To Upload a Resume or Not to Upload a Resume, That is the Question

If you’re a college applicant stressing out over having to update, triple proofread, or even create a resume from scratch to include in an application and compete in today’s insane admissions game, the good news is you can relax. UNLIKE optional supplement essay questions for particular schools, and UNLIKE optional interviews, which are only “optional” if your GPA, test scores, activities, and guidance counselor ALL indicate the school is a slam dunk, uploading a resume does NOT show you’re willing to go the extra mile. What it DOES often show is a misunderstanding of how ALL your application materials work together in creating your mouthpiece to admissions committees.

I hear many facile and ill-founded reasons why so many applicants choose to upload a resume, and sadly they are often encouraged to by inexperienced college advisors. Perhaps the three most common reasons, actually fallacies, are:

1. If a competitive school asks you for something, even if they say it’s “optional,” of course you should dio it, if for no other reason than to stand out from the all applicants who don’t. WRONG! Since an uploaded resume because saw much a part of your formal application as everything else in it, admissions officers are obliged to read and consider it. If such a resume includes mostly information you’ve included elsewhere (usually in the Education–>Honors or Activities section of the CommonApp). If you give readers the same information multiple times in the same application, you are wasting their time./ Do you like when someone wastes your time? Yeah, neither do they.
2. I already have a resume for a job or internship or a previous application to something other than college, so why not? Good question, but WRONG AGAIN! Remember, application area like a highlights reel in that LESS IS MORE. If a highlights reel included every play from scrimmage, the way some students approach their applications, they’d be completely ineffective at, um, highlighting the best stuff.
3. The Activities section of the CommonApp is too constricting and I can’t say what I really want to. WRONG! and I call Bullsh*#! Just because it’s easier for you to communicate your accomplishments on a resume as opposed to the CommonApp’s Activities form doesn’t mean it’s better. Like some many things, sometimes the harder way requiring more effort is better for you. And for me, too.
4. My husband and I went to great expense to hire a resume writer who even created a signal for our child and it really is beautiful.VERY WRONG! SUOPER DUPER WRONG! Anything that smacks of privilege—and boy, does this ever smack of privilege—is counterproductive. Like Willy Wonka, admissions officers want to give Golden Tickets to the deserving not the privileged (see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

So, Dr. Yo, are you saying NO ONE should upload a resume? Good question, but no, I am not. There are two general cases when I DO encourage applicants to take advantage of the upload able resume option.

1. Your resume presents significantly different, additional information than anywhere else in your application, especially in the Activities section – This is RARE.
2. If you have a clever and creative idea to format a resume in an original way that casts your best college qualities in a better light that that of the Activities form of a traditional resume, then go for it!

Hope that helps. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please give us jingle at (413) 39-7540. And given the time of year, please don’t jingle part of the way, jingle all the way!