How to Build a High School Resume for CUNY, SUNY, and Ivy League Admissions

When I meet a high school junior for the first time, I often ask a simple question: “What have you done outside class?” Most students pause, then list one or two activities. Within an hour, I usually help them uncover a dozen meaningful experiences they had forgotten or undervalued. That gap between what a student has done and what a student can clearly show is exactly why a strong high school resume matters.

Whether your child plans to apply to a CUNY campus, a SUNY university, or an Ivy League school, an organized record of activities, honors, work, and service makes every application stronger. In this guide, I explain how I help students build a resume that works across all three pathways.

Why a High School Resume Matters for College Admissions

A high school resume serves as your child’s master record. Even when a college never asks for a resume file, the same information feeds the activities section of the Common App, the SUNY application, and the CUNY application. Students who keep an updated resume complete these sections faster and with far more accuracy.

A resume also helps the people who advocate for your child. School counselors and teachers often ask for a “brag sheet” before they write recommendation letters, and a polished resume gives them specific examples to mention. Interviewers, scholarship committees, summer programs, and employers use it too. In my experience, the students who start early rarely scramble in the fall of senior year, and their applications read as confident and consistent.

What CUNY, SUNY, and Ivy League Colleges Look For

Each system values activities differently, so I tailor advice to each one:

• CUNY: Admissions decisions rely primarily on GPA, course grades, and academic rigor. CUNY colleges recommend an essay and letters of recommendation, and a strong resume helps students write both. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY looks closely at extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, and initiative.
• SUNY: Students apply through the SUNY Application or, at participating campuses, the Common App. Selective campuses review academics first, then consider activities, leadership, and essays to understand the whole student.
• Ivy League: These colleges use holistic review. Admissions officers look for depth, leadership, intellectual curiosity, and impact. They value a few sustained commitments far more than a long list of short ones.
• All three: Grades and course rigor come first. A resume cannot replace strong academics, but it can set apart students with similar transcripts.

Essential Sections Every High School Resume Needs

• Header: Full name, email address, phone number, and city. Use a professional email address.
• Education: High school name, expected graduation year, GPA (if strong), and advanced courses such as AP, IB, or college-level classes.
• Test scores (optional): Include SAT or ACT scores only when they strengthen the application, since many colleges remain test-optional while others now require scores. Check each college’s current policy.
• Extracurricular activities: Clubs, sports, arts, research, and school leadership, with roles and dates.
• Work experience: Part-time jobs, internships, and family responsibilities. Colleges respect students who help support their families.
• Community service: Organizations, roles, and total hours.
• Honors and awards: Academic recognitions, competitions, and scholarships.
• Skills and summer programs: Languages, technical skills, certifications, and pre-college programs.

How to Describe Activities with Impact

Strong descriptions show action and results, not just membership. I teach students to begin each line with a strong verb, such as “led,” “organized,” “founded,” “tutored,” or “raised,” and then add a number whenever possible. “Member of Key Club” tells an admissions officer very little. “Organized three food drives that collected 1,200 pounds of donations for a Queens pantry” tells a story of initiative and impact.

Space matters too. The Common App activities section allows up to 10 activities, with 50 characters for a position, 100 characters for the organization name, and only 150 characters for each description. Because of these limits, I ask students to write a full version of each entry on their resume and then trim it to a sharp 150-character version for applications. This practice builds concise writing skills and ensures that the most important details survive. Have you asked your child which activity they would talk about for ten minutes without notes? That activity usually deserves the top spot.

Formatting Rules I Recommend to Every Student

• Keep it to one page: Most high school resumes should fit on a single page; two pages only for exceptional depth.
• Order by importance: List the most meaningful activities first, not simply the most recent.
• Include dates and hours: Show grade levels, hours per week, and weeks per year to prove commitment.
• Choose a clean design: Use one readable font, consistent spacing, and clear section headings. Skip graphics and photos.
• Stay honest: Never inflate a role or hours. Counselors and recommenders can confirm details.
• Save as a PDF: A PDF keeps the formatting intact when your child shares it.
• Update it every semester: Add new roles, awards, and hours while the details remain fresh. A five-minute update each term saves hours of stress during senior year and keeps the record accurate for counselors and recommenders.

A Grade-by-Grade Resume Plan from Freshman to Senior Year

• Grade 9: Explore clubs, sports, and service. Start a simple document that tracks every activity and award.
• Grade 10: Narrow your focus to the activities you enjoy most and take on more responsibility.
• Grade 11: Pursue leadership roles, competitions, internships, or summer programs. Share an updated resume with your counselor before recommendation requests.
• Grade 12: Finalize the resume in early fall, then adapt it for the Common App, the SUNY Application, the CUNY Application, scholarships, and interviews.

Students who also want to strengthen test scores and admissions strategy can explore my SAT classes and college admissions guidance at Khan’s Tutorial.

Conclusion

A thoughtful high school resume turns years of hard work into a clear, compelling story. CUNY focuses mainly on academic preparation, selective SUNY campuses also weigh activities and essays, and Ivy League colleges seek depth and impact. When your child tracks activities early, describes them with specific results, and keeps the format clean, every application becomes easier to complete and more persuasive to read.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to build a standout college application? Contact Khan’s Tutorial today for personalized admissions and test prep support.