College Resume?

I don’t know whether to include my college resume or not when I already have all my information down in the activities section. Seems quite repetitive, but I also don’t want to seem as if I didn’t try. Should I submit the optional college resume?

If all the same info is already on the application, you don’t ned to send it. If your resumé includes info that you were not able to put on the application, then send it.

You’ve discovered the exact reason why colleges asked the Common App to disable the resume upload functionality a few years ago – it’s mostly repetitive stuff that adds ZERO to the evaluation process in 99% of cases.

Don’t waste your energy. Have a great New Year’s Eve!

No need to submit your resume at all. Relax—no one judges your effort in applying or interest in a school based on whether or not you submit a resume. Good luck!

Don’t send a redundant document.

Certainly the adcom are not interested in reading more redundant information, even for recommendation letters with the same content.

We didn’t for much the same reason however I feel 99.9% of resumes are easier to read than the activities section as they have to see it. I wish they would either eliminate the activities section in favor of a resume, or give more character spots to each activity so you could actually describe what you did there in a cohesive manner. The way it is now is terrible.

It is annoying to admissions to have to try to figure out what is different between the app and resume (what is new info). Usually it is not helpful.

@redpoodles you assume that colleges even CARE about that level of detail. That’s a poor assumption IMHO

You don’t need a resume.

Nope, don’t need it and no, they are not easier to read. They’re usually redundant (and how annoying to find something valuable not included in the standard activities section) and stuffed with irrelevant extras. Adcoms don’t need to know, eg, how you placed in each debate contest, roles in each play, or every single vol action you did via NHS. For the top colleges, the ability to self edit is important.

If there is a must-add, you write 2 or 3 sentences in Addl Info. Brief.

For some reason some programs require a resume be attached to the application, so look at your school’s admissions requirements.