Introduction
Welcome to this course on drafting your resume or CV.
A resume is a one-page document that summarizes your academic background, extracurricular involvement, work experiences, achievements, and other relevant skills or interests. As a high school student, your resume should be no longer than one page. This requires careful curation—only include what is most relevant to your application.
Module 1: Resumé Sections
Every resume should have the following sections.
Header
Your header appears at the very top of your resume and should include:
- Full Name (in bold, larger font)
- Email Address
- Phone Number (with international country code)
- Applicant Number (if available)
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Priya Suresh
priyasuresh@email.com | +91-9876543210 | Application ID: 123456789
Academic Background
List all high schools and academic institutions you’ve attended. For each, include:
- Name of School
- Location (City, Country)
- Dates of Attendance (Month/Year – Month/Year)
- Achievements or Highlights (honors, coursework, GPA if impressive, academic awards)
If you attended a summer school, study abroad program, or a university-level course, include those as well.
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The International School of Geneva – Geneva, Switzerland August 2021 – June 2025
- IB Diploma Candidate; GPA: 3.7/4.0
- Coursework: Higher Level Biology, Chemistry, and English
- Academic Honor Roll (2022–2024)
Extracurricular Activities, Leadership, or Job Experience
This section should take up the majority of the page and should be tailored to your unique involvement outside the classroom. Students will often divide the activities section of their résumé into two sections. You should organize this section in a way that highlights your strengths. If you spend the majority of your time outside of the classroom either doing sports or community service, you might want to organize your activities section accordingly.
Common sub-categories include:
- Musical Activities
- Sports and Athletics
- Community Service
- Leadership Roles
- Internships/Work Experience
- Research and Publications
How to Write Résumé Descriptions:
- The first line of each activity aligned to the Left should contain the title of the activity or organization you contributed to, followed underneath it by your title, position or job description.
- Across from the activity title and position on the Right, you should include time period (Month, Year – Month, Year) in which you participated in said activity and the location (Province, State)..
- Always use short, concise phrases, not full sentences. Separate ideas using colons (:) or dashes (–).
- Quantify your impact wherever possible. When deciding what to include, think about: What did I do? How often? How many people were involved? What was the result?
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Geneva Youth Orchestra September 2021 – Present
Principal Violinist Geneva, Switzerland
- Led section of 15: performed in 12+ annual concerts – soloist in 2023 Gala
- Audition-selected: top 5% of applicants
Global Health Club August 2022 – June 2024
President Seoul, South Korea
- Directed monthly service projects: health workshops for 200+ students
- Coordinated international speaker events – raised $3,000 for clinics
Starlight Café June 2023 – August 2023
Barista (Part-Time) Vancouver, British Columbia
- Managed cash register: $1,200+ daily sales
- Trained 3 new employees – reduced customer wait time by 30%
Awards and Honors
This section highlights your achievements in competitions, academics, and other recognized areas. It can look similar to what you wrote for the Honors section of the Common App.
For each award, include:
- Name of the Award
- Who granted it (school, national body, competition)
- Your level of recognition (school, regional, national, international)
- Your rank or placement (if applicable)
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- National Chemistry Olympiad Finalist – Top 1% of 15,000 national participants
- School Debate Champion – 1st place, inter-school tournament (15 schools competing)
Languages, Certifications, and Interests
This final section gives a more personal and well-rounded view of who you are.
Languages: List languages and proficiency levels (Fluent, Conversational, Native, Basic, or include your IELTs score)
Certifications: Include relevant certifications (e.g., First Aid, Life Guard Certification, online courses with certificates)
Interests: This section can help build a connection with your reader. Include:
- Hobbies (e.g., cooking, swimming, reading historical fiction)
- Unique passions (e.g., competitive chess, Japanese calligraphy)
- Fun facts (e.g., visited 15 countries, collects vintage maps)
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Languages: French (Fluent), English (Full Professional Fluency), Spanish (Limited Professional Fluency)
Certifications: HarvardX Certificate in Data Science (2024), CPR Certified
Interests: Baking sourdough bread, graphic novels, Formula 1 racing
Module 2: Key Differences Between US/British and French Resumes
If you’re familiar with CVs or résumés from your home country, take note of the following differences when applying to US and UK universitie:
- No Photos: U.S. resumes never include a photo.
- No Biographical Info: Do not include birthdate, nationality, gender, religion, or marital status.
- No Objective/Summary Section: Skip resume summaries—jump straight into your accomplishments.
- Concise Format: Use bullet points and brief phrases instead of full paragraphs.
- Language Quality Matters: Have a native English speaker or mentor proofread for fluency and tone.
- Standardize Formatting: U.S. admissions officers prefer one-page resumes. Make sure that format remains consistent throughout. Font size should be around 11 pt font Times New Roman. You can adjust headers and footers to optimize space. Ensure that text is large enough to be readable to the average reader.
If you still have questions about formatting, this website is a great place to find out more.
Exercise 1:
Now you try!
Begin by making a copy of this résumé template and writing in your activities and honors. Share this résumé with your mentor once you have completed the first draft.