When preparing your high school resume for college, it is important to showcase your best stuff quickly to grab the attention of whoever is in charge (most Likely HR). The magic makes you stand out like a pair of Nike sneakers amidst a thousand other brands.
Ensure to make your work legible with large headings and white spaces. Fonts are also essential when it comes to preparing a responsive resume.
You can learn more about the best fonts for your high school resume for college.
At the end of this article, you will become conversant with the necessary steps to create and format your high school resume for college application.
Table of contents
- What is a Resume?
- Writing A High School Resume for College—Necessary Steps
- #1. Begin your resume before you get to your senior year
- #2. Decide the things you wish to appear on your resume
- #3. Outline your resume
- #4. State your name and contact information in full
- #5. Create a qualification section for your resume
- #6. Create an educational background section for your resume
- #7. Create a section on your resume for your experiences
- #9. Create a section for your skills
- #10. Create a section for your hobbies/ extracurricular activities
- Is High School Resume Important for Applying for College?
- Tips for Creating an Effective and Responsive Resume
- Resume Sample
- References
- Recommendation
What is a Resume?
A resume is your first contact with an employer or an academic body. It tells more about your academic background and skills before your physical meeting with an employer or your college.
A resume is a brief document that is often one to two pages long. However, if it’s possible to keep it to one page, it the better for you. A resume provides a summary of your professional achievements.
Resumes are generally sent alongside a cover letter to an employer when applying for a new job. Your resume helps recruiters understand more about you and determine whether you are fit for the position they are looking for people to occupy.
In most cases, it is essential to tailor your resume according to the requirements and format of the industry you are sending your application.
Your resume, in most cases, is your first impression of the recruiter/hiring officer.
See Also: Career Explorations For High School Students
Writing A High School Resume for College—Necessary Steps
When creating a high school resume, there are essential elements to consider that help present your achievements to your college of choice. Below are the necessary steps to consider for creating your high school resume for college.
#1. Begin your resume before you get to your senior year
It is essential to record your activities, achievements, awards, hobbies, and clubs you are associated with as you progress through high school.
Keeping track of this will greatly assist you when it’s time to prepare your resume and help you remember all your activities from your freshman year.
#2. Decide the things you wish to appear on your resume
A resume consists of different sections. Before writing a resume, deciding what sections you would like to be in your resume is essential. They should include the high point you want your college or employer to know about you.
Keep in mind the college you are applying to and the necessary skillset and experience that can help you gain admission at the college.
Go back to the list you made from the beginning of high school and pick out the most relevant points you wish to include on your resume.
#3. Outline your resume
Making a resume outline will help your resume to have a solid foundation. The resume outline is a framework or structure that highlights where every section of your resume will be.
A resume outline will also guide organizing your thoughts and ensure you capture the essential and relevant requirements of your college of choice.
#4. State your name and contact information in full
Begin your resume by writing your full name followed by your address, which includes the name of your city, state, and ZIP code.
Ensure also to include your phone number, email address, and skype address (where applicable).
Email Tips: ensure to use a professional email when writing your resume. Avoid using emails create from funny nicknames. Emails created from your names are usually more responsive e.g. Johnsmith@mail.com) or official emails like this Johnsmith@officialmail.com.
Also, ensure that your email is functional because most schools are more likely to contact you via your email address first.
See Also: 30 High Paying Jobs You Can Get With A High School Diploma
#5. Create a qualification section for your resume
Once you are done with your name and address section, the next paragraph should contain the summary/objectives of your resume.
The qualification section of your resume should tell you the college of interest which you are, the purpose of the outline, and relevant skills that you believe make you stand out among the rest of the students.
The qualification section should form the tagline of your resume and should highlight your goals.
Example:
How not to write your objective in your resume
A very focused student is passionate about Mathematics, English, and Chemistry. I love to create 3D videos, but I do not have any profile of works I have done in the past. However, I am determined to work very hard in college. I was also the captain of my school football team.
How to write a responsive resume objective
Passionate student animator/3D movie producer looking for an opportunity to revitalize the [Wealth circle University] student body with years of demonstrated organizational and leadership skills. I founded and coordinated an online 3D animated show with over 500,000 views on YouTube—a member of my high school football team with A+ avg. in Mathematics, English, and Chemistry.
While many people may not see anything wrong with the first format, it can only get you as far as the submission desk.
When creating your objective, don’t just list your achievements; show them your achievements just like in the second format.
#6. Create an educational background section for your resume
The educational qualification section of your resume highlights your educational background, which includes the high school/schools you attended or are attending presently.
In constructing the educational section of your resume, state the full name of your high school, the town where your high school is situated, and the date of your graduation/ expected graduation. Your educational background can also contain a list of your GPs and awards you received in high school.
Also, include all advanced courses you might be taking in this section of your resume.
#7. Create a section on your resume for your experiences
If you have any working experience, this is the place to include it on your resume. Working experience might not necessarily mean a suit and tie or corporate affair.
It includes informal employment like babysitting, working as a lifeguard, a volunteer opportunity, or an internship position.
The experience section is your opportunity to show your colleagues that you can be a beneficial part of society by contributing your time positively.
#8. Create an award section (optional)
If there are special awards you received during high school, create an award section for them. The Award section can include both honors roll and essay contest placements.
When listing your awards, provide details of the award/honors and the awarding body.
See Also: Jobs In School: High School and Middle School Titles
#9. Create a section for your skills
if you have any soft skills or knowledge of the craft, this is the place to highlight them and help your intended college understand you better. If you have good communication and listening skills, add them here.
The skill section also includes your ability to effectively use certain software applications. If you are a fast typer, provide information here.
There is no skill too small to capture in your resume. You don’t know what might impress your college administrators.
#10. Create a section for your hobbies/ extracurricular activities
If you are an active sportsman, a writer, or participate in other fun activities, the hobby section is the place to point them out.
When listing your hobbies, ensure to provide your titles and position and your year of participation.
Is High School Resume Important for Applying for College?
While it may not be necessary in all cases, some schools require candidates to submit a resume as part of their college registration requirement.
While many people prepare a resume when it’s time to look for a job, creating a high school resume is one way to keep track of your skills and qualification as you progress through life.
It also gives you the necessary skill to create quality and responsive resumes later in life. It is essential to contact your soon-to-be college to ask if they require a resume from you when submitting your college application.
Tips for Creating an Effective and Responsive Resume
When creating your resume, the following tips will help ensure you get the best result:
Keep it concise:
Don’t make your resume boring and tiring to read by including many irrelevant points. The best way to do this is by keeping it concise.
Ensure that you include only the essential and most relevant points that make you suitable to become a student in your college of choice.
Point out other accomplishments that you did not have the opportunity to include in other application material:
Your resume is an excellent opportunity to include your hobbies and other things you did not have in your college essay and other application resources.
Be truthful and accurate, especially with dates and information:
When creating your resume, ensure that you provide accurate and truthful information.
Providing false information can affect the way the resume college will represent your qualification and background.
Ensure to follow the right format:
Ensure to keep your formatting consistent when creating your high school resume for college. Your resume should be good to look at and present your details in an organized way.
Avoid intruding hard-to-read fonts and colors into your resume. Sticking to clear fonts (Aerial or Calibri, most preferably) is best. A black-and-white resume remains preferable and fashionable.
Remember that even if your high school resume is the best, without the right format, it comes off like “selling ice to an Eskimo”.
See Also: How to Write Skills on a Resume in 2023 | Easy Steps that Work
Proofread your resume before final submission:
Are you done with your resume? Congratulations! Don’t be in a hurry to hand it in. Take some time to go through your complete resume to ensure that spellings and grammar are correct before submitting it.
Nothing turns off more easily than a resume full of grammar and spelling errors.
Note that: while PDFs are excellent, ensure that the college admission department stipulates that you submit in that format. A few colleges do not accept resume submission in PDF formats.
Resume Template
[First and last name]
[Address, city, state, ZIP code]
[Phone number] [Email]
[Qualifications / Resume summary / Objectiv
[Education]
[High school name, town, state, GPA]
[Experience]
[Company name 1, city, state]
[Job title, dates worked]
[Job duties]
[Company name 2, city, state]
[Job title, dates worked]
[Job duties]
[Awards]
[Name of award, organization, or company name]
[Skills]
[List of hard and soft skills]
[Hobbies]
[Hobby 1]
[Position title]
[Dates worked]
[Duties]
[Hobby 2]
[Position title]
[Dates worked]
[Duties]
Resume Sample
John Smith
123 Riverdale lane, Colorado, CA 11111
333-333-3333, john.smith@email.com
Qualifications
Passionate student animator/3D movie producer looking for an opportunity to revitalize the [Wealth circle University] student body with years of demonstrated organizational and leadership skills.
I founded and coordinated an online 3D animated show with over 500,000 views on YouTube.
I am also member of my high school football team with A+ avg. in Mathematics, English, and Chemistry. Key skills include:
Leadership and Founder
Funfact Model Animation Studio
- Founded and led a small 3D animation studio with 8 members
- Created 20+ short animated videos and successfully uploaded them to YouTube
- List content has over 500,000 views and over 3,000 subscribers
- Joined the high school sports club and participated in over 100 games
- I enrolled in a communication class and improved my interpersonal relationship skill.
- Volunteered in animal rescue and safety with World Wildlife Conservation
Education
Riverdale High School, Colorado, CA, 95555.
- High rating for outstanding performance in interpersonal relationship skills
- Maintained an average score of A+ in Chemistry, English language, and Mathematics
- GPA of 3.4
- Combined SAT score of 1300
- Date of graduation 1/1/2016
See Also: High School Diploma Resume | How To Write One
Experience
Giza Animation Studio
3D models creator 2023-2024
- Completed a 3-month 3d modeling training with a score of 95%
- Modeled over 1,000 3D materials
- Received 100% positive customer review
Awards
Honor Roll, High School Junior year
- First Place award for the Colorado District Quiz contest
Skills
- Graphics design skill
- Certified Lifeguard and First Aid Administrator
Hobbies and activities
- Four-year member of the Colorado High School Football Club
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