A Resume Can Strengthen Your College Application

Resumes are not usually a required piece of the college application. So why do we insist you write one? There are several reasons, including:

A resume is a way to tell colleges, in more detail than the Activities section of the Common Application will allow, about the jobs you have held, the sports you have played, and the volunteer work you have done. In this way, you can create a more complete picture of who you are and what you do.

A resume is a snapshot of how you have chosen to spend your free time, which in turn says a lot about you, what you like to do, and what you do well. If you look closely, common threads often emerge that might inspire a personal essay topic or suggest a potential scholarship niche.

  • If you chose to share your resume with your college interviewer, you can help them to get a quick snapshot of who you are. This will help them to ask questions about things that you have done that are particularly interesting to them.

Many students apply for jobs and internships during their freshman year. Having a resume already prepared when you enter the career services office gives you a jump start. It’s a lot easier to refine an existing document than it is to create that first resume.