All About The Resume – Part 1: Why You Must Send a Resume in Your Application Packet

 

Why Sending a Resume Matters

Resumes (pronounced re-syoo-mayz) are included in your application for an American university for three reasons:

  • firstly, to give the admissions committee a brief snapshot of your academic performance – academic performance carries great weightage in deciding whether you will be admitted or not and in some universities admissions committees form their first impressions of your academic performance by looking at your resume
  • secondly, to present your qualifications for a research or teaching assistantship – for this reason remember to attach a covering letter to your resume requesting that it be circulated to interested professors
  • thirdly, to provide details of projects, seminars, industrial training etc. that you could not include in your SOP because of the word limit

The Resume and What It Covers

A resume, is a written summary of your relevant academic and professional qualifications, background and achievements. It includes:

  • Names of important subjects studied and percentage/GPA in every academic year (very important, as explained in the first point above)
  • Details of projects, papers and seminars done – include the name and aims of the project and the degree to which you succeeded in achieving the aim (in elaborating this you can also include the rank of your project etc. among the others in your class)
  • Details of any relevant work experience/industrial training you have had – state the name of the organization, your designation and role, the duration and dates of your experience and achievements if any

The resume will also, of course, include your contact details i.e.:

  • Your name (put in your full name, not pet names or short forms)
  • Postal address
  • E-mail ID (and website, if any)
  • Telephone number

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