Reasons Why a High School Resume is so Important for Future Students

Upon admission, the average SAT/ACT score is taken into account. It’s another matter if the applicant received a medal “For special achievements in learning”, came on top of the class, was a valedictorian, etc.

What increases the chances of admission? Universities are allowed to take individual achievement into consideration.

Just as it is with a career, it is important to work on your professional identity to help your application shine. Job resumes and high school resumes share much in that regard. So much so that some seek the services of companies like ARC Resumes to write a resume for use in university admissions.

Admissions committees will take into account:

Victories in creative and intellectual contests.
Athletic achievements.
Volunteering.
Compositions.

Details about what a specific university takes into account can be found on their official website or in the admissions office.The high school resume will play a decisive role if people with the same SAT/ACT scores apply for the last spot. Then the one with better grades will enter the university. Conclusion: if you lack standardized test scores, create a winning high school resume. Remember that the high school resume doesn’t excuse you from SAT/ACT. The main emphasis should be placed on preparing for the exam. According to statistics, the passing score is increasing every year.

How to fill out your very first resume?

The most challenging task a student has to solve to write the best high school resume is to indicate the desired specialization correctly. If you are graduating from school and starting your search for a university, then it is best to choose a specialty in the desired field. Still, you need to specify the field of activity as accurately as possible so that the recruiter does not wonder what major you wish to declare. During your studies, did you complete an internship, or maybe more than one? Did you participate in volunteer activities and performed at student forums? Did you earn some money? These are all your experiences and should not be underestimated. Be sure to talk about your education, additional courses, and training that may be useful. Another significant advantage for you is the professional knowledge and skills necessary for your future position. Here it would be best if you offered those of your competencies that will allow you to solve daily tasks. For a prospective lawyer, a sample of this part of the high school resume might look like this:

Knowledge of reference and legal systems.
Ability to work in MSOffice (Excel, Word, Powerpoint).
Ability to draw up legal documents, knowledge of contract law.
Experience in working with people with a complex character.
Ability to ask the right questions to obtain the necessary information and identify or form the client’s position.
Knowledge of a foreign language.

Five crucial tips for first-year students

The first thing a freshman needs to understand is that everything will be completely different at the university. You can no longer hide behind your parents, school attachments are in the past, and your portfolio for career needs to be compiled now. The first course is the beginning of adulthood, which must be approached fully armed. How to form the right circle of acquaintances, set goals and achieve them, and why you should never believe horror stories about teachers.

1. Reset the counter

“Nobody understood me at school,” “I was bad at mathematics,” “I was frightened by public speaking.” Forget about it. All school complexes should remain in the past. If you don’t part with them in time, you will not be able to bite off or chew on what adulthood has to offer. Don’t try to sew your childish shadow onto yourself; even Peter Pan failed. Parents, nostalgically recalling school time, do not dream of turning back into themselves 30 years ago. They want to live an exciting, eventful life, only without unnecessary worries and sores. Give the children this opportunity: stop being a schoolboy yourself and go about your new business.

2. Find out what the university has to offer you

Every mid-summer, dozens of excited parents approach me with freshmen in tow, exhausted by the process of exams and admissions. Few are interested in what is essential for new students. Find out immediately:

What additional educational programs the university implements. Electives, extra-curricular courses, exchange programs with foreign universities.
What student associations exist at the facility. There is a culture of “student fraternities”, as well as excellent alternatives: case clubs, business clubs, debate clubs, scientific societies, circles, incubators, sports, and creative teams. All this makes it easier to study, communicate more, get to know each other, find friends, work, and even love (whoever is lucky).
How the situation with foreign languages is at the university, how many are studied in the framework of the compulsory program, and which are additional. Is it possible with the help of the university to prepare for the TOEFL and IELTS exams?

3. Communicate

Socialization and networking are your main companions for the next four to six years. School friends are similar to summer cottages – they are beautiful, but they are most often united by a territorial feature and shared memories. Once children’s adventures are over, these connections weaken – people find new interests and begin to develop at different rates.

4. Set goals and move towards them

La Monte Young, a minimalist composer (and a maximalist party-goer) once said that the motto “draw a straight line and follow it” determined not only his musical style but his entire subsequent life. From the first year, set yourself big tasks, do not waste time on trifles. Passing a session without fails or just learning is typically not a goal, but a background mode for those who have real dreams. Don’t expect incentive gifts from your parents for your studies; this is decadence. Scale with every achievement. Google all the lists of places where the best professionals in your field work, put together a personal shortlist of companies, businesses, and occupations – and start your crusade right there. Feel free to study well, and don’t feel like it will stop you from having fun outside of class. You will have time for everything, do not save your energy: four years of university is the shortest and fastest runway in life.

5. Build your professional portfolio from the first year

Look for a job in your specialty: not a part-time job as a consultant at Uniqlo, not a waiter at Starbucks, not distributing Amway among your neighbors, but a real job. Let it be free, at a quarter rate, with flexible hours and part-time work. Make yourself business cards. In your first year, write and update your resume every six months. If nothing has changed in the CV in a year, you are doing something wrong. Get a normal email – not “beauty_queen2000@mail.com”, not “hobbit.frodo@ya.com”, but “m.green@gmail.com”.

Apply for any specialized practice and internships, pester lecturers, teachers, deans, and alumni with these requests. Do not be afraid to take on what you do not know and have not yet figured out, do not hesitate to be intrusive in your job search. Save all certificates and include them in your portfolio. This is the best investment you can make in yourself and your future during your student years.

P.S. Trust yourself

If you don’t like and don’t want to study, leave. But just before that, try to figure out what you want to do. The surest way to happiness is to do what you’re passionate about.