Mercury has teamed with the Unigo Network to bring PHS students up to date and accurate information about the college admission process. Applying to college is a big deal- take some time to read what the experts say before you complete your applications.
The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US
answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions
and succeeding after high school
Including a resume along withthe application can illuminate some of the interesting and unique activities or
jobs that a student has outside of the classroom. In this week’s column,
experts weigh in on the most common mistakes students make on their resumes, so
that you can avoid them.
“What are some common mistakes students make on their resumes?” —Allison Williams,
Somerville, MA
See all 27 answers to this week’s question
A: Highlight what makes you tick, and keep it brief
One of the biggest mistakes students make is filling their resumes with information
that can be found in the application or on transcripts, like grades, names of
classes, and test scores, to name a few. Remember: A resume should expand on,
not repeat, information included elsewhere in the application. If it doesn’t
add anything, it’s wasted space (and time for the reviewer). Another pitfall is
poor organization. Make sure the order and grouping of activities highlight
what makes the student tick. Aside from that, keep it simple! Brief and
informative is better than overly packaged any day.
Nicole Oringer — Partner – Ivy Educational Services
A: Resumes: A Way to Showcase Who You Are
Supplementing the colleges’ own pointed questions, a well-crafted resume can help complete
the picture of the applicant. In writing
a resume students should avoid endless lists.
Instead, the resume should highlight the things that really matter to
the student, the activities and recognitions that illustrate their true talents
and passions, not their ability to be a joiner or a follower. Effective resumes give the admissions people
a better sense of who an applicant is and what they offer the prospective
college community, since in the end, whether applicants are what the shapers of
that community want is what the admission process is about.
Bill Pruden – Head of Upper School, College Counselor – Ravenscroft
School
A: Resume no-no’s
Resume Rules: Don’t do a sloppy job of proofreading. Misspelled words and incorrect
punctuation can undermine the effect of an otherwise strong record. Don’t
assume that your reader is familiar with the particular language and
abbreviations of your high school. (EdStrat Chair is a meaningless title unless
the reader knows what EdStrat is.) Don’t include anything except
accomplishments and activities from grades 9-12. The fact that you won an art
award in 6th grade doesn’t belong on a high school resume. Don’t include
anything that you don’t want to talk about in an interview. If you list it,
you’re inviting your interviewer to ask about it.
Susan Marrs –
Director of College Counseling – Seven Hills School
A: “We want depth, not breadth!”
Students often think that they need dozens and dozens of clubs, activities, awards, and
leadership positions to impress admission counselors. A long list of these things on a resume is
not what we are seeking – and we can’t tell at all what is important to the
student. What we are looking for is a
student that is passionate – and involved – in a few things. Articulation of these passions is what we are
looking for – and what impresses us most.
Roby Blust – Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Planning – Marquette University
Find
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College Visits to PHS
19-Oct 8:30 AM SUNY Oswego
19-Oct 10:45 AM SUNY Canton
24-Oct 11:45 AM Johnson State College
24-Oct 1:00 PM University of Hartford
25-Oct 10:00 AM Ursinus College
26-Oct 11:30 AM Lasell College
27-Oct 8:30-10:30 AM College Fair (in the Cafeteria)