So I see that I have the option to upload a resume on the Common App. Would this be beneficial? Or should I just upload everything to the area where it asks for the activities I do?
I also heard that a lot of colleges like to hear that students do volunteer work during the summer and I have but how should I record that on a resume and/or the activity recorder?
It is best to use the spaces on the CommonApp to list your activities, honors, etc. You also have an ‘additional info’ section that you can fill. Do not leave a space on the CA blank, with a ‘see attached resume’ note. Unless you have some very unusual circumstance, a resume is best avoided, particularly if it only repeats what is already in the application.
A resume is good to have however, to be shared with persons writing recommendations for you, with a professor or coach you may be communicating with, etc.
College don’t like students to do volunteer work over the summer. That’s a myth. They like students to do something they care about, that expands their skill sets, exposes them to the world outside of their school and neighborhood, and hopefully helps them figure would what they want to do once they get to college. Volunteer work is an easy EC for many students because it comes in so many flavors and is so flexible, unlike, say Band.
And there is space in the common app to list your extracurriculars - volunteering is one of those. Like a club. Or a sport. Or a job. Or anything else that you’ve invested your time in. No resume needed. It’s just more paper.