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The Quick Guide To Admissions Resumes
The Quick Guide To Admissions Resumes
TO ADMISSIONS
RESUMES
Introduction
Often, your resume will be the first component of your application that the admissions
committee readers review. They look at it as a sort of snapshot a quick introduction to
and overview of your accomplishments and strengths, a small window into who you are
and how you may fit into their program.
The resume plays a major role in contributing to the adcoms first impression of your
candidacy, and yet, applicants rarely give their resumes the attention they deserve!
In this guide, we emphasize the importance of the application resume, and then provide
you with the tips and tools needed to optimize your resumes in ways that will help you
get noticedand then accepted. We address critical topics such as what to include in
your resume, how to format your resume, and how to make it more readable. Most
importantly, well teach you how to ensure that your resume serves as an instrumental
vehicle in highlighting the impressive experiences you have had and displaying those
qualifications that make you who you are an ideal candidate for your target graduate
school program.
Enjoy The Quick Guide to Admissions Resume!
2016
www.accepted.com
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2
What is Accepted? ............................................................................................................................. 4
Why Our Clients Love Us ................................................................................................................. 5
8 Tips for Better Resumes ................................................................................................................. 6
How to Write a Resume that is Readable, Impactful, and Unique .................................................... 9
Putting it All Together ..................................................................................................................... 11
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................... 12
2016
www.accepted.com
What is Accepted?
Accepted is the premier admissions consultancy that offers:
1-on-1 consulting for business school, medical school, law school, graduate school, and
college applicants
Expert editing of all application components (essays, resumes, letters of recommendation,
waitlist letters, and more)
Interview prep
Free resources guides, webinars, and a podcast
Sample essays
Our interactive blog where you can get the latest admissions news, solid advice, and
answers to your questions
2016
www.accepted.com
"Guess what? YES... I got accepted!!! I have only just received NYU's accepting letter in
the mail, isn't this just brilliant? I really have to thank you for helping me with my essay.
Without your help, I don't think this could be happening. ...Thanks for all the patience,
efforts and time you have spent on my essay, thanks for helping me to achieve this goal...
Please share this good news with Ms. Abraham, I have to thank her for helping me with one
of my recommendation letters too. Again... Thank you thank you thank you!"
"Thank you again for all of your support and advice throughout this process. I wouldn't
even think about trying this "gamble" without having the confidence of 5 amazing essays
and an outstanding resume on my application to support me. The quality of those
documents would not have been even remotely possible without your help. I can only
describe your contributions to my application with one word...stellar."
2016
www.accepted.com
www.accepted.com
2016
www.accepted.com
For more specific suggestions and examples, see our "Resume Dos and Donts" and review
our sample resumes. If youre still not sure how to develop a comprehensive profile or youre
too busy achieving to do damage control on a negative, contact an Accepted consultant. Let
professionals highlight your professionalism. Because youre outstanding shouldnt your
resume be?
2016
www.accepted.com
There should be no more than four bullet points beneath each position.
Each bullet point should ideally be no more than two lines long.
To ease the readers eye strain, the font should not be smaller than 10 pt.
Margins should be as close to one inch all around as possible, without going less than 0.7
inches.
Use design elements to enhance your resume. The skillful use of understated design
elements can result in an eye-catching resume that projects a sophisticated, successful
image. These elements can be uncomplicated, such as using white space generously or
replacing the traditional round bullet with the less common diamond- and arrow-shaped
bullet. Or they can be more complex, such as using expanded text (kerning) to highlight a
key term or enclosing the professional profile section of your resume in a shaded box.
Naturally, applicants for positions in management or traditional industries will want to
stick with conservative typefaces and avoid "flashy" visual elements.
Eliminate extra lines. Keep your address and contact information on one line if possible,
avoid listing your job titles and company names for each position on two separate lines,
and trim the writing of each bullet point to keep it to a maximum of two lines.
Include ample white space. Make margins no less than around 0.8 inches and instead of
pressing the Enter key twice between positions or sections, use MS Words Format,
Paragraph, Spacing Before box to add a bit of white space between lines and sections
more compactly.
With these rules in mind, how should applicants to the top programs focus the resume on their
most relevant and compelling experiences? Limit the number of bullet points describing your
early entry-level roles and instead expand the space dedicated to those in which you made the
most impact.
2016
www.accepted.com
For instance, if you were promoted from an entry-level programming position with your
company, then you dont even need to dedicate a separate line to describe that first role. Instead,
you can simply impress the reader by describing the fast pace of promotion in a line of the job
description, like this:
Team Lead, IT Consulting Company
2010-Present
Twice promoted from Analyst (2010-2011) to Senior Analyst (2011) and then Team Lead
in record 12 months, a full four times faster than the average rate of promotion.
What if one position has allowed you significant leadership opportunities and impact? Or what if
you have been in your current role for several years? How can you detail all that you have
accomplished in just four bullet points? The trick is to break that down into sections, like this for
example:
Private Equity Associate, PE Firm
2011-Present
First point
Second point
Third point
Fourth point
First point
Second point
Third point
Fourth point
Keep in mind that the majority if not all of those bullet points should include quantifiable
impact that you had on the organization. Breaking up a bulk of text with numbers and section
headings makes the entire document more compelling.
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Conclusion
Thanks for checking out The Quick Guide to Admissions Resumes!
Now it's time to move from general tips to personalized advice tailored just for you. Explore our
admissions consulting and editing services and work 1-on-1 with a pro who will help you get
ACCEPTED.
2016
12
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