College Admissions tips for the summer: Resumes and Essays

The college admissions process is getting more and more competitive every year. For incoming high school seniors, these ten weeks of summer are the perfect time to start preparing an important component of the application process: college essays. The essay is one of the few parts where they can express a part of themselves that doesn’t necessarily shine through on other parts of their applications. Mary Merrill, an admissions officer from Connecticut College, told the New York Times that this is an opportunity for students to show admissions officers what they capable of when they have time to think, prepare, rewrite and polish.

While the college essay has always been a traditional part of the application process, incoming high school seniors may also want to consider writing a student resume for all of their college applications. The benefits of a student resume are similar to those of a college essay: a resume give students the freedom to present accomplishments as best suits each student and, as a result, to shine more in the eyes of college admission officers, according to college admissions counselor Steve Sterling. Having a resume is also a great way to prepare for potential internships and jobs once your student is in college.

Even though a great college essay and student resume will not gain acceptance for an unqualified student, they will help a qualified student stand out from the competition and can change a maybe to a yes.

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