Building A College Portfolio: Helping Clients Create a Top College Résumé
In last week’s post, we introduced how to help your college-bound clients get started on building a college portfolio. Two important elements of that college portfolio are the student’s résumé and cover letter, which is a declaration of the student’s academic objectives and intentions for furthering their education and prospective career.
A high school student’s college résumé highlights their academic background as well as their personal experiences, skills, and areas of expertise. It’s essentially a condensed overview of the student’s profile.
How Do You Prepare a College Résumé?
When crafting a high school résumé for college applications, students should:
Begin early. Students should start preparing their college résumés long before senior year—ideally from the start of their high school career—by keeping a record of their extracurricular activities, community services, jobs, achievements, and awards.
Decide what to include. Students should have a basic idea of what aspects of their high school career and experiences they want to emphasize and highlight. What makes them stand out from the rest of the applicants?
Develop a résumé outline. Create a basic guide or blueprint indicating where each section should be placed on the résumé before filling it in with details.
Write a cover letter. This will act as the introduction to the student’s résumé and a statement outlining the student’s educational goals and plans for advancing their academic journey and future profession (see below for details).
What Information Should Be Included in a College Résumé?
The following information should be included in a high school student’s résumé for college admissions:
1. Cover letter:
A formal greeting to the recipient
A brief introduction about the student
A body of text that summarizes the student’s academic and career goals and intentions as well as their coursework, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, professional experience, and personal, relevant interests
A brief conclusion that thanks the reader for their time and mentions the attached résumé
A formal closing salutation
Student’s signature
2. Header with student’s name, address, and e-mail
3. High school details with student’s graduation date, GPA (weighted), class rank, and SAT® and/or ACT® scores
4. Coursework (including summer programs, college courses, or other specialized workshops that do not appear on their high school transcript)
5. Academic awards, publications, honors, and other achievements
9. Hobbies
Sample College Résumé
Preparing a college résumé is a crucial step in the college application process. It provides an opportunity for students to showcase their academic achievements, skills, experiences, and future aspirations. As a college test-prep tutor, your role is to guide your students in crafting a compelling résumé that effectively highlights their unique qualities and potential.
Encourage your students to start early, keep track of their activities and achievements, and carefully consider what to include in their résumé. Help them understand the importance of writing a cover letter that complements their résumé.
Remember, a well-crafted résumé and cover letter can make a significant difference in a student’s college application. It’s not just about listing achievements; it’s about sharing the student’s journey thus far, their merits, and their potential for future success.
By guiding your students through this process, you’re not only helping them create a strong college application but also equipping them with a valuable skill in creating a solid résumé, a skill they’ll use throughout their academic and professional careers.
In our next post, we’ll talk about what types of creative works students should include in their college portfolios. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a post!
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