Earlier this month, The Chronicle of Higher Education ran an article about how only 5 colleges do well by low-income students. Yes, you read that right, only five. Epic fail, US colleges and universities. EPIC. FAIL.
Of course, I am (somewhat, but not entirely) shocked and appalled by this egregiously low number. Resources like Ask an Advisor are meant to supplement what colleges are doing... and apparently, that isn't much!
But don't take my word for it! Read the study that the article is based on for yourself. Remember, as a low income college student that is is so very important that you always look a little deeper into so-called research.
I will add this report to the Resources, too. Happy reading!
Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Should high school stuff come off your resume? Part II
On an old post about when should high school stuff come off your resume a reader commented:
First, you probably want to remove your high school diploma from your resume. Leaving it there risks making you look naive about what is appropriate to be on your resume at this stage in your life. In general, once you are in college you should remove your high school diploma or GED from your resume. If the bilingual certification is important to the positions you are applying for now, highlight that more than the actual diploma itself. For example, on your resume you might have it listed like this:
Education
Bachelor of Arts in French Language & Literature
University of ABC
Expected 05/2013
Bilingual Certification in French & English
XYZ High School
05/2009
Also, when it comes to awards you won in high school, once you are in college those older awards should definitely go away unless they are well-know and prestigious awards. So unless you were a Gates Millennium Scholar, NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program recipient, or something similar, you should probably get rid of it.
Sorry, that means you should probably remove the AP award as well. Really, as far as most employers are concerned, getting a 5 on an AP test at least 2-3 years ago might as well be "1st place in your grade 2 spelling bee." If in college you have been doing work that highlights the same skill set as your old AP test score, that will stand out much more than the old award. You might want to consider listing your relevant classes on your resume instead
I know this seems really harsh because I am sure you are very proud about your high school accomplishments, but leaving high school stuff on your resume may leave you open to some unwanted assumptions.
Let's pretend your name is Jane. So, Jane, when people reading your resume see high school stuff, they might think, "What the heck has Jane been doing--or not doing--in college?" or worse yet "So Jane hasn't accomplished anything significant since high school." And you don't want these kinds of assumptions to hold you back.
So, that's the mean part... Now the nice part: Keep looking for opportunities to get involved on campus, get leadership experience, and do internships and you will be on your way to building a strong resume! I hope this helps "Jane!"
Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.
"hmmm. I'm also a sophomore and have a few things from high school still left on my resume. I figure the awards I won in grade 12 can stay on for a few more years but pretty much everything else is gone. I agree that you do need to review and remove outdated things from you resume, because 1st place in your grade 2 spelling bee just doesn't mean much. However I still have the high school diploma listed on my resume. I've kept it this far because I was certified as bilingual and usually end up doing bilingual work... I also have an award from grade 11 when I received the AP level 5 in french... I intend on keeping those tidbits on my resume until I stop working bilingually, which may not happen anytime soon. So I guess ya, it depends on the relevance of the item to the job you are applying to."I'm glad that you understand that you should be tailoring your resume to the position you are applying for, but there are still some adjustments you should make to make your resume even stronger.
First, you probably want to remove your high school diploma from your resume. Leaving it there risks making you look naive about what is appropriate to be on your resume at this stage in your life. In general, once you are in college you should remove your high school diploma or GED from your resume. If the bilingual certification is important to the positions you are applying for now, highlight that more than the actual diploma itself. For example, on your resume you might have it listed like this:
Education
Bachelor of Arts in French Language & Literature
University of ABC
Expected 05/2013
Bilingual Certification in French & English
XYZ High School
05/2009
Also, when it comes to awards you won in high school, once you are in college those older awards should definitely go away unless they are well-know and prestigious awards. So unless you were a Gates Millennium Scholar, NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program recipient, or something similar, you should probably get rid of it.
Sorry, that means you should probably remove the AP award as well. Really, as far as most employers are concerned, getting a 5 on an AP test at least 2-3 years ago might as well be "1st place in your grade 2 spelling bee." If in college you have been doing work that highlights the same skill set as your old AP test score, that will stand out much more than the old award. You might want to consider listing your relevant classes on your resume instead
I know this seems really harsh because I am sure you are very proud about your high school accomplishments, but leaving high school stuff on your resume may leave you open to some unwanted assumptions.
Let's pretend your name is Jane. So, Jane, when people reading your resume see high school stuff, they might think, "What the heck has Jane been doing--or not doing--in college?" or worse yet "So Jane hasn't accomplished anything significant since high school." And you don't want these kinds of assumptions to hold you back.
So, that's the mean part... Now the nice part: Keep looking for opportunities to get involved on campus, get leadership experience, and do internships and you will be on your way to building a strong resume! I hope this helps "Jane!"
Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Advisor is back!
So, you might be wondering "Where the heck have you been, Advisor?" Well, long story short, I've had two eye surgeries and was blind for 3 weeks, but now I'm almost all better. Yay, I'm back! And it feels good to be back.
Now that I'm back in commission but still adjusting to my new vision, I'm going to slow down with Ask an Advisor, but still be here for first generation and low income college students. So that means I will still answer and post questions as they come in, but there will be less new non-question content--something like once a week or so.
If you're in summer school, I wish you a great day of academic achievement. If you're not, I hope you're enjoying your summer.
Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.
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| Photo credit: iatdxbgrade9english.blogspot.com |
Now that I'm back in commission but still adjusting to my new vision, I'm going to slow down with Ask an Advisor, but still be here for first generation and low income college students. So that means I will still answer and post questions as they come in, but there will be less new non-question content--something like once a week or so.
If you're in summer school, I wish you a great day of academic achievement. If you're not, I hope you're enjoying your summer.
Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.
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