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Student Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Whether you just graduated college or you’re taking a gap year before continuing your studies, one thing is for sure.

You’re looking for a job.

All that’s standing between you and your next position is a great resume.

But how can you write a resume that stands out from the crowd if all your experience so far is studying?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Creating a compelling resume to help you stand out from the crowd is easy, even if you’re just starting on your career journey.

And in this guide, we’re going to teach you how. 

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• What Makes a Great Student Resume Example
• 9 Steps to Writing an Amazing Student Resume
• What to Include In Your Student Resume

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Student Resume Example

That’s a great example of a student resume.

Let’s get into the ins and outs of what it does right:

• Keeps everything on one page. Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes daily, so it’s important to stick to a one-page resume so they don’t discard your application straight away.
• Uses a reverse-chronological resume format. This is the favorite resume format for hiring managers worldwide since it puts your most recent achievements and experiences first.
• Includes professional contact details. This section should always contain your full name, a professional email address, phone number, location, and any relevant links to professional websites or social media profiles that might boost your application.
• Starts with an eye-catching resume objective. To grab the hiring manager’s attention, this student resume example starts with a strong resume objective to convey their top skills and their professional goal.
• Lists education first. Since this candidate is a recent graduate, their student resume places their education section at the very top and provides details on the relevant courses they’ve taken.
• Focuses on skills. The student resume example pictured above includes a tailored skills section that aligns with the job and shows what they can do for the employer.
• Organizes text in bullet points. This resume uses bullet points instead of large paragraphs, so the content of the resume is organized and easy to read.
• Includes optional sections. The candidate leverages optional sections such as languages and personal projects to add more value to their resume and stand out from other applicants with similar skills and qualifications.

9 Steps Toward the Perfect Student Resume

Now you know what an excellent student resume looks like.

It’s time to create your own.

First things first, let’s go over all the sections your resume should include .

The essential sections of a student resume are:

• Contact Information
• Resume Headline
• Work Experience

If you have leftover space on your resume, you can also use some of the following sections to make your application stand out:

Extracurricular Activities

• Personal Projects

Hobbies and Interests

• Volunteering
• Certificates

Awards and Recognitions

Publications.

As a student or recent graduate, don’t expect to include all of these sections in your resume. Instead, use them to your advantage. 

For example, you might not have any work experience, in which case you can replace that section with something else, such as an internship that helped you hone some essential skills for the job you're applying to.

We’ve split the process of creating your student resume into easy-to-follow steps, starting with:

#1. Pick the Right Format

Before you can fill out your resume, you need to decide on the best format for your job application.

There are three resume formats you can choose from:

• Reverse-chronological (also known as the chronological format)
• Functional (also known as the skill-based format)
• Combination (a mix of the reverse-chronological and functional formats)

For 99% of cases, we recommend that you choose the reverse-chronological resume format when making your student resume.

The reverse-chronological format is the most practical, since it lists your most recent experience and achievements first, making it the perfect format when you’re applying for a job.

It’s also hiring managers’ favorite format worldwide, so it’s what they expect to see in your application.

Here’s an example of what the reverse-chronological resume format looks like:

#2. Pay Attention to the Layout

Now that you have the formatting out of the way, it’s time to consider your resume’s layout .

Before the hiring manager reads your resume, they’re going to look at it. And if they see a messy, unorganized document, they aren’t going to be impressed.

Follow these tips to make sure your student resume makes a good first impression:

• Keep it on one page. A good resume should never exceed one page, especially if you’re a student with limited experience. Hiring managers only want the most important details about why you’re the right person for the job.
• Set the line spacing. Make sure your text is easy to read by setting appropriate line spacing. Use 1.0 between text and 1.15 between double lines and after subheadings.
• Adjust the page margins. To make your resume look neat, set your resume’s margins to one inch on all sides of the page. Otherwise, you might end up with a stretched-out or empty-looking document.
• Choose a professional font. Another important aspect of your resume is the font. Pick something professional but not overused. Instead of Times New Roman, go for something understated like Roboto, Lora, or Ubuntu.
• Save it to the right file format. Unless the hiring manager asks for another format, your resume should always be saved as a PDF file . This way, your student resume’s layout is going to look the same across any device or software that the hiring manager uses to open it.

Use a Professional Resume Template Instead

Getting the format and layout of your resume just right can sure get tricky. 

You’ll have to spend hours tweaking the margins, adjusting font sizes, and fixing the line spacing – all the while having to make sure nothing spills over to page two. 

What if you could skip all the hassle?

Just use one of our free resume templates and create your student resume in minutes.

Each of our professional templates is designed in cooperation with HR professionals from around the world to make sure your application is ATS-friendly, easy to read, and beautiful to look at.

Not to mention, you can choose a resume template that shows off a bit of your personality while adhering to industry standards. 

Just look at how one of our templates compares to a standard text editor resume:

#3. Add Your Contact Information

Once you’re ready to fill in the contents of your student resume, it’s time to start with your contact information.

This usually goes in a designated resume header , so it’s easy for the hiring manager to find it at a glance.

Here’s what to include:

• Full Name. (E.g.: John Smith )
• Professional Title. We recommend matching the title to the job you’re targeting (E.g.: Paralegal) or specifying your education. (E.g.: Graphic Design Graduate )
• Email Address. Use a professional email address, not a quirky handle from your World of Warcraft days. (E.g.: write down [email protected] , not [email protected] )
• Phone Number. If you’re applying abroad, always include the dialing code in front of your phone number.
• Location. The city and state/country are enough information.
• Relevant Links. Any other information, such as a link to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub, or a portfolio website, is optional and depends on the job you’re applying for.

Ultimately, your contact information section is the easiest, yet most crucial, section of your student resume.

If you make a single typo in your email or phone number, the hiring manager won’t be able to reach you, and you’ll miss out on an opportunity.

So, before submitting your resume, make sure to double-check, and even triple-check that everything in this section is up-to-date and accurate.

John Smith - Graphic Design Graduate

+1 907 446 1234

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/john.smith

Fairbanks, Alaska

90744461234

[email protected]

#4. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

Hiring managers have to look at countless resumes daily.

So, they won’t spend more than six seconds on each before deciding if it’s worth reading in detail.

This is where a snappy resume summary or objective can make a difference.

Your resume summary or objective is a brief paragraph at the start of your resume that tells hiring managers who you are and what you bring to the table, in just 2-4 sentences.

Depending on your experience, you can take one of two routes:

• Resume summary. If you've got a bit of professional experience under your belt, write a resume summary. It's your chance to give a quick snapshot of your experience, skills, and what you've accomplished so far.
• Resume objective. If you're just starting, a resume objective is the right choice for you. It outlines your skills, any relevant experiences, and your professional goals.

To paint a clearer picture, here’s what a student’s resume summary with more experience might look like:

Recent college graduate with a B.A. in English from University X seeking an entry-level job as a content writer. Previous experience includes working as an English tutor for 2 years at University X, where I worked with 100+ students, helping them improve their essays. Additionally, I managed a personal blog about tech, publishing over 40 articles in the last 3 years.

But if you’re still a student, you probably don’t have a lot of work experience to rely on for your resume summary.

Don’t worry! You can still write a fantastic resume objective, like so:

Enthusiastic recent graduate with a degree in Environmental Science, aiming to secure an entry-level position at Green Solutions Ltd. Experienced in conducting field research and using GIS software through university projects and internships. With a strong passion for sustainability and environmental advocacy, I’m looking to apply academic knowledge in a practical, impactful way.

This goes to show that even without any work experience to leverage, you can still write a job-winning resume .

#5. List Your Education First

While the work experience section is what your resume would usually start with, the rule is reversed when you’re a student or a recent graduate .

If you’re applying for a job in the same field as your education, you want to emphasize the knowledge and skills you’ve gained so far.

So, the less work experience you have, the more detailed your education section should be.

Here’s the most important information that you should include when listing your education :

• Degree Name. (E.g.: BSc in Business Administration )
• University Name. (E.g.: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania )
• Location. (E.g.: Philadelphia, PA, USA )
• Years Attended. (E.g.: 09/2018 - 06/2022 )

You should always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your newest degree (such as a Ph.D. or MBA) and ending with your oldest.

Next, there are a ton of optional details that can look great on your student resume. These include:

• Honors and Awards. Your resume is a great place to show off a little. List any awards or acknowledgments you received during your education. (E.g.: Summa Cum Laude )
• Relevant Coursework. List a few courses that are directly related to the job you’re applying for. (E.g.: Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Surgical Nursing )
• Thesis or Dissertation. We recommend that graduate and post-graduate students include this, especially if applying to research-heavy fields like data science .
• Minor. If you minored in another field and it’s relevant to the job, include it. (E.g.: BA in Political Science, Minor in Economics )
• Grade Point Average. Include your GPA on your resume if it’s impressive. Anything below 3.5 isn’t worth listing.

Here’s an example of what this looks like on a resume:

There’s no need to list your high school education unless it’s the only degree you have.

#6. Expand on Your Work Experience

The first thing hiring managers usually want to see is your work experience section .

It’s probably the most important section of your whole resume, and it’s where you need to wow the hiring manager. Here’s how to format it correctly:

• List jobs in reverse chronological order. Start with your latest work experience and work your way back to older roles. Just don’t go too far back – your part-time job over summer break probably doesn’t belong on your resume.
• Add your exact job title. Be accurate when describing your previous job, and avoid buzzwords . If you were a babysitter , say that instead of trying to be witty and going with ‘toddler whisperer.’
• Include the company details. All you need to add are the most important details, such as the company’s name and location. If it’s not a well-known business, you can describe what it does.
• Specify the employment period. Use the mm/yyyy format throughout your student resume instead of specifying the exact dates you started and quit.
• Mention your responsibilities and achievements. Use several bullet points, no more than 5-6 for your most recent work experience and 2-3 for older roles.

Here’s an example of what that looks like in practice:

What If My Work Experience Isn’t Relevant?

If you’re applying for a job in the field you’ve been studying for, you might have picked up a part-time job while you were a student.

So, you’re probably wondering - is that summer gig you did worth mentioning in your resume?

The answer is yes.

Even if your only work experience so far seemingly has nothing to do with the job you’re applying for, it’s probably better for you to include it.

For example, if you worked as a cashier at your local supermarket and now you’re applying for a job as an accountant , there are enough similarities between the two jobs for you to make a great resume.

Just focus on the transferable skills from your time as a cashier. Both jobs require working with numbers, being good at mathematics, and attention to detail.

Usually, showing you have some work experience is better than presenting a resume with zero work experience.

What If I Don’t Have Any Work Experience?

If you’re still a student or you just graduated, you probably don’t have any work experience to leverage.

Don’t worry - most college students don’t.

But that doesn’t have to stop you from writing a great resume!

Hiring managers know that most candidates applying for entry-level jobs aren’t super experienced, and that’s okay.

So, instead of work experience, you can focus on any of the following sections:

• Internships. If your program included any internships or hands-on experiences, mention them. Internships can be super useful on your resume, especially if they help you develop skills for the position you’re applying for, and they can look better on your resume than any part-time job in an unrelated field.
• Volunteering. Having a cause that you care about and are willing to work for shows hiring managers that you’d be a dedicated employee, and that’s why volunteer work looks great on a resume. Whether you spent some time at a local soup kitchen or just helped collect trash in the parks, you can always mention it in your application.
• Projects. Any project you’ve participated in can go here, so long as it’s relevant to the job. Your graduation thesis, coursework, or personal projects can all make a difference. For example, if you’re an aspiring animator and you make funny flash animations that you upload on YouTube for your friends, that’s always a great addition to a first-time job application .

Here’s an example of a student resume that focuses on volunteer experience and personal projects instead of work experience:

Do you want to join a cause you’re passionate about? Learn how to write a volunteer resume here.

#7. Emphasize Your Relevant Skills

The skills section of your resume should tell the hiring manager what your expertise is and why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of essential skills you can mention:

• Soft skills. These are a mix of social skills, characteristics, and other personal traits. For example, leadership, critical thinking, time management, and so on.
• Hard skills. These are your measurable abilities. So, anything from baking cupcakes to complex coding skills.

Your resume should aim for a mix of both soft and hard skills.

If written correctly, the skill section can look something like this:

Now, when listing skills on your resume, here are a few essential tips to keep in mind:

• List hard skills with experience levels. For each skill you list, you can mention your proficiency, from beginner to expert. This tells the hiring manager how much training you might need if they hire you.
• Keep it relevant and tailored to the job. You might have some awesome and rare skills, but they’re not always going to be useful. Your Photoshop skills won’t make a difference in an application for a job as a writer .
• Include some universal skills. Some skills can be useful anywhere. These include both soft skills (like communication ) and hard skills (like using Microsoft Office or Google Office Suite).
• Back up your skills. Instead of just listing skills as buzzwords (like “critical thinker” or “problem-solving-master”), make sure you prove what you’re saying. Give examples of when you’ve put those skills to good use, such as in your work experience section.

And for a student resume, here are a few of the top skills almost every single employer will value:

• Verbal and Written Communication
• Adaptability
• Punctuality
• Organizational skills
• Flexibility
• Conflict resolution
• Problem-solving abilities
• Time-management

#8. Leverage Optional Sections

So far, we’ve covered the essential information for your student resume.

But if you have any leftover space, there are a few other sections you can add.

Imagine this: the hiring manager has to decide between you and another candidate, but your resumes are nearly identical. You have very similar experiences, backgrounds, and credentials.

This is where some less essential resume sections can tip the scales in your favor.

Optional sections can help you backup your skills and experience and set you apart from candidates with the same professional background as yours.

These sections include:

Are you fluent in more than one language?

If you’re bilingual or even trilingual, you should always mention that in your resume!

Even if the position you’re applying for doesn’t require any specific language skills, it can still come in handy at some point.

Companies are becoming increasingly international, and you never know when you might end up working on a project or a client where you can put your knowledge to good use.

To list languages in your resume , simply write them down and include your proficiency level:

• Intermediate

Optionally, you can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

And remember - you should never lie about your language skills. You never know when the interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language you claim to know!

As you might remember from your college application , extracurricular activities look great on a resume.

Different after-school projects and clubs can help you gain practical skills and increase your chances of landing a good job right after college. For example, if you were part of a debate team and you’re applying for a job as a lawyer , that could give your resume a boost.

Some activities, like student council responsibilities, show maturity and leadership skills that would translate well to a work environment. 

Here’s an example of how to list extracurricular activities on your resume :

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

Public Speaking Club

Founder and President

09/2018 - 09/2019

• Founded a club to help fellow students improve at public speaking and promote discussion-based events.
• Organized 5+ public speaking lectures.
• Brought in professors from the university and organized 2 speaking workshops.

But regardless of whether they’re related to the job or not, extracurricular activities still show the hiring manager that you’re hard-working and committed.

If you want the hiring manager to get a more well-rounded idea of you as a person, you can include hobbies and interests on your resume .

While this section isn’t going to get you hired, it could tip the scales in your favor.

When the hiring manager is looking at two near-identical resumes from two equally qualified candidates, the deciding factor might come down to something as minor as your personality and interests.

For example, imagine that the company you’re applying to values teamwork and promotes health amongst its employees. If your resume says your hobbies include team sports like basketball, that could convince the hiring manager that you’d be a good cultural fit for their team.

Certifications

The best investment is always in your future, and hiring managers love candidates who do just that.

If you have any extra qualifications or certificates , add them to your resume.

For example, if you graduated with a BA in Marketing, and you’re applying for a Digital Marketing role, that’s great. But it’s even better if the hiring manager sees that you completed an advanced SEO course and that you’re ready to roll!

Do you have a piece of paper with your name on it that says why you’re so smart and qualified? If so, add it to your resume.

It could be an award from a competition or some other recognition of your excellence - academic or otherwise.

For example, you might have been selected for a very rare scholarship , or your hard work as an illustrator won your project a nomination.

You don’t need to be modest on your resume - if you earned something cool, show it off. Any awards can back up your expertise and show the hiring manager that you’re worth a chance.

Have you worked on your university’s student paper? Maybe you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic .

Whatever the case is, publications are always impressive on a resume.

Include them under a designated “Publications” section and provide a URL so the hiring manager can check out your work.

#9. Include a Cover Letter

Cover letters are essential for a successful job search , and your student resume won’t be complete without one.

Forbes reports that 56% of hiring managers prefer that applicants include a cover letter with their resume.

Crafting a great cover letter tells the hiring manager that you have an eye for detail and that you’re ready to go the extra mile to join the team. You’re not just randomly sending out the same resume to every job listing you find.

So, to learn how to write your own , let's explore what makes an effective cover letter:

Here are some straightforward tips to make your cover letter great:

• Check your contact information. The information in your cover letter’s header should be the same as what’s on your resume, so double-check for any mistakes.
• Use the hiring manager’s name. A little research can help you find it, and it helps establish a more personal connection than just writing “To Whom It May Concern.”
• Start with a strong opening. Mention a couple of your best skills or achievements right at the start to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
• Go into more detail in the body. Talk about your accomplishments or skills in more detail, and mention anything you couldn’t fit on your resume, like explaining why you want to work remotely .
• Conclude by asking them to reach out. A good closing paragraph includes a call to action that asks the hiring manager to do something, like contact you or arrange an interview.
• Sing it like a professional. Choose an appropriate closing line, like “Best regards” or “I look forward to hearing from you.”

Here’s a great example of a student cover letter :

5 Student Resume Examples

Looking for more resume inspiration?

Check out the different student resume examples below to see what a job-winning resume might look like.

#1. Recent Graduate Resume

#2. Experienced Student Resume

#3. Internship Student Resume

#4. College Freshman Resume

#5. High School Student Resume

Key Takeaways

And there you go!

That’s how you create a powerful student resume from scratch.

Now, let’s quickly summarize what we’ve learned so far:

• Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, so you want yours to grab their attention immediately. Write a brief paragraph in your resume header to tell them who you are and why you’re perfect for the job.
• Unlike in most resumes, where work experience goes first, if you’re a student, your education should be at the top of your resume.
• Don’t worry if you don’t have any work experience yet - when you’re applying for an entry-level job, hiring managers don’t expect you to.
• Instead of work experience, you can focus on internships, volunteering, personal projects, or extracurricular activities to show off your skills and fill in your resume.
• Your skills could make or break your job application. Research the most in-demand skills for the job you want and list the ones you have in your resume.
• Always add a matching cover letter to your student resume to show the hiring manager you’re ready to go the extra mile for the job.

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Student resume examples & templates

Optional sections

How to write resumes for applicant tracking systems (ats), the word cloud method.

As a high school or college student, you may be a bit more focused on the homework due tomorrow than on paving the way to career success by preparing a student resume. But there’s no time like the present, and the sooner you draw up a resume, the closer you’ll be to the financial independence that employment can bring.

A little bit of freedom, a paycheck, a huge boost in confidence and real-life knowledge — these are just a few examples of what you can get from your first work experiences. Any work experience is a huge asset at this stage of your journey.  This student resume example and guide, along with our convenient resume builder tool , will help you to:

• Learn the basics of preparing a great resume
• Craft your first impressive and creative student resume (even without work experience)
• Find out about modern hiring practices (software-based and human hiring psychology)
• Arm yourself with useful sample sentences, tips and tricks to greatly increase your chances of landing an interview

Let’s dive in.

How to write a student resume: what to include, what to avoid

Here are the basic elements to include (or not) in a student resume:

• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

• Order sections by importance (Summary > Education > Experience > Skills)
• Think about your potential employer and include information/experiences that are the most relevant.
• Expand your resume beyond one page. This will reduce the likelihood that the entire thing will be read.
• Expand low-priority sections to the point where the important sections get reduced.
• Languages . If you know one foreign language (especially at a basic level), this should just go on the skills section of your resume. However, if you know three or more languages, and some of them at a high level, you can move them to a separate resume section. If you have language certifications, be  sure to list them.

Including additional sections in your resume from the ones listed here will depend on how robust your resume is overall. If you feel like there’s enough info already, just include things like languages in the skills section. Include any certifications in the education. But if you’re really struggling to fill out the page, more sections may help you out.

• Extracurricular activities. The reason this one is optional is because most of your relevant activities will go into experience. You only need the extracurricular activities section if your interests and out-of-school life are so robust that they don’t fit into one section.
• Hobbies. This section should usually be avoided. It’s a last-ditch effort to fill out space on your resume. If you are desperate to add something more to your resume, mentioning you are an active jogger and bicycle rider, for example, can at least hint you are energetic and disciplined.

Don’t list hobbies or activities that have no application in work or don’t demonstrate positive qualities. The line can be blurry here but try to think objectively. Playing in a hobbyist theater troupe, for example, demonstrates you are social and open with people.

Need additional inspiration? Please view our other helpful related educative resume examples:

• Early Childhood Educator resume sample
• College Student resume sample
• High School Student resume sample
• Academic Librarian resume sample
• Health Educator resume sample
• ESL Teacher resume sample
• Tutor resume sample
• Teacher Assistant resume sample
• Substitute Teacher resume sample
• Middle School Teacher resume sample
• Elementary School Teacher resume sample
• College Professor resume sample
• Internship resume sample
• High School Teacher resume sample
• Academic Tutor resume sample
• College Admissions resume sample
• Teacher resume sample

Summary resume example: a positive portrait

If you don’t have a lot of work experience, that’s not a deal-breaker. The summary, sometimes known as a personal statement, provides a positive image, describes your qualifications and gives the reader a sense of your determination and drive. This is why it’s doubly important to craft your summary with care in a student resume. Avoid clichés and vague statements. When you’ve written out your profile section, ask yourself: If I read this resume, would I hire the person described here?

In a more practical sense, here are some examples and tips to follow when creating a resume for a student:

• The summary shouldn’t be shorter than two or longer than four mid-sized sentences.
• Use action verbs , concrete and energetic language on your resume. Instead of “High school student looking for a job” write “Self-disciplined and hard-working student looking for a workplace to contribute to a team, to learn and to grow as a professional.”
• Provide context and specific facts where possible. Instead of “Finished high school. Have a variety of hobbies.” write “Excelled in algebra and Spanish in high school. Developed social skills and openness in improv theater.”
• Insert a couple of skills and qualities that might be interesting to an employer. Knowing languages, how to use computer spreadsheets or how to organize your schedule, or always being punctual, for example, are relevant skills and qualities.

Tailor your description based on what type of job you’re applying for. If you’re looking for work in service jobs (restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) use your resume to emphasize the social part of your character. If you’re applying for a job in an office, mention how your school / project experienced helped you gain skills applicable in an office setting.

More and more employers (especially medium and large companies) are using this software to manage the hundreds of resumes they receive. So, what is an ATS system and why is it relevant for your student resume? Applicant Tracking Systems are software programs/environments that process and analyze resumes before any human manager even gets a chance to see them. 

How do Applicant Tracking Systems work and how do you adapt your resume to them? ATS operate based on keywords or phrases that hiring specialists or managers determine beforehand. These can be as simple as “high school diploma” and “time management” or as complex as terms for coding languages or medical certifications. These keywords are used to rate your resume against other applicants and to either filter them out or pass them on to human recruiters.

Wondering whether the job application you’re looking it as processed by an ATS? Small businesses may not use these programs, but some 95% of large companies and 50% of medium companies use ATS software. Consider the chances and act accordingly.

In most cases, there is no way to know the exact words the ATS will be looking for on your student resume. But there are two simple and powerful methods to get an educated guess:

• Analyzing the job listing/description
• Researching the employer’s website / social media

According to data from Youtern, just 35% of candidates are qualified for the jobs to which they apply. Eye-tracking tests and surveys show that the average time spent by a candidate reading a job description is only 50 seconds. Do NOT just skim over these listings, as this will greatly reduce your chances of creating a winning resume . The better you understand the position, the higher your chances.

If you’re struggling to evaluate what qualities are more important to an employer based on a description, there’s a way to simplify things. In case the listing is too vague or wordy, there are tools to help you visualize the patterns. Use services like worditout.com or wordclouds.com (or similar ones) to turn messy job texts into sample visual representations. Just copy-paste the text you’re having trouble with and you’ll get an image where the more frequently used terms will be larger. Use this to spot patterns and analyze what’s important.

Pay attention to the exact terminology used in the job description. People tend to describe the same skills, jobs, educational degrees and so on with different words depending on where they live, work and so on. Make sure to use the same terminology as your potential employer.

Enthusiastic and motivated university student with a strong interest in pursuing a career in customer service. A quick learner with a commitment to meaningful customer interactions. Eager to apply my commitment to customer satisfaction and effective communication in an academic environment.

Education example: the core of your resume

As a student, education is what you’ve spent the most time on prior to getting a job. Make use of this. Instead of thinking about education as a given, make it shine on your resume page. 

According to research from the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, companies are actively hiring students. This is more common at the college level (81% of part-time undergraduate students were employed in 2018), but high school students can still get hired for simple jobs, especially in the service industry.

So, what should you include in this section? As this is a segment built on a bullet-point list (like every other resume section except the summary), the general method is this: list educational experiences as bullet points. However, there are some exceptions, like these:

• If you’re a college student: List your college and your high school (and any other learning activities) as bullet points. For each one, provide a sub-description with samples of achievements in specific subjects, school projects, scores and evaluations.
• If you’re a high school student with additional educational experience: Same as above, just excluding the college part.
• If your only educational experience is a single school: List your school as a heading and make a bullet point based on your subjects, achievements, school projects, etc.

On average, each entry-level position receives 144 applications. Each professional position gets 89 per a single listing. Some large companies may receive many thousands of resumes per week. The better the job, the higher the competition. Making your resume impress both the ATS and the hiring manager is vital.

The trick to making this section look good on your resume is to view your education as work with its own results. 

Bachelor of Communications, University of Oxford, Oxford  October 2021 - Present 

• Working towards a Communications degree.

3 A level qualifications, Winchester College, Winchester  September 2013 - July 2021  

• A grades in French, Business Studies and English Literature.

Employment history or experience section: an overlooked gem 

Many students writing their first resume don’t bother with anything except the education section. With no job experience, it seems pointless. But even if you’re young, you have lots to offer. If you do have job experience, however, you can call this the “employment history” section, otherwise, you may choose to name it the “experience” section. But if done right, this section can make you look more vibrant, active and creative.

What can you write in the experience section of a student resume? Here are some ideas:

• Summer or temp jobs. You mainly want to show the employer you’ve already been part of the workforce. You know what a job is.
• Internships. If you have these on your list, it’s one of the greatest advantages possible. Internships usually take place at more complicated jobs and are related to more advanced professions.
• Social / volunteer work . This demonstrates your ability to cooperate with other people and work towards a goal.
• Other projects (personal passions, community initiatives). Anything that didn’t land in the above categories (or the education section) goes here. Examples: Websites you ran with friends, local community events you helped with.

Make sure to use the same approach as in the education section: provide detailed descriptions of your duties, results, projects, interactions and any pertinent information. Even if it doesn’t seem that impressive to you, on your resume it shows that these were real activities and/or work experiences . 

Sales Associate at Big Apple Bookstore, Oxford  September 2022 - Present 

• Greeted customers and assisted them with finding books.
• Offered literary suggestions based on the needs and desires of the customer.
• Followed directions from my supervisor and managed projects with precision.
• Organised books and adhered to the policies and mission of the bookstore.

Editorial Internship at Sky News, West London  January 2021 - December 2021 

• Assisted Senior Editors with a variety of clerical and administrative tasks.
• Utilised my passion for journalism to pitch interesting story ideas.
• Ran spellchecks and edited stories.

Online English Literature Tutor, London  September 2020 - April 2021 

• Offered online tuition to GCSE students in English Language and English Literature.
• Helped five students to achieve top grades and secure places on AS level course.

If your lack work experience, consider adding your GPA on your resume . An impressive GPA can give hiring manager a good impression of how well you will perform. 

Choosing the correct CV format and resume template

People are visual creatures. We all like beautiful things. Anything messy or cluttered skews our objectivity, even in the professional world. A template can help you create an attractive CV or resume format and make sure the visual part of your resume works for you, not against you.

Solid CV or resume formatting is important both for the ATS and for hiring managers. Here are some golden rules to abide by:

• Use consistent fonts everywhere on your resume.
• Use the “chunking” method of CV formatting. White space between paragraphs and a variety of visual forms can keep a hiring manager reading to the end of the resume. Templates can make appropriate spacing easier.

Don’t get too creative. Strange colors and excessive decoration of your resume will make it look unprofessional. When in doubt, choose a more reserved template, like these simple options from Resume.io. These types of templates work great for a variety of entry-level positions.

Pay attention to visual design. If you’re an enthusiastic designer or are studying to become one, resume formatting might be a task you’d like to attempt yourself. But if not, there’s a huge number of professionally designed, beautiful and research-tested resume templates out there (for example on this very website). All you need is to fill them in with your info. A great template = no hassle.

21% of U.S. resumes don’t pass the ATS filter due to buggy formatting, or get ignored by recruiters due to confusing charts, layouts, or images. To avoid this, use professionally designed templates.

Skills section example: your best tools and qualities

This is the resume section that most depends on the job for which you’re applying. Different companies look for different skills in their employees. You are sure to have some great skills . Just choose them well. There are two main things you need to know for this section of the student resume:

• What is a master list and how to use one
• The difference between hard and soft skills and where each is best

The master list method entails brainstorming every possible skill you think you might have naturally or have picked up in school, projects or temp jobs. Write them all down, even if they seem unlikely or you are unsure that they fit. Keep this list in a separate document. You’ll return to it every time you’re writing a new resume. It’ll get richer and bigger the more experience you get. Once you have a master list, the idea is to cherry-pick the best skills that are appropriate for a specific job and add them to that particular resume. And here’s where we get to the hard/soft skills . 

Hard skills relate to specific tasks, concrete knowledge, physical objects, sciences or tools. Knowing how to use Excel spreadsheets or Microsoft Word are hard skills . Knowing a programming language or a foreign language are hard skills. Soft skills have to do with social interactions, self-organization, intellectual and emotional qualities and so on. Time management and scheduling is a soft skill, as is team collaboration. Most entry-level positions (for example in service jobs) tend to favor soft skills. 

• Customer Satisfaction
• Microsoft Office
• Motivated Attitude
• Social Media Management

Key takeaways

• Getting a good job, even without past experience, is an attainable goal. Just make sure to tailor your student resume to a specific position and employer.
• CV formats and resume layouts are extremely important to pass the ATS and impress the hiring manager. Resume templates can make this step easier.
• Education is the core of a resume for a student. Make it detailed, and list results and numbers if you can.
• The summary is your free-form professional profile on your resume. Be a little creative here, but also describe your best work-related qualities, experience and achievements here.
• Use professional resume-building tools and templates to avoid hidden pitfalls in resume formatting. It makes your life much easier.

And if you want the perfect tool to save time and get a great job, use the resume.io builder tool with professionally made and recruiter-tested templates !

Beautiful ready-to-use resume templates

Free resume template for students and new grads

Download this professional resume template and get started building your resume.

Creating your first professional resume can feel intimidating. So, we’re here to help make it easier! We’ve created this free resume template to get you started. Just follow the steps to download, and then plug in your information to create a resume that recruiters will notice. And check our guide to creating a student or new grad resume with tips on what to include, and some important do’s and don’ts.

Want personalized guidance on your resume? Don't forget to consult your school's career services center !

The resume template includes:

Contact information: Type your first and last name, city and state, phone number and email address. Additional links, like an online portfolio, that are relevant to the roles you’re applying for also go in this section.

Summary: While optional, this “highlight reel” can help grab the employer’s attention and show why you’re a great candidate.

Education: Include your school name, major, degree, and your graduation month and year (or expected date). You can also list academic honors or awards, and courses you’ve taken or major projects completed that are relevant to the job.

Experience: List your experience in reverse chronological order—meaning the most recent experience goes first. If you don’t have a lot of previous work or internship experience, emphasize your involvement with clubs and organizations, volunteering opportunities, and other ways you’ve taken on leadership positions.

Skills: Include technical skills and soft skills—employers are looking for both in potential job candidates.

To create your resume:

• View the free resume template document .
• Click File in the upper left-hand corner.
• You can Make a Copy in Google docs or Download as a Word document.

4. If you made a copy, create a name for it and click OK .

5. Fill in your information. 6. Save your resume as a PDF and upload it to your Handshake profile !

Find the right jobs for you. Get hired.

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University Student Resume Template

Land your dream job and find inspiration for your own resume with our free, expertly drafted University Student resume template. Copy-paste this resume sample at no cost or rewrite it directly in our proven and tested resume creator.

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Write an eye-catching resume as a university student

University Student Resume Template (Full Text Version)

Driven computer science student with hands-on experience in developing user-friendly software applications, coding, testing features, and offering engineering support. Possessing Oracle Certified Professional accreditation, proficient in various programming languages and software development tools, adept at problem-solving, and excelling in team environments.

Work experience

• Collaborated with colleagues to develop innovative software applications, enhancing Intel's website functionality.
• Coded and tested multiple features to deliver a superior user experience.
• Created single page applications and generated progress reports for assigned projects.
• Engaged with senior engineers and product managers to provide engineering support.
• Received recognition as Employee of the Month for outstanding performance.
• Achieved a GPA of 3.96
• Participated in clubs and societies including Astronomy Society, Physics Society, and Engineering Society.
• Achieved Graduation with Distinction, earning Grade 1 (equivalent to an A/excellent) in all subjects
• Participated in extracurricular activities including the Hockey Team, Chess Club, and Math Society

Volunteering

Certificates.

Milan Šaržík, CPRW

Milan’s work-life has been centered around job search for the past three years. He is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW™) as well as an active member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Careers Coaches (PARWCC™). Milan holds a record for creating the most career document samples for our help center – until today, he has written more than 500 resumes and cover letters for positions across various industries. On top of that, Milan has completed studies at multiple well-known institutions, including Harvard University, University of Glasgow, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

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Humanities Student Social Sciences Student High School Student Professions And Applied Sciences Student Formal Sciences Student University Student Student Internship Natural Sciences Student

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• Career Blog

University Student Resume Template: How to Stand Out

As a university student, it is essential to showcase your skills, experience, and achievements to potential employers. Therefore, having a well-crafted resume that presents you in the best possible light can significantly improve your chances of landing internships, part-time jobs, or even your dream job after graduation.

A good resume serves as a marketing tool that tells your story to potential employers, highlighting your qualifications and demonstrating your value proposition. It also shows that you possess essential soft and hard skills that are transferable to the workforce.

How to utilize the University Student Resume Template

In this article, we will provide you with insider tips on how to make the most out of the University Student Resume Template. The template is designed specifically for university students, making it easier for you to arrange and present your education, skills, experience, and achievements in a clear and concise manner.

We will guide you through the step-by-step process of filling the template, highlighting what to include and what to avoid, and give you real-life examples of how to stand out and impress potential employers with your resume.

With this article, you will learn how to showcase yourself in an impactful way that sets you apart from other candidates and increases your chances of success in the competitive job market.

In the next section, we will provide you with insight into why resume writing is a crucial skill for university students, and how it can help you achieve your career aspirations.

Understanding the Elements of a Great Resume

When it comes to crafting an exceptional university student resume, there are several key elements that must be included to ensure that it stands out from the competition. These elements are what will make your resume memorable and showcase your potential as a candidate for the job or internship you are applying for.

A. Importance of having a clear and concise objective statement

The objective statement is the very first thing that potential employers will see on your resume. Therefore, it needs to be not only clear and concise but also tailored to the specific position you are applying for. Your objective statement should highlight your key skills and experiences, communicate your career goals, and demonstrate how you can contribute to the organization you are applying to.

B. Crafting an attention-grabbing summary

The summary is the section that follows the objective statement and gives an overview of your skills and experience. It should be short and to the point, highlighting your most relevant strengths and experiences. Employers will be scanning for buzzwords that highlight how you are qualified for the position.

C. Highlighting your educational qualifications

As a university student, you have unique skills, knowledge and experiences that are especially relevant in the role you are applying for. Your educational background is one of the most important elements of your resume and should be highlighted accordingly. Including details of courses, certificates or other credentials that are related to the position you are applying for can give you an edge.

D. Relevant Work Experience

Your work experiences, internships or co-op placements are another key component of your university student resume. Employers will be looking for specific details about your previous work history in relation to the position you are applying for. Highlighting previous experiences that demonstrate your skills and experiences is crucial.

E. Extracurricular activities and interests

Your extracurricular activities and interests can also be a valuable asset on your resume. These experiences can reveal skills such as teamwork, leadership, decision making, and problem solving. Employers look for well-rounded individuals who demonstrate a passion and commitment to their pursuits.

Crafting an excellent university student resume is about standing out from the crowd with a clear and concise objective statement, a summary focusing on your relevant experiences, highlighting your education and work experience that relate to the role you are applying for, and showcasing your unique interests and activities. Taking these steps will help ensure that your resume leaves a lasting and positive impression as a candidate for the position.

Choosing the Perfect Resume Format

In order to stand out and effectively showcase your skills and experiences, it’s important to choose the right resume format. There are three main formats to consider: chronological, functional, and hybrid.

A. Chronological Resume Format

The chronological resume format is the most commonly used format and is suitable for those with a strong work history. This format lists your work history in reverse chronological order, with your most recent job listed first.

This format is great for showcasing consistent career progression and highlighting the specific responsibilities and accomplishments within each role. It’s important to include specific metrics and achievements in each role to showcase your impact and contributions.

However, this format may not be suitable for those with employment gaps or those looking to transition into a new industry.

B. Functional Resume Format

The functional resume format is great for those who have relevant skills and experiences but may not have a consistent work history. This format focuses on your skills and achievements rather than your chronological work history.

This format emphasizes your transferable skills and abilities, which can be a great way to showcase how you can contribute to a new industry or role.

However, it’s important to note that this format can be risky as it may be perceived as trying to hide employment gaps or lack of experience. It’s important to tailor your skills and experiences to the specific job you’re applying for and provide examples of how you’ve applied those skills in a professional setting.

C. Hybrid Resume Format

The hybrid resume format is a combination of both the chronological and functional resume formats. This format highlights both your work history and relevant skills and experiences.

This format begins with a summary of qualifications, followed by a chronological listing of your work history. Within each role, it’s important to highlight specific accomplishments and responsibilities.

This format is great for those with employment gaps or those looking to transition into a new industry as it allows you to highlight your transferable skills while still showcasing your work history.

It’s important to choose the right format for your specific situation and tailor your resume to each job you apply for. By effectively showcasing your skills and experiences, you can stand out to potential employers and land your dream job.

Tips for Creating an Eye-Catching Resume

As a university student, your resume is your first impression on potential employers. Therefore, it is crucial to create an eye-catching resume that stands out from the rest. Here are some tips to help you achieve just that:

A. Choosing the Perfect Font Size and Style

When choosing a font for your resume, make sure it is clear and easy to read. The recommended font size is between 10 and 12 points. Avoid using fancy or overly decorative fonts, as they can be difficult to read and may appear unprofessional. Stick to standard fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri.

B. Using Bullet Points and White Space

Using bullet points instead of lengthy paragraphs can make your resume easier to scan and read. Use white space effectively to create a clean and organized look. Avoid cluttering your resume with too much information or too many fonts and colors.

C. Incorporating Keywords

Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes based on specific keywords. Research the job position and company you are applying for, and make sure to include relevant keywords in your resume. This will increase your chances of getting past the initial screening process.

D. Proofreading and Editing Your Resume

Before submitting your resume, it is essential to proofread and edit for errors and inconsistencies. Ask a friend, family member, or a career counselor to review your resume as well. A well-written and error-free resume will show potential employers that you are detail-oriented and committed to putting your best foot forward.

By implementing these simple tips, you can create a resume that catches the attention of potential employers and sets you apart from the competition.

Creating a Professional Headline

A. effective headline examples for students.

When it comes to writing a university student resume, creating a professional headline is crucial to grab the attention of potential employers. A catchy and effective headline can make your resume stand out in a sea of applications.

Academic achiever with experience in research and leadership roles  – This headline highlights a student’s academic achievements, research experience and leadership skills, making them an ideal candidate for a number of roles.

Recent graduate with strong communication and analytical skills  – This headline emphasizes a student’s recent graduation and their communication and analytical skills, setting them apart from other applicants.

Dedicated student with proven time-management and teamwork abilities  – This headline portrays a student who is dedicated and capable of effective time-management and teamwork, which are highly desirable skills for employers.

Motivated student with internship experience in marketing and social media  – This headline emphasizes a student’s motivation and relevant internship experience, which can give them an edge in the marketing and social media industries.

Multilingual student with experience in international relations  – This headline showcases a student’s language skills and international experience, making them an ideal candidate for roles in international relations or global business.

Using these examples, students can craft their own attention-grabbing headlines that highlight their unique skills and experiences, and help them stand out from the crowd in the competitive job market.

Crafting a Summary that Grabs Attention

Crafting a summary statement that grabs the attention of potential employers is crucial when creating a university student resume. The summary statement is the first thing that employers read and serves as an introduction to the rest of the resume.

Here are some tips on writing a summary statement that will grab attention:

• Keep it short and sweet. A summary statement should be no longer than two sentences.
• Highlight your key qualifications and achievements. Be sure to mention any relevant coursework, internships, or extracurricular activities.
• Use action verbs and keywords. This will help your summary statement stand out and make it more memorable for potential employers.
• Tailor it to the job description. Look for keywords and phrases in the job description and incorporate them into your summary statement.

Now that we’ve covered some tips on crafting a summary statement, let’s take a look at some examples of attention-grabbing summaries:

B. Examples of Attention-Grabbing Summaries

Accomplished university student seeking a challenging internship in the marketing industry. Strong communication skills and experience in project management make me the ideal candidate for this role.

Results-driven university student seeking a position in finance. Exceptional analytical skills and experience in financial modeling make me an asset to any team.

Innovative university student with a passion for technology seeking an internship in software development. Proficient in programming languages such as Java and Python, and experience in web development make me an ideal candidate for this role.

Creative and detail-oriented university student seeking a position in graphic design. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and experience in creating visually engaging designs make me the perfect fit for this role.

By incorporating these tips and examples into your university student resume, you will be able to craft a summary statement that grabs the attention of potential employers and sets you apart from other candidates.

Showcasing Your Education

As a university student, your education is your most significant asset. Therefore, it’s crucial to showcase it effectively in your resume. Here are three crucial ways to showcase your education:

A. Listing Relevant Courses

Listing relevant coursework is a great way to showcase your knowledge and expertise in a particular subject area. It’s essential to showcase the courses that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for, as it shows the employer that you have the necessary knowledge to perform the job.

For instance, if you’re applying for a marketing position, list marketing-related courses that you’ve taken, such as “Marketing Management,” “Consumer Behavior,” “Digital Marketing,” etc. Make sure to highlight the skills and knowledge you gained from those courses.

B. Including College Projects and Research Work

College projects and research work are a great way to demonstrate your ability to apply the knowledge you’ve learned in a practical setting. Including these in your resume shows the employer that you have not only learned the theoretical aspects of a subject area but also have practical experience in it.

For instance, if you did a research project on “The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behavior,” mention it in your resume. Also, make sure to highlight the skills you gained, such as data analysis, report writing, critical thinking, etc.

C. Adding Relevant Skills

Apart from listing your relevant coursework and projects, it’s essential to highlight the skills you’ve gained from your education. These skills may include technical skills, soft skills, research skills, communication skills, etc.

For instance, if you majored in Computer Science, you may have gained technical skills such as programming languages like Java, Python, etc. Additionally, you may have gained soft skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, etc.

Listing relevant courses, including college projects and research work, and adding relevant skills are crucial ways to showcase your education in your resume. By doing so, you’ll stand out from other candidates and increase your chances of getting the job you want.

Highlighting your Work Experience

Your work experience section is one of the most important and impactful parts of your resume. Within this section, you can showcase your professional capabilities, accomplishments, and contributions to previous employers. Here are some tips to help you structure your work experience section effectively:

A. Structuring your Work Experience Section

When structuring your work experience section, be sure to use reverse chronological order, listing your most recent experience first. Include your job title, the company you worked for, employment dates, and a brief description of your duties and responsibilities. Use bullet points to make your work experience section easy to read and highlight key achievements.

B. Including Internships and Volunteer Work

Don’t underestimate the value of internships and volunteer work on your resume. By including relevant experience from these areas, you can demonstrate your commitment, work ethic, and interpersonal skills. Additionally, it shows that you have taken initiative to gain additional experience, even if it was not paid. Incorporate these experiences into your work experience section, providing context and highlighting transferable skills.

C. Showing Value with Metrics and Achievements

To make your work experience section stand out, consider including specific metrics and achievements. This could include sales targets achieved, client satisfaction ratings, or project completion timelines. This helps quantify the impact you had in previous roles and shows potential employers what you are capable of achieving.

D. Including Resume Action Verbs

Using action verbs ensures that you’re effectively communicating your skills and experience. As a result, your resume will have a stronger impact on employers. Avoid using passive language and instead, use verbs that are specific to your role and industry. Some examples include “created”, “implemented”, “managed”, or “collaborated”. By including these powerful words, you can showcase your skills in a more dynamic and memorable way.

Incorporating these tips and tricks into your work experience section will help make your resume stand out to potential employers. By showcasing your professional growth, achievements, and transferable skills, you’re sure to make a lasting impression.

Including Extracurricular Activities and Interests

A. choosing the right extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular activities are a great way to showcase your interests and skills outside of academics. When choosing which activities to include on your resume, it’s important to choose ones that align with the job or position you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for a marketing position, including your experience in a marketing club or organization would be relevant and impressive. Similarly, if you’re applying for a position in a research lab, including your experience in a science or research club would show your interest and dedication to the field.

It’s also important to choose activities that demonstrate key skills and qualities that employers look for, such as leadership, teamwork, and communication. If you held a leadership position in a club or organization, make sure to highlight that on your resume.

B. Explaining Interests and Hobbies

Interests and hobbies can also provide insight into your personality and skills. For example, if you’re an avid photographer or blogger, this could demonstrate your creativity and communication skills. If you enjoy playing team sports, this could show your teamwork and leadership abilities.

When explaining your interests and hobbies on your resume, make sure to frame them in a way that relates to the job or position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a position in marketing, you could discuss how your photography skills have helped you create compelling social media content.

It’s also important to be honest and genuine about your interests and hobbies. Employers can often tell when someone is trying too hard to appear impressive or well-rounded. Focus on the hobbies and interests that you’re truly passionate about and that relate to the job or position you’re applying for.

Including extracurricular activities and interests on your resume can help you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your skills and personality to potential employers.

References and Referees

As a university student, it is essential to showcase your professional network, including references and referees, on your resume. This is your opportunity to highlight your skills, achievements, and relationships with experts in your field. There are two main types of referees to consider: personal and professional.

A. Using Professional Referees

Professional referees are individuals who have worked with you in a professional capacity and can vouch for your skills and work ethic. These individuals may include former supervisors, professors, mentors, or colleagues. It’s highly recommended to include at least two professional references on your resume, indicating their relationship to you, their contact information, and their permission to be contacted. Using professional references can demonstrate your work history, highlight key accomplishments, and provide insight into your character.

When selecting professional referees, choose individuals who have a strong understanding of your capabilities and are well-respected in your industry. Reach out to these individuals in advance to ensure they will be willing to serve as your referee and provide their up-to-date contact information.

B. Listing Relevant References

When listing your references, it’s important to select individuals who can speak to your unique experiences and attributes. For example, if you’re applying for a position in marketing, be sure to include references who can attest to your creativity, writing skills, and marketing campaigns. If you’re applying for a research project, a professor or mentor who can speak to your research experience may be the most relevant reference.

It’s crucial to keep your references up-to-date and relevant to your current job search. As your career advances, consider updating your references and removing outdated contacts. When listing your references, include their full name, job title, phone number, email address, and relationship to you.

Including professional referees and relevant references on your university student resume is vital to standing out from the competition. Choose individuals who can vouch for your skills, achievements, and work ethic, and ensure that they are well-respected in your industry. By highlighting your professional network, you can demonstrate your unique qualifications and increase your chances of getting hired.

Review and Edit Your Resume

After putting in the time and effort to create a standout resume, it’s crucial to spend just as much time reviewing and editing it. Below are some tips for proofreading and editing your resume:

A. Proofreading and Editing Tips

Read your resume backwards: This will help you catch spelling and grammar errors that your brain might otherwise skip over.

Use a grammar checker: There are plenty of free grammar checker tools available online that can help you catch typos, grammar mistakes, and other issues.

Print out your resume: Looking at a hard copy of your resume can help you spot errors more easily than reading it on a computer screen.

Ask someone else to read it: A fresh set of eyes can often catch mistakes that you might have missed.

B. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Typos and grammatical errors: These are some of the most common mistakes found on resumes. Make sure you’ve proofread your resume carefully to avoid them.

Using too much jargon: While it’s important to use industry-specific terms and keywords, using too much jargon can turn off potential employers who don’t understand what you’re saying.

Being too generic: A generic resume won’t stand out from the hundreds of others that employers receive. Tailor your resume to the specific job you’re applying for.

Not highlighting your accomplishments: Simply listing your responsibilities won’t impress employers. Make sure you highlight specific accomplishments and results that demonstrate your skills and experience.

By following these proofreading and editing tips and avoiding common mistakes on your resume, you can create a polished and effective document that will help you stand out to potential employers.

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CV for University Application example

Getting into university and getting a degree will give you a huge head-start in your career, but getting into university isn’t easy

This guide contains an example University Applicant CV and plenty of tips on how to create your own winning CV, so you can stand out amongst the other candidates and get into the university of your dreams.

Guide contents

CV for University Application example 1

Cv for university application example 2.

• Structuring and formatting your CV
• Writing your CV profile
• Detailing work experience
• Your education

CV templates 

Unsure of what your University Applicant CV should look like?

Have a look at the CV example above to get familiar with the structure, layout and format of a professional CV.

As you can see, it provides plenty of relevant information about the applicant but is still very easy to read, and brief – which will please busy university recruiters.

University Applicant CV structure and format

The format and structure of your CV is important because it will determine how easy it is for recruiters and employers to read your CV.

If they can find the information they need quickly, they’ll be happy; but if they struggle, your application could be overlooked.

A simple and logical structure will always create a better reading experience than a complex structure, and with a few simple formatting tricks, you’ll be good to go.

Formatting Tips

• Length: Recruiters will be immediately put off by lengthy CVs – with hundreds of applications to read through, they simply don’t have the time! Grabbing their attention with a short, snappy and highly relevant CV is far more likely to lead to success. Aim for two sides of A4 or less.
• Readability : Make sure your CV is easy to read and looks professional by applying some simple formatting tricks. Bullet points are great for making large paragraphs more digestible, while formatting your headings with bold or coloured text will help the reader to find the information they need, with speed.
• Design: It’s generally best to stick to a simple CV design, as funky or elaborate designs rarely add any value to your application. A clear, modern font and a subtle colour scheme work perfectly and allow your skills, experience and achievements to speak for themselves.
• Avoid photos: Logos, profile photos or other images aren’t necessary and rarely add any value – save the space for written content, instead!

Build your CV now 

Structuring your CV

As you write your CV , work to the simple but effective structure below:

• Name and contact details – Pop them at the top of your CV, so it’s easy for recruiters to contact you.
• CV profile – Write a snappy overview of what makes you a good fit for the role; discussing your key experience, skills and accomplishments.
• Core skills section – Add a short but snappy list of your relevant skills and knowledge.
• Work experience – A list of your relevant work experience, starting with your current role.
• Education – A summary of your relevant qualifications and professional/vocational training.
• Hobbies and interests – An optional sections, which you could use to write a short description of any relevant hobbies or interests.

Now I’ll guide you through exactly what you should include in each CV section.

CV Contact Details

Tuck your contact details into the corner of your CV, so that they don’t take up too much space. Stick to the basic details, such as:

• Mobile number
• Email address – It should sound professional, such as your full name.
• Location -Just write your rough location, rather than your full address.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – If you include these, ensure they’re sleek, professional and up-to-date.

University Applicant CV Profile

Recruiters read through countless applications every day.

If they don’t find what they’re looking for quickly, they’ll simply move onto the next one.

That’s what makes your CV profile (or personal statement , if you’re an entry-level/graduate candidate) so important.

This short and snappy summary sits at the top of your CV, and should give a high-level overview of why you’re a good match for the university.

This way, you can ensure that busy recruiters see your suitability from the outset, and so, feel your CV is worth their time.

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

• Keep it brief: It might be tempting to submit a page-long CV profile, but recruiters won’t have the time to read it. To ensure every word gets read, it’s best to include high-level information only; sticking to a length of 3-5 lines.
• Tailor it: Before writing your CV, make sure to do some research. Figure out exactly what your desired employers are looking for and make sure that you are making those requirements prominent in your CV profile, and throughout.
• Don’t add an objective: Leave your career objectives or goals out of your profile. You only have limited space to work with, so they’re best suited to your cover letter .
• Avoid cliches: “Determined team player who always gives 110%” might seem like a good way to fill up your CV profile, but generic phrases like this won’t land you an interview. Recruiters hear them time and time again and have no real reason to believe them. Instead, pack your profile with your hard skills and tangible achievements.

What to include in your University Applicant CV profile?

• Summary of experience: Recruiters will want to know what type of companies you’ve worked for, industries you have knowledge of, and the type of work you’ve carried out in the past, so give them a summary of this in your profile.
• Relevant skills: Highlight your skills which are most relevant, to ensure that recruiters see your most in-demand skills as soon as they open your CV.
• Essential qualifications: Be sure to outline your relevant qualifications, so that anyone reading the CV can instantly see you are qualified for the universities you are applying to.

Quick tip: Your CV is your first impression on recruiters, so it’s vital to avoid spelling and grammar mistakes if you want to appear professional. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been crafted by recruitment experts.

Core skills section

In addition to your CV profile, your core skills section provides an easily digestible snapshot of your skills – perfect for grabbing the attention of busy hiring managers.

As University places might receive a huge pile of applications, this is a great way to stand out and show off your suitability for the role.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points and be made up of skills that are highly relevant to the universities you are targeting.

Work experience/Career history

Next up is your work experience section, which is normally the longest part of your CV.

Start with your current (or most recent) job and work your way backwards through your experience.

Can’t fit all your roles? Allow more space for your recent career history and shorten down descriptions for your older roles.

Structuring your roles

If you don’t pay attention to the structure of your career history section, it could quickly become bulky and overwhelming.

Get in recruiters’ good books by creating a pleasant reading experience, using the 3-step structure below:

Begin with a summary of your role, detailing what the purpose of your job was, who you reported to and what size of team you were part of (or led).

Key responsibilities

Next, write up a punchy list of your daily duties and responsibilities, using bullet points.

Wherever you can, point out how you put your hard skills and knowledge to use – especially skills which are applicable to your target role.

Key achievements

Finish off by showcasing 1-3 key achievements made within the role.

This could be anything that had a positive effect on your company, clients or customers, such as saving time or money, receiving exemplary feedback or receiving an award.

At the bottom of your CV is your full education section. You can list your formal academic qualifications, such as:

• GCSE’s

As well as any specific qualifications that are essential to the jobs you are applying for. Note down the name of the qualification, the organisation at which you studied, and the date of completion.

Interests and hobbies

This section is entirely optional, so you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if it’s worth including.

If your hobbies and interests could make you appear more suitable for your dream job, then they are definitely worth adding.

Interests which are related to the industry, or hobbies like sports teams or volunteering, which display valuable transferable skills might be worth including.

Writing your University Applicant CV

An interview-winning CV for a University Application needs to be both visually pleasing and packed with targeted content.

Whilst it needs to detail your experience, accomplishments and relevant skills, it also needs to be as clear and easy to read as possible.

Remember to research the role and review the university before applying, so you’re able to match yourself up to the requirements.

If you follow these guidelines and keep motivated in your university search, you should land an interview in no time.

Best of luck with your next application!

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Resume Review in an Instant

Published August 23, 2024

A new Big Interview tool is here for your instant resume review needs!

The Career Design Center is excited to announce a brand-new feature in our Big Interview tool! Big Interview now has an instant resume reviewer. The resume review tool can assist all students no matter the major with crafting their perfect resume.  All students signed up for Big Interview can now access the feature.

For more services and opportunities like this:

Career Design Center

Student Life

University at Buffalo 259 Capen Hall, North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260

Phone: (716) 645-2231

Welcome to Career Services' New Site!

The site is still under construction. More information will be added in the coming weeks. If you have any questions send us an email at [email protected] .

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Meet Quinn – AI Advisor for Resumes and Interviews

Quinncia is a futuristic career preparation platform helping university students:

• Get instant feedback and polish your resume
• Make resume ATS compliant
• Improve and polish storytelling
• Improve interviewing skills

What is ATS?

99% of Fortune 500 companies use software to evaluate your resume. It becomes the hidden barrier between you and your dream job, and it prevents up to 95% of job applications from ever crossing the hiring manager’s desk: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

ATS is a software system that analyzes multiple components of a job application and passes along only the most promising applications to the hiring manager. Employers use ATS technology because it allows them to receive and process thousands of applications in a very short amount of time. Because the ATS rejects candidates automatically, employees only have to evaluate the most qualified applicants.

What’s Essential to Your Resume?

There are a few requirements for resumes to parse through Applicant Tracking Systems. It should always be created in a Word document or a Google Doc, then exported as a PDF. You should include your contact information, education, and your experiences where you highlight your skills and achievements.

Avoid using graphics or images, these can cause you to be immediately rejected. Also, stick to a simple straightforward format for your resume. A single column with clear titles and impactful content. We have a resume outline here: Resume outline or reach out to your university career center for a template or style guide to follow!

What is AI Interviewing?

Quinncia’s interviewing feature offers tailored mock interviews and individualized feedback using artificial intelligence that helps you practice telling your story based on experiences on your resume.

Different from video interviewing, many employers are moving first-round interviews to AI-assisted interviews, where there isn’t a human on the other end, and instead questions are presented on the screen or audio. Using this mock interview system can also help you prepare your interview presence for eventual video interviews as well.

Practice Telling Your Story Using Interviews

When networking, interviewing, connecting with an employer, or speaking to a mentor, your story is what makes them interested in your accomplishments. If you communicate effectively about your experiences and achievements, they will see how you can be an asset to their organization.

Telling a story is both a science and an art. Each question requires its own approach to properly convey your message. Practicing is crucial for making your complicated experiences understandable and presenting them in an engaging manner. With Quinn, you can practice as many times as you need to receive feedback and improve your story, increasing your chances of landing your dream job.

Making the Most of Your Feedback on Quinncia

“The step by step process on how to improve my resume has been very helpful and eye-opening. I feel more confident in my resume after using this site.”

Jane Smith Student Honest University

Access Quinncia to Get Instant Feedback on Your Resume

Career Center: Students - Graduate

Be "unstoppable".

Whether you’re aiming for a promotion or considering a career change, the Career and Professional Development Center provides resources to support your career goals. Understanding that your schedules are often packed, we offer a range of online resources accessible 24/7. Additionally, our career fairs, workshops, and events led by industry professionals offer valuable opportunities to enhance your career-readiness skills and network with potential employers.  By leveraging these resources, you can gain valuable insights and tools to successfully launch and advance your career in your chosen field.

UPCOMING EVENTS

We encourage your participation in a variety of career-related events, offered in both in-person and virtual formats. these events include career fairs, educational workshops, employer-led career development sessions and student showcase events. explore our events page for a comprehensive list of upcoming opportunities..

Upcoming Events

Credit Card Debt & Money Management- New Student Orientation

Fri, August 23, 2024

11 AM- 1 PM

"The Basement"

Click HERE for event details!

Resume writing workshop: the before & after.

Thu, September 5, 2024

12:30-1:30 PM

Benjamin Rush Center, Room 104

Click HERE for workshop details!

Individual guidance from an industry professional.

Tue, September 10, 2024

12:00 - 2:00 PM

Benjamin Rush Center

Click HERE for details!

Resume writing & networking workshop presented by novus group.

11:00 - 11:50 AM

No RSVPs required.  Refreshments will be provided!

Click Here for workshop details!

Freshen up for the fair.

Wed, September 18, 2024

11 AM- 2 PM

It's time to prepare for the upcoming Career & Internship Fair!

Click HERE for event details!

Fall 2024 career & internship fair.

Tue, September 24, 2024

UPMC Events Center

Tips for Finding an Internship

Wed, October 2, 2024

12:00-12:50 PM

5 Tips for a Standout Resume

2:00-2:50 PM

UPDATE YOUR RESUME

Updating your resume as a graduate student is crucial for showcasing your evolving skills, accomplishments, and experiences. As you advance through your academic and professional journey, your resume should reflect your most recent achievements, including new research projects, internships, publications, and any relevant coursework or certifications. An updated resume not only ensures that you present the most accurate and compelling picture of your qualifications to potential employers but also demonstrates your commitment to maintaining a proactive and professional approach to your career development.

RESOURCE LIBRARY

For busy graduate students, our online resources are a game-changer, offering flexibility and convenience. Available 24/7, these resources allow you to access valuable tools and information anytime that fits your demanding schedule. Whether you need to refine your resume, practice interview techniques, or explore career development materials, you can do so at your own pace, without having to work around restrictive office hours. With these self-guided options you can make the most of your career planning and skill-building efforts, even amidst your busy schedule.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

As an international student, the Career and Professional Development Center assists you in preparing for your career by offering resources tailored to your specific needs and requirements.

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At the University of Delaware Career Center, we are dedicated to empowering all students to develop and achieve their professional aspirations. We do this by integrating curricular and co-curricular experiences; designing self-paced, accessible and engaging career education opportunities; and by creating opportunities for networking. Our work is centered on supporting Blue Hens on their journey to professional success and a fulfilling future. 

Whether you're exploring potential career paths, preparing for internships or full-time employment or refining career skills like resume writing and interview techniques, we offer a wide range of resources tailored to meet your needs. The following categories can assist you in navigating our support:

Individualized Support

Skill Building and Career Readiness Resources

Industry Connection Events and Programs

• Career Fairs and Meetups

Financial and Accessibility Assistance

View more ud campus resources, design your path to career success, learn about tailored resources to help you assess your career readiness.

Success is a journey you define, not a single destination—let us help you discover how career fits into your values, interests and life.

Knowing where you are is the best place to start and we have several resources to guide you. Which of the following stages best describes your current level of career readiness?

Exploring my career path

You may not have fully settled on a path yet. Or you may have a general idea of where you want to go, but need to understand how to get there. That is completely okay—and a great place to start!

To get a better understanding of yourself, the possible paths that exist and the steps you’ll need to take to get there, you may want to:

• Discover how your personality, interests and values may influence the types of careers that best suit you with PathwayU .
• Investigate the potential in academic programs and how they can connect to your personal and professional journey through “What Can I Do With This Major?” (Access via your UD Career Center Canvas course)
• Learn more about yourself to determine what majors to choose, which industries to explore or what career fields might be a good fit via the “Get to Know Yourself” module in the  Career Center Canvas site .
• Explore Cultural and Identity-Based Resources for career and professional development.

Mapping my journey

You may have initiated your career development and you know what your post-education goal looks like. Maybe you have begun to develop some skills to prepare.

At this point, you could benefit from understanding all of the steps needed to get to that goal:

• Engage with industry connections and build a professional network through Handshake and LinkedIn .
• Prepare professional communication to best describe your unique strengths and help you gain experience, with resources such as BigInterview .
• Chart your course to success by researching UD Career Outcomes and simulate industry workstyles through Forage .

Embarking on my next step

You may have a firm idea of what your career path looks like and have engaged with your industry to prepare you for this journey. You have developed some transferable skills and are ready to apply what you’ve learned so far.

It’s time to gain further experience and prepare for your post-graduation destinations. To do this, you should:

• Prepare your professional brand, including visiting the Career Center to take quality headshots for your LinkedIn and ensure your resume is stellar through drop-in hours .
• Practice job search strategies, understand different types of experience and prepare for any application processe s through the “Gaining Practical Experience” module in the  Career Center Canvas site .
• Familiarize yourself with job search engines, personalize filters and digests and be ready to apply for experiences on Handshake , LinkedIn or even by attending a career fair or meetup .

UD Career Resources

Filter by resource, filter by semester, all results.

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UD Career Center

The UDCC helps students identify strengths, motivations and purpose, and translate their ambitions into opportunities through professional, educational and UD connections. The center supports all UD students and serves as a central hub for career and professional development at the institution. UDCC connects students with employers hiring for jobs and internships, provides one-on-one coaching and builds career development and education into academic and Student Life programs.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Summer Institute Research Experience

Undergraduates interested in pursuing an advanced agricultural, natural resources or life sciences degree can participate in summer research and education experiences. Participants can develop a project, collect and analyze data, and present their results at a campus-wide summer symposium.

Qualifications: Open to all undergraduates Semester: Summer Location: UD campus Pay: $4,500 stipend (and housing in UD Residence Halls if needed)

Biden Institute Summer Internship Program

Career-focused 8-10-week internships provide students hands-on experience in public policy, communications, event planning, and advocacy with non-profit organizations and government agencies.

Qualifications : Open to all undergraduates with a minimum 3.0 GPA Semester : Summer Location : Delaware, Washington, D.C., and other locations Pay : Amount set each year and by site

Biden School Legislative Fellows Program

The experience offers a valuable opportunity to observe and contribute to political decision-making. Fellows assist Delaware General Assembly legislators address the state's critical issues through nonpartisan, in-depth research.

Qualifications: Open to all undergraduates Semester: Fall and spring Pay: Competitive stipend

Center for Health Profession Studies

The Center for Health Profession Studies assists students and alumni across all colleges in exploring and successfully transitioning to postgraduate education in health professions. The center supports students in academic and cocurricular preparation to enter health profession programs through advising and partnerships with academic units, student organizations and affiliated programs, and building a strong profile to apply to programs in medicine of all specialties—dentistry, physician assistant, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, chiropractic, physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training and anesthesiology assistant.

Co-Curricular Coaching in the College of Arts & Sciences Student Success Center

The co-curricular coaching team helps College of Arts & Sciences students succeed by connecting them with internships, research and other opportunities.

Community Enagement Initiative (CEI) Summer Scholars Program

The program provides highly motivated undergraduates the opportunity to immerse themselves in a community-based research or creative project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Scholars spend 10 weeks during the summer in full-time pursuit of their projects in partnership with a Delaware nonprofit, governmental, community-based action research or service-based corporate activity and simultaneously pursue academic reflection under the guidance of a UD faculty mentor.

Qualifications: Open to all undergraduates Semester: Summer Location: Delaware Pay: $4,000 stipend

Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) Academic Year Fellows

The CEI Academic Year Fellows program partially supports students who want to work part-time on an applied research project during the academic year. The end product of this project might be a written document (technical report, feature article, academic paper, journal, etc.) or a presentation. Fellow projects vary in length of time commitment and funding.

Qualifications: Open to all undergraduates Semester: Fall and spring Pay: $500–$750 stipend

Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) Summer Fellows Program

The program partially supports students who want to work part-time on a community-based research or creative project and combine it with other summer activities such as coursework and/or employment.

Qualifications: Open to all undergraduates Semester: Summer Location: Delaware Pay: $500—$3,000 stipend

Creative Leadership, Innovation and Service

Explore your potential in leadership and service at UD! Whether you’re looking for a one-semester certificate in leading, an alternative break service program, becoming a TEDx speaker or attending campus events, they have myriad opportunities for you to get involved.

Delaware INBRE Biomedical Sciences Summer Research Scholars Program

In a partnership with five state institutions, including UD, Christiana Care and Nemours Children’s Hospital, selected undergraduate students will carry out independent research projects while supported full-time under a mentor to gain knowledge of research techniques and make unique scholarly or original impacts on the biomedical sciences.

Qualifications: Undergraduates who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents Semester: Summer Location: UD and other institutions within Delaware Pay: $5,000—$6,000

Extension Scholar Program

A unique, hands-on, 10-week summer experiential learning environment under the guidance of extension agents or specialists. During this summer internship, students will follow Cooperative Extension's service learning model, implemented through one of Extension's four program areas: 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, lawn and garden and agriculture and natural resources. Summer scholar experiential learning may include designing and delivering educational programs, evaluating program impacts in the community, assisting with communications and more.

Qualifications: Open to all undergraduates Semester: Summer Location: Delaware Pay: $4,500 stipend

Finkel Fund in Support of Cultural Internships

Undergraduate students pursuing a material culture-based internship with preference given to students whose focus is on preservation, conservation, administration, collections management, exhibition, research and services of museums.

Eligibility: Undergraduate students Semester: Summer Grant Amount: Up to $3,000

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Many majors and academic departments have an internship, research, experiential learning, field experience or study abroad need-based and merit funding available for their students. Check your academic program and department’s website for funding opportunities. Email or call your academic department if information is not available online.

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With a new semester, colleges brace for more antiwar protests from students

Tovia Smith

Pro-Palestinian students and activists face police officers after protesters were evicted from the library at Portland State University in Portland, Ore., in May. John Rudoff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

To many pro-Palestinian campus activists, it was a crushing coincidence of the calendar. Just as nationwide protests over the Israel-Hamas war were coming to a crescendo, the spring semester ended and the students cleared out. The sounds of bullhorns and chanting suddenly went silent.

“It was definitely very jarring,” says junior Marie Adele Grosso, a student organizer at Barnard College and Columbia University. “I wanted so badly to still be in New York. I wanted to be there organizing,” she says, “just trying not to lose that momentum.”

Campus protests over the Gaza war

Anti-war protests, a chicago dnc: is it 1968 all over again some historians say no.

Hundreds were arrested at the encampments, including Gross, who was taken in twice. Like many students, her criminal charges have since been dropped. And her school suspension was downgraded to probation. Now she’s among scores of students around the nation using the summer to strategize and plan for what their activism might look like in the fall.

“We're not going to just be copying encampment, encampment, encampment,” Grosso says. “We will be doing whatever actions we choose, escalations if that's necessary. We will do what is necessary.”

Speaking from her home in Michigan, Grosso says she now spends her days in remote meetings with students from Barnard and Columbia, as well as engaging with local student and community activists in Michigan. It’s how many other students across the U.S. are keeping busy, as well.

Students joining up and learning from community activists

In Cambridge, Mass., for example, students who are home for the summer or living on now-quiet campuses nearby have been joining weekly demonstrations run by BDS Boston, a group promoting boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel — and companies doing business with Israel. A few dozen people protest outside the local offices of Elbit Systems, a defense technology company supplying products to the Israeli military. They circle a busy intersection chanting, “Free Palestine” and “Elbit out of Cambridge now!” One of the organizers takes to the bullhorn, imploring the group to “Continue disrupting, that is our fight!” as Cambridge police detour traffic and respond to frustrated motorists.

Students here say they’re learning from their “elders” — many of whom are veterans of Vietnam-era protests, and eager to share lessons on tactics and how and when to escalate them. Lesley University senior Soledad Dolorico takes a turn with the bullhorn to give a shout out to fellow students who she says “are playing a huge role in the intifada.”

This summer, students like Lesley University junior Soledad Dolorico (purple pants and red keffiyeh) have been joining weekly demonstrations run by BDS Boston (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) outside the Cambridge, Mass., offices of Elbit Systems, a defense technology company supplying products to the Israeli military. Tovia Smith/NPR hide caption

“Resistance is always justified when people are occupied — by any and all means necessary,” she shouts to cheers from the others. She wants to see students keep up the pressure this fall, even if that means more of the most volatile scenes from last spring, such as the occupation of buildings at UCLA and Columbia.

“I could not care less about students busting up some windows when they’re getting degrees revoked for protesting the killing of human beings!” Dolorico hollers.

Schools bracing for a turbulent fall

Many schools see it as a dangerously heady mix: students rested, ready and riled up, an intensifying conflict in the Middle East, and a turbulent U.S. election season. Many students are planning to join tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators expected to protest outside next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

“It's just getting amped up, and unfortunately I think that translates into the potential for more, frankly, violent sort of activity on campuses,” says crisis communications consultant Jeff Hunt who’s working with dozens of schools this summer. He points to escalating rhetoric, for example, in Washington, D.C., where some protestors recently were supporting not just the Palestinian people in Gaza, but also Hamas and Hezbollah.

A Palestinian flag flies at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in May. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

“That’s pretty goddamn scary,” Hunt says. “So there's a lot of administrators at these institutions quite worried and doing their best to prepare.”

For many schools, that means tightening their rules on protests, reviewing or clarifying disciplinary processes, and tightening security.  Columbia has just announced that it considers the threat to safety to have escalated, so it will now be restricting campus access to people with school IDs and their registered guests. Columbia is also considering giving their security officers the power to make arrests. 

Case Western Reserve University has rolled out new rules limiting demonstrations to two hours’ duration, during the daytime, in only one designated space, and requiring written pre-approval from the school at least seven days in advance. The school has also banned the use of light projections on buildings and microphones or bullhorns, though students can file for an exception. A draft policy by Harvard would ban messages from being written with chalk on school property, and would require signage to be preapproved.

More than a dozen colleges declined to comment on their plans, as they are still scrambling to finalize changes. 

“We have schools [saying] how can I make this so we’re not seeing the crazy protests next semester?’ And we’re [saying] ‘You don’t !’” says Alex Morey, vice president of campus advocacy with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) who has been tracking schools’ policy changes. Some, she says, are reasonable restrictions, like not blocking access, not sleeping outside and not being too loud. But many other changes, she says, are over-corrections.

“We don’t want students to have to be checking the campus map to figure out where the free speech zone is, in the free speech hours, and have [they] given enough free speech notice,” Morey says. “That’s way too strict for a campus that promises free expression.”

Columbia University threatened with subpoenas over U.S. House antisemitism investigation

Pressure is mounting on schools — from Congress, the Department of Education and lawsuits — to strike the right balance between free speech and a campus that is safe and welcoming to all. On that, colleges are taking hits from all sides.

Just last week, pro-Palestinian vandals spewed red paint, broke a window and dumped insects inside the vestibule of a Columbia administrator’s apartment building. They left a sign saying, “You signed off on police brutality. Now you want to expel us?”

At the same time, some Jewish and pro-Israel students and their supporters say Columbia has not been tough enough. Junior Elisha Baker says administrators have been far too lax on enforcement as well as discipline. Their failure to take violations seriously is exacerbating what many Jewish and pro-Israel students feel is a hostile environment, Baker says, and portends a tumultuous fall.

“We’re definitely preparing for the worst, because what we know from the last 10 months is that the university doesn’t hold people accountable when they break rules,” Baker says. “So they've learned basically that those actions don't have consequences, which means that they can act again with impunity.”

Columbia declined to comment on those complaints.

Student activists opting to dial it down in places

There are a number of pro-Palestinian protesters who’ve experienced crackdowns at their campuses who say they’re planning on taking a more low-key approach this fall.

A California Highway Patrol officer detains a protestor in May while clearing a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles, after university officials declared the camp unlawful. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

“I'm scared of getting arrested again, so maybe I'll just hang out in the shadows this time,” says Anne-Marie Jardine, who just graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and is headed to grad school at New York University. She says she’s spent this summer healing from injuries she suffered when police arrested her and scores of others.

“I don't want to go through that again,” Jardine says. “That's kind of a guilt I have. The cause is so important, but like, they brutalized me.”

For others, the fear is more financial than physical. Cornell University junior Nick Wilson says he’s already out tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, after he was suspended last spring and lost credit for the semester.

Now he says he needs to be careful. But for most other student activists, Wilson believes the university’s hardball tactics will largely backfire.

“As universities have begun arresting students and suspending them and acting like occupying armies on their own campus, that’s woken a lot of students up,” he says. “People were outraged and became only more involved in political advocacy, if anything.”

Chants of 'intifada' ring out from pro-Palestinian protests. But what's it mean?

There’s another camp of students also choosing a less confrontational tack — but not out of fear; rather, they believe the strategy might be more successful.

“I get it. People are revved up," says Mahmoud Muheisen, who just graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit. School ended in the spring with students accusing police of using excessive force to break up their encampment and demanding a meeting with the administration to discuss university divestment from companies with ties to Israel.

Now, Muheisen is continuing to work with other student leaders, urging them to dial down the temperature. “Like, all right everybody, let’s calm down. Let's take a diplomatic approach and let’s see what happens,” he says. He and other student organizers have been testing various strategies through role-playing, a method they started in the spring.

In one instance, Muheisen plays an administration official making students an offer.

“Here’s the deal,” he says. “The university is willing to offer a meeting if you take down the encampment. What do you say?”

Another student — playing herself — rejects the offer outright.

Staying in character as an administrator, Muheisen immediately pretends to call the media, showing fellow students how playing hardball might backfire if the university portrays them as unreasonable.

“This is Channel 7 News!” Muheisen exclaims, pointing to another student who's playing a reporter with a water bottle as a microphone. “We offered to meet,” Muheisen tells the pretend reporter. “We gave in on two grounds. And they said ‘No!’ ”

“Now we’re on the back foot,” Muheisen explains to the students.

As he sees it, instead of 100 people at another protest, it might be more effective to get 100 signatures on a petition, for example, for a no-confidence vote in the university president.

“We wanna talk to the university in the language they might understand,” he says. “If they don’t, we have no issue taking it to the streets again. But we don’t wanna be doing this when we could’ve done something a lot quieter.”

It's definitely been a quieter summer for students at Brown University, one of about a dozen U.S. campuses where students ended their encampments voluntarily in exchange for a meeting to discuss divestment with university officials.

As one Brown student put it, they’re now doing “the unglamorous side of organizing” – like revising a report they hope will help boost their case for divestment.

Pro-Israel students also promising more activism

Israeli flags fly in front of a pro-Palestinian encampment in May on the lawn of the Stratton Student Center campus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. Rick Friedman/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Meanwhile, pro-Israel students are gearing up to boost their narrative, after many say they laid low last year for fear of harassment.

“I would say to buckle in, because unfortunately it will be very difficult,” says Harvard graduate Shabbos Kestenbaum. He says a growing number of students are now planning to increase their volume and visibility, and that several events are already planned for the fall to counter what he calls slander against Israel.

“Um, no, the Jewish state is not a settler colonial entity. No, it's not practicing apartheid, nor is it committing genocide,” he says. “It is a vibrant democracy that has been thrust into a war not of its own choice, and they are defending themselves as best as they can. And if we have to be loud about it and if I have to lose friends over it, which I have, so be it.”

To that point, schools have been trying to come up with ways to tamp down the acrimony among students and encourage dialog across the divide. Harvard just added a question to its admissions application asking students how they have managed to communicate with someone who they strongly disagree with. And a growing number of schools are scrambling to institute new programs promoting civil discourse and education — less heat and more light, as some have put it.

Carnegie Mellon University is among those that see it as a kind of inoculation against the vitriol and violence that broke out on so many campuses last spring. Humanities Dean Richard Scheines says he saw tensions at CMU subside almost immediately after launching a program last semester that began with a Palestinian and Israeli woman sitting side by side, telling their personal stories.

“That to me was the magical moment,” he says. “Everyone understood this is way beyond slogans. We have to dig in here. It’s complicated.”

There were bumps, including when one student didn’t like what he heard and tried to start a boycott of the program. But he eventually came around, engaging respectfully and productively.

Ultimately, Scheines says, “education is what we do.”

“It takes a lot of guts and a lot of work,” he says, “but if universities can’t pull this off, who can?”

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US colleges revise rules on free speech in hopes of containing anti-war demonstrations

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigns after a brief, tumultuous tenure. She acknowledged campus protests factored in her decision. (AP video: Joseph B. Frederick)

FILE - A demonstrator waves a flag on the Columbia University campus at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment, in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

FILE — New York University students and pro-Israeli supporters rally across the street from where Pro-Palestinian students and supporters are rallying outside the NYU Stern School of Business building, April 22, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

FILE - Student protesters gather inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, April 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — As students return to colleges across the United States, administrators are bracing for a resurgence in activism against the war in Gaza, and some schools are adopting rules to limit the kind of protests that swept campuses last spring.

While the summer break provided a respite in student demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war, it also gave both student protesters and higher education officials a chance to regroup and strategize for the fall semester.

The stakes remain high. At Columbia University, President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday after coming under heavy scrutiny for her handling of the demonstrations at the campus in New York City, where the wave of pro-Palestinian tent encampments began last spring.

Some of the new rules imposed by universities include banning encampments, limiting the duration of demonstrations, allowing protests only in designated spaces and restricting campus access to those with university identification. Critics say some of the measures will curtail free speech.

The American Association of University Professors issued a statement Wednesday condemning “overly restrictive policies” that could discourage free expression. Many of the new policies require protesters to register well in advance and strictly limit the locations where gatherings can be held, as well as setting new limits on the use of amplified sound and signage.

“Our colleges and universities should encourage, not suppress, open and vigorous dialogue and debate even on the most deeply held beliefs,” said the statement, adding that many policies were imposed without faculty input.

The University of Pennsylvania has outlined new “temporary guidelines” for student protests that include bans on encampments, overnight demonstrations, and the use of bullhorns and speakers until after 5 p.m. on class days. Penn also requires that posters and banners be removed within two weeks of going up. The university says it remains committed to freedom of speech and lawful assembly.

At Indiana University, protests after 11 p.m. are forbidden under a new “expressive activities policy” that took effect Aug 1. The policy says “camping” and erecting any type of shelter are prohibited on campus, and signs cannot be displayed on university property without prior approval.

The University of South Florida now requires approval for tents, canopies, banners, signs and amplifiers. The school’s “speech, expression and assembly” rules stipulate that no “activity,” including protests or demonstrations, is allowed after 5 p.m. on weekdays or during weekends and not allowed at all during the last two weeks of a semester.

A draft document obtained over the summer by the student newspaper at Harvard University showed the college was considering prohibitions on overnight camping, chalk messages and unapproved signs.

“I think right now we are seeing a resurgence of repression on campuses that we haven’t seen since the late 1960s,” said Risa Lieberwitz, a Cornell University professor of labor and employment law who serves as general counsel for the AAUP.

Universities say they encourage free speech as long as it doesn’t interfere with learning, and they insist they are simply updating existing rules for demonstrations to protect campus safety.

Tensions have run high on college campuses since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants assaulted southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took about 250 hostages.

Many student protesters in the U.S. vow to continue their activism, which has been fueled by Gaza’s rising death toll, which surpassed 40,000 on Thursday, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

About 50 Columbia students still face discipline over last spring’s demonstrations after a mediation process that began earlier in the summer stalled, according to Mahmoud Khalil, a lead negotiator working on behalf of Columbia student protesters. He blamed the impasse on Columbia administrators.

“The university loves to appear that they’re in dialogue with the students. But these are all fake steps meant to assure the donor community and their political class,” said Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The Ivy League school in upper Manhattan was roiled earlier this year by student demonstrations, culminating in scenes of police officers with zip ties and riot shields storming a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Similar protests swept college campuses nationwide, with many leading to violent clashes with police and more than 3,000 arrests. Many of the students who were arrested during police crackdowns have had their charges dismissed , but some are still waiting to learn what prosecutors decide. Many have faced fallout in their academic careers, including suspensions, withheld diplomas and other forms of discipline.

Shafik was among the university leaders who were called for questioning before Congress. She was heavily criticized by Republicans who accused her of not doing enough to combat concerns about antisemitism on the Columbia campus.

She announced her resignation in an emailed letter to the university community just weeks before the start of classes on Sept. 3. The university on Monday began restricting campus access to people with Columbia IDs and registered guests, saying it wanted to curb “potential disruptions” as the new semester draws near.

“This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in the community,” Shafik wrote in her letter. “Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters first set up tent encampments on Columbia’s campus during Shafik’s congressional testimony in mid-April, when she denounced antisemitism but faced criticism for how she responded to faculty and students accused of bias.

The school sent in police to clear the tents the following day, only for the students to return and inspire a wave of similar protests at campuses across the country as students called for schools to cut financial ties with Israel and companies supporting the war.

The campus was mostly quiet this summer, but a conservative news outlet in June published images of what it said were text messages exchanged by administrators while attending a May 31 panel discussion titled “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future.”

The officials were removed from their posts , with Shafik saying in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and “disturbingly touched on ancient antisemitic tropes.”

Other prominent Ivy League leaders have stepped down in recent months , in large part due to their response to the volatile protests on campus.

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned in December after less than two years on the job. She faced pressure from donors and criticism over testimony at a congressional hearing where she was unable to say under repeated questioning that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the school’s conduct policy.

And in January, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned amid plagiarism accusations and similar criticism over her testimony before Congress.

Perry reported from Meredith, New Hampshire. Gecker reported from San Francisco.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

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23 Lesser-Known Facts About Kamala Harris

Beyond the headlines, Ms. Harris has taken ballet, collected Converse sneakers and felt the influence of her grandfather, a diplomat.

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By Andrew Trunsky and Alyce McFadden

• Aug. 22, 2024 Updated 12:33 p.m. ET

Follow the latest news on the Democratic National Convention .

Kamala Harris’s long political résumé is well known and expansive: Before becoming vice president, she was a U.S. senator. Before that, she was the California attorney general and the district attorney in San Francisco. Here are some things you might not know about the Democratic Party’s nominee for president.

1. Her name translates to “lotus flower” in Sanskrit . It’s a near-mythical symbol in Indian culture, representing beauty, prosperity and fertility.

2. She has broken the most ties in U.S. Senate history. As vice president, she has often been called upon to cast a deciding vote when the Senate is deadlocked. Last year, she cast her 32nd tiebreaker, beating the previous record of 31 set by John C. Calhoun, who was vice president from 1825 to 1832.

3. She’s short (compared to presidents past). Five-foot-four, to be exact. If elected, she would be one of the two shortest presidents in American history. (The other is James Madison.) But her height checks in at just about average for an American woman.

4 . She knows how to deliver fries with that . Ms. Harris worked at McDonald’s between her freshman and sophomore years in college. She fried the fries, worked the ice cream machine and staffed the cash register.

5. Her best friend set her up with her future husband, Doug Emhoff . Their first “date” was an hourlong phone call, and they made plans to get dinner that weekend in Los Angeles, where he was based. “I could hardly wait to fly down,” Ms. Harris wrote.

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