Mostly everyone is familiar with submitting resumes for employment, but academic resumes for grad school?
Much like the traditional resume highlights your work experience, the academic resume does the same in describing your major accomplishments across your college career.
You may be asked to submit a copy when requesting letters of recommendation or actually include it in your application package. In a quick glance, professors, supervisors, or even admissions committees can get a clear picture of your overall aptitude to succeed in their program.
Did you do well in your classes? What complementary courses did you take as a minor? Did you seek out any research, volunteer, or practical work experience to get a real-life idea what lies ahead of you in your chosen career? Did you study abroad, intern, or what other interesting background experiences do you bring with you to grad school?
What Needs To Be Included
Every applicant’s academic resume will look a little bit different. This is only natural because everyone has had different experiences throughout their academic career. While there is no “hard and fast” must-have criteria checklist, here is a smattering of information you may consider including:
- GPA
- Major/Minor
- Honors
- Research Experience
- Internships/Practical Work Experience
- Volunteer Experience
- Extracurricular Activities
- Leadership Opportunities
It goes without saying that EVERY academic resume will not have each of these checkpoints. And it’s perfectly OK. The point is to provide a quick sampling of your honors, accomplishments, and academic experiences to fully illustrate that you are well-equipped and well-prepared for grad school success.