Resume - another common app question

[OnMyOwn]

There is a section on the common app to give detailed info about student activities. Then, on the individual college section, there is a section to upload a resume. I'm thinking the resume will just be a repeat of the student activities section for my ds. He has 10 solid activities, but that is it. Should I do the resume as well?

[freesia]

We are only doing it for colleges that ask for one. There is not much room in the detailed area and we are glad to have a place to say more.

[OnMyOwn]

Okay, I haven't actually filled out the descriptions yet in the student activities section, so I didn't realize those were very limited for space.

[yvonne]

I really hope "resumes" are optional. My kids only have a handful of activities that can be handled on the ComApp form. A "resume" is going to look pretty ridiculous for them.

 

It's great as an _option_ for someone who's got loads of ECs or outside, non-typical activities or work experience that they want to highlight somewhere. But, requiring a "resume"?  What exactly are they expecting or looking for?

[OnMyOwn]

Yvonne, I was kind of surprised to see this as well. I had never heard of a resume for college admissions until a few months ago. As you know, my ds is not applying to highly selective schools, but at least two of them have a place to upload a resume and link a zeemee account. If there isn't much room to write descriptions for activities on the common app, I can see where it would be useful. We haven't filled out that part of the app yet because my ds has been too busy lately to work on it. I've been googling "college admission resume" to get some ideas. I'm going to wait and see how completely we can describe his activities on the common app before delving into it, though. If it's all going to be a repeat, I don't think I'll do it. As far as the zeemee account, I won't use that for my son, but I may have video of my dd giving the winning speech she did and maybe a Latin oratory and some other stuff. I know your sons are in speech & debate as well.

[OnMyOwn]

And of course, I am the blind leading the blind. I have no real idea how important it is to do that resume or not, so I hope we get some more opinions from others.

[yvonne]

And of course, I am the blind leading the blind. I have no real idea how important it is to do that resume or not, so I hope we get some more opinions from others.

 

Hope we hear more, too, but it is still good to know I'm not the only one struggling with some of these hoops.

 

You're ahead of me.... I wouldn't even have known what zeemee was! 

[JanetC]

We did the resume (U of Arizona asked for one) to have extra characters versus the activities section.

 

On the Common App, for science fair, all she could put was the total number of awards.

The resume fully lists project titles and the actual names of the awards.

Edited September 30, 2017 by JanetC

[GoodGrief]

If his resume is just a repeat of other info in the Common App, I would not worry about it. But if you need a little extra room to expand on activities, that is a good place to do it. Don't make the resume overly long though.

[lisabees]

Thanks for asking the question.  DD just doesn't have much to put on a resume - the activity section has plenty of room.  She originally thought the resume was a place to list jobs!