A high schooler's resumé is arguably their most important piece of information, as it contains all their extracurriculars, achievements, relevant coursework, and grades. It's not necessarily to submit to colleges (as most don't accept resumés), but for you to track your achievement and progress. Although it is useful for this information, sometimes the hard part is knowing what to put down. So, here's 10 things a high school resumé should include.
Let us slide into your dms 🥰
Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)1. Education
What to include:
- High school name
- City/state
- Graduation date
- GPA (if strong),
- Class rank (if applicable)
- Relevant coursework (especially honors, AP, IB)
Why: Shows academic background and rigor of your coursework, shows academic standing amongst peers, tells a story if you went to multiple high schools, helps track grades.
Take the Quiz: Which US Boarding School fits you best?
Find out where you should spend your high school career
2. Test Scores
Image Credit: Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu from Unsplash
What to include:
- SAT
- ACT
- AP
- IB
- PSAT
- Other relevant standardized test scores (if submitting)
Why: Demonstrates academic potential, especially if scores are strong and you're not applying test-optional.
3. Extracurricular Activities
What to include:
- Clubs
- Sports
- Student government
- Debate
- Etc., with roles and responsibilities and descriptions of each activity; personalize it to you and what YOU did
Why: Highlights your interests, passions, possible majors, and helps you track everything you participated in over the course of high school.
4. Honors & Awards
Image Credit: Wan San Yip from Unsplash
What to include: Academic athletic, artistic, or community-based recognitions, with dates and awarding organizations, also include scale (schoolwide, regional, statewide, national, international, etc).
Why: Adds credibility to your achievements and demonstrates excellence, helps you standout and track what you've been recognized for.
5. Work Experience
What to include: Jobs (part-time, summer, internships), employer name, dates, and main responsibilities.
Why: Demonstrates responsibility, work ethic, and real-world experience.
6. Volunteering
Image Credit: Ismael Paramo from Unsplash
What to include: Organizations, dates, roles, and total hours, also include the main cause
Why: Shows passion, commitment to helping others and community involvement—qualities colleges value.
7. Personal/Passion Projects
What to include:
- Blogs
- YouTube channels
- Coding projects
- Art portfolios
- Business ventures
- Research papers
- Etc
Why: Shows the area you're deeply interested in, demonstrates creativity, passion, and initiative outside of structured environments.
8. Athletics
What to include: Sports teams you were a part of, roles (captain, etc), special duties.
Why: Especially important if you want to be a recruited athlete, shows versatility, can also contribute to Extracurriculars if advanced and intense enough.
9. Summer Programs
What to include: Academic, leadership, or interest-based camps like Boys/Girls State, coding camps, writing workshops, etc, anything that connects to your main interest (s).
Why: Shows engagement and intellectual initiative during free time, shows initiative.
10. Future Career Aspirations
What to include: Any possible majors that lead into an industry, general industries, even specific job titles or companies.
Why: Helps verbalize what you want to do in life, sets a goal and tracks it.
My Experience
In my personal experience, these 10 categories are paramount to tracking your success. Your education is the baseline and most important part - immersing yourself in your school makes you pop and standout. For me, I spent a year in high school in Hawaii (crazy, I know), and now I'm doing sophomore through senior year in Colorado because my family moved. The courses are different, but my resumé allows me to track what I need to take and what I've taken.
Test scores are also big, as they compare you to all the high schoolers in the U.S. I don't think you'll forget your score, but it's good to track it and also see growth if you take a test more than once. AP Tests can also give you much college credit, so you definitely want to track which ones you've taken and scored the highest on.
Extracurriculars are one of the most important parts of the college application and your high school career. By documenting what you've done and your main roles in each EC, you can write your application so much easier. Work experience is also the gold mine of applications. Even your summer job at your local restaurant can make you stand out so much more than a paid internship. It goes without saying - volunteering is giving back to your community. Be a good human.
Your high school resumé is more than just a document—it's a personal inventory of everything you've accomplished and explored during these formative 4 years. While colleges may not always require it, building and maintaining a detailed resumé helps you reflect on your growth, stay organized, and prepare for future opportunities like internships, scholarships, or job applications. Start early, keep it updated, and make it authentically yours—it’s a powerful tool for understanding where you’ve been and where you're headed.
.jpg)
