building a resume for high school students

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16 High School Student Resume Examples Created for 2024

High School Student Resume

• High School Student Resumes by Experience
• High School Student Resumes by Role

High school is one of the best times of your life, but it can also be one of the most difficult when looking for your first or second job. You’ve got to fill out applications, prep for interviews, and write your resume.

Using ChatGPT for resumes  is a cool idea, but can still feel daunting and overwhelming. We’ve all been there, and up until now, there hasn’t been a good resource for high schoolers to help  craft compelling resumes or student cover letters .

We’ve analyzed countless high school resumes to discover  what would get students job interviews in 2024 . While you may want to start with a simple  resume outline , keep reading to find 16 high school resume samples (plus writing tips) that are jam-packed with essential techniques and tricks.

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• If you choose to use a template, make sure you adjust the  resume’s formatting  so that your text is big enough to read with one-inch margins on the side.
• However, you should write your bullet points like you would for a job. Highlight any responsibilities and accomplishments relevant to the job you’re applying for now.
• For example, if you’re looking for a job in sales, emphasize your ability to work in groups and create a good customer experience.

High School Student No Experience Resume

• If you don’t have work history, include projects and volunteer work instead. Treat them like a job and write bullet points according to your responsibilities.
• Make sure you start every bullet point with active verbs, and always double-check for typos. You’ve got this!
• Include your unique skills, your desired position, and the company you hope to work for to make your objective stand out from the rest!

First Job High School Student Resume

• To remedy that problem, add a  skills section on your resume  to give hiring managers an important overview of your strengths.
• To really highlight your abilities, incorporate the same skills in your work experience, too. Demonstrate how you used your skills to better your workplace, and you can’t go wrong!
• Adding stylistic elements like color and different fonts can help you show a bit of your personality (and make your resume more fun to read). 

Experienced High School Student Resume

• Remember, your resume is a highlight reel, so you need to include what’s most important (like your achievements and relevant metrics). 
• You can adjust your layout, font sizes, and margins, but keep it easy to read. 
• Use a bit of color and some fun fonts, provided it still looks professional. You’ve got this!

High School Senior Resume

• This statement must align with the potential employer’s needs, proving you understand the job requirements and have gone the extra mile to address doubts about your capabilities. As for experiences that might have prepared you for the job, workshops and volunteering programs you’ve participated in are prominent candidates.

Out of High School Resume

• Leisure activities range from soccer, hiking, drawing and sketching, robotics, and photography to journalism. But how do they fit in the picture? Well, a penchant for drawing and sketching could reflect creativity and an eye for detail, while journalism stints could hint at strong communication and critical thinking.

High School Graduate Resume

• Right from the first line of the career objective, you can see the candidate’s passion and willingness to work in this field. Notice how Serai’s love for photography is clearly backed by a previous project for a school newspaper.
• These details will be perfect when Serai’s ready for the AI cover letter generator to bring her application to perfection.

High School Student Scholarship Resume

• Your high school student scholarship resume should vividly show your positive contributions to noble causes, such as offering ADLs to seniors, and emphasize your impact on society.

High School Student College Application Resume

• Ensure your high school student college application resume shows your practical and classwork achievements that emphasize your grand vision to make a positive contribution to society.

High School Student for College Resume

• Before hitting “submit,” always  check your resume  for typos and other minor errors. It’s amazing what you can miss during your first few reviews.
• A good GPA can demonstrate, at least in part, your willingness to work hard. We’d recommend including your GPA only if it’s above 3.5, but anything above a 3 is a good average.

High School Student for Customer Service Resume

• Including projects, volunteer work, or club memberships is a great way to add value to your resume.
• Your resume should focus on your abilities and other activities you’ve engaged in that will show your value.
• Read the responsibilities and qualifications to look for key skills and tasks. Then, incorporate some of those skills and responsibilities into your high school student customer service resume.

High School Student Internship Resume

• For example, if the job description lists responsibilities like writing and analyzing data, include “written communication” and “data analysis” in your skills section.
• One easy way to customize your resume is by focusing your  resume skills  on things that apply to the internship. 
• Make sure you keep your resume professional and to the point. You don’t want to include anything too personal about your beliefs, religion, politics, or personal information.
• For example, you can list “volunteering at local church,” but avoid saying “fasting every weekend.” It doesn’t show off relevant skills and is a bit too forward for a resume.

High School Student Office Worker Resume

• Good projects include anything that demonstrates your leadership abilities or desire for knowledge. Senior projects, personal blogs, or even being on a sports team are all good examples to include!
• Add work experience directly under your contact information and name, then add any relevant projects if you’re low on space. 
• While there are plenty of  resume writing tips , your resume should be as unique as you. Don’t get so caught up in what you think you “should” do that your resume is bland and cookie-cutter. 

High School Student Sales Resume

• Numbers demonstrate your value, and they’re useful tools for the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) software that hiring managers use to sort through job applicants.
• Trust us, and incorporate metrics into at least 80% of your bullet points!
• For example, you know that different  resume templates  can change your resume’s appearance, but different templates can also stretch or streamline your content. 
• Mess with multiple templates to see what your content will look like—you may find a template that allows for more room, or one that allows you to highlight your skills better.

High School Student Athlete  Resume

• Think of a time you proved you were the MVP on your team—Did you lead your team to a championship? Perhaps you made the game-winning shot in a crucial, nail-biting game?

High School Student Music Resume

• When you include hobbies like songwriting or your interest in classical music in your high school student music resume , it conveys to your recruiter that you’re super dedicated and passionate about your craft.
• You can also include hobbies that are different, too. For example, if you enjoy experimenting with new recipes from around the world, that can show you’re ready to give new genres a whirl or that you understand that music—while art—is still supposed to be fun and adventuresome.

Related resume guides

• Entry Level

High School Resume - How-To Guide for 2024 [11+ Samples]

Whether you’re preparing your college application, applying for an internship, or looking for a part-time job, you’ll notice that every single place is asking for your resume. 

You sit down, work on your resume for an hour, trying to come up with what you can include.

And all you end up with is the name of the high school you’re attending.

“What gives?” you wonder.

“What else can I add to my resume, when I have zero work experience?”

That’s a more than valid concern and it’s exactly what we’re going to discuss in this article! 

We’re going to tell you exactly what to write so that your resume is as convincing as any other (even with zero work experience). 

• What to include in a high school resume
• 4 Free high school templates you can use
• A real-life high school resume example
• FAQ on high school resumes

Let’s start with the question you’ve been repeatedly asking yourself:

What to Include in My High School Resume?

At the end of the day, resumes are about showing an employer that you are the right person for the job. 

You want to show you’re a competent, passionate, and responsible individual, with the right skills to get the job done.

Well, work experience isn’t the only way to convince recruiters of that. 

Instead, you can focus on the following sections:

• #1. Contact Information - This is where you write down your personal and contact information (no surprise there) like first and last name, phone number, e-mail address, or links to other profiles.
• #2. Resume Objective - In 3-4 sentences, you should be able to describe your career goals and aspirations as well as list your skills.
• #3. Education - As you probably guessed, this is where you list your education history and relevant certifications.
• #4. Extracurricular Activities - These include participation in high school clubs, competitive events, and volunteer work.
• #5. Projects & Gigs - You can mention relevant projects you have participated in, as well as any internships.
• #6. Work Experience (optional) - If you don’t have any work experience, you can mention apprenticeships or volunteer work instead.
• #7. Languages - Language skills are always a plus for your application.
• #8. Hobbies & Interests - These offer some insight into your personality and can show that you’re passionate and interested in the industry.

As you can see, there’s a lot that can go into your resume to make up for the missing work experience. 

Now, we’ll dive into each of these sections in detail and teach you how to do each of them right!

So, let’s start with:

#1. Contact Information

The contact information isn’t too hard to pull off.

Here’s what you need to include here:

• First and Last Name
• Phone Number
• Email Address

Make sure to use a professional email address , something like: [email protected]. Using your middle school [email protected] account will not leave the right impression. 

#2. Resume Objective

A resume objective is a 3-4 sentence statement of your skills, achievements, and career goals . 

Think of it as a short summary of why you’re applying for this specific position and why you’d be a good candidate for it.

You should try your best to link this summary to the role you are applying for. 

For example, if you’re applying for a position as a sales associate, you should make a point of your good social skills, proficiency in math, and teamwork skills.

Let’s have a look at a concrete example of a resume objective for this case:

Hard-working, responsible high school student looking to contribute a positive and collaborative attitude in the retail field. Math-oriented individual with good attention to detail.

#3. Education

In a typical resume, this comes after the work experience section. 

For a high school resume, though, you’d want to do it the other way around, since you want to put more focus on your academic achievements.

This section will most probably consist of only one entry: your high school education. 

Here’s how you can format your education section:

• Name of the Degree
• Name of the Institution
• Years Attended
• GPA (if above 3.5)
• Honors (if applicable)
• Relevant Courses

High School Diploma (Honor Roll)

AB High School

09/2015 - 06/2019

• Relevant courses: AP Calculus, Statistics, Leadership

#4. Extracurricular Activities

Now, this section could be one of your biggest selling points. 

Even if you have a not-so-special GPA, extracurriculars can turn your resume around. These activities are typically school-related, like participation in clubs or student societies. 

Involvement in such, especially in leadership positions like club president or team captain, shows you are sociable and active in your pursuits. 

When listing your extracurricular activities, you should format each entry like this:

Student Body Treasurer

Student Government, AB High School

• Managed the student council’s funds and expenses, kept financial records, and worked with the president and vice president to create budgets and allot funds for clubs and events.
• Participated in organizing student activities like dances, spirit weeks, community service, and fundraising movements and assemblies.

#5. Projects & Gigs

Here you can mention (or even link to) any independent projects you’ve worked on - something you’ve done on the side, unrelated to academics. 

This could be a personal project, small business or startup, side-gig, blog, etc.

Such activities add a lot of value to your resume. They show you’re a self-starter and that’s a quality that’s very much appreciated in any role and industry.

Neighborhood Book Club 

2019 - Present

• Founded a local book club, initially for my friends, and later for all the teenagers of my neighborhood.
• Prepared a monthly book calendar for the club, combining trending, relevant, and classic books.
• Organized weekly meetings to discuss the progress on the books and our thoughts upon finishing them.

#6. Work Experience (Optional)

If you have some work experience, awesome! Here’s how you’d format it on your high school resume:

• Company Name
• Dates Employed
• Achievements & Responsibilities

Sandwich Artist

Joe’s Sandwich Emporium

06/2020 - 09/2020

• Prepared several types of sandwiches for customers.
• Promoted new products on the menu directly to customers.
• Worked with the cash register.
• Interacted with dozens of customers on a daily basis.

If you don’t have any work experience, though, worry not! You can always replace it with another “Other” section.

Volunteer work, for example, is another great addition to your resume. If you also have any informal work experiences like babysitting or dog walking, you should include them in the section. 

Even if you didn’t get a paycheck out of that work, such experiences show you are skilled and reliable. 

For example, an entry for volunteering experience can look like this:

Educational Team Member

Save the Children

2018 - Present

• Assisted in giving weekly art history and drawing lessons to children at the local orphanage
• Helped organize visits at local museums and art galleries

#7. Language skills

Are you bilingual or can speak another language apart from your native one?

Make sure to mention it on your high school resume!

Wherever you might be applying, you can rest assured that they’re going to appreciate your language skills.

Even if you’re applying for a job in the service or retail industry, proficiency in an extra language or two is going to give you an advantage over other applicants, especially if you write your CEFR level , and can back up the claim in conversation.

Who knows when some foreign customers will come in and your knowledge will come in handy!

With that scenario in mind:

Be mindful not to exaggerate your skills, as lying on your resume can only get you in trouble.

#8. Hobbies & Interests

It might feel like you’re just filling up some space, but actually, the hobbies and interests you list on a resume can be significant, especially if you don’t have a lot of extracurriculars or work experience.

You need something to hint as to who you are as a person and employee, and listing hobbies and interests will do that for you. 

They also show that you are an engaged individual and well-rounded applicant. 

However, you should be selective with what you mention here. 

Listing 6+ hobbies will end up having the opposite effect - it will look like you’re just throwing in some random words, hoping some of them will be impressive. 

A good strategy is to look for hints on the job ad i.e. if they are looking for a team player, mentioning a team sport as one of your hobbies is a great idea. 

Keep in mind, though, that you should also avoid hobbies that don’t add to your profile as a candidate.

E.g.: your gaming hobby doesn't make you a better candidate for the role of a sales manager.

4 Free High School Resume Templates

So we’re all done with theory at this point. 

There’s one thing left for you to do: sit down and start preparing your resume. 

To help you with that, we’ve gathered 4 free resume templates , perfect for a high school resume. 

All you have to do is pick the ones you like best & get started with your resume!

#1. Simple Resume Template

This versatile template works for all kinds of applicants - from those with plenty to those with zero work experience. 

The neutral colors emphasize information over flashiness and the structure is easy to follow.

#2. Professional Resume Template

This next template is an all-time favorite of ours. 

Unlike the first template, the Professional one is formatted into two columns. It’s simple, yet stands out with its blue accent color (which you can change into any color you like). 

#3. Modern Resume Template

The Modern template adds something more to the traditional resume look. There is a faded design in the background and some of the sections are boxed by large brackets.

It’s a template that stands out without being too loud or wild. 

#4. Creative Resume Template

If you’re applying for a position in a creative field (marketing, design, etc.), this is the template for you. 

It uses accent colors and has a bold header that makes a statement. 

High School Resume Example

As important as picking the right template is, the content of the resume is what’s going to seal the deal. 

Here’s one example of a high school student resume, so you can get a clearer idea of what it should look like!

High School Resume FAQ

If you still have some questions regarding your high school resume, check out the FAQ and our answers below:

1. How can I write a high school resume with no work experience?

As a high school student, it’s more than normal for you to have no work experience. This shouldn’t scare you. 

There’s a lot of activities you can add to your resume that can substitute work experience.

Extracurricular activities, like participation in school clubs, projects, and gigs, are a great indicator of your skills and personality. Any informal work experiences should also be mentioned.

As long as you are showing the recruiter that you are capable of doing the job, your resume will be just fine without a work experience section.

2. How long should a high school resume be?

When it comes to high school resumes, the answer is undebatable: one page. 

A 2018 eye-tracking study showed that recruiters spend about 7 seconds skimming a resume before deciding whether to discard it or not. 

A 2-page resume will be simply excessive. 

Heck, even if you’re a professional with 10 years of work experience, we’d still recommend sticking to 1 page.

For more on resume length best practices, check out our article.

3. What’s the best way to make a high school resume?

An important and time-consuming part of making a resume is getting the formatting right. 

This means meticulously editing a Word or Google doc in order to get the right typeface, font size , line spacing, margins, etc.

What we’re getting at here is, if you’re making your resume manually, it can take you hours…

And then you make a tiny change on your layout, and your resume starts spilling into the second page!

Want to save time and effort?

Just use a resume builder ! The formatting is done for you, and all YOU have to do is fill in the resume!

Key Takeaways

That pretty much covers all you need to know about writing a high school no-experience resume . 

Quite simple and doable, right?

Finally, here’s a recap of what you should keep in mind when writing your high school resume:

• Instead of work experience, talk about extracurriculars like school clubs, personal projects, or gigs.
• Use sections like education, hobbies & interests, and languages to emphasize your skills and give an idea of your personality.
• Grab the recruiter’s attention with a concise resume objective that clearly highlights your top skills and career goals.
• Keep your resume at a maximum of 1 page.

And finally, good luck with your job search!

Related Resume Examples

• No Experience Resume
• Internship Resume
• College Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Students and Graduates Resume
• Teacher Resume

Suggested readings:

• The Complete Guide to Remote Work [W/ Tips & Tricks]
• 101+ Achievements to List On Your Resume [In 2024]
• The Ultimate Guide to Job Hunt - Land Your Next Job in 2024

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How to create a high school student resume that works

A resume is a one or two-page document designed to quickly summarize a person’s accomplishments in a format that’s pleasing to the eye. A high school resume should give an employer or hiring manager a good sense of a student’s academic and extracurricular accomplishments while also providing a glimpse into their character.

Making an effective resume isn’t easy — it takes time and imagination. That’s why we've created a number of high school resume templates you can share with your students to use as a starting point.

How to write a resume as a high school student

Employers, hiring managers, and recruiters love simple and clear resumes.

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What should a high school student put on a resume?

Encourage your students to include these key elements of an effective high school student resume:

• Name and contact information
• An objective statement that explains the type of employment the student is looking for
• Relevant work experience and extracurricular activities that show a well-rounded personality
• Any awards, honors, and special skills that make them stand out

Explore Adobe Express high school resumes that include the above items in clean, attractive formats.

What is an objective statement on a resume?

The most common question students ask when creating their resumes is: “What‘s an objective statement?” An objective statement is a quick pitch about who the student is and what they‘re looking for. For example, a student’s objective statement might read something like this: “Smart, reliable junior looking for data analysis experience.” Remember to tell your students to keep their statements short and simple.

List experience, including extracurricular activities, honors, and awards

Remind students that when they list their work experience and extracurricular activities, they should add a few words or phrases explaining what those experiences entailed. For example, if a student was president of the chess club, you might encourage them to include something like: “Organized fundraisers and led the scheduling of chess tournaments.” That way, a prospective employer can identify the skills the student gained from their leadership role.

Don’t forget to have students include any honors or awards they’ve earned. These details will help employers see the ways their job candidates have gone above and beyond in academics, athletics, and other areas.

Encourage students to list special skills on their resumes

One thing students often forget to add is a section that includes special skills they’ve learned in the course of their studies, work experience, volunteer experience, or extracurricular activities. Students often shine in this section — this is where they can write about mural-making or software coding, horseback riding or fencing. Encourage your students to really pack this section with any skills that might catch a recruiter’s eye.

Ready to customize a high school resume template? Get started now with Adobe Express.

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How to Write a High School Student Resume

Writing a  high school student resume  when you have limited or no working experience is challenging. You have to sell yourself to a potential employer, and make yourself stand out from the crowd, but  how do you write a resume with no experience?

The good thing is that you probably have more things to add to your  first resume  than you imagine. All experience counts, whether it’s delivering newspapers, babysitting, or mowing lawns.

How do you do this, then?

Tips for writing a high school resume

The trick to writing a resume when you’re just out of high school is to  focus on your strengths . Though you may have limited paid experience, your qualifications, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities can make your  student resume  shine.

We know that  writing your first high school resume  can seem like a daunting task. However, if you take it step-by-step it is very simple. Here are some tips on how to do it.

Where to start with my high school resume

A good way to start is to look at some  entry – level resume examples  to give you an idea of what you should include on your high school resume. It is also highly beneficial to use a  resume writing guide  throughout the process.

What skills can high school students add to their resume?

If you are like many students, you probably feel you’re yet to accrue enough relevant experience to write a convincing resume. Nothing further from the truth. You probably have more  relevant knowledge  than you think.

Take into account your life experience, work experience, academic achievements,  volunteer work , skills, and personality strengths, and  write it all down . This list will come in useful when filling in those sections on your resume.

The  education section  is likely to be a key feature of your high school student resume, so rack your brain for  extracurricular activities . Include  honors and awards  and If you have been a member of a club, association, or sports team, mention it.

Do not be modest. Make it clear If you were captain of a team as it demonstrates  leadership skills . Likewise, if you have helped to run or organize something it shows you are responsible and have  organizational skills .

Focusing on your education and achievements at school will help you to write an attractive  high school student resume with no work experience .

Use a professional template

A resume is more than just a document describing your education and experience. It is a sales presentation. However, in this case, the product being sold is yourself. This means that how you present the information is just as important as the content itself.

Your resume must be  engaging and eye-catching  to maximize your chances of being noticed by employers. Nevertheless, don’t go overboard. Avoid too much color , extravagant designs, or excessively complicated formatting. Keep your resume simple, minimal, and professional.

To ensure the design you use is both  suitable and aesthetically pleasing , it makes sense to use a resume template that has been  professionally designed .

Keep your resume concise and direct

Studies have shown that recruiters only spend an  average of 7 seconds  looking at each resume. This means that overwhelming them with information and large blocks of text will be counterproductive to your success.

When writing your resume:

• Keep it brief and to the point
• Avoid including any extra information that doesn’t directly help your application
• Use bullet points where possible
• Keep the length of the document to one-page max

Scan each job description and identify the requirements

Read through the job description for each job position you are interested in and highlight the core skills and competencies.  Identify the keywords , normally there is a list of requirements and it is important to show you meet all of them.

The  skills section  of your resume needs to incorporate the appropriate  soft skills  (personality traits) which you must be able to demonstrate, such as leadership skills, reliability, and communication skills. As well as the necessary  hard skills  (technical or learnable skills) such as computer skills, foreign languages , and accountancy.

Identifying the key competencies will make it easy to know what  information you should add to your high school resume . This will include both soft and hard skills.

Add your education to your resume

In a high school resume, your  education is more important  than for an older or more experienced candidate. Unless you have a significant amount of work experience already, your high school education should come first.

When writing this section, it’s necessary to also add  all relevant details  in the correct order. Here’s the information you must include to correctly present your education :

• Name of degree
• Name of high school
• Years attended
• Courses that are relevant to the job

Include any work experience you may have

As mentioned previously, as a high school student, it’s very normal that you have little to no work experience to show. This is completely fine, and you can  fill this space with additional sections  we will elaborate upon later.

However, if you have already undertaken some positions or small roles , even if for a very short time, it’s always recommended to include them. Due to the fact that you’re still in high school, they will still represent an  enterprising attitude  to employers even if they aren’t strictly related.

When including your work history, make sure to list your  duties, responsibilities, and any achievements  you had using concise bullet points. Also, add your title during your time there, the company name, and the start/end dates of the experience.

Make sure you provide accurate contact information on your resume

Employers look at an incredibly large number of resumes each day. This means that the easier you make their life, the  better your chances  at landing an interview.

Having inaccurate or hard-to-find contact information can put them off from contacting you, and it may end up with your resume getting discarded. Therefore, it’s important you include your  full name, phone number, e-mail address , and any relevant social media links in a clearly visible position on your resume.

Double-check that all the information is correct, and give as many  contact details  as possible to enable the company to contact you via their preferred method of communication. Make sure to also use a professional email address to avoid giving a bad impression.

Write a compelling resume summary statement

A resume summary is a statement of  3-4 sentences  that outlines your skills, accomplishments, and career objectives. It should sum up why you’re applying for the position and how you are qualified for the role.

It’s important to also  adapt the statement to the job  you are applying to, mentioning capabilities and achievements that qualify you for the specific tasks you will be performing.

Below you can find  2 examples  of well-formulated resume summary statements:

• “Honor roll high school student with experience working with children and the elderly. Looking to help a community service organization to bring a positive change to their community.”
• “Dedicated and passionate high school student looking to bring a hard-working attitude to a sales assistant position. Confident individual with excellent communication and people skills.”

Tailor your resume to fit each job

Job candidates who do not tailor their resumes for each position are putting themselves at a disadvantage. A quick and easy way of  adapting your resume for each role is using a resume builder.

Once you have a list of your strengths and skills, and you have identified the key requirements of a job, it is simple to tailor your resume using a  high school resume template .

Think about what the employer is looking for and  highlight your achievements  which clearly demonstrate that you are the right person for the job.

Create additional resume sections

Although space is precious on a resume, additional sections can go a long way to  differentiate you from other candidates . As mentioned above, considering that as a high school student you may not have much work experience, adding more information can be an excellent way to show your potential.

Below are some of the  most successful optional sections  you can add to your resume:

• Hobbies and interests  are a great way to show who you are as a person. They make you seem like a well-rounded applicant who is motivated and passionate. Pastimes with skills that are transferable to the job you’re applying to are especially valuable to include. For example, being part of a sports team may indicate that you have strong teamwork abilities , communication skills, and a competitive mindset.
• Awards  can help sell yourself to employers. Regardless of the achievement, any successes you may have picked up during your high school career can help you stand out from the crowd.
• Volunteering experiences  are always a good addition to any resume. These show that you are a proactive individual who cares about other people or your community. People like to work with individuals who are generous and helpful, so make sure to list any volunteering projects or experiences you’ve undertaken.

What not to do on a high school student resume

There are certain pitfalls you need to avoid when  writing a high school resume . Make sure you avoid the following  common mistakes :

• Do not lie.  Many high school students make this mistake as they feel that they do not have enough experience. It can be very tempting to do so but it is risky.  You can easily get caught . Even if you get away with it and end up getting the job, it could become obvious that you do not have the skills,  qualifications , or experience you claimed to have.
• Do not use fillers . When writing a  high school student resume with no work experience,  the space on the page can seem infinite. There are a number of  things not to include on your resume . Everything you write on your resume should help to sell you in some way. Padding out your resume will not only be a waste of necessary space but it will also distract the employer from the good parts. Using a  high school student resume template  will help you to fill your resume with your strong points, no fillers are needed.
• Proofread your resume multiple times . Making typos and other silly mistakes does not give a positive first impression and it looks amateurish. Proofread your resume numerous times and then  give it to at least one other person to look at . Sometimes it can be hard to spot your own mistakes. Make sure your resume looks like a  professional resume , not a  resume for teens .
• Do not include a photo.  Within the United States, photos are not generally used for almost any type of job application. Unless you’re applying to a role which asks for a professional headshot, there’s no reason for your resume to have a picture of you. In fact, including a photo may lead employers to  automatically dismiss your resume  to avoid the risk of accidentally discriminating. This is because there are laws in the US to ensure companies  do not discriminate against candidates  based on their race, gender, or age.
• Do not use an objective statement.  As mentioned above, a summary statement is a great addition to your resume to show both your value and motivation for the role. However, objective statements tend to be generic and they  do not help recruiters  to understand your qualifications or actual goals. An example of such a sentence is: “Motivated high school student looking for first work experience”. This vague statement  provides no real information  and does not help the candidate to market themselves.

High School Resume Example

Now that you know the fundamentals on how to craft the best possible high school resume, it’s helpful to examine a  real example  before starting your own.

The following resume was created using the ResumeCoach  resume builder . Thanks to this service, you can pick the template that strikes your fancy from a comprehensive library of options, including this one. You can also customize the template based on your particular needs and specifications.

Using this kind of tool, you will input your information through a  simple step-by-step process  and find expert guidance along the way. In just a few minutes, you will end up with an optimized resume. Take a look at how your end-result might turn out!

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15 Impressive Resume Examples for High School Students

Put your best foot forward.

Many professionals struggle to write a strong resume, even after years in the workforce. It’s not surprising, therefore, that it’s even harder for those with limited work experience. That’s why we put together this list of resume examples for high school students. They need it!

According to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics , teens are experiencing the highest employment rate since 2008. In May 2022, 5.5 million U.S. teens ages 16 to 19 held jobs, and by summer 2023, analysts predict “that the share of 16- to 19-year-olds working this season will rise to 33.6 percent, from 32.7 percent last year.” Use these templates, which are perfect for students applying f or jobs, college admissions, or scholarships, to edge out the competition!

What To Include on High School Students’ Resumes

When you don’t have years of work experience to showcase, what should you include on your resume? Here are some ways to put your best foot forward.

• Highlight academic strengths.
• Mention extracurricular activities including clubs, sports, and volunteerism.
• List any honors, awards, or other achievements.
• Emphasize leadership experience.
• Share projects or gigs, including any internships.
• Include a “Skills” section and list computer skills, soft skills, or language skills.
• If your hobbies and/or interests are relevant to a job, include those as well. 

Resume Examples for High School Students

High school student resume templates and examples.

These helpful resume templates and examples are perfect for high school students trying to land their first job or internship. This resource shares tips on how to make a great impression. 

Resume with no experience: first job examples

Trying to land a job with no work experience? No problem! This template offers an ideal resume for high school student applicants who are entering the workforce for the first time.  

Resume for a part-time job

For students looking for a part-time job, their high school resume needs to reflect their availability. This sample offers guidance for creating a resume that sends the right message. 

Experienced high school student resume

Multiple work experience examples should be listed on an experienced high school student resume, so you might need to change the layout to make everything fit nicely.

McDonald’s resume

While this resume specifically highlights McDonald’s, it could easily be modified for any fast-food chain. The important thing is that students’ work history includes customer service and interpersonal skills and the ability to take orders, prepare food, accept payments, keep a restaurant clean, and more. 

Customer service resume

Hiring supervisors are aware of and anticipate the fact that you may not have much work experience as a high school student, but this template will help tailor your resume to the demands specified in the customer service job description.

Camp counselor resume

If you’ve ever worked as a camp counselor (or similar leadership role), you likely have a well-rounded set of skills. This resource provides tips and examples of how to list your achievements and abilities in a way to stand out above the competition. 

High school student sales resume

Writing a high school student sales resume can be challenging, especially if you have little professional experience. One solid strategy is having numbers on your side. This great template will help you get started!

Athlete resume

Depending on the student, athletics can make up a huge part of their high school experience. Should athletics be mentioned on a resume? If it’s relevant to the job or if a student was a stand-out athlete, gained leadership skills, or was recognized for their great attitude and/or outstanding abilities, this guide will show you how to include it.

High school graduate resume

Once students graduate, they’ll either be continuing their education or heading into the workforce (or both!). This great, straightforward high school resume is perfect when applying for their first real job. 

College resume for high school students

The future is bright, which is why high school students need to focus on creating a college admissions resume that will really make an impression. These tips and samples offer clear guidance on how to make a college application truly shine. 

High school student office worker resume

It’s alright if a high school office worker resume isn’t packed with noteworthy achievements. Instead, list any project that highlights your leadership qualities or relevant skills you’ve acquired along the way!

Scholarship resume

You already know that college tuition is expensive. There are plenty of scholarships out there, but the competition is fierce. This high school resume template focuses on academic achievements while highlighting skills, professional experience, and career objectives to help students stand out from the crowd. 

High school student music resume

Of course you want to highlight any musical work you’ve done, whether it’s in school or professionally. Also highlight lessons, achievements, and interests that showcase your love and passion for music. This template will give you a good idea of where to begin!

Internship resume

It can be tough to find a decent internship as a college student, which is why high school students should start looking before they graduate. These types of jobs might not come with a paycheck, but the rewards are immeasurable in terms of experience. This template offers tips for writing a strong resume for an internship position. 

Do you have more great resume examples for high school students? Share them in the comments below.

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Level Up Your Student Resume With Professional Templates

Impress hiring managers and schools with a clean-cut, classic resume that makes your strengths and achievements shine.

Professional

Worried that your resume won’t be taken seriously as a high school or college student? This resume template’s sharp format frames you as an up-and-coming professional to watch.

With its compelling icons and thoughtful use of color, the Cool resume template is a top choice for anyone looking to create an attention-grabbing resume.

Charm hiring managers and schools with an ultra-modern student resume that instantly conveys why you’re a candidate worth interviewing.

Contemporary

You want to be a leader of tomorrow, so shouldn't your student resume look equally forward-thinking? The Contemporary’s eye-catching but refined looks can help you prove you’re a trailblazer.

Effortlessly stand out from the crowd with the Awesome resume template’s unique two-column design and easy-to-read format.

How to Write a Resume Objective or Summary for your Student Resume

In order to impress schools and hiring managers from the get-go, your resume needs to have a strong opening section. That’s why we strongly recommend including a resume summary at the top of your resume, underneath your contact information.

In the past, applicants for schools or jobs could choose between writing a resume objective or a resume summary. Now, resume experts generally agree that including a resume objective is no longer in line with best practice. The reason is that a resume objective essentially highlights your goals as a candidate. In contrast, a resume summary conveys how you will be able to support the school or company you’re applying for to meet their goals.

So what exactly is a resume summary, then? A resume summary is the first major section of your resume. It should succinctly present the case for why you’re an ideal candidate for the position or school you’re applying for. 

As it should only be two to four sentences long, you will need to focus only on your most relevant qualities and attributes that make you an attractive candidate or prospective student.

In order to write a strong resume objective or summary, you must make two things crystal clear:

• What the academic or professional position is you are applying for 
• What makes you the best person to fulfill it

Let’s start with the first part. You should clearly state the purpose of your application. For example, you may wish to:

• Study at a particular college or join a particular program/course 
• Be hired for a job at a college fair or internship fair 
• Be hired as an entry-level worker or summer worker

Next, you must summarize some of the standout qualities and attributes that make you worth considering for the given role. The qualities and attributes you highlight should be directly relevant to the role and should be expanded on in the other sections of your resume. You can mention such things as your:

• Educational background
• Academic achievements
• Soft and hard skills
• Work experiences
• Volunteer work
• Any other standout achievements

Try your best to use keywords from the job advertisement or school application to demonstrate that you possess the very qualities and attributes the hiring manager or school is looking for. 

Keywords are words or phrases within a job ad or school application that represent what the hiring manager or school are looking for from their ideal candidate. Keywords can include particular competencies, skills, experiences, attributes, studies, and so on.

How to Write a Work Experience Section for your Student Resume

The work experience section is perhaps the resume section that students dread the most when creating their high school resume or college resume. The reason is that many students don’t know where to begin or may not have held a job before. 

The good news is that writing a compelling work experience section really isn’t as difficult as it seems - even if you’ve never been in the working world before. In either case, the most important thing is to make sure your work experience section sounds as relevant as possible to the given job or educational opportunity you are applying for. 

If you don’t have any work experience at all, don’t stress! You can instead focus on your: 

• Volunteer work 
• School activities
• Side projects

Spend time brainstorming how to present these experiences in a way that makes them as relevant as possible to the job or school you are applying for. 

For example, did you demonstrate any soft or hard skills that will be useful to the role or your studies? Or maybe you achieved something that showcases what an excellent employee or student you will be? Remember, framing is everything when it comes to your resume! You can do this by integrating keywords that apply to your experiences throughout this section. This will help you to work out what professional experiences will capture the hiring manager or school’s attention. 

However, be sure to steer clear of ‘keyword stuffing’! This term is used to describe when people unnaturally add keywords to their resume in order to game the system. Always integrate keywords in a natural-sounding way and only use those that genuinely apply to your skills and experiences. 

It’s also important to think about this section as a way to showcase your very best professional achievements in each past position. That is, instead of just listing what you did, focus on conveying how your actions and skills made a positive difference.

In order to make your achievements shine, you will need to: 

• Start each one with a verb (action word).
• Make them short and snappy: Stick to one sentence each.
• Quantify them using numbers, percentages, and examples where possible.

For each position you include in this section, you will need to state the title you held, the company name, and the dates you worked there.

If you’re unsure of how to format your work experience section, simply use one of our expert-designed resume templates and our resume builder to ensure you get it right. You can also check out the expert tips for writing your work experience section we’ve included within our resume builder .

How to Write a Skills Section for Your Student Resume

Just like your work experience section, your resume’s skills section should be as relevant as possible to the position or educational opportunity you are applying for. 

Analyze the job ad or school application to identify skill-based keywords. You may wish to print out the job ad or school application and physically highlight these words to make it easier for you to work out which keywords to focus on.

Keep in mind that there are two types of skills to look out for:

• Soft skills: Those related to your interpersonal or communication skills.
• Hard skills: Technical, practical skills.

You will need to include a balance of both to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate. Think carefully about which ones are most applicable to your skillset and the job or school at hand, and list 6 to 8 of the most relevant ones in this section. 

Don’t forget you will also need to integrate skills throughout your work experience section too.

If you’re finding it hard to come up with relevant skills to add to your high school or college resume, don’t worry. Our resume builder has hundreds of examples of skills you can simply click and add to your resume.

Again, if you want to see how to effectively format this section, check out one of our many resume templates.

How to Write an Education & Coursework Section for your Student Resume

Your education & coursework section is one of the most important sections in your high school resume or college resume.

Even if an application does not specifically ask you to share your educational background on your resume, it is generally expected that you will. After all, your studies help to paint a picture of your knowledge, skills, interests, and academic abilities. 

As you can see from our library of resume templates, there are a few different ways that you can format your education & coursework section. That said, the general format of this section is as follows: [High School or College Name]

[Dates attended] 

[Subject studied (optional)]

If you want to guarantee you don’t make any formatting errors, just use our resume builder to create your resume! 

How to Write an Awards & Achievements Section for your Student Resume

Want to take your student resume to the next level? Adding an awards & achievements section is an easy way to capture attention. 

Before you say, “But I don’t have any awards or achievements!” take a moment to think back on your studies so far. Chances are that you have much more to highlight than you first realize. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• Your GPA (If 3.5 or higher)
• Being part of the student body
• Academic awards
• Professional awards
• Valedictorian and Dean’s lists
• Being in the top X% of your class/course
• Professional achievements e.g. selling X amount of products or increasing profits by Y%
• Relevant school/college societies or groups you are part of
• Scholarships
• Any journals you have been published in or research papers you have written
• Relevant non-profit work you have completed (such as volunteering and fundraising)

So how can you correctly format this section of your resume?

You can list each award or achievement, along with the date you received/achieved it and any other specifics that would help the person reading it better understand why the award or achievement is relevant. 

If you are short on space, you can feature your academic awards and achievements in your education & coursework section instead.

Related Student Resume Examples & Samples

Take a look at the following tried-and-tested resume examples and samples for inspiration.

When you’re ready to make your own impressive high school or college resume, our state-of-the-art resume builder will guide you every step of the way.

College Student Resume

High School Student Resume

Internship Resume

10 Helpful Resume Writing Activities For High School Students

“The challenge of life, I have found, is to build a resume that doesn’t simply tell a story about what you want to be, but it’s a story about who you want to be” . – Oprah Winfrey

As beautifully defined by the above quote, a resume is a story of the stepping stones that you’ve taken so far in order to become who you want to be. Having a compelling resume is a must for every individual to thrive in the competitive landscape, be it a high school student or a working professional. 

Resume writing is a crucial skill that high school students need to develop as this is the time they prepare for their higher education and enter the corporate world. It is not only about enlisting skills and achievements, but it requires thoughtful organizational skills, an ability to present qualifications and a good hold of language skills. 

To quip high school students about the process of resume writing, summarized below are some creative activities aiming to guide them in creating impactful resumes and setting a strong foundation for their careers.

Discover, collaborate & reflect: Engaging resume writing activities for high schoolers

1. resume redesign .

With the availability of a number of templates for resumes, it becomes quite difficult to select the suitable and relevant one on the basis of the unique information to include, especially for high schoolers who are bound to get overwhelmed being their first time for jobs as well as college applications. 

How to do the activity:

• Firstly, educators need to familiarize students with every important element that has to be there in a resume for high school students and the optional ones that are not necessary but can be included as per the need and availability. 
• Now, students need to make a note of their information, and based on that, they have to explore and experiment with different designs for their resumes. 
• Instruct them that they can try different fonts and layouts and design at least 5 resumes for themselves. 
• Fix one day when every student has to come prepared with their designed resumes and every participant will present their designs to the class and the class will rate every design out of 5

Here, feedback and rating play a crucial role in helping students select the most appropriate one for themselves. Also, when they explore and experiment with different designs, they familiarize themselves with different layouts and structures which might be helpful in any other cases of resume designing.

2. Discover yourself

Let’s use an effective strategy of SWOT Analysis which is used for marketing to discover ourselves. Yes, you read that right! SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. In order to build an efficient resume, one must know about themself in terms of what they are good at and what areas need to be worked upon.

How to do the activity:  

• Explain to the class about the strategy and its elements. 
• Now ask them to take a sheet of paper and divide it into 4 sections. Name each section with Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 
• Set a timer of about 5-10 minutes for each section and ask students to think about themselves and fill in each section. 

Strengths will help them know what they’re good at that can also be referred to as positive points about themselves. The weaknesses section will include the negative points or what they can not do or are not good at which will help them know and narrow down the options to what they can do in the future. 

The opportunities section will include the areas they think they can ace if they work on it which will help them know the areas of improvement. Last, but not least will be threats in which they need to write about any external threats that you can not control but can be reduced by controlling other factors (can be external or internal) causing it.

3. Improvise your Resume

Every job profile is different and that calls for different requirements such as unique skill sets, achievements, and qualifications. 

• Explain to students how customizing the resume for every job or college application they’re applying to is important and not the same single resume works for every application.
• Ask students to search and explore different job openings on job portals or company official websites. 
• Shortlist 3 job openings that they think are suitable for them and go through the details of what is the profile, what are requirements, and what will be the daily responsibilities. 
• Now they’ve to work on their resume and customize it for all the 3 profiles they shortlisted.
• Once done, check their resume and provide feedback. 

One thing that students need to know here is that customizing a resume based on different applications doesn’t mean we’ve to lie and make it exactly what is the requirement, instead, it means presenting your skills and qualifications, experience in such a way that it resonates with the application requirements. This activity can also be done for college applications.

4. Resume Peer Review

Feedback is significant for everything we do. Be it education or resume writing. 

• Start giving numbers 1 to 10 to every student, or can be according to the number of students in a class but make sure only 2 students can have the same number.
• Now, the students with the same number will form a pair. 
• Ask students to exchange their resumes with their pair and they need to check and evaluate each other’s resumes based on what they know about their pair and also set certain criteria for the evaluation. 
• After they are done evaluating, they need to share the insights they find about the resume. Share what they think is missing in the resume, what areas can be improved and what are the good and the positive points about the resume. Teachers can check with every pair and share their insights too. 

This activity will help to get the different perspectives that you might be missing or are not aware of. Additionally, it will help with observation skills as well as help students revisit the resume-building crucial points.

5. Hire for your company

This activity will give students an opportunity to act as HR of different companies and evaluate different resumes. 

• Gather some samples of resumes for different job profiles. Make sure there are enough samples that every student in a class receives 2 samples at least to compare and evaluate. 
• Now give a situation to the students such as “Suppose you’re an HR manager of XYZ company hiring for customer support profile. You’ve got certain resumes and you need to check and evaluate them and see if you want to shortlist them for an interview or not. If yes, then why, and if not, then why not. Observe carefully and provide a proper explanation for the same” 
• Now give 2 resume samples to each student and let them scan them and come to a conclusion. 
• Call each student one by one to present their findings to the class to which classmates and the educator can give feedback and share insights on the observation skills of the student. 

This will let students think from the recruiter’s point of view and they will get clarity about their resume about how to write and present their skills and qualifications.

6. Practice cover letters

Cover letters are what answer “why you should be hired for this role” and in case of college applications, it will be the statement of purpose. Cover letters need to be very straightforward that require good writing skills. For this, high school students can employ creative writing activities to learn and practice the same.

• Students have to create a 1-2 minute elevator pitch for themselves keeping in mind their resume and the job profile they’re applying for. 
• Instruct students that they need to include examples of why they think they’re good at every skill they’ve mentioned. 
• Instruct the students that in this 1-2 minute pitch, you’ve to convince the HR (here students) how you can be an asset to the company.
• Ask the class to share their insights about what points are good and what can be better. 

This activity will help you write an effective cover letter and make a good first impression.

7. Powerful Words Resume Challenge

Word choice is critical when it comes to resumes. It is always said that action words are powerful to describe what you have done to highlight your experience and persuade potential employers and college administrators. 

• Prepare handouts for all the students of the class with all the powerful action words that can be used in a resume and explain how the use of these words can make an impact and make the resume stand out. 
• Discuss every word, the meaning of it, and an example of how it can be used in a resume and under what situations. 
• Now ask students to use the handout and try to incorporate as many words as they can in their resume and then give feedback to each and every student. 

This can also be an improving communication skill activity that will familiarize them with using these words in their daily conversation. 

8. Resume Do’s and Don’ts

This activity is to equip high school students about what to strictly avoid while writing resumes and what to follow to make the resumes more impactful and stand out. 

• Make different slips with resume do’s and don’ts and put them in a bowl or small box in the classroom.
• On the whiteboard or chalkboard, mark a line in the center and make two sections and name one part as “Do’s” and the other as “Don’ts”. 
• Call each student one by one and ask them to pick one chit and determine whether the point he/she discovered will come under do’s or don’ts. 
• Ask them to explain why they think the same and what should be done in that case. 

This activity will familiarize them with the technicalities that need to be taken care of while writing a resume and clear doubts about the whole process and exceptions. You can conduct this activity for both colleges as well as job applications. 

9. Anonymous messages

Who doesn’t like getting anonymous compliments and knowing about themselves? Well, this activity is all about getting insights about ourselves from other’s points of view. 

• Ask every student in the class to write about a minimum of five of their classmates on a slip of ½ size of a4 sheet. They can write for more friends if they want but the minimum is five. 
• They need to write the name of the friend they’re writing about then followed by strengths that they think their friend is good at which can be an asset to land a good job. Then write about the areas where they need to work on that can be added advantage for them while applying for jobs. 
• These chits will be anonymous feedback for the students. 
• Once done, collect all chits, mix them, and put them in a bowl. 
• Pick one chit one by one and read aloud about the student. 

This will encourage them, increase their self-esteem, provide insights that the students are unaware of about themselves, and can use them in their resumes and work on themselves. This self-esteem activity for high school students can work wonders in encouraging students to have belief & faith in themselves and their unique capabilities.

10. Build a Resume from Scratch

Let’s solve a puzzle and build a resume from scratch without having relatable skills, qualifications, and experiences to include. Sounds interesting, right? 

• Have different bowls or small boxes for every component of the resume like skills, qualifications, experience, the position of responsibility, etc. 
• Now, you can ask students or make different slips for every box by yourself. Each slip should have one thing like one slip with graphic designing for the box of skills. Make sure to have enough slips for every box so that every student can get at least 3-4 slips from each box. 
• Now every student has to come and pick 2-3 slips from each box. 
• After everyone is having their own set of slips, they need to design a resume based on the information they’ve got on the slips. They need to think of what qualifications, and skills can go together and how and create a good compelling resume. 

This activity is to equip students to carefully design and present everything in a resume when things are not so good and relatable enough. This activity will also help them in tailoring the resume according to a given job profile or college application.

High school students are at a point of transition to the colleges and workforce. This calls for developing resume writing skills to build compelling resumes. Besides instructing them about the process, engaging them in activities can have a profound impact on their learning.

Activities do not only teach them about the technicalities of resume building but also involve them in critical thinking, self-reflection, and collaboration. In addition to this, high school students can also participate in college readiness activities and transition activities to prepare themselves for their future endeavors.

Having a 10+ years of experience in teaching little budding learners, I am now working as a soft skills and IELTS trainers. Having spent my share of time with high schoolers, I understand their fears about the future. At the same time, my experience has helped me foster plenty of strategies that can make their 4 years of high school blissful. Furthermore, I have worked intensely on helping these young adults bloom into successful adults by training them for their dream colleges. Through my blogs, I intend to help parents, educators and students in making these years joyful and prosperous.

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High School Classes Colleges Look For

Find the right college for you..

If you’re in high school and thinking about college─and you should be─you should know that the courses you take matter. That’s because college admissions officers want to see a solid foundation of learning you can build on in college.

To create that foundation, take at least five solid academic classes every semester. Start with the basics, and then move on to challenging yourself in advanced courses. The courses listed below should prepare you for success in college and beyond.

English (Language Arts)

Take English every year. Traditional courses, such as American and English literature, help improve your writing skills, reading comprehension, and vocabulary.

Algebra and geometry help you succeed on admission tests and in college math classes. Take them early so that you'll have time for advanced science and math, which will show colleges that you're ready for higher-level work.

Most colleges want students with three years of high school math. The more competitive colleges prefer four years. Take some combination of the following:

• Trigonometry
• Precalculus

Science teaches you how to think analytically and apply theories to reality. Colleges want to see that you’ve taken at least three years of laboratory science classes. A good combination includes a year of each of these:

• Chemistry or physics
• Earth or physical science

Competitive schools expect four years of lab science courses, which you may be able to get by taking advanced classes in these same areas.

Social Studies

Improve your understanding of local and world events by studying the cultures and history that helped shape them. Here’s a suggested high school course plan:

• U.S. History
• U.S. Government
• World History and Geography

Foreign Languages

Studying a foreign language shows you're willing to stretch beyond the basics. Many colleges require at least two years of study in the same foreign language, while others prefer more.

The arts help you recognize patterns, learn to notice differences and similarities, and exercise your mind in unique ways.

Some colleges require or recommend one or two semesters in the arts. Choices include studio art, dance, music, and drama.

Advanced College Courses

To ready yourself for college-level work, enroll in challenging high school courses , such as honors classes, AP courses, or IB-program courses. Find out about taking college classes in high school or at a local college.

Get Help Choosing Courses Admissions Officers Want to See

Use College Search to research the academic requirements of your preferred college to ensure you’re on the path to admission. Also, you can meet with a school counselor or teacher to ask questions about choosing classes and staying on track for college.

Do colleges look at specific classes?

Yes. Colleges look at the specific classes you take in high school. Admissions officers want to know whether you took all the core courses, including math, science, foreign language, English, and social studies. They also take note of whether you progressed to higher-level classes in the core subjects. Then they look at your elective courses to get an idea of your interests.

What is the minimum GPA for college?

Most colleges don’t have a specific GPA requirement because high schools calculate GPA differently from colleges. For admissions, many colleges will r ecalculate student GPA so there’s consistency across applications. College admissions officers consider more than just a student’s GPA. They look at SAT scores and whether a student is taking college classes in high school, among other factors.

What classes do most colleges require?

Most colleges are looking for students with a foundation of courses in the core subjects. College admissions officials look at your core course levels from your first year through your senior year. They want to see if you advanced to more challenging material in these subjects as you progressed through high school.

What types of elective courses do colleges look for?

Most colleges aren’t looking for certain types of elective courses. Instead, admissions officers look at your elective courses for some insight into your interests. The variety of elective courses you choose conveys something about your willingness to learn about different subjects.

Are college admissions officials looking for AP courses on my high school transcript?

College admissions staff are looking to see if you’ve challenged yourself and taken the most rigorous courses your school offers. That could be Advanced Placement® courses, honors courses, or other advanced courses. A student who’s successful in rigorous courses in high school is likely to be prepared for challenging work in college.

How do colleges view online high school?

You should check with your preferred colleges to get more information about how those colleges view online high schools.

Are extracurricular activities important to colleges?

Yes. Though extracurricular activities aren’t the most important thing college admissions officials look at, they do factor into their decision. The clubs and organizations you belong to communicate a lot about your interests. If you do volunteer work, college admissions officials are going to take note of where you volunteered and for how long. For example, volunteering for four years at a local animal shelter shows dedication to something you enjoy that helps your community.

When should a high school student start to research college admissions requirements?

The sooner, the better. Researching college admissions requirements as a first-year student allows you to create future class schedules with those requirements in mind. You may discover one of your preferred colleges likes applicants to have at least three years of foreign language study. Making a long-term plan means you’ll be well prepared to apply to colleges by the start of your high school senior year.

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Manitowoc Lincoln High School was evacuated Wednesday. Here's why and when classes will resume.

The school was evacuated and students sent home wednesday after a ventilation motor malfunctioned and caused a large amount of smoke..

MANITOWOC — Lincoln High School evacuated students Wednesday afternoon after a ventilation motor malfunctioned in the Tech Ed department, causing smoke but no flames.

The district said in a news release that at around 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, Lincoln administrators initiated its Safety Response Protocol after a large amount of smoke in the Tech Ed department triggered fire alarms.

During the evacuation, students were guided to a safe location and sent home for the day.

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Because of pre-ACT testing, very few students were in the building and no one was injured, the district said.

Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department confirmed the source of the smoke was a malfunctioning ventilation motor and no flames were present.

Fire officials deemed the entire school building safe for learning starting Thursday, the district said.

Brandon Reid  is editor of the Herald Times Reporter. Contact him at 920-686-2984 or  [email protected] , or follow him on X at  @breidHTRNews .