When researching the graduate programs I was applying for, I panicked when I read that CVs for grad school were a common application requirement. I knew a CV was something like a resume, but I had no idea what one looked like. If you feel similarly unprepared for this major requirement of the graduate admissions application, don’t stress! We’ve got the answers to the most common questions. We even have a template to help you create a CV that will impress any graduate admissions committee!
To define a CV, let’s first look at a resume, as it is more well-known and widely-used.
A resume (or industry CV to some) is a document used when applying for professional experiences , such as jobs or internships, to give the hiring committee/manager a snapshot of your qualifications. It often includes your contact information, education, work experience, skills and certifications, and references. Resumes are meant to be brief overviews, so they are usually 1-2 pages long with minimum elaboration.
An academic curriculum vitae (CV) is a document used when applying for academic experiences, such as graduate school or fellowships, to give the admissions committee a thorough understanding of your academic experience with your chosen field of study. Similarly to a resume, you still include contact information, education, and professional experience, but the CV has areas built in for more elaboration such as: publications, conferences, teaching experiences, honors and awards, etc. Because a CV is a more in-depth document, they tend to be 2+ pages long . The more experience, the longer the CV.
Important Note: pay close attention to your program and university admission requirements. There are some programs (like MBA programs) that require resumes instead of CVs. Likewise, there are some universities that require graduate school resumes instead of CVs. ALWAYS tailor your admissions application to the program/university for which you are applying.
(private/public sector employment, internships, some grad school programs)
( most grad school programs, fellowships, grants, scholarships, academic research positions)
The good thing about a CV is that it allows for more individual tailoring toward your unique experience. There is information you should ALWAYS include and there are definitely things you’ll WANT to include if you can, but you get to choose what gets showcased. We will be detailing below the must have and the most common categories that are included on a CV, but if you have other experiences that don’t quite fit the given categories we provide, adapt your CV to you!
We are all unique, so every CV will look different . If you are noticing you do not have the experience you need or want for a category, don’t be discouraged! You have some options.
The first option is to leave that category off completely. When I applied for my psychology PhD, I did not have any academic research experience even though I knew the admissions committee would be looking for it. What I chose to do instead of making something irrelevant fit was to leave the research category off of my CV and spend more space highlighting my professional work experience and my research interests.
Another option is to find opportunities to get experience in those areas. If you do not have any conference presentations or any publications, but you know that would benefit your CV, start connecting with some of your professors or even your current employer and ask if there are any opportunities to be involved in those experiences.
If you are concerned that your lack of experience will disqualify you from admissions, you can always ask. Reach out to the graduate admissions advisors or a department faculty member and ask if it is a concern and what advice they have for you to gain that experience before you apply. When in doubt, always ask!
The admissions committee has to read A LOT of CVs, so making it harder on them to read will hurt your chances. Your graduate admissions CV is not the time for elaborate fonts, colors, or graphics. You want something that is easy to read and easy to navigate . You have PLENTY of work you need to do on your application, so don’t waste your time trying to format a document. There are a lot of well-formatted, free and paid resume and CV templates that are available online (we have one too! Check it out! ).
When writing your CV, write clearly and directly . Start descriptions and bullet points with action verbs and use clear sentence structures focused on one idea. Avoid repeating information (including action verbs), and when revising, take out unnecessary words and phrases.
The organization of your CV is ultimately up to you and what you feel best tells your story, but you need to make sure it follows a logical progression . For example, I wouldn’t want to talk about my education experience, go to my volunteer experience, then circle back to my education experience. Chunk like categories as much as possible and introduce broader ideas (education) before getting into the more narrow categories (research and teaching experience).
A final note, when organizing within sections, always follow reverse chronological order with the most recent and relevant experience listed first.
Here are a few suggestions on how to make your CV stand out:
Your CV is an incredibly important part of your application for the graduate admissions committee and for you. Not only does it reveal a lot about yourself and your background to the admissions committee, but it is the culminating list of everything you have done to get to this moment. All of the hard work, all of the sacrifice, all of the growth you’ve experienced will be here, on this document, and everything you learn and experience in grad school will only be added to it. Congrats on getting here! You got this!
Need more help with completing your CV for grad school? Wondering about other aspects of the graduate application ? Consider a Magoosh Premium Plan which gets you access to expert GRE help and examples of real CVs from admitted graduate and MBA students.