Admission counselors are on the lookout for well-rounded candidates. Show them you’re diverse with accomplishments and extracurriculars in a jaw-dropping grad school resume.
Roger Maftean, Ph.D Career Expert
Your academic journey has been a series of milestones, from late-night study sessions to breakthrough research projects. Now, as you prepare to apply to graduate school, your resume is the next step in telling your story.
Let’s create a graduate school resume that makes your application shine.
In this guide, you’ll find:
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Kyla D. Cunningham
Personal Info
Objective
Psychology graduate with 3 years of experience as a human services professional. Seeking to build on my theoretical knowledge as an MA student in the Clinical Psychology program at Northwestern University. Bridge the gap as a student between the application of psychological profiling in the workplace to concepts and theory in the classroom.
Education
BA in Psychology
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
GPA: 3.94/4.00 cumulative, magna cum laude
Relevant Coursework: Developmental psychology, Abnormal psychology, Psychology of learning, Cognitive psychology.
Awards: Dean’s List 2014-2018.
Thesis Title: Examining the Role of Cognitive Bias on High School Student Mental Health
School Psychologist Intern
Latino Youth High School
Grants, Fellowships & Scholarships
Certifications
Honors & Awards
Research & Teaching Experience
Research Assistant
University of Chicago, Department of Psychology
Project title: The Multi-Sited Approaches to Mental Health for Senior-Citizens: From Chicago to Cleveland
Memberships
Key Skills:
References
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Chicago
5848 S. University Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Chicago
5848 S. University Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Here’s how to write a CV for grad school:
Here’s the thing—requirements differ depending on the program you’re applying to. Most graduate programs we’ve come across don’t require a resume. Some do, but the majority of time, they are optional.
Even if it’s optional, it’s best to include a resume or a CV for graduate school, regardless of whether you’re applying to an MA program or Ph.D. program. Why?
Academic counselors are flooded with applications. Grad school resumes are a quick and easy way for them to see your profile in one document. No need to hunt down proof of your extracurricular activities.
But—your resume format needs to look clean and clear from first glance. Here’s how:
After you’ve written your resume, save it as a PDF to keep the layout aligned and in-line with all software and devices.
Some require a CV for graduate school. Structure it in the same way as the resume format but include additional sections only if they are relevant. Think quality over quantity. Here’s a list of different sections examples for you to consider:
Expert Hint: Last year, humanities and social science programs acceptance rate for MA and Ph.D. programs ranged from 5–13%. With such low acceptance rates, you’ll need to make sure your application documents are formatted to perfection so counselors focus on your merit.
Admissions counselors know your SAT/ACT scores, GPA, and class rank. Seems enough, right?
Here’s the thing—everyone is a number in their system. Your grad school resume needs to tell your story behind the numbers.
The way to do so is with a resume profile section, and more specifically, a resume objective. If you’ve studied or worked in a field different from the one you’re applying to, a resume objective helps frame your application to the person reviewing it.
Use the following:
Take a look at what works and what doesn’t in these resume objective for graduate school examples:
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.
If you’re fresh out of college or more geared towards academic work, you might not have a long list of work experience to show.
That’s fine. Your previous work experience won’t define you in the same way it would if applying for jobs outside of academia.
But—if you had working experience, especially ones relevant to the field you’re studying, then this section on your grad school resume will signal to the admissions office that you’re more than just a student. Show this in a resume work history section.
It’s the place in your graduate CV to showcase how diverse you are as a candidate and what path you took along your way to arrive at this decision to apply for this particular grad program.
If you’re applying for a psychology program and have worked with at-risk students in the past, then it is still in line with your overall interest to apply to that grad school.
It also can help to explain why you might have taken some time off from when you graduated to now. Just make sure not to throw everything you’ve done in this section. Don’t be as thorough as you would for a regular job resume:
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Haven't written your cover letter yet? See:
You’re now one step closer to completing your application process with a great graduate school resume. Let’s recap what a post-grad resume should include:
Got questions on how to write a great resume for graduate school? We’re here to help and want to know how the process worked out! Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.
At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Written by Roger Maftean, Ph.DRoger is a career expert at ResumeLab. His goal is to promote the best job search strategies across online communities and publications. As a career advice writer, his goal is to help job candidates maximize their chances of landing the best jobs through expert knowledge driven by data. He also specializes in the psychological aspects of the workplace.
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