<p>Most of the graduate programs I am applying to do not request a CV, but I've heard that it is a smart idea to include one anyway.</p>
<p>My problem is.....I'm not really sure what I would put in a CV. I'm an undergraduate and do not have any publications, posters, etc. I have 3 years of research experience, but I've been in the same lab so it would only be ONE point on my CV. I haven't really received any honors, unless undergraduate scholarships count (I've received tons of those, but I don't know if it is relevant) So basically, I'm afraid my CV will look empty and pathetic. Suggestions? Anyone else in a similar position?</p>
<p>If you don’t have anything impressive on a CV…don’t include one, especially if they don’t ask for one. It’s unnecessary information that is likely to only repeat what’s already in your application.</p>
<p>A CV doesn’t become important until you’re already in grad school; then you get stuff to put on it.</p>
<p>(BTW, when the time comes, undergraduate scholarships DO count - while you’re in the beginning stages of graduate school. Once you get enough honors in grad school, the undergrad ones come off except for some really big ones, and when you graduate they come off completely.)</p>
<p>As an UG thinking about grad school - IMHO, you SHOULD have the skills to craft a resume/CV. This is a very important skill you should have before graduating. Does your school have a career center type of office that could help you (I think most schools do) - when I was an UG, they had some great handouts on making a resume/CV and examples from different disciplines (which was great as they had some science/lab-related ones) and you could email/sit down with them to go over what you made. This type of help can be hard to come by/expensive post-college (if you go into the real world). It’s important to have a resume/CV ‘on file’ just in case (you never know when someone/something will request a resume/CV). You might be under-selling yourself here. Your resume/CV should list basics like name, contact info (address, email, phone), education info (school, degree, grad. year, GPA, etc), relevant experience - even if you have only one lab, include sub bullet points of what projects you have worked on and results/outcomes of that work, also you can make a list of skills acquired in lab/classes/etc. (eg. electron microscopy, protein crystallization, a mouse surgical technique, whatever), plus maybe you have other relevant experience (being a tutor, TA, other positions of responsibility/leadership, etc), list awards (scholarships are good)… This is good practice to craft this! Don’t wait to make your first CV/resume. Even if you choose not to include the resume/CV in the end, it’s still a valuable process.</p>