How to Write a high school resume (Templates)
- getincollegesmaste
- Aug 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 8, 2025
What Is a College Application Resume?
A college application resume is not the same as a job resume.It’s a document that outlines your academic and extracurricular achievements throughout high school, including:
Extracurricular activities
Awards and honors
Leadership experience
Volunteer work
Internships
Special skills or projects
It's typically optional, but highly recommended for competitive colleges, certain programs (e.g. honors colleges), scholarships, or when applying for specific majors (e.g. business, art, engineering).
What to Include in a College Resume
Section | Description |
🎓 Education | High school info, GPA, expected graduation date |
🏅 Honors & Awards | Academic or other awards (e.g. math competitions, essay prizes) |
👥 Extracurricular Activities | School clubs, outside activities |
💼 Work/Internship Experience | Part-time jobs, internships |
💡 Leadership Roles | Leadership positions (e.g. club president, team captain) |
🌍 Volunteer / Community Service | Any community service or volunteering |
📚 Academic Projects | Research, independent studies, or projects |
🧠 Skills & Interests (optional) | Languages, coding, instruments, sports, hobbies |
How to Prepare It
1. Choose a Clean Format
Save and submit it as a PDF
1 page is ideal, no more than 2 pages
You can use a template (I can give you one if you’d like!)
2. Write Clearly and Specifically
For each activity:
Include your role/position
Duration
Short description (what you did and its impact)
Example:
President, Environmental Club (Sep 2023 – Jun 2025)
-Led weekly meetings and organized two campus
-wide clean-up campaigns
- Increased club membership by 40% through social media outreach
3. Prioritize Important Experiences
List your most impactful achievements or activities at the top
4. Don’t Repeat the Common App – Expand On It
The Common App only lets you list 10 activities
The resume gives you space to add more context or mention additional experiences
- When and How to Submit It
Scenario | How to Submit |
Common App / Coalition App | Upload it in the “Additional Information” or “Resume” section (optional) |
School-specific application portals | Upload if requested (some colleges have a separate portal) |
For recommendation letters or interviews | You can give it to recommenders or bring it to an interview |
Summary
A resume is not required by most colleges, but often allowed
It’s strongly recommended if you have extensive achievements or want to highlight specific experiences
Keep it 1–2 pages, clear, and professional
It should complement the rest of your application (not repeat it)
Most colleges do not require a resume when applying as a first-year (freshman) student, but some recommend or allow it, and a few may require it for certain programs (like honors, scholarships, or specific majors).
1. Common App Schools
Most colleges that use the Common Application don’t require a resume because:
There’s already a section to list your activities, honors, jobs, and leadership roles.
But many still let you upload a resume as a supplemental document if you want to share more details.
Examples of Common App schools that allow or recommend resumes:
Barnard College: Accepts a resume as part of the application.
Boston College: May request or recommend a resume.
Brandeis University: May request or recommend a resume.
Brown University: Accepts a resume as part of the application.
Bucknell University: Accepts a resume as part of the application.
Cornell University: Submitting a resume with your Cornell application is not required but can be a way to add context to your application.
Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration does require a resume
Dartmouth College: Accepts a resume as part of the application.
Harvard University
MIT
Northeastern University
Northwestern University: Accepts a resume as part of the application.
Tulane University: Accepts a resume as part of the application.
University of Southern California (USC) – optional, but helpful.
University of Michigan – resume recommended if you have extensive extracurriculars.
University of Pennsylvania: allows applicants to submit a resume
NYU – optional, can be uploaded.
Georgia Tech – optional resume upload encouraged.
Georgetown University
Princeton University
Stanford University
Vanderbilt University
Yale University
Other colleges: Many other colleges may also accept or recommend a resume, especially those that emphasize a holistic review process.
2. Coalition App Schools
Similar to Common App: a resume is usually optional, but can be uploaded.
3. UC (University of California) System
DOES NOT allow resume uploads.
Activities must be entered in the application directly (max 20 entries).
You should not send a separate resume unless requested.
---> In Progress : Let me know when you have anything to add!!
<Sample Templates>
Disclaimer for the template files: All rights to the original content are retained by Google, Resume Genius, Harvard University Web
Comments