How to Write a College Freshman Resume (Examples & Template)

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To help you assemble the best application possible, below we have a variety of resume and cover letter writing guides, examples, and templates made just for students.

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What to put on a college freshman resume

Here’s what to include on a resume as a college freshman:

Contact information
Resume introduction
Educational background
Work or relevant experience
Your key skills
Relevant hobbies, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities

1. Contact information

List your contact information in your resume header so that it can be seen straight away. At a minimum, include the following information:

First and last name
Email
Phone number

Make sure that you use a professional-sounding email address (e.g. JohnDoe@gmail.com, or your college email address).

You can also include your LinkedIn profile or a link to your portfolio website (if you have one) to give employers a more comprehensive picture of your experience and qualifications.

2. Convincing resume introduction

Your resume introduction is a short section at the start of your resume that summarizes your key strengths and qualifications.

Including an introduction on your resume is essential for college freshmen, because it gives you an opportunity to show you have the skills and motivation to carry out a job, internship or scholarship, even if you don’t have much work experience.

The best type of resume introduction for a college freshman is a resume objective because it gives you the opportunity to draw attention to your career goals.

Here’s an example of a well-written college freshman resume objective:

College freshman resume introduction example

Hardworking History major with extensive writing and editing experience. Honor student with a 4.0 GPA and Editor-in-Chief of the college newspaper. Superb research, organizational, and communication skills.

3. Detailed education section

As a college freshman, your education is a large part of your overall experience. To reflect that, your resume education section should be thorough and detailed.

When you have more experience, your education section can be lower down and less detailed. But for now, include this section at the top of your resume with as much relevant information as you can.

Your education section should list the following information for your college and high school:

Major and level of degree
College name
Location of the school (including the city and state)
Expected graduation date (both the month and year)
Your GPA (but only if it’s above 3.0)
Any awards or honors

Also include the dean’s list on your resume if you’ve made the list during your freshman year.

You could also include relevant coursework on your resume to demonstrate that you’re interested in and have background knowledge of the job or internship you’re applying for.

For your reference, here’s a sample of a well-written college freshman education section:

College freshman resume education section

EDUCATION

B.A. Political Science / 3.7 GPA
Miami University
Coral Gables, FL
Expected graduation: June 20XX
Dean’s List: Fall 20XX

Relevant coursework: Political Power in American Cities; Justice and Law; Data Science for Politics; Introduction to Statistical Methods; Research Design

Class of 20XX / 3.5 GPA
Smith High School
Miami, FL
Graduation: June 20XX
Academic Honor Roll

4. Relevant experience

If, like most college freshmen, you don’t have much work experience, swap out your “Work Experience” section for a “Relevant Experience” section. This allows you to provide a more accurate picture of your skills and achievements.

If you have no professional experience to highlight, use this section to list any of the following experiences (as long as they’re relevant to the job you want):

Internships
College coursework
Volunteer work
Study Abroad
Extracurricular activities
Hobbies and interests
Clubs
Sports
Choirs, orchestras and other musical ensembles

Don’t forget to explain the main duties that you took on and the relevant skills that you gained. Any experience can prove that you are a good fit for the job.

Here’s an example of what a relevant experience section from a college freshman’s resume looks like:

College freshman relevant experience example

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Information Desk Assistant
MUSC Children’s Hospital
20XX–Present

Greet hospital patients and visitors and provide guidance in finding the proper patient room, clinic, and department
Process and distribute mail and newspapers to patient rooms
Assist wheelchair-bound patients in reaching their desired destinations

Volunteer
One80 Place Homeless Shelter
20XX–20XX

Organized a successful schoolwide canned food drive that collected 400+ cans in one month (November 2016)
Assisted in biweekly meal preparation and lunch service on Saturdays
Processed incoming food donations and organized food pantry, developing new systems of grouping items by expiration date to reduce monthly food waste by 15%

Consider becoming a resident assistant at your university to gain valuable job experience.

5. Diverse mix of skills

Include a mix of hard and soft skills in your resume skills section to demonstrate that you’re a well-rounded candidate capable of tackling a variety of challenges. As a college freshman, you’ll probably find it easier to prove that you have soft skills, such as:

Communication skills
Analytical skills
Leadership skills
Problem-solving
Collaboration
Time management
Multitasking
Empathy
Reliability
Creative thinking
Critical thinking
Conflict resolution
Good work ethic

Don’t worry if you haven’t got many technical skills yet — most other freshmen won’t either. But you do probably have more hard skills than you think, so don’t forget to include them on your resume if they’re relevant to the job you want. These include:

Microsoft Office
Google Workspace
Photoshop
Typing speed (words per minute)
Foreign language skills
Social media
Driving license

College freshman resume template

Here’s a college freshman resume template that you can paste into Microsoft Word or Google Docs and fill out. It includes an outline for each resume section, and what information you should list in each section.

1. Resume Heading

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 123 444 444 | Address: 123 Smith Road West Hartford, CT 06091 | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourproﬁle [optional]

2. Resume Summary

College freshman majoring in [major name]. Seeking to leverage my competence in [job-specific hard skills] to fill the [position name] position at [company name]. A [positive personality trait] worker aiming to contribute to [company name]’s goals and take on more responsibility as quickly as possible.

3. Education

Degree level and major / GPA (if above 3.0)
College Name – City, State
Expected graduation: month and year
Honors and awards: [optional]
Relevant coursework: [optional]
Class of […] / GPA (if above 3.0)

High School Name
City, State
Graduation: month and year
Honors and awards: [optional]
Relevant subjects / coursework: [optional]

4. Relevant experience

Most Recent Volunteer/ Internship/ Extracurricular Experience Title
Employer Name/ Location/ Start Date – End Date [you can just write ‘present’ rather than an end date if you are still carrying out this role]

Include a bullet-point list of your main duties and achievements.
Make sure you add numbers to these bullet points.

Earlier Volunteer/ Internship/ Extracurricular Experience Title
Employer Name/ Location/ Start Date – End

Include a bullet-point list of your main duties and achievements.
If you’re no longer carrying out this role, make sure you use past tense verbs in your bullet points (e.g. ‘Chaired a student committee on diversity’ / ‘Performed in venues around the world’ / ‘Created and executed lesson plans’, etc.).

5. Skills

List any relevant skills
Include a range of hard skills and soft skills
Be as specific as possible. Mention the actual names of software or tools you’re able to use.

If you want to write your resume quickly, check out these templates designed for candidates new to the job market:

College freshman resume examples

To help you put together the ideal resume as a college freshman, here are some college freshman resume examples to take inspiration from:

College freshman resume sample (text version)

SUMMARY

Hardworking History major with extensive writing and editing experience. Honor student and Editor-in-Chief of the college newspaper. Superb research, organizational, and communication skills.

EDUCATION

Towson University, Towson, MD
Bachelor of Arts in History (3.8/4.0 GPA)
Expected graduation date: May 20XX

Relevant coursework: Political Power in American Cities; History of the United States Since the Civil War; Women in the 20th Century; Research Design

Saint Gabriel High School, Baltimore, MD
Class of 20XX
National Honors Society Member

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Information Desk Assistant
MUSC Children’s Hospital / 20XX – Present

• Greet hospital patients and visitors and provide guidance in finding the proper patient room, clinic, and departments
• Process and distribute mail and newspapers to patient rooms
• Assist wheelchair-bound patients in reaching their desired destinations

Volunteer
One80 Place Homeless Shelter / 20XX – 20XX

• Organized a successful schoolwide canned food drive that collected 400+ cans in one month (November 2016)
• Assisted in biweekly meal preparation and lunch service on Saturdays
• Processed incoming food donations and organized food pantry, developing new system of grouping items by expiration date to reduce monthly food waste by 15%

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Expert in Microsoft Office, with a focus on Excel
• Bilingual in Hindi and English
• Web and tech savvy, require little to no training

4 tips for writing a college freshman resume

Now that you know what to put on your college freshman resume, here are a few tips for making it perfect.

1. Stick to one page

College freshmen should always use a one-page resume. This gives you plenty of space to list your relevant skills and achievements, while making it easy for employers to read.

Anything longer is hard to justify when you don’t have much experience, and can make it hard for employers to find the information they’re looking for.

The best resume templates for 2025

One of the best ways to make your resume is by filling out one of our free resume templates. All our templates are designed by experts and free to download for Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

View Resume Templates

2. Use the right resume format

As a college freshman, it’s important that you communicate your most notable qualities as quickly as possible. That’s why formatting your resume properly is essential.

You should start by using a chronological resume format, with your education placed towards the top of your resume, followed by your experience section. Your experience should list your most recently held position at the top, with your least recent position at the bottom.

Here’s an example of what that looks like in action:

College freshman resume format example

EDUCATION

Towson University, Towson, MD
Expected graduation date: May 20XX
Bachelor of Science in History (3.8/4.0 CPA)

Relevant coursework:
Political Power in American Cities; History of the United States Since the Civil War; Women in the 20th century

Saint Gabriel High School, Baltimore, MD
Class of 20XX
National Honors Society Member

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Information Desk Assistant
MUSC Children’s Hospital
20XX-Present

Greet hospital patients and visitors and provide guidance in finding the proper patient room, clinic, and department
Process and distribute mail and newspapers to patient rooms
Assist wheelchair-bound patients in reaching their desired destinations

Volunteer
One80 Place Homeless Shelter
20XX-20XX

Organized a successful schoolwide canned food drive that collected 400-1- cans in one month (November 2016)
Assisted in biweekly meal preparation and lunch service on Saturdays
Processed incoming food donations and organized food pantry, developing new systems of grouping items by expiration date to reduce monthly food waste by 15%

This format is ideal for freshmen because it puts your most marketable quality (your education) right at the top of your resume, and then provides an easy-to-read overview of your relevant experience.

3. Use strong action verbs

You should always use resume action verbs when talking about your experience on your freshman resume. These powerful verbs help put the focus on your accomplishments by actively describing what you’ve done.

For example, don’t just say that you led a volunteering project. Write that you chaired, coordinated or organized an aspect of this project. This way, you demonstrate to employers what you’re capable of achieving if hired.

25 action verbs for your college freshman resume

Achieved	Adapted	Assisted	Collaborated	Conducted
Contributed	Coordinated	Demonstrated	Developed	Engaged
Enhanced	Established	Executed	Facilitated	Led
Managed	Organized	Participated	Planned	Presented
Promoted	Resolved	Supported	Adapted	Achieved

4. Write compelling bullet points

One common mistake too many job seekers make is listing their responsibilities or duties passively with phrases like “Responsible for”, or “Tasked with.” Describing your experience this way won’t give employers any sense of how you approached your duties, or what results you achieved.

Here’s how to use your bullet points to make a stronger impact:

Add numbers to quantify results

A simple yet effective way to showcase your talents is to use numbers that show employers the scope of your experience and accomplishments. Not only does using numbers make your achievements stand out, it makes your resume more memorable.

Here’s an example of a resume bullet point without a number:

Organized monthly meetings for the environmental club, planned eco-friendly initiatives, and engaged with new members to increase participation

Here’s the same point with numbers added:

Spearheaded monthly meetings for the environmental club with 50+ attendees, launched 5 major eco-friendly campus initiatives, and boosted membership by 30% through targeted outreach and engagement strategies

See what a difference it makes?

You don’t need to use complicated metrics, either. The numbers you add can specify how many projects you worked on, how many customers you helped, or the amount of time you spent working on something.

Use a formula

If you’re not sure how to write impactful resume bullet points, try using a helpful formula (or several)! Here are three you can try:

1. Action verb + task + result or outcome + quantifiable data (if applicable)

This formula provides a classic framework for your resume bullet points, emphasizing what you did, how you did it, and the impact of your action.

Example:

“Led a team of 10 volunteers in a campus clean-up initiative, collecting over 200 pounds of waste, which contributed to a 20% improvement in the local environmental audit scores.”

2. Challenge faced + action taken + skills used + result

You can use this formula to demonstrate problem-solving skills and adaptability. It helps you showcase how you tackled a particular challenge, the skills you applied, and the outcome you achieved.

Example:

“Faced with declining engagement in the debate club, devised and implemented a new digital marketing strategy using social media analytics, enhancing member participation by 40% within the first semester.”

3. Contribution + method or technology used + benefit to the organization or team

This formula focuses on your contribution to a project or task, how you accomplished it (including any tools, software, or methodologies used), and how it benefited the team or organization (something employers always love to know).

Example:

“Developed a new member onboarding process using Google Forms to streamline data collection, reducing onboarding time by 25% and improving newcomer satisfaction rates.”

Mix and match these formulas to show employers your range of skills and accomplishments.

Additional resources

Here are some extra guides to help you build a strong college freshman job application:

Frequently asked questions about resumes for college freshmen

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about writing a college freshman resume:

How do you write a resume as a college student with little experience?

Here’s how to write a college student resume without professional experience:

Focus on your academic achievements: Highlight your GPA (if above 3.5), relevant coursework, academic awards, and projects. These can demonstrate your commitment, intellectual engagement, and area of expertise.
Include extracurricular activities: Including clubs, sports, and other activities can show leadership, teamwork, and other important transferable skills.
Add volunteer work and community service: These experiences showcase your work ethic, compassion, and areas of interest. Highlight any initiatives you led or the impact your work had on the community.
Feature part-time jobs and internships: Even roles that might seem unrelated to your intended career path can demonstrate key skills you need to get in the door, such as reliability, communication, and time management.
Tailor your skills section: Include both hard and soft skills relevant to the jobs you’re applying for. Language proficiency, computer skills, and certifications can be particularly valuable.

Should a freshman in college include high school experience on their resume?

Yes, as a freshman you should include high school experience on your resume. High school achievements can demonstrate foundational skills and achievements.

However, as you grow in your college career, you should begin to replace achievements from your high school education with more current and relevant college experiences, internships, and jobs.

What should a college freshman resume look like?

Here’s what a college freshman resume should look like:

Example of an undergraduate resume using a simple resume template in teal. — Example of a well-written undergraduate resume.

No matter what you put on your resume, make sure it looks flawless by using a professionally-designed resume template.

Corissa Peterson

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) & Content Editor

A dedicated member of the Resume Genius team with a passion for the career space, Corissa is always looking for ways to create useful resources for job seekers, from writing job-specific resume samples to crafting in-depth articles on how to ace interviews. Corissa graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.A. in Philosophy and a certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. Corissa’s articles have been published on Diversity Jobs, Recruiter.com, Teachstone, and Jobillico, among others, and her career advice has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, GOBankingRates, and UpJourney. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

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