Field Trips as Credential on College App

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I was chatting at a party a couple nights ago and a bright high schooler mentioned that she'd just learned that trips taken outside of school could be listed on her "resume." At first, I thought she'd misspoken, but she repeated that if the trip was something done on the student's own initiative or with the family, it could go on.

 

I'd not heard of students doing resumes before. Yet when I searched, I'm seeing sample resumes even on some official state education sites.

 

Thoughts about the necessity or desirability of a resume for high schoolers?

 

Thoughts about putting field trips on them as an activity?

[klmama]

I think it makes sense. The college wants to know what students have done, both in school and out. I've seen trips listed among things to include on several college websites.

[Brenda in MA]

I've listed pertinent field trips under a course description. I've listed an art museum trip with an art course, a visit to several places in Washington, DC as part of a US Government course, a trip to a Shakespeare play with a literature course, etc. I've never heard of or thought about listing trips taken separately on some kind of student resume.

 

Brenda

[regentrude]

I would not put "field trips" that last a day (it makes no sense to tell them about every theater or museum visit or day hike), but I can see a point in listing longer trips that take a substantial amount of time.

For example, the reason my children do not attend any summer camps (which would be listed as activities) is that we travel. In order to explain what they do over the summer instead of attending camps, it would make sense if they listed that they spend four weeks each year in Europe for language immersion, and that they spend several weeks hiking and backpacking in the US... they are not wasting their time playing video games, but have passions and educational activities they pursue, in the form of travel. If the purpose if to paint a picture of the student's unique interests and experiences, I would say travel definitely belongs.