How to Write a College Resume: Templates & Examples

Imagine missing out on your dream school just because your application didn’t stand out. Don’t let that happen to you! With our dedicated college resume templates, examples, and a step-by-step guide, you’ll create a high school resume for college application that highlights your strengths and makes a lasting impression. This is your chance to open doors to the future you’ve been working toward!

This college resume guide will show you:

• A college resume template suited for high school graduates.
• How important is the resume for a college application.
• How to make a resume for college and what to put on a college resume.
• 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.

How Important Is Your Resume for College?

Yes, it’s true that not every college requires a resume—but including one can be highly beneficial. College applications usually provide an Activities List section, which is an ideal space to showcase your extracurriculars and accomplishments. However, some colleges encourage submitting a separate, PDF-style resume.

The perfect resume for college is one that gives a full view of your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, internships, and awards. You can use it to emphasize unique skills or experiences that may not fit neatly into application forms, essays, or recommendations. Additionally, having your college resume on hand can serve you in other ways, such as supporting teachers and counselors in writing recommendation letters or preparing you with talking points for interviews.

If the college application has the option to submit a resume, check that university’s specific preferences—some institutions encourage it, while others may restrict it. A thoughtfully created college resume can make your application memorable and underscore what sets you apart.

Read more: What Makes a Resume Good?

Top College Resume Templates

Here’s my advice—use a template and get your college resume ready in less than 15 minutes. Check out this hand-picked selection of our most popular resume templates:

Cubic College Resume Template

Use this resume template

Cubic is the definition of a minimalist resume template—perfect if you want your college resume to look clean, modern, and easy to read. Its balanced layout helps admissions teams quickly find what they’re looking for, from your academic achievements to extracurriculars. The sidebar is especially handy for listing your contact details and skills—ideal for making a strong first impression!

Tip: Use the Activities section to showcase your unique experiences, like clubs, volunteer work, or personal projects. Don’t be afraid to get specific! Admissions officers love seeing details like leadership roles, awards, or skills you’ve mastered. With Cubic, you’ll be able to show off everything that makes you a well-rounded applicant in a professional, stylish way.

Modern College Resume Template

Use this resume template

The Modern template is a fantastic choice if you want your college resume to look fresh and professional. With its bold section headings and neat layout, this design lets admissions officers easily navigate through your experiences and accomplishments. The sidebar keeps all your personal info and skills neatly organized, while the main section lets you showcase activities and education, with plenty of room for detail.

Tip: Use the Activities section to tell a story about your leadership roles or unique projects you’ve worked on. The Modern template’s clean structure also makes it easy to highlight standout achievements, so don’t shy away from mentioning awards or special skills. This modern resume template is all about making your accomplishments shine!

Vibes College Resume Template

Use this resume template

The Vibes template is a great pick if you’re aiming for a sleek, polished look. Its stylish resume icons and clean font make it easy to read while giving your resume a modern edge. The organized sections help you showcase everything from personal info and skills to activities and academics, making it a solid choice for resumes for college applications.

Tip: Use the icons to draw attention to each section, and make the most of the Activities area to highlight any leadership roles or creative projects. With Vibes, you can show off a well-rounded profile that’s both professional and visually appealing. This eye-catching resume template is perfect if you want to impress with both content and design!

In the next chapter, I will show you what should the perfect college resume look like.

Read more: The Best Resume Layout: Expert Tips + Templates

College Resume Example

1. Format Your College Resume Template The Right Way

Remember that one bro who got an F due to illegible writing? Don’t make the same mistake. I assure you—even the best college admissions resume in the world won’t get read if it’s poorly formatted!

How to make a resume for college that’s easy to look at:

• Start with the reverse-chronological resume format that displays your most recent achievements at the top.
• Use big headings 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.
• Strive for the ideal resume length for your college resume format, which is one page.
• Save your high school resume for college as a PDF to keep it clean and well-formatted.

Considering alternative college resume formats? See our guide: Best Resume Format: How to Format Your Resume Right

2. Add Contact Details to Your Resume for College Application

Getting started with your college resume is easy. All it takes is to fill in your contact details section, so the admission officer can proceed with your application. The brief below shows how to tackle it.

Your resume’s contact information section should have:

• Full name and address
• Updated phone number
• Professional email address

Like so:

College Application Resume: Examples of Contact Information

Don't forget to add a LinkedIn profile or a personal website if you have one. They can add extra value to your college resume, but only if you refine them. Make them look professional!

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 optimization magic here.

3. Start With 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, as our HR statistics report has proven.

The good news is that if your resume objective is great, they will likely read the rest.

Check out these two college admission resume objective examples:

College Application Resume—Examples of Objectives

This one doesn’t put the applicant in the best light, though it shows some of their passions. See a better example instead:

The second one shows a passionate individual at the start of a professional career but already has some impressive achievements to show off. Admission officers look for this, among other things, when flipping through college applications.

My take: Including a captivating introduction to your resume is key—it may decide if a recruiter will continue reading your application. If you need more inspo, I strongly advise you see these pro examples of how to start a resume the way it grabs attention.

4. 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 on your record.

Here’s what to list in the education section:

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

Don’t just stop there! Add relevant achievements, like in the example below:

College Resume: Examples of Education Section

Let me tell you, that’s not a basic college applicant—it’s someone with leadership abilities, communication skills, and a strong work ethic.

For comparison, here’s an example deserving an F:

It doesn’t tell much—basically, that student went to school and graduated with a certain GPA. But that’s what the majority of applicants do. Be different and mention some remarkable activities and accomplishments you can be proud of.

Use the education section on your high school resume for college to impress the dean. See our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume

5. 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 you might need to put your work experience on a resume for college applications, too.

Look at these two sample work experience sections:

College Application Resume Examples—Experience

See? It shows more than just a job—it shows qualities that matter to admissions officers, like work ethic and interpersonal skills.

In turn, don’t approach your work experience section like this:

A good college resume template requires relevant achievements. Don’t just list your regular duties. Since you need to add only 3–5 resume bullet points to your work experience section, polish them to perfection. 

Make your resume for college applications fun to read with action words. See our guide: 300+ Resume Action Words & Power Words

6. Recall Impressive Activities on a College Resume

I’ve known plenty of folks who didn’t get into their first-choice school. They all wished they had a do-over. You’re on to a good thing with your college resume, but it’s not the time to chill just yet. 

Let’s think how to improve your college application resume. The best way? Pick your selection of activities, hobbies, and interests. But 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.

This college resume example shows how:

College Application Resume—Examples of Activities

Don’t list every achievement at random. If I were you, I’d 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. Trying to get into Harvard Business School? Highlight leadership skills and accomplishments in your college resume.

But avoid writing your college resume using the following tone:

That sample resume for college application will barely make it through the door. Take the time to look into your past. Think about what you’ve achieved and how to showcase it most effectively.

Read more: Hobbies and Interests on a Resume

Making a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a resume ready in minutes.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

7. Highlight Your Unique Skills in a Resume for College

You’ve exactly what it takes to succeed. But it does matter how you prove you’ll be a great contribution to that college. First, know what skills admissions officers value. Next, highlight them on your college resume.

Let’s say you’re applying to a business school that values leadership and literacy. You could just list your skills one after another:

College Admission Resume Examples—Skills

But put yourself in the admissions officer’s shoes. They’ll think, “This applicant is telling me what I want to hear.”

Prove your skills using bullet points instead:

This one sounds much more impressive.

Not sure what skills to put on your resume for college application? Worry not, 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

Soft Skills

• Strong Work Ethic
• Communication
• Time Management
• Collaboration Skills
• Fast Learner
• Self-Motivated
• Interpersonal Skills
• Listening
• Problem-Solving

Hard Skills

• Computer Skills
• Tech Skills
• MS Office
• Math
• Science
• Physics
• History
• Programming
• Social Media 
• Public Speaking

8. 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. Fill your resume with the right details to describe your unique passions, talents, and interests.

Here are some suggestions of sections I would 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 or a 4-H member? Membership in 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: Add details! Don’t just say: Eagle Scout. Say: Eagle Scout with 200+ hours of community service. For Eagle Project, raised $3,000 for the homeless.

9. Write a Compelling College Cover Letter

Your resume for college is ready. Do you need anything else? Well, yes. Even if the admission office says that the cover letter is optional, it’s better if you send one—in fact, they’ll be pleasantly surprised to receive it.

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.

And if you decide you're not so keen on going to college after all, don't worry. There are alternative options available, and you can always decide to apply next year.

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

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

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.

Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of how to write a resume for college admissions:

• Put on your thinking cap. You’ve tons of flashy achievements for a resume for college applications. You just need to do the thinking time.
• Customize your college application resume. Your experience and education bullet points should prove you’ve got the skills to make it through.
• Write your college resume objective last. Stuff it with your best achievements to make the admissions officer stop resting his eyes.
• Make a cover letter. College admission resumes with cover letters have a higher chance of moving up the food chain.

Do you have questions on how to make a college resume? Not sure how to describe your skills or achievements? Give me a shout in the comments! Let's get you into your dream school!

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

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, "Successfully Navigating the College Application Process"
• College Board, "College Application Checklist"