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How to write a killer Scholarship Resume
You’ve come across a scholarship application that requires a scholarship resume…and you enter panic mode. What is a scholarship resume? How do you write it? And what are you supposed to put on it? You’re still a student, like all other students, with little real-world experience.

You shouldn’t turn away from a scholarship that requires you to submit a scholarship resume. Writing a resume can feel intimidating, but with the right guidance you should have no problem nailing it.

With some practice, you may even consider adding your resume to scholarships that don’t require it, just to give you an extra boost.

Why Write a Scholarship Resume?

Adding a resume to your scholarship application is a great way to distinguish yourself from the competition.

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Sure, a transcript with straight A’s looks good. But a resume that can show off a well-rounded student with interests and volunteer experiences looks great. This is what the scholarship committee looks for in applicants.

Writing a resume may require you to put in some extra work, but that extra effort could make the difference in you winning the scholarship. You give what you get, right?

In general, scholarship applications can be limiting; they do not allow you to express every side of yourself. It could work to your benefit to have a resume which shows your accomplishments and experiences that may have been left out in the rest of your application.

How to Format Your Resume

Resumes should include the following sections:

  • Contact information- Include your name, phone number, email, and address.
  • Education
  • Awards /Honors
  • Work experience
  • Volunteer experience
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Skills such as languages and computers

Your resume should also look professional. There is no reason to add any special designs to you resume (unless you are an arts student). These students may choose a more creative looking resume.

What Your Resume Should Exclude 

How to write a killer Scholarship Resume
Only include things on your resume that add value. Don’t list every volunteer experience you’ve ever had. The goal of a resume is not to fill the page with meaningless positions. Rather, you should keep it short but relevant. The positions you include in your resume should be ones that make sense for the scholarship you are applying to.

If you don’t have any work experience, don’t include that section. Instead focus on volunteer experience, awards, and interests and hobbies. Anything that adds value to your application.

This is true even if your resume is shorter.

How to Write an Amazing Scholarship Resume

Great scholarship resumes use appropriate language. Use action words in your resume to describe the roles you have held. The words “planned,” “tutored,” and “managed,” are great examples of the type of words you may choose to use.

Keep your resume clear, organized, and structured. Use bullet points to organize your resume and a legible font. Avoid using the “I” pronoun.

In each section work chronologically backwards, starting with the present and then the past.

Make sure that you proofread your work several times. The last thing you want to do is submit a document with grammar mistakes.

You will eventually need to have a resume on hand when you apply to internships and jobs. Writing a scholarship resume allows you to get a head start on this. It will save you time in the future.

Scholarship Resume Example

Jamie Allen 
Philadelphia, PA 
Phone: (829)029-8329
Email: Ja.Allen@gmail.com

EDUCATION 
Crossroads High School Grades 9-12
Graduated: June, 2019
GPA: 3.9
ACT: 26

HONOR AND AWARDS 

  • Member of the National Honor Society 2017-2019 
  • Winner of the National Speech and Debate Tournament 2018 

WORK EXPERIENCE 

Nanny / 2016-2018

  • Provided childcare services to a family with three children 
  • Assisted children with their homework and extracurricular activities 

Applebee’s Waitress / 2016-2018 

  • Waited tables 
  • Worked in fast paced environment
  • Awarded waitress of the month in May 2018 

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 

AllStars Homeless Shelter / 2017-Present 

  • Assist in weekly dinner gathering on Wednesday evenings 
  • Organized an outdoor carnival for 30 children and collected donations from community organizations 
  • Connect weekly with local restaurants for food donations 

Big Brothers Big Sisters / 2016-2018

  • Developed a supportive relationship with “little sister” 
  • Planned engaging activities twice a week

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 

  • Model United Nations / 2017-2019 
  • Member of school yearbook club / 2016-2019 
  • Varsity track / 2016-2019

SKILLS 

  • Spanish fluency 
  • CPR Certified 
  • Proficient with Windows, Linux, Microsoft Office