How to Write a College Resume (+ Templates)

“I wasn’t accepted by my first college pick. My college application simply missed the mark. If only I’d known then what I know now! I’d have gotten into Harvard, Princeton, or any school I wanted.”

You don’t have to make the same mistake. With our dedicated college resume template and simple instructions, you’ll write a high school resume for college that paves the way for your future success.

This college resume guide will show you:

• A college resume template suited for high school graduates.
• How important is the resume for college application, and how to write one.
• Tips and examples on how to craft the best high school resume for college and get admitted to the most prestigious schools.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Create your resume now

Use this resume template

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.

College Resume Templates

Based on the analysis of 11 million resumes made in the Zety Resume Builder, these are the top three template choices for high school resumes.

Concept

Use this resume template

Consider this creative resume template. It melds infographic elements with a classic design to create one of our most original resumes, ideal for those preferring a reverse-chronological format. It features a slender left sidebar reserved solely for dates, crafting a clear timeline.

Cascade

Use this resume template

Cascade is a visually appealing resume template that’s both attractive and practical. Its reliable formatting ensures it will pass through Applicant Tracking Systems and land on the recruiter's desk. With its emphasis on readability and style, Cascade effectively showcases your professional achievements.

Diamond

Use this resume template

This student resume template is designed to make you shine brightly. Diamond-shaped icons capture attention, and the bold contrast underscores your confidence. It’s the perfect resume for letting your academic achievements speak for themselves.

High-School Resume For a College Application Example

Create your resume now

High-School Resume For a College Application Example With No Work Experience

Having work experience is a bonus but not a necessity. If you’ve never worked a job before, it’s fine. Just focus on your academic achievements and bonus sections, like certifications.

Here’s a sample college resume with no experience:

Create your resume now

College Resume Example With Internship Experience

Internships are a great way to get hands-on experience. They also look great on college resumes. Here’s a sample resume for a high school resume for college application with internship experience:

Create your resume now

High-School Resume For a College Application Sample With Job Experience

Internships aren’t the only way for students to gain experience. Regular entry-level jobs are also a great choice. You might think that being a server or a fast-food chef gives you no actual valuable achievements, but I’ll show you that you’re wrong.

See this sample resume for college with experience:

Create your resume now

How Important Is Your Resume for College Application?

While attaching a resume to a college application is not always required, it can be a valuable component. Some institutions prefer receiving a traditional resume over a conventional application form.

A well-crafted resume for college application gives a full view of your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, internships, and awards. Through a resume, you can emphasize your unique skills, passions, or any other qualifications or achievements that can’t be fitted into an online application form, an essay, or a letter of recommendation.

How to Write a College Resume:

1. Format Your College Resume Template The Right Way

Remember that one colleague who got an F due to illegible writing? Don’t make the same mistake. You can have the best college admissions resume in the world, but it won’t even be read if it's poorly formatted.

Here are a handful of tips to create a great-looking high-school-for-college resume format:

• Start with the reverse-chronological resume format that displays your most recent achievements at the top.
• Use big headings on your resume and plenty of white space. That’ll show your resume strengths quickly.
• Apply the best resume fonts. Calibri, Cambria, or Georgia are amongst the most recommended ones. For size, use 11–12 points.
• Set the resume margins to 1 inch on all sides and line spacing to 1–1.15.
• Strive for the ideal resume length, which is one page.
• Save your high school resume for college as a PDF to keep it clean and well-formatted.

Make sure you include these resume parts:

• Header: name plus contact information.
• Introduction: A quick pitch of your best qualities.
• Education: as many relevant academic achievements as you can think of.
• Experience: if applicable to you.
• Skills: your personal best skills.
• Other sections: to make you stand out from the crowd.

Pro Tip: If you’re reading this and don’t have a LinkedIn profile, it’s not too late. Just use our guide to LinkedIn magic here.

2. Make The Education Section in Your College Resume Powerful

Does education matter on a high school resume for college? Ask no more. There’s no better way to highlight your high school experience and the good grades that you have on your record.

Here’s what to include in your resume education section:

• High school name and location
• GPA score
• Graduation date (past or future)

But don’t just stop there. Add relevant achievements like:

• Honor Roll or Dean’s List
• National Honor Society membership
• Academic awards and scholarships
• Leadership roles in clubs or organizations
• Participation in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses
• Extracurricular activities, such as sports teams, debate club, or music ensembles
• Volunteer work or community service (unless you want to put them in a separate section)
• Special projects or research
• School competitions or fairs (e.g., science fairs, math competitions)

3. Show Your Experience on a Resume for College

You made it this far. You’ve got a good start on your college resume objective, activities, and education. But, as a college applicant, you might need to put your work experience on a resume for college applications, too.

Here’s how to write this section:

• Put your current or the last job title you had as the first one and work backward.
• Add the firm’s name and the dates of when you started and finished working there.
• Add 3–6 bullet points of achievements and qualifications. A good college resume template requires relevant achievements. Don’t just list your regular duties.

Here’s an example list of responsibilities for a server resume:

High-School Resume For College Application Responsibilities

• Provided excellent customer service to patrons in a fast-paced restaurant environment.
• Took food and beverage orders accurately and efficiently, ensuring adherence to customer preferences and dietary restrictions.
• Delivered orders promptly and maintained a positive attitude under pressure, contributing to a pleasant dining experience.
• Assisted in setting up and closing down dining areas, including cleaning tables and organizing utensils.
• Collaborated with kitchen staff to ensure orders were prepared correctly and delivered in a timely manner.
• Managed cash transactions and processed payments accurately, demonstrating math and money-handling skills.
• Followed health and safety guidelines, including food handling and sanitation procedures, to maintain a clean and hygienic workspace.

When writing your bullet points, remember to use action verbs. They will make your accomplishments sound much more impactful. Here are some common action verb examples for college resumes:

High-School Resume For College Application Action Verbs

• Achieved
• Led
• Participated
• Organized
• Managed
• Created
• Volunteered
• Developed
• Assisted
• Coordinated
• Contributed
• Designed
• Improved
• Presented
• Mentored

4. Recall Impressive Activities on a College Resume

Remember the candidate who didn’t get into their first-choice school? They wish they had a do-over. You’re right before your first attempt, so roll up your sleeves, and do the best you can.

Improve your college application resume with a selection of activities, hobbies, and interests. Don’t put in your resume things like “I was on the swim team” or “I like reading.” Write “Co-captain in a varsity swim team” or “Read 100+ books about science within the last three years” instead.

Don’t list every achievement at random. Focus on the ones that match the school. For instance, if you apply to a top computer science school, show CS achievements first on your high school resume for college.

Pro Tip: If you're trying to get into Harvard Business School, your college resume should highlight your leadership skills and accomplishments.

5. Highlight Your Unique Skills in a Resume for College

You have exactly what it takes to succeed. But it does matter how you prove you’ll contribute. First, know what skills admissions officers value. Next, highlight them on your college resume.

Don’t you know what skills to put on your resume for college application? I’ve made a quick list of soft and hard skills just right for college applicants:

List of Skills to Put on a College Resume

• Strong Work Ethic
• Communication
• Time Management
• Collaboration Skills
• Fast Learner
• Self-Motivated
• Interpersonal Skills
• Listening
• Problem-Solving
• Computer Skills
• Tech Skills
• MS Office
• Math
• Science
• Physics
• History
• Programming
• Social Media 
• Public Speaking

6. Add Extra Sections to Your College Resume Template

While a professional resume emphasizes work experience and qualifications, a college resume focuses mostly on extracurricular activities and achievements. That’s why you must fill your resume with the right details describing your unique passions, talents, and interests.

Here are some suggestions of what to put on a resume for college:

• Awards & Recognition: List competitions (essay, speaking, spelling, storytelling, art) or perfect attendance.
• Teen Jobs: Use part-time or summer gigs to show your work ethic.
• Volunteer Work: Bake sales, GoFundMe projects, hours logged at Goodwill, or other work you did for free.
• Social Media Followings: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Have you built up an impressive following? Show it!
• Personal Projects: Websites built, art portfolios or shows, or public service projects. Anything you put your heart into can look good on a high school resume for college.
• Sports: List varsity teams or captainships. Show track, football, LaCrosse, powerlifting, soccer, baseball, or other sports.
• Leadership Positions: Are you an Eagle Scout? 4-H member? Official or unofficial clubs or groups can bolster college resumes.
• Language Skills: If you’re fluent in French, Spanish, German, or any other language, show it.

Pro Tip: Use details. Don’t just say: Eagle Scout. Say: Eagle Scout with 200+ hours of community service. For Eagle Project, raised $3,000 for people without housing.

7. Write the Perfect College Resume Objective

How does an admissions department read 30,000+ applications? They don’t. They skim your resume in less than 10 seconds, according to our HR statistics report. The good news is that they will likely read the rest if your resume objective is great.

Here’s how to write the perfect introduction for a college resume:

1. Start with an adjective like diligent or dedicated.
2. Add your title (high school student, high school senior).
3. Cite your goal (contribute to the University of California with a commitment to excellence and community service).
4. Optionally, list years of experience (1, 1+, 2).
5. Share your work and school achievements and skills.
6. Proofread to ensure you pass.

Impressive resume achievements are what admission officers look for when flipping through college resumes. 

Pro Tip: Including a captivating introduction to your CV is key as it decides if a recruiter will continue reading your application.

8. Supplement With a Compelling College Cover Letter

You have your resume for college ready. Do you need anything else? Well, yes. Even if the admission office says the cover letter is optional, it’s better to send it over, too. In fact, they’ll be pleasantly surprised to receive it.

But don’t worry, it won’t take as long as that one essay you wrote a couple of months ago. Keep in mind the following tips, and you’ll create a cover letter sooner than you think:

• Make it personal by using the dean’s name.
• Say why this school is so important to you.
• Show what you have to offer.
• End your cover letter on a positive note: I'd appreciate the opportunity to discuss how I can enrich the student body at Elon University.
• If you apply to various colleges, tailor your letters to particular institutions. Plus, use a college application checklist to ensure you don’t forget a thing.

Pro Tip: Always follow up on a college application resume and cover letter. An email or letter in a week or two works best.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Trying to get into a specific school? See these guides:

• Resume for Graduate School
• Resume for Medical School
• Medical Student CV
• Resume for Law School
• Resume for MBA

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://reportcenter.highered.texas.gov/reports/data/unt-successfully-navigating-the-college-application-process/
• https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/CollegePlanning/media/pdf/BigFuture-College-Application-Checklist.pdf