<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I'm beginning the graduate school application process, and a lot of the programs that I'm interested in require a CV. I'm really concerned about this because I attend a very large school, and I haven't had the best experience here. I had a very difficult time adjusting to college life (due mainly to extreme shyness), so I was never active in any student organizations. I didn't get involved in any research (although, as a humanities student, it was difficult to find any opportunities for research). I've never published a paper or given a presentation. Now I'm extremely worried that my CV is going to look pathetic.</p>
<p>I have a 3.9 GPA overall (4.0 in my major), and I'm extremely passionate about the field that I want to study in grad school. How much will having a thin CV hurt me? Are there any (honest) ways to make my CV look more impressive and give the admissions office a good impression of what kind of a student I am?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>People seem to overrate the CV. A CV is just that, a curriculum vitae. Realistically, it shouldn’t take anybody longer than 5-10 minutes to hash out what they’ve done. Don’t elaborate. Admission officers can see right through that. </p>
<p>What you can put on there is already set in stone, so concentrate on the future. Maybe you ought to take a couple years off to get some experience under your belt.</p>
<p>Perhaps the question wasn’t clear. I’m looking for truthful ways to give the admissions committee an impression of what kind of a student I am. Although, in retrospect, I do wish I’d been more proactive, I am a good student who is motivated and passionate. I’m looking for suggestions as to how to clearly communicate that via a CV.</p>
<p>But the thing is you don’t communicate that in a CV. A real CV is actually just a glamourized list. Save that other stuff for the personal statement. :)</p>
<p>University, major, GPA, coursework, work experience with one or two bullets, activities at school, research experience, language and computer skills. Done. Unless you have multiple publications and presentations, one page.</p>