2017 Application Countdown, Part 5 - Résumé & Diversity

Dec 06 2016
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The Ingredients of a Strong Résumé

  • Use a two page annotated format. 
  • Begin with paid Professional Work Experience. Provide date, job title and employer. Under each one, provide a brief paragraph of your key assignments and important accomplishments. Some bullet points are fine, but be judicious; substance is more important than format.
  • Include a separate section on Leadership and Public Service. Include examples of leadership in college, communities and any professional organizations. Often, leadership is not defined by title, but more importantly by your ability to collaborate with others and create sustainable programs or organizations.
  • Include a section on Education and Awards, where you list the schools where you earned degrees, did study abroad and any academic awards, fellowships and accomplishments you earned based on character/integrity.
  • End with a section on Personal Background, which includes extracurricular activities in college or volunteer experiences after college. Provide a sense of your personal avocations including art, hobbies, travel, cooking, music, reading, writing poetry or trivia. These are all part of the flavor or value added that makes you distinctive and different.

Diversity – What It Is

At the School, diversity includes academic majors, academic institutions, years of work experience, political ideology, military service, gender, urban vs. rural, geographical regions of the United States and the rest of the planet, people with disabilities, new Americans, first-generation college students, all levels of socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds. Our goal is to admit “multipliers” who represent the maximum variety of qualities and accomplishments. Merit to us extends way beyond GPAs and GRE scores and includes the sum total of each applicant's personal and professional experiences.