My D’s HS resume was 2 pages and it was fine. She did include some info. that was on the common app but expanded on it (ex. activities). For her, having all of the information (including what was on the common app) proved to be a good thing. She brought her resume for interviews as a springboard for conversation and interviewers did not have her common app information (when she did her interviews the application was not filed yet) so leaving information about academics/activities out would not have been wise. If the OP uses his/her resume for interviews as well, this should be considered.
My work resume is 1 page (after many years of working), but my D’s HS resume was more in-depth on things like ECs – the HS resume had a different purpose from my work resume IMO.
You’re free to disagree, but it might be worth pointing out that I’ve been a teacher and college admissions consultant for 14 years. The only student I knew who might have needed more than a page was one of the most decorated students in Korean high school history, and even her resume was improved by being condensed to a single page.
Okay so I decided to e-mail some University admission offices and see what they had to say. A few have replied.
My mail: " … I have a question about what I should put in the “Additional Information” section in the Common App. I have added ten activities in the “Activities” section, but I still have many more. Should I add them to the Additional Information section? I’m also uploading a résumé which has these extra activities. Will it become too repetitive? …"
Princeton: “… I would recommend that you just upload the resume rather than also listing the additional activities a second time.”
UPenn: “… We suggest keeping your additional activities on your resume. We certainly want to see all the ways you’re involved, but it does streamline things if you have more activities listed on your resume.”
UMass Amherst: "… If your additional activities are reflected in your Resume that should suffice, but it will not hurt you if you have it in both places. "
PS: For the early apps, I got tired of researching for hours trying to make a decision. I ended up writing the other ECs in the AI briefly, and sent the 4 page (sigh) resume as well. At the top of the resume, I added a note saying that it was a comprehensive and detailed list of my accomplishments and activities since the ninth grade and some activities may have been repeated in “Activities” and “AI” but not in sufficient detail.
For RD apps I will try to incorporate all the advice on this thread along with any further suggestions.
Please keep us posted on your progress @samc24 Obviously there were conflicting opinions on this thread and you went with your gut. It would be helpful to know how it all turned out for you.
Glad you got the information you wanted and got your early applications in. I did think that if you upload a resume it should be a complete one. Curious if you asked the admission officers about preferred resume length (your original question)?
I would still try to hammer the resume down to two pages going forward (consolidate, less detail, put like items together etc.) as: 1) admissions officers have limited time with each admission package and sometimes less, more focused can be more valuable and 2) if you go for interviews and hand an interviewer a four page resume as a springboard for a half hour conversation it could just be too much for the interviewer to process quickly.
Whatever route you go, it is your resume/your application so you get to make the final call. I wish you the best as you move along the process.
@happy1 ah, no I didn’t ask them about résumé length, stupid move
Guess I’ll email them again in a week or so haha
And yup I’m gonna work on making it around 2 pages so I’m prepared for any scenario
Thanks!
