure to give your education section its due importance by being thorough about your grades, SAT scores, and achievements. 
  • Don’t forget to list all your relevant activities and passions, as well as soft and hard skills.
  • Instead of writing your college application resume from scratch, use one of Nóvóresume’s ready-made templates to save yourself time and effort!  

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College Student Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

College Student Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

Jacob Meade

  • Resume Examples

How To Write a College Student Resume

  • Resume Text Examples

When applying to colleges, you may find some schools require a resume . You can write a great resume for your college applications by showing your relevant high school and other experiences and emphasizing how you’ve explored topics and pursued your interests. Incorporating this theme into each section of your resume can increase your chances of being accepted into your preferred college or university. The advice and examples provided below can guide you in achieving this goal.

  • Computer Science

Math

1. Summarize your college student qualifications in a dynamic profile

Your resume profile should catch admissions officers’ interest by giving the top reasons they can expect you to engage actively in their campus community. Can you share some instances from your life where you have exhibited curiosity and dedication toward excellence? Your answer to this question can lead to your best profile points. For example, maybe you’ve earned an “A” average in the school subject likely to become your college major. Or perhaps you’ve done freelance work that’s helped you develop a hobby into a possible career track. With details like these at the top of your college resume, you can show your potential to thrive in a college setting.

Profile Example

Motivated student with strong academic performance in high school, including an “A” average for mathematics. Demonstrated success in a leadership role through multiple school athletics and work activities. Naturally curious and eager to explore and understand new topics.

2. Add a compelling section featuring your college student experience

Use your resume’s experience section(s) to give examples of exploring and pursuing topics that interest you. Colleges and universities generally want students who are engaged, diligent, and curious about the world. So view your experience from this perspective and write down anything that reflects your gaining or showing these qualities.

You aren’t limited to details about work experience, especially if the jobs you’ve held so far don’t speak to your career interests. On a resume for college applications, the strongest experience section will often come from a different area. For example, maybe you’re most proud of having been on the debate team or teaching yourself HTML outside school. Below is a list of possible experience sections you might develop on your resume:

  • Community service
  • High school athletics
  • Internship experience
  • Personal accomplishments
  • School clubs and societies
  • Study abroad experience
  • Summer coursework

Experience Example

High school athletics.

Spring Track Team

Co-Captain (Senior year)

  • Voted into team leadership role; coordinated with the head coach to help organize meets and answer various questions from team members
  • Served as a valued mentor and resource to underclassmen

Member (all four years)

  • Gained and demonstrated a strong sense of dedication and teamwork
  • Contributed to team’s placing in the top four out of 18 high schools in the region for three consecutive years

3. Include education and certifications relevant to college students

View your resume’s education section as another chance to show active engagement in learning. Give basic details about your high school. But also feel free to name study areas or materials that have sparked your interest and may become a focus for you at the college level. For example, if your English classes have let you choose from a reading list for each unit, you could name some of the books or texts you decided to read and why. Also note any AP classes you’ve completed, school awards you’ve won, or other distinctions you’ve earned, like a high GPA or class rank. These can all help admissions officers see your potential.

Below are templates and examples to help you format your high school education, along with any certifications you’d like to add to your resume. Note that optional template areas appear in [brackets].

  • Candidate: Diploma, High School Name, City, ST | expected graduation date
  • [Select study areas or materials of interest]

Certification

Certification Name or Title , [Awarding Organization] | [Year]

Service Excellence Certificate, VCU Advanced Solutions | 2023

4. List college student-related skills and proficiencies

Add a key skills section to show how you excel in a learning environment. For instance, maybe you like to research a topic independently, or you prefer the stimulation of working in a group. On the other hand, perhaps you’re open to learning by various methods. Whatever your learning style, you can highlight it in your key skills section so admissions officers see how you’d apply yourself at their school. Below are some common keywords for college student resumes:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Creative problem-solving Critical thinking
Data gathering and analysis Data visualization
Efficiency improvement Group collaboration
Independent research Microsoft Office Suite
Process improvement Proofreading and fact-checking
Qualitative and quantitative analysis Reading, writing, and editing
Task prioritization Teamwork
Time management Work planning and scheduling

5. Consider adding personal hobbies or interests

You may have heard that hobbies and interests should be left off a resume. While this is often true for regular job seekers, it doesn’t apply to aspiring college students. Hobbies and interests can be a strong feature of your college application resume because they help show your all-around sense of curiosity. Feel free to highlight them in a separate section, typically toward or at the bottom of your resume.

Hobbies and Interests

Avid reader (six or more books per month) | Painting | Running

How To Pick the Best College Student Resume Template

For college applicants, a clear and straightforward resume template is usually best. Opt for a visual design that lets the admissions officer quickly review your most relevant information. Select a traditional resume font , and avoid any template with a colorful or elaborate design.

College Student Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Math College Student Resume Example
  • Computer Science Student Resume Example
  • Marketing Student Resume Example

Joseph Corbin (123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Philadelphia, PA 12345 | www.linkedin.com/example

Motivated student with strong academic performance in high school, including an “A” average for Mathematics. Demonstrated success in a leadership role through multiple school athletics and work activities. Naturally curious and eager to explore and understand new topics.

Key Skills 

  • Complex problem-solving
  • Data analysis
  • Group leadership
  • Mathematics
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Team collaboration

Graduate, Benjamin Franklin High School, Philadelphia, PA | August 2018 to June 2022

  • “A” average in all Mathematics classes, including AP Calculus

Spring Track Team 

Work Experience

Host / Server / Team Lead, Domino’s Pizza, Philadelphia, PA | Summer 2018 and 2019

  • Greeted visitors and took and served food orders in a fast-paced environment
  • Proposed several changes to the order entry process for servers and delivery drivers, improving efficiency and collaboration among the two groups
  • Helped restaurant place No. 3 in the region for customer satisfaction in July and August 2019

Hobbies & Interests

Advanced proficiency in Spanish (A- average for classes taken in all four years of high school)

Rob Smith  (123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Columbus, OH 12345 | www.linkedin.com/example

Efficient and hardworking student with a strong interest in computer science. Draw on technical knowledge base covering UX design, JAVA, MySQL, and HTML. Demonstrated success objectively measuring software performance while participating in a rapid development cycle.

  • Efficiency improvement
  • Group collaboration
  • Independent research
  • Technical troubleshooting
  • User experience (UX)

Graduate, AAE High School, Columbus, OH | August 2018 to June 2022 3.7 GPA | Top 10% of graduating class

Tech Support, XYZ Company, Columbus, OH | June 2020 to present

  • Quickly and professionally respond to various tech support tickets
  • Install hardware and software as needed to maintain systems
  • Work with managers to develop rapid response systems to major tech threats
  • Co-design and deliver educational materials to staff on proper tech use

Retail Sales Associate, Smith Clothing Company, Columbus, OH | August 2019 to May 2020

  • Gained strong foundation in positive customer relations
  • Operated cash register and balanced the till at end of day (EOD)

Certifications

  • Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) A+
  • Nielsen Norman Group UX and UX Master

John Miller (123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Columbus, OH 12345 | LinkedIn | Portfolio

High school student with a strong interest in marketing and advertising. Freelance graphic design professional with a growing portfolio and client relationships with major local nonprofits. Enjoy collaborating on a team to explore topics and solve complex challenges.

  • Data visualization
  • Graphic design
  • Marketing strategy
  • Task prioritization
  • Writing and editing

Candidate: Diploma, Douglass High School, Columbus, OH | expected June 2023 3.8 GPA | SAT scores: 760 math, 680 verbal (1440 combined)

High School Athletics and Activities

Member, Debate Team | August 2020 to present

  • Collaborate closely on a 10-person team to research debate topics and form and organize compelling arguments

Member, Cross-Country Running Team | Fall 2021 and 2022

Freelance Graphic Designer, XYZ Company, Columbus, OH | April 2018 to present

  • Conceptualize and create diverse marketing materials to spec
  • Engage and partner with marketing teams to design campaigns and track return on investment
  • Design logos and event graphics for client nonprofits
  • Make infographics using data provided by sales teams
  • Developed an award-winning print ad for a local coffee shop

Library Materials Associate, Community Library, Columbus, OH | June 2014 to April 2016

  • Greeted students and verified account status for check-out
  • Helped students find and incorporate various research sources
  • Set up display technology for individual and group use
  • Managed schedules for meeting and study rooms
  • Reshelved materials at EOD

Technical Skills

Adobe InDesign, Photoshop | Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Frequently Asked Questions: College Student Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for college student resumes -.

For aspiring college students, good resume verbs will relate to the process of learning and discovery – think “explored,” “researched,” or “uncovered.” But there are various others you might use to describe your school, work, and other life experiences so far. The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your college application resume:

Action Verbs
Adapted Analyzed
Balanced Calculated
Collaborated Conducted
Coordinated Created
Designed Determined
Developed Discovered
Earned Enhanced
Examined Explored
Found Improved
Increased Inquired
Investigated Maintained
Overcame Planned
Prioritized Ranked
Researched Resolved
Scheduled Studied
Synthesized Tested
Uncovered Won
Worked  

How do you align your resume with each college application? -

The National Center for Education Statistics forecasts that total undergraduate enrollment will increase by about 9% (to nearly 17 million students) between 2021 and 2031. 

To optimize your resume for each college application:

1. Take cues from what you know about the school. 2. Refer to their website, brochures, notes from the campus tour, or any other information you’ve gathered on what the school is known for and what you’re most drawn to about it. 3. As you look over these materials, highlight words or phrases that are repeated or emphasized.

These terms can tell you what details you may want to feature in your resume profile or key skills sections (as long as they’re accurate to your experience).

For example, say you’re drawn to the college’s study-abroad program. Consider using your profile to showcase any travel or exchange programs you’ve done, along with your foreign language skills. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each college opportunity.

What is the best college student resume format? -

In nearly all cases, use a Combination (or Hybrid) resume because it’s easiest for admissions officers to learn about your pertinent skills and background. It’s also easiest for you to align with your goals.

With the Combination format, you focus on your most relevant skills and experience in your experience section(s) and an intro section. (This combination of experience and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro should usually include a profile summary and key skills section, but you may also add a highlights or awards section. By carefully choosing the details for these intro sections, you can (a) position yourself for your desired school program and (b) give admissions officers a clear, quick view of what you offer.

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Jacob Meade

Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

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How to Write a Resume for College – A CollegeAdvisor Guide

How to write a resume for college – introduction.

Standing out as a stellar applicant in the college admissions process is tough. One way to separate yourself from the crowd is by crafting a strong resume for college. Your college resume can highlight information about your background, activities, and achievements. Some of these might not be indicated elsewhere in your college application or recommendation letters . 

In this article, we will teach you how to write a college resume. We’ll highlight 5 simple steps to building your college application resume. We will also discuss what a college resume is and why you may need a resume for college. Additionally, we will provide examples on how to write a resume for college by reviewing college resume examples. Finally, we’ll walk you through some college resume templates in our example college resumes.

So, let’s look at how to write a college resume and explain what makes a good college resume, why you should include a resume for college in your applications, and more!

What is a college resume? 

A high school resume is typically a one-page document that complements your college application . Your high school resume (or college resume) can help you showcase your achievements and extracurriculars for college. It does this by sharing information that is not elsewhere within your college applications. The goal of a college resume is to show the college admissions officers who you are and how you spend your time outside of the classroom . 

Before we jump into how to write a college resume, let’s examine some things that make up a good college resume.

A good college resume should include: 

  • Clear structure
  • Concise language (bullet points over essay-style)
  • Relevant details
  • Strong formatting

As we discuss how to write a resume for college, you might wonder what purpose a college resume serves. In short, a college resume is a summary of experiences that you can use to add depth to your college applications. You can also think of a college resume as your high school resume, or a resume for college. Your college resume will include a brief description of each of your experiences and extracurriculars for college. 

While we examine how to write a resume for college, you should first note that your college resume should include key details like your educational details, GPA , extracurricular activities/jobs, and honors/awards. As we’ll discuss, your college resume will have other key features. We’ll go through each of these as we learn how to write a resume for college. 

Many colleges list a college resume within their college application requirements. But, even if a college resume is not listed in the college application requirements, we recommend creating one anyway. 

We will look at a sample college resume later in this article, along with a 5-step guide to creating a resume for college that you can use as you begin writing your college resume. 

Do I need a resume for my college applications? 

No, you do not necessarily need to include a college resume with your college applications. However, a high school resume or resume for college can be a helpful tool in the college admissions process. 

So, how could including a resume for college application be beneficial? First, including a college resume in your college applications can help highlight your skills, experiences, and qualifications to the admissions office of your dream school.  

Having a college resume can help you showcase your extracurricular activities in your college applications. You can highlight leadership positions, accomplishments, interests, and activities on your college resume that might not appear elsewhere in your college applications. 

Creating a resume for college application can also demonstrate your accomplishments and experiences to college admissions officers. Even if a high school resume is optional in the list of college application requirements, including one in your college applications can help you stand out. Standing out is incredibly important in the admissions process, especially if your ideal college is high on the list of college rankings . 

It is a good idea to start putting together your college resume as you near the end of high school.

You may forget the names of clubs, supervisors, mentors, teachers, etc. as you get ready to apply to college. So, the earlier you can gather all the information for your high school resume, the better! That way, all of your experiences are fresh in your mind, and you can create the strongest resume for college possible. 

When should I prepare my college resume? 

As you begin the process of applying to college, you might be wondering when to prepare your college resume. The ideal timeline for creating your high school resume can start as early as 9 th grade. 

In general, you won’t want to include anything on your high school resume before 9 th grade. Like other college application requirements, college admissions officers are only interested in the activities you have participated in during high school. 

Keep a list starting in 9th grade

As early as 9 th grade, you can start keeping a list of your accomplishments and activities. Even though you won’t need to format this list into a college resume yet, it will be the basis for your future college application resume.

As you begin the college admissions process, you can use the list you created and turn it into a college resume. As you apply to college and prepare your college resume, research which college resume format works best for you. Reviewing a sample college resume or college resume template can help you find the perfect college resume format. 

As you look through college resume examples, think about which aspects of the college resume template you like the best. Then, adapt things from those college resume examples to fit your college resume. Once you have decided on a college resume format, list your accomplishments, jobs, and activities within that college resume format. 

Summer before senior year

The best time to create your high school resume is during the summer before your senior year. This gives you plenty of time to perfect your college application resume. 

We’ll examine the necessary components of a successful college resume in the next section of this article. So, read on!

What should a high school student put on a resume? 

As you begin the college admissions process, you may be asking yourself what to include on your high school resume. You can start the college application resume writing process by brainstorming how you spend your time outside of your courses. 

Think about everything you have done or achieved since you started high school and write it down. Your high school resume should highlight your activities, interests, and skills. Pay particular attention to these factors as you consider what to include on your high school resume.

Your high school resume will be organized categorically. Some of the most common categories for a resume for college application include personal information, work experience, extracurricular activities, volunteer experience/community service, education, and skills.  In addition to the categories listed above, below is a list of some other things that high school students should list on their resume for college.

Top ten things to list on your college resume:

  • School name and address
  • Contact Info
  • GPA or Class rank, if applicable
  • Internships & volunteer roles
  • Awards and honors
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Leadership positions
  • Language competencies

As we mentioned earlier, you may not have information or experiences for every category listed above. That’s perfectly fine! Focus on what applies to you and what you can include on your high school resume as you learn how to write a college resume. 

What does not belong on my high school resume? 

Now that we have examined what to include on your high school resume, let’s discuss what does not belong on your college application resume. 

Keep it current

In general, you should avoid including any activity or achievement from before 9 th grade on your resume for college. However, it’s okay to include something that is particularly impressive and/or attached to a current activity. 

For example, if you have 12 years of experience in playing the violin, you will want to include that on your high school resume. However, if you joined your middle school band for a semester, you should likely leave that out of your college resume. Your resume for college should reflect activities that matter to you now.

Avoid listing daily duties

There is no need to include informal everyday activities on your college resume, such as cooking for your family or cleaning around the house. When you are crafting your resume for college, it’s best to stick to things that are relevant to admissions committees or future employers. 

Note that this is one area where your college resume differs from your activities list. For instance, if you spend considerable time caretaking your three siblings, you may choose to include that on your activities list within the Common App. However, the same responsibilities likely shouldn’t appear on your resume for college.

Keep it clear

As you examine college resume templates and college resume examples, take note of the language and structure in a sample college resume. It’s important to use concise language and clear structure throughout your resume for college. 

Additionally, do not include excessive text or overly detailed explanations on your college application resume. You want your resume for college to be simple and clear. In general, you should limit your high school resume to one page, or two at the absolute maximum. Most people who review your college resume will spend about 30 seconds with it. So, your resume for college should be easily scanned, above all. 

When you use concise language throughout your college resume, it will make it easier for your reader to understand your accomplishments. Because most people will skim your high school resume, having a clear structure throughout will make it easy to read. Keep it simple and keep it consistent. 

Steer clear of images and graphics

While you might come across this in your college resume format research, it’s best to avoid including images or graphics in your college application resume. Although this is a new trend and can be seen on multiple college resume examples and college resume templates, it can be distracting and take up valuable space on your high school resume.  

For instance, if you volunteered at twelve different soup kitchens, there is no need to list each one separately. That will become tedious and take up too much space on your essential resume for college application. 

Finally, you should never misrepresent your qualifications on your high school resume. Be honest about your involvements, however many you have. It’s not worth potentially getting caught in a lie or an exaggeration during a college interview.

Where do I submit my college application resume? 

While you apply to college, you might be wondering what to do with your resume for college applications. Many college application portals will include a section for your college resume, especially if a resume for college is listed as one of the college application requirements. 

Most college application portals list the high school resume section as optional. While you are applying to college, you might notice that most colleges require that you fill out an activities section as part of the application process. The activities section will ask you to list your extracurriculars for college. Often, your activities section will serve the same purpose as your college resume. 

If you choose to include a high school resume with your college application, it should reflect your accomplishments in more detail than your activities section. Additionally, if you choose to include a resume for college with your application, make sure it adds something new to your activities list. 

You will receive access to your college’s application portal once you have completed the process of applying to college but before you receive a college acceptance letter and officially enroll . When it’s time to upload your high school resume, be sure to upload it as a PDF rather than a Word document. That way, you can ensure that your formatting of your college resume stays consistent on every application. 

We’ll provide more details about the college resume format later in this article, when we examine college resume examples and college resume templates. 

How often should I update my college resume? 

It may be helpful to update your resume (or other records) every six months to a year in order to avoid missing any important details. You can use your college resume for more than just your college application requirements. In fact, there may be internships or other opportunities you seek out in high school that will ask you to submit a high school resume. Updating your college resume often will help you keep track of your experiences and accomplishments. 

In general, you should update your high school resume as often as it works for you. However, when you are almost done applying to college , you will want to make sure that your college resume is up-to-date and accurate before including it with your application. 

No matter how often you update your resume for college applications, we encourage you to keep copies of any old college resume examples you might have. Having old copies of your college resume can help you in the future as you begin to tailor your college resume for potential reviewers. 

How to write a resume for college

Now that we have a better understanding of what makes up a college resume, let’s focus on how to write a resume for college. You can begin writing your college resume by creating a list of your key details . Your key details will be the starting point for your college resume. 

First, you will include information about where you go to school, as well as your current GPA and any Honors statuses. You will also want to list your academic interests on your high school resume, including what you hope to study or pursue beyond high school. 

You will also include your extracurricular activities and the years you engaged in them on your resume for college. Additionally, you will want to add any jobs or internships you have had and the dates you held them. You can also list any leadership positions and the years you held them on your college resume. 

Finally, you will want to include any special skills you have on your resume for college. This can include certifications as well. 

Once you have a list of your key details, you will want to organize these details into sections on your high school resume. For some, these sections might include Objective, Education, Leadership Positions, Work and Internship History, and Special Skills.  

College Resume Walkthrough

Linked about is our college resume walkthrough. Let’s do another walkthrough of these sections here to see what kind of information to include in each one. 

Your objective is the reason why you are writing your college resume. This section will vary depending on where you send your resume. 

If you are creating a resume for college applications, you should include information about your intended major or future career in this section. However, if you are sending your high school resume to a potential employer, your objective section will include information about why you are uniquely skilled for the job. 

Education 

The education section of your college resume should include all high schools you have attended, along with your GPA and anticipated date of graduation. 

If your high school provides you with a class rank, you can also include that piece of information within this section of your resume for college. 

Additionally, you can include your SAT or ACT score within this section, especially if you are submitting your resume for college applications. 

Leadership Positions 

Be sure to highlight any leadership positions you have held in your college resume. This includes any appointed positions you have received and even informal leadership positions. 

For example, if you were voted Class President of your Student Council, you can include that information here. Or maybe you are a peer mentor on your soccer team—you can include those details within this section of your college resume. 

Work and Internship History 

This section of your high school resume will list your whole work history, including internships , summer jobs , or part-time jobs. 

You will want to include the job title, company, dates of employment, and a brief outline of your duties for each of the work or internship experiences in this section of your resume for college. 

Special Skills 

Finally, this section of your college resume will outline any technical or soft skills you might have. Soft skills include things like teamwork, communication skills, and conflict resolution. 

In this section of your resume for college, you can also include any languages you speak or certifications you have. 

After you have organized your high school resume into sections, you will want to include a bulleted list detailing your responsibilities within each of your engagements/leadership roles. Be sure to include only relevant details in your descriptions, as it’s important to be concise on your college resume.  

Remember to include the years for every role/activity on your college resume. You will want to list them with the most recent positions/activities at the top of your resume for college. 

College resume format

Your college resume format is one of the most important features to consider as you apply to college. As you construct your college resume format, make sure that it’s readable. 

Most people won’t look at your college resume for more than 30 seconds. So, any reader should be able to skim your high school resume and come away with a relatively clear idea of your qualifications and background. 

The ideal college resume format will have the name of the student clearly listed at the top of the college resume. Another aspect of a strong college resume format will have clear sections with strong headlines. Additionally, the best college resume format will include bulleted lists where appropriate. 

We will look at the college resume format in action as we review some college resume examples and college resume templates. 

College resume examples

As we review our sample college resume, we will explain how to use it to craft your own college resume when you apply to college. Use this sample college resume as a reference point for your resume for college. Then, adapt it to fit your own unique needs. 

We will discuss the sample college resume in the next two sections of this article. As we review the sample college resume, pay particular attention to what makes this college resume clear and effective. You can use this sample college resume as a college resume builder while you apply to college. 

At first glance, you can see that this college resume is organized. This resume for college has clear sections and a concise structure. What makes this college resume clear and effective is its formatting, language, and length. Be sure to incorporate these same elements into your own high school resume as you apply to college. 

Remember, this sample college resume is just one of many college resume examples available. Figure out what you like best about this sample college resume and use it to craft your own college resume. 

Sample college resume – What works? 

The key features of this sample college resume are its formatting, language, and length. Focusing on these in your own college resume will ensure that your resume for college stands out. 

Clear delineated sections

The formatting in this college resume works so well because it includes clearly delineated sections and organized by year. Keeping your information and experiences organized by year is an effective format for a resume for college applications. 

Simple and straightforward language

Another feature of this college resume that works well is the language. There is clear language and details throughout this resume for college that provide context for each role and accomplishment. For example, each of the work experiences in this high school resume feature a brief description of the student’s role and duties/responsibilities. 

Concise structure

Additionally, this resume for college application features a concise structure that helps the reader clearly understand the purpose of each section. The descriptions within this college resume are brief but comprehensive. Having a concise structure and clear language throughout your college resume is key. 

The final key feature that works well in this college resume is the length. This resume for college is just one page in length. Ideally, you want your college resume to fit on one page, but that is not a hard and fast rule. If you have a wealth of experiences and extracurriculars for college, your college resume can go over the typical one-page length. 

Even though this high school resume is a little over one page, it does not have any irrelevant details or extraneous information on it. As you begin writing your college resume, be sure to only include relevant details on it. 

As you learn how to write a college resume, keep track of what features work well and incorporate them into your own college resume. If you are unsure if the sample college resume will work for your college resume, don’t worry. There are plenty of college resume examples and college resume templates to choose from as you are applying to college. 

College resume template

There are multiple college resume examples that you can review as you start your college resume or college application letter . Looking at a college resume template can help you decide on the formatting, language, and length that works best for you. 

Hunter College has a web page with college resume examples and college resume templates. Use it as a resource as you build your high school resume. 

If possible, you should avoid using form templates as you construct your college resume. Instead, think of the college resume template as a guide. You should aim to format your resume for college in the way that works best for you. 

It’s best to be a bit unique as you create your high school resume. Looking at a college resume template can help you find your own distinct style. You can also incorporate different aspects from a college resume template into your own college resume. 

However, be sure to avoid any hard-to-read fonts or unnecessary details in your formatting as you learn how to write a college resume. While your resume shouldn’t look like it was made using a stock college resume template, it also should not be overly crowded.

College resume builder

There are also college resume builder resources, like this one from Wheaton College , that will help students build their college resumes. You can use a college resume builder to format your own resume for college. 

At CollegeAdvisor.com, we host webinars on topics that help you apply to college. We have a webinar on how to write a resume for college, with plenty of college resume examples. We also have a webinar with advice from former Admissions Officers on how to build your college resume. 

Once again, you should generally avoid a pre-formatted college resume builder or college resume template. Instead, use these college resume examples as a jumping off point as you begin the college admissions process. 

Formatting your high school resume yourself makes it easier to make any quick edits or fix any formatting quirks. If you were to use a college resume builder or college resume template, these adjustments may be a challenge. 

Build your College Resume in 5 Simple Steps

Having examined some college resume examples, let’s review 5 simple steps for how to write a resume for college. 

Five Steps to Build your College Resume

Make an accurate list of your experiences, awards, education, and qualifications. You will use this list as the outline for your resume for college. 

Choose the best college resume format for the job. Before you finalize your choice of college resume format , review a college resume template or college resume examples for guidance. Then, create a resume header for your college resume. 

Add your accurate information by section on your resume for college. Reference the college resume examples you reviewed previously to choose the sections you will use on your high school resume. Organize each list by year, placing the most recent item at the top of your resume for college. Be sure to separate your extracurricular experiences from your awards/honors, creating two lists (or more if necessary). 

Format your lists to be clear and readable , and add your name and contact information as the header of your college resume. 

Ask a friend, family member, or mentor to copy edit your resume for college! Having another set of eyes on your high school resume will help you create the strongest resume for college possible. 

How to write a college resume – Final Thoughts

In this article, we reviewed how to write a college resume. As we discussed the purpose of a college application resume, we examined college resume examples and described key features that work in a college resume. We hope the college resume examples we featured in our article on how to write a resume for college help you craft your high school resume as you apply to college.

Need help crafting the perfect college application resume? CollegeAdvisor.com can teach you how to write a resume for college. Register for a free CollegeAdvisor.com account and receive access to hundreds of articles and webinars. These resources will help you craft your college resume as you begin applying to college.

This article was written by  Claire Babbs . If you want to get help with your college applications from Claire or other  CollegeAdvisor.com  Admissions Experts , click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Free Printable College Resume Templates PDF [Basic & Simple]

More often than not, students are still deciding what to include in their college resumes . Students from different fields will have to create different kinds of resumes depending on their majors and career goals to make it easier for the hiring manager or an HR representative to decide whether they want to hire them or not. As much as possible, include everything.

Table of Contents

What is a College Resume?

College Resume

A college resume is a document that summarizes your academic and extracurricular experiences. Most colleges require you to include this resume in your application packet. It’s usually one of the first things an admissions officer will review when considering your application.

A college resume should highlight your achievements, skills, and abilities. It should also show any leadership roles and community service you’ve participated in and any awards or honors you’ve received. You can use a college resume as a way to communicate all of these things in one place!

College Resume Templates

academic resume for college

How to choose a college resume template?

There are many free and paid resume templates available online . Some of them are good, while some are not. So how do you choose one that is suitable for your needs? There are some things you need to consider when choosing a college resume template:

Make sure the template is easy to read.

Your prospective employer will only spend a few seconds on your resume, so make sure that it takes at most that for them to understand what you’ve done and your experience. A clean design with simple font styles and layout will make this much easier.

Use simple fonts such as Times Roman or Calibri font size 11 or 12 for maximum readability. Avoid using fancy fonts since they are hard to read, especially when printed on standard paper size (8 ½ by 11 inches).

Make sure to limit your resume to a single page.

This will help you focus on highlighting key points in your professional career and avoid any unnecessary details that may take away from the overall message.

Check the formatting of each section.

Don’t just look at the overall appearance of the document; look at each section individually as well. Make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors and that each section has consistent formatting throughout. Also, check that everything is spelled correctly and punctuated correctly (e.g., dates should always be written as DD/MM/YYYY).

No unnecessary fonts or graphics

Make sure there are no unnecessary fonts or graphics on your resume if possible, but if you’re using one, then make sure it doesn’t clash with anything else on the page (like another font!) if you must use graphics such as graphs or images.

Make sure there is enough white space between sections to look clean and organized. You can also use bolder fonts for headings and subheadings and smaller fonts for descriptions. This will make it easier for readers to scan your resume quickly without squinting their eyes at tiny font sizes! Also, consider using bullet points instead of complete sentences for sections, making it easier for readers to understand the information provided in each document section.

Important Parts of a college resume template

College students need to have a resume template handy when they are applying for jobs and internships. The college resume template comes in handy when it comes time to create a professional-looking resume. A college student can use the college resume template as a starting point but then personalize it with their own work experience and history.

The following is a look at some of the parts of a college resume template :

Contact Information

The contact information section is just like in a standard resume. You should include your name, address, phone number, and email address. If you are applying to a large company, consider using their job application system. This will help them keep track of all their applicants, and it will also help them prepare for interviews by knowing the number of people who applied for the same position that you are applying for.

This is the most important section on your resume template for college students. This section should have all of your educational accomplishments listed in chronological order starting with high school and going through each level of education that you have completed up until today. Include all awards and honors that you have received during your high school and college years (if any). Make sure that you include the following:

  • All of your extracurricular activities.
  • Any volunteer work you did while attending these schools.
  • Any leadership roles that you held within these extracurricular activities or organizations?

The Experience Section

This is the first section of a college resume template . In this section, you will describe your previous jobs, internships, and volunteer work. You should include all of your job duties and responsibilities and highlight your achievements, such as awards and recognition received at work. If you have little experience or if you are a freshman in college, then focus on what skills you have obtained through these experiences. This section can also describe your academic accomplishments, such as getting good grades or being awarded scholarships.

Skills and Abilities

The third section of a college resume template is skills and abilities. This section should contain only those skills that are directly related to your major or career goal (and possibly other closely related fields). Include both hard skills (such as computer programming languages) and soft skills.

Awards and Honors

This section should include any awards or honors that you have received during your education. These can include academic awards, such as Phi Beta Kappa or summa cum laude, and other types of awards. This information should also go in this section if you were elected to any office in an organization or club.

This section should list all activities that you were involved with while at college. Not only will this give the reader an idea of what kind of person you are, but it will also show that you are productive and well-rounded. Be sure to include any leadership positions that you held in these activities, such as president, vice president, or treasurer. You should also include any internships or jobs related to your major or career plans after graduation.

How to Write a College Resume

A college resume is a good way to show off your skills. It can also serve as a way for you to highlight your education and extracurricular activities. A well-written college resume can help you get the attention of recruiters and employers.

Here are steps on how to write a college resume:

Choose an appropriate format.

The first step in writing a college resume is choosing a format that works for you. The two most popular formats are chronological and functional. The chronological format lists jobs in reverse chronological order (most recent job first), and the functional format lists skills and experience first. Both of these formats have advantages. Chronological resumes tend to look more polished and professional than functional ones, but they may be harder to manage if you have gaps between jobs or if you need to have relevant jobs listed on your CV . Functional resumes are easier to update and manage but can also look less formal than chronological CVs.

In general, it’s best to choose one format and stick with it throughout the document — otherwise, it can appear confusing or disorganized.

Write for Applicant Tracking Systems

The second step in writing a college resume is to write it with applicant tracking systems (ATSs) in mind. ATSs are programs that automate the screening process, scanning thousands of applications at once to find the best candidates for each job opening. If you don’t tailor your resume for the ATS, it will likely be screened out before anyone even reads it. Including keywords from the job posting and making sure they appear prominently on your resume.

Include contact details for potential referees

Suppose you have worked with someone who could speak to your strengths on paper, including their email address, so that they can send you a letter of recommendation with just a click or two! You may also want to consider including the name of anyone else who could speak to those same traits in person — this can include professors and advisors at school, as well as any managers or supervisors from previous jobs or internships.

Make Your Personal Summary Impactful

A personal summary is a short resume section highlighting your most relevant skills, accomplishments, and experiences. Once you complete this section, writing the rest of your resume will be easier because it will guide you in putting together a list of relevant professional experience.

Provide Accurate Educational Credentials

When writing a college resume, you want to ensure that your credentials are accurate. If you’re applying for an internship or entry-level job, your qualifications will likely be checked against your educational institution’s records. It’s important that you have all of the following:

  • Your diploma/certificate (or proof of completion)
  • Your major and minor areas of study
  • Your grade point average (GPA) in each major area of study
  • This information should be included in one section of your resume. 

Proofreading is an essential part of the writing process. It’s the last step before submitting your college resume, so it’s important to ensure everything is perfect.

Make sure that every word and punctuation mark is correct. Make sure you include all of your relevant experience and skills on the resume without making it appear too long.

Consider using spell-checkers and grammar-checkers when reviewing your resume before submitting it to employers. These tools can help eliminate some of the most common errors in resumes, but they could be more foolproof.

We hope this guide has helped you create a resume to help you land your first internship or entry-level job. Whether or not writing the resume is one of your favorite activities, we hope the process was easier than you might have thought. Good luck, and happy job hunting!

What is the best resume format for college students?

The best resume format for college students is a combination resume that highlights both skills and experience. It includes a skills section, education section listing your degree and GPA, work/volunteer experience, activities, honors/awards. Use relevant headings and bullet points to call out highlights.

How do you write a college resume?

Tips for writing a college student resume:

  • Put education at the top including school, degree, major/minors
  • Include GPA if above 3.0, relevant coursework
  • List work experience, highlight transferable skills gained
  • Note internships, research projects, volunteering activities
  • Mention extracurriculars, leadership roles, honors
  • Tailor resume to target jobs or graduate programs
  • Focus on achievements, use quantified facts/data when possible
  • Use clean fonts and formatting with consistent styling

What is a college resume format?

A college student resume format typically has:

  • Header with contact info and linkedin URL
  • Education summary as the first section
  • Skills or work experience next
  • Extracurriculars, volunteer work, honors
  • Concise bullet points under each category
  • Optional references section
  • Clean, consistent fonts and styling

What should a resume look like for a college freshman?

A college freshman resume should focus on:

  • High school academic achievements and activities
  • College education listing school, intended major
  • Part-time jobs, internships, volunteering
  • Technical, computer, language skills
  • Leadership in extracurriculars, sports, clubs
  • Conferences, seminars, or training attended
  • Achievements and awards related to your goals
  • An eye-catching and easy to skim format

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YYGS

Yale College: Resume Templates

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Utilize these OCS Resume Templates to create your draft resume. To help you fill in your template, utilize OCS’s resume formatting and common errors resource .

  • Yale College (YC):  Resume 1
  • YC:  Resume 2   (with Summary section)
  • YC:  Technical Resume   
  • YC:  Common Good Career   Resume 
  • YC:  Creative Career   Resume 
  • YC Recent Alum:  General Resume 
  • YC Experienced Alum:  General Resume  

Visitors to this website should refer to our  terms of use policy .

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  • Sample Resumes

FREE 8+ College Resume Templates in PDF | MS Word

The Sample College Resume is a sample template which is used for preparing the resume of a college student. It is in the format of a professional resume sample and anybody who wishes to make their resume when in college or even the parents of the students can use these templates to prepare the resume without much effort. The college resumes are one of the most important steps towards securing an internship position and even sometimes a full paying job as this resume enumerates the distinctions and the achievements of the students on the basis of which, they earn a great career.

College Resume

Sample college graduate resume - 8+ free documents download ..., sample college resume - 8+ free samples, examples, format, sample college student resume - 8+ examples in pdf, word, college student resume.

college student resume

Size: 33 KB

It is a resume which is prepared by the college students while studying in the college. It is normally prepared for different reasons like for applying for some vacant position in corporate offices, or for participating in different inter college competitions.

College Application Resume

college application resume

Size: 78 KB

These resumes are kept short and simple and can only be filled with different honors that the student has earned in his schooling days. This is different from the resume which is used for getting admission into any college or institute as it mainly focuses or highlighting the other curricular activities and achievements in those fields.

College Admissions Resume

college admissions resume

Size: 203 KB

College Admission is one of the hectic processes in both the parents as well as the student’s life because of various strenuous procedures. Though you might feel that the process is tedious but having a proper resume for admission can help you get through easily. These resumes highlight the grades and distinctions of the students who are applying for the college and make it easy for the administration to screen the students easily.

College Internship Resume

college internship resume

Size: 32 KB

To secure a great internship position with reputed companies, you can have the college internship resume prepared with our templates. Internship resumes have to be very crisp and precise hinting at all you achievements till date and the grades you can score and also about your contribution towards various issues and your participation in other activities.

Undergraduate College Student Resume

undergraduate college student resume

Size: 287 KB

College First Year Student Resume

college first year student resume

Size: 185 KB

College Resume Format

college resume format

Size: 10 KB

College Resume Sample

college resume sample

Size: 734 KB

Uses & purpose of Sample College Resume

College resumes are used for various purposes. There are different types of resumes as mentioned above and they are used for different purposes. But the general uses of these resumes are for application to different places for admission, internship position or for day job and etc. The sample resume templates are used for preparation of the required resume you want and with our templates for the resumes, you can prepare your resume in very little time.

When do you need a Sample College Resume?

College resumes are required throughout the college life. You need to have the college admission resumes when applying for admission to your dream colleges followed by college resumes which you need during various events and competitions arranged in and out of your college, where you are going to participate. And finally, you need the internship resumes when applying with the corporate firms for internship.

How to Create/Write a Sample College Resume?

Creating a College Resume with our online templates for the resume is an easy task. You can simply check out the different templates and choose which one you want to have. Then you can go through the various examples of resumes available on our site for your references. Finally, you can put all your details in the format of the template and you can modify it too and your resume will be done.

College resumes are important from the day one of the college and till the end of your student life, but these resumes are regarded as the most Basic Resume samples. The templates we have for your resume preparation are upgraded everyday to match the requirement of the market and you can confidently use them for your resume at any point of time.

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All Formats

Application Templates & Forms

18+ college application resume templates.

Resume Templates

college application resume template free pdf

1. College Application Resume Template

college application resume template

2. Sample College Application Template

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3. College Student Application Resume Example

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4. Graduate Student College Application Resume

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5. Freshman College Application Resume Template

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6. College Scholarship Application Resume

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7. College Student Application Resume Template

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8. College Application Resume Example

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9. Sample College Application Resume

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10. Freshman College Application Resume Sample

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11. General College Student Application Resume

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12. Graduate College Application Resume

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13. Simple College Student Application Resume

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14. College Education Application Resume

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15. College Application Resume Format

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16. University College Application Resume

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17. College Application Resume Process

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18. College Admission Application Resume

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19. Graduate College Student Application Format

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More in Application Templates & Forms

Occupancy Permit Application Template

Grant application form template, college cv template, scholarship application tracker template, college essay template about yourself, college admission essay template, college application essay template, college application letter of recommendation, college application template, college application checklist template.

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IMAGES

  1. Free College Resume Templates

    college application resume template free pdf

  2. How to Write a Resume for a College Application (with Example)

    college application resume template free pdf

  3. 50 College Student Resume Templates (& Format) ᐅ TemplateLab

    college application resume template free pdf

  4. 18+ College Application Resume Templates

    college application resume template free pdf

  5. Free Printable College Resume Templates PDF [Basic & Simple]

    college application resume template free pdf

  6. 50 College Student Resume Templates (& Format) ᐅ TemplateLab

    college application resume template free pdf

VIDEO

  1. FREE Resume Template for Designers

  2. What does the term ATS stand for in a #resume? #shorts

  3. MS Word Resume

  4. How to Make ATS Friendly Resume| For Freshers| FREE Template Inside

  5. IS RESUME FOR COLLEGE APPLICATION THE SAME AS RESUME FOR JOB APPLICATION

  6. If you want bunch of FREE resume templates that helped people get into top companies, watch #SHORTS

COMMENTS

  1. Free College Resume Templates

    College Resume Templates. A college resume is a document that represents a high school student's academic achievement, after-school activities, work experience, and other relevant accomplishments. It is used when applying for college or university and will accompany the student's overall college application.

  2. Free printable, customizable college resume templates

    Save your design as a high-quality PDF that's ready to publish; if you need printed copies of your resume. With a beautiful resume template that's ready, you can use it for your job applications anytime. Ace any internship or university job application with free college resume templates you can edit and print from Canva.

  3. College Application Resume for 2024 [With Examples, Tips & Template]

    Order Your Contact Information the Right Way #2. Write an Attention-Grabbing College Resume Objective #3. Put Weight on Your Education #4. Showcase Relevant Activities #5. Highlight Your Work Experience #6. Include Your Skills College application resume skills #7.

  4. How to Write a Resume for College Application

    And your college application resume format needs to be flawless. Follow this formula for the best college resume template: Pick a professional, simple resume template . Use the best resume fonts, like Arial or Cambria, in 10-14pt. Add big headings, utilize white space, and set 1-inch margins on your resume.

  5. How to Write a Resume for a College Application

    For example, if you're applying to an arts-focused school, try starting your resume with a resume section called "creative accomplishments" or "artistic talents.". 2. Include resume keywords for your college resume. Use appropriate resume keywords when writing your college resume.

  6. College Resume Template & Guide (Free Download in Word)

    Free college resume example for students in Word format Download this college resume example for free in Word format and make an excellent first impression on recruiters. This free resume for college students in Word is sure to set you off in the right direction in your job-seeking journey.

  7. College Student Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

    Profile Example. Motivated student with strong academic performance in high school, including an "A" average for mathematics. Demonstrated success in a leadership role through multiple school athletics and work activities. Naturally curious and eager to explore and understand new topics. 2.

  8. College Resume Examples & How to Write a Resume for College

    Step 3. Add your accurate information by section on your resume for college. Reference the college resume examples you reviewed previously to choose the sections you will use on your high school resume. Organize each list by year, placing the most recent item at the top of your resume for college.

  9. College Student Resume Examples (With Template and Tips)

    Here are some examples: Resourceful college student studying business administration and seeking an internship in marketing, sales, or operations. Strong written and verbal communication skills developed through coursework. Passionate about innovation and eager to apply academic concepts in a real-world setting.

  10. Free College Resume Templates

    This row should only exist if a blank template is needed at the beginning of the templates. default-create-link-text. { {placeholder-format}} Choose from dozens of online college resume template ideas from Adobe Express to help you easily create your own free college resume. All creative skill levels are welcome.

  11. How to Write a College Resume (Examples + Tips)

    Use a professional resume template that is well-formatted, tidy and shows your personality without overwhelming the reader. If you're applying through a digital platform, ensuring your college resume is ATS-friendly doesn't hurt. Upload your document to our ATS Resume Checker to ensure your resume reaches the hands of recruiters.

  12. Free custom printable academic resume templates

    Access it for free on any browser or through the mobile app. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, letting anyone edit or create stunning, high-quality resumes even with no art background or design software. To edit, simply find an academic resume template to fit your application, whether it's for high school, college, or as an advisor.

  13. How to Write a College Resume + Templates

    For this post, we use examples from this resume template—but feel free to use any of the others linked below. College Resume Templates: College Resume Template #1: Microsoft Word or Google Docs. College Resume Template #2: Microsoft Word or Google Docs. College Resume Template #3: Microsoft Word or Google Docs

  14. Free Printable College Resume Templates PDF [Basic & Simple]

    The college resume template comes in handy when it comes time to create a professional-looking resume. A college student can use the college resume template as a starting point but then personalize it with their own work experience and history. The following is a look at some of the parts of a college resume template: Contact Information

  15. Free printable, customizable college resume templates

    What's great with Canva's free college resume templates is the placeholder content for you to fill in. There's no need to wonder what information you need to add to your resume. You can also upload your headshot photo on Canva and drag it to your design. Canva also lets you edit your image for easy touch-ups. If you want to go ahead and ...

  16. How To Write a Resume for College Applications (With Sample)

    Use 1-inch margins on all sides of the document. Choose a readable font, such as Times New Roman or Georgia, in a 10- or 12-point size. Bold your name and section headers so colleges can scan key parts of your resume quickly. Use bullet points to structure your resume in a readable format.

  17. College Student Resume: Examples, Template, & Tips

    College Student Resume: Examples of Summaries. right. Personable and dependable finance sophomore at SUNY with 1 year part-time experience in an accountancy internship. Top customer satisfaction score (98%) and instrumental in bringing in over 500 new clients because of campus outreach efforts.

  18. How to Write a Resume for Colleges Using Your Common App + Examples

    For examples of how to incorporate these into your resume, see these examples below. Example College Resume Template #2: Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Example College Resume Template #3: Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Example College Resume Template #4: Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Example College Resume Template #5: Microsoft Word or Google ...

  19. Yale College: Resume Templates

    Utilize these OCS Resume Templates to create your draft resume. To help you fill in your template, utilize OCS's resume formatting and common errors resource. Yale College (YC): Resume 1; YC: Resume 2 (with Summary section) YC: Technical Resume ; YC: Common Good Career Resume ; YC: Creative Career Resume ; YC Recent Alum: General Resume

  20. 15+ College Resume Templates

    Simple Free College Application Resume Template. wahooschools.org. Details. ... Free College Resume PDF Template. jwu.edu. Details. File Format. PDF; Size: 166.8 KB Download. If you are rich in work experience, this resume is the ideal for you given its 90% allotment of space for experience of the candidate. However, you will also get some ...

  21. College Student Resume

    Doctor Resume Templates - 16+ Samples, Examples, Format Download! Prepare Resumes for College or University Students with Free Download Templates in DOC, PDF, and More Formats. You Can Also Find Examples of Curriculum Vitaes (CV), Biodata, and Other Documents for Fresher Degree Students.

  22. PDF Resume Templates & Examples [Free Download]

    Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. In Photoshop, go under File > Save As, and then choose "Photoshop PDF.". On the next screen, choose the PDF preset. "PDF/X-4" is a good option for a PDF resume. For InDesign, the process is the same, except you will go under File > Export and then choose "Adobe PDF" for the format.

  23. FREE 8+ College Resume Templates in PDF

    File Format. PDF. Size: 78 KB. Download. These resumes are kept short and simple and can only be filled with different honors that the student has earned in his schooling days. This is different from the resume which is used for getting admission into any college or institute as it mainly focuses or highlighting the other curricular activities ...

  24. 18+ College Application Resume Templates

    9+ Useful Credit Application Form Templates. 4+ Internal Application Form Templates - PDF. 12+ Grant Application Form Templates - PDF, Docs, Pages, Google Docs. 8+ Loan Application Form Templates - Word, Pages, Google Docs, PDF. 6+ Franchise Application Form Templates - PDF, Word.