How To Write A Resume For University Applications (with Tips)

Check out these helpful resume writing tips and resources to help you write an impressive resume and secure admission to the best universities abroad. The most important part of developing an effective and impressive resume is to realize and understand the purpose of creating this document. You need to understand that your resume is not an autobiography; it is a summary of your professional and academic qualifications and achievements.

Writing a good academic resume is super important when you're applying to universities abroad. It helps you show your educational background, skills, projects, and other things that make you a strong student. A resume is not a life story; it is just a summary of your main academic and professional achievements.

To help you write an impressive resume to secure admission at your dream universities abroad, we are listing out some helpful resume-writing tips and resources. Before beginning to write your resume, you need to understand the importance and purpose of this document. Check details on how to write a better academic resume in the article below.  

What is an Academic Resume?

An academic resume (also called a student resume or university resume) is made mainly for college and university applications. It shows your school performance, extracurriculars, internships, and other stuff like volunteering or workshops. It is different from a job resume because it focuses more on your studies and learning experiences.

Your resume is also used during the student visa process, so it should be well-made and error-free. You can go through the student visa guide for study abroad to get an understanding of the requirements of what to include in your resume.

Resume Tips for UG, MS, and MBA Students

• UG resume: For undergraduate applications, the focus should be on academic credentials and extracurricular activities 

• MS resume: Applicants need to highlight their research interests and breakthroughs 

• MBA resume: Aspirants must showcase their leadership abilities. 

As and when you start working on your academic resume, the first task is to create subheadings for clarity. Begin with Academic Qualifications, followed by Professional Experience, Academic Projects, Internships, Achievements, Technical Skills, Co-curricular Activities (including Seminars, Publications, Workshops, and Presentations), Extracurricular Activities, and Community Service. You can consider dividing your Work Experience into Professional and Entrepreneurial Ventures (if any). The contents of each section must be in bullet points, following reverse chronological order (mentioning the most recent event/occurrence first).

Related Links

• How to Prepare Resume for MBA Application
• How to Prepare Resume for MS Application
• How to Prepare Resume for UG Application

Additionally, prioritize your content as per your academic or professional profile. This would upgrade the quality of your resume and make it noteworthy. For instance, writing a quantifiable achievement before a general contribution or responsibility will leave a good impression on the reader. List all your significant accomplishments at your workplace. Further, use action verbs; these are generally used to describe roles in a project, internship or job; using effective and appropriate verbs will break the monotony of the document.

Key Resume Format for Students

Use these subheadings in your resume to get a better attention:

1. Academic Qualifications
2. Internships & Projects
3. Professional or Work Experience (if any)
4. Achievements
5. Technical Skills
6. Co-curricular Activities (like seminars, presentations, publications)
7. Extracurricular Activities
8. Community Work / Volunteering

Keep all points in bullet format, not big paragraphs. Write your most recent work or degree first (reverse order).

Know How to Make an Impressive Academic Resume 

Given below are some key pointers to create an effective resume: 

• Use bullets to provide a clean/organized look. Do not write in paragraphs. Each bullet point should preferably be in a single line. Writing too much in each point will lead to over-crowding of the draft.   

• Add complete contact information in your resume. This means that you need to include your full name, complete postal address (including flat/house number, building, street name, area, city, pin code, state and country), along with your contact number and email address. Avoid funky email addresses that you may have created when you were younger. If needed, you can create a new and more mature and formal email ID.   

• Pay Attention to Formatting: It is important and must be done neatly and carefully. Except for the name and contact details which are centred, the rest of the document should be in justified alignment. Use easily readable fonts and font sizes like Times New Roman/Arial with 11 or 12-point size. Use 14-point size for the name. The rest of the content can be uniform. 

• Restrict the length of the document: Undergraduate and Master’s resumes should be within two A-4 pages and MBA Resume must not be more than one page in length. Your academic resume should not be very long. Divide it into clear subheadings, with the more important information mentioned first. Always begin with academic qualifications in academic resumes. MBA resumes, on the contrary, begin with work experience. 

• Mention location, dates and durations: Make sure that you have answered ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ for all points. They should be written in reverse chronological order, mentioning the most recent thing first. 

• Proofread your resume thoroughly: You must read and proofread your resume at least 2-3 times before submitting it. Take help from your family, your teacher or a professional to help you create an authentic and error-free resume. 

• Check all details: Whatever you mention on the document must be true, correct and verifiable. Information in different sections and across different documents must be in sync. Take that extra effort to verify dates and durations, along with other formal details, with the documents.  

• Follow stipulated formats: In case a resume format has been suggested by the university or college, the applicant must adhere to it strictly. In some instances, your university may provide a template or guidelines, which must be followed. 

• Know your resume: Do not mention anything in your resume that you are not sure of or have little idea about. Never write fake or incorrect information just for the sake of adding content. This may lead to rejection.

Also, Read

• Difference between MS and MBA Resume
• How to Present Professional Experience in Resume

Resume vs CV – What's the Difference?

Many students ask if they need a resume or CV for studying abroad.

• A resume is short (1–2 pages) and used for UG, MBA, and most MS programs.
• A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is longer and used for PhD or research-based programs.

Always check what your university asks for.