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cramcrew 101

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RESUME BUILDING 101Presented by Cram Crew, Inc.

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Résumé Building 101

RESUME BUILDING 101

# 1 Format

Anyone who’s had to slap together a résumé for a job interview will tell you that the golden rule of résumé building is to curtail the length if it exceeds one page. Well, that’s a good rule to follow for the working world, but for the sake of college admissions, your résumé can run a tad longer if necessary. Just like it’s pretty hard to get to know someone who insists on giving one-word answers, it’s hard for colleges to get to know you if you don’t elaborate a little. When considering length, just be sure to keep your writing concise, relevant, and significant, and the length will take care of itself.

Once you begin drafting the details of your accomplishments, maybe

Chances are that by now you know what a résumé is, but do you know how to use yours to help you get into college? The résumé is an important component of your college application and provides a snapshot of who you are in a more clear, direct, and concise way than your admissions essays. College admissions committees want to know you on a personal level. They want to know what motivates you and where your passions lie; they want to understand what you’ve accomplished and how your experiences will help you fit in with specific degree programs. A quality résumé provides all of that information—but that’s obvious. What’s not so obvious is that your résumé can also be used as a strategic tool that not only sells you to the college of your choice but also gives admissions officers a reason to remember you—it’s something that can tilt the odds in your favor.

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you’ll decide to write dense paragraphs about your experiences, maybe you’ll utilize strong, succinct fragments, or maybe you’ll preface each sentence with heart-shaped bullet points; no matter your chosen style, just be sure to keep everything consistent. That means if you use bullet points in your Extracurricular Activities section, there should definitely be bullet points in every section.

Speaking of sections, an organized résumé is a happy résumé! It’s a good idea to group similar information under the following categories: Educational Information, Leadership/Honors/Awards, Extracurricular Activities, Community Service, Work Experience, and any other appropriate sections. When crafting the entries in a section, be sure to provide only the details most relevant to that section. For instance, if you were elected president of a club, it’s best to discuss the general details of the club in your Extracurricular Activities section but save the juicy details of your officer position for your Leadership section. Above all else, avoid redundancies in your information.

The order of sections will vary depending on how much weight each holds, but one thing is certain: the most critical information on your résumé—your personal information—should be front and center. When designing your layout, ensure that admissions officers can quickly and easily find your name and contact information by placing them at the top. Typically, students provide a mailing address, email address, and phone number in addition to their full name.

This is the place for some school pride. In this section, you’ll include the name of your high school and some basic details about your career. Typically, students list their GPA, class rank, AP/PSAT/SAT/ACT/SAT Subject Test scores, and college, IB, or dual credit courses and respective hours. Again, depending on the weight that the information holds, you may choose to include or exclude certain details. Specifically, if your GPA is a little weak sauce but you rocked the SAT, highlight your solid test-taking skills by listing your SAT score but consider leaving your GPA off. It’s not mendacious to omit the data because colleges can still access your GPA via your transcript. Remember, your résumé should trumpet your triumphs not your shortcomings.

# 2 Educational Information Section

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Résumé Building 101

# 3 Leadership/Honors/Awards Section

If your college application was a cake, your leadership abilities would be the icing. Did you champion efforts to save the rainforest, shepherd your team to victory as captain, or fearlessly lead your classmates as student body president? If so, be sure to brag about it in your Leadership section. When discussing your officer positions, provide details that illuminate which traits you possess that made you a good fit, who elected you, and what, if any, requirements you had to meet to be eligible. Additionally, discuss your responsibilities in specific terms and show the reader how this position of power allowed you to develop into a mature young adult ready to take on the challenges of higher education.

In addition to your leadership positions, this section is a good place to showcase any honors or awards you’ve received. Maybe you’ve earned Honor Roll for six consecutive semesters or maybe you were elected homecoming queen—just be sure to explain the significance of the position or honor. Other entries in this section might be about conferences you’ve attended or honor societies into which you’ve been inducted.

# 4 Extracurricular Activities Section

Though they are essential, colleges know there’s more to high school than AP classes and SAT tests. Discussing your extracurricular activities on your résumé is a great way to show not only what you’re passionate about but also how well you work in a group setting. Typically, this section covers clubs, sports teams, and other organizations, either

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inside or outside of school. Strong entries provide information about your specific tasks and duties within a certain club or organization. For example, if you dominated on the football field, offer the reader some details about the position you played, the level at which you played, like varsity, and a few highlights of your glorious career. Just remember, if you served as team captain of the football team, those specific details belong in the Leadership section. Finally, in addition to your description of the activity, you’ll want to include your hours for each of your activities in the following format: hours per week/weeks per year. This information lets your prospective schools know just how much of your time you committed to your beloved activities.

# 5 Community Service Section

Leadership doesn’t just come in the form of club presidents and team captains; altruism points to leadership in the community. The Community Service section is the place to highlight your volunteer work. In addition to including the grades during which you participated and the name of the organization, project, or event, you’ll want to note the total number of hours you dedicated to each cause. In the body of each entry, include some specific details about your participation or contribution as well as a sentence that explains the organization’s purpose or mission. Finally, try to include a sentence that explains how your involvement has shaped you or affected you on a personal level.

# 6 Lagniappe (The Extra Stuff)

Once you’ve exhausted your discussion of test scores, grades, clubs, community service, and awards, you might still have some pertinent information to share with your future college. Some students have dedicated themselves to earning a paycheck regularly while others have explored ancient ruins in Rome. Still others have acquired valuable skills in their free time. If this sounds like you, consider adding one of the following ancillary sections to your résumé: Enriching Travel, in which you reminisce about travel that was particularly educational; Work Experience, in which you address employment or internships; or Skills & Hobbies, in which you discuss your foreign language proficiency or incredible cookie-baking talent. No matter what information you decide to include on your résumé, use it to paint yourself in a flattering light that leaves your prospective college dying to know more!

NOTES

NOTES

The college selection process typically boils down to two things: teenagers choosing a university based on location, sports, and an active social scene and parents choosing a university based on academics, return on investment, and dorm room curfews. Can these two worlds co-exist? Yes. They. Can. Think of Cram Crew as College Readiness real estate agents.

We’ll help select a university that meets the needs of both student and parent (Location! Location! Location!). Our College Readiness consultants will help prepare the closing documents (résumé, essays, and applications). And finally, we’ll hand over the keys (acceptance). Welcome home! SOLD!

The Readiness Package:

• One-on-one, in-home sessions• The option to start early• High school course selection• Personalized college plan crafted with the assistance of Cram Crew’s

president, Deepak Thadhani• Assistance with submitting applications from an application consultant• Unlimited essay and résumé help with the support of a College Readiness

consultant and our internal office team• Essay review from a mock admissions committee• Internal office team support• Focused service to a limited number of students

The Junior Readiness Package:

• One-on-one, in-home sessions• More efficient service that starts junior year• Quicker turn-around time• Two college planning sessions with Cram Crew’s president, Deepak

Thadhani, to craft a personalized college plan• Three sessions with an application consultant to submit applications• Two additional reviews of each essay by our internal College Readiness

office team• Two additional reviews and a custom design of the résumé by our internal

College Readiness office team• Internal office team support• Focused service to a limited number of students

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Cram Crew is an academic consulting firm filled with multi-talented, life-long learners who only expect one thing: results. We specialize in Academic Support, Test Preparation, and College Readiness. Each Cram Crew session is customizable, convenient, in the client’s home, and with one-on-one attention. Our goal is to create brighter futures one student at a time.

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cramcrew 101