How to Structure a Resume for a College Transfer Application

I'm thinking about transferring colleges and need to prepare my resume for the application. How should I structure it? Are there any tips for highlighting my achievements and courses to make my application stand out?

Sure, let's start with the structure of your resume. Your resume should include these essential elements:

1. Contact Information: Make sure to include your full name, phone number, professional email address., and LinkedIn profile if you have one.

2. Objective: This line should briefly state what you hope to achieve in transferring colleges. For instance, you might be looking to avail better opportunities in a specific course of study.

3. Education: Include the name and location of your current college and the degree you're pursuing, also include your GPA (only if it's strong), and list any relevant coursework.

4. Work and Internship Experience: If you've had jobs, internships, or co-op positions, describe those here. In bullet points, highlight duties and achievements relevant to the field of study you are pursuing at your potential new college.

5. Extracurricular Activities: Include clubs, organizations or sports you’ve taken part in. Be sure to mention leadership roles and commitment levels. This section helps paint a picture of your interests outside of academia.

6. Skills: Highlight any relevant skills. These can be technical (like knowledge of specific software related to your field of study) or soft skills (like good communication or leadership).

7. Awards and Recognition (optional): If you have won any awards or have been recognized for your academic or extracurricular accomplishments, include them here.

To help your application stand out, always tailor your resume to target your desired college. If a school emphasizes leadership or a specific area of study in their values or curriculum, highlight relevant experiences, courses, or projects eerily related.

A good tip is to use bullet points to break down your achievements and make your experiences more digestible. Also, remember to use active, assertive language. By starting each bullet point with a strong action verb, it drives home your active role in each achievement or responsibility.

Remember to proofread! A typo or grammar mistake can detract from all your hard work. In your effort to stand out, make sure it’s your accomplishments, not your typos, that capture the attention of the reader.

Lastly, keep in mind a resume should only be about 1-2 pages long. Prioritize the most important information for your intended institution, and keep it concise. Good luck with your transfer application!