harvard university resume

How to Write a Resume That Stands Out

You finally found it! The perfect job for you. Now, all you have to do to get the process started is to submit your resume. The problem is that hundreds of your peers are probably thinking exactly the same thing. How do you stand out?

You finally found it! The perfect job for you. Now, all you have to do to get the process started is to submit your resume. The problem is that hundreds or even thousands of your peers are probably thinking exactly the same thing about exactly the same job. So how do you create a one-page document that will make you and your accomplishments stand out from the crowd?

Your resume is a key part of the job application process: it is the first document that an employer reviews to determine whether they will interview and eventually employ you. Remember that employers often have very limited time to perform this duty. Crafting a strong resume really matters!

Resumes communicate who you are and what you have accomplished. They may be the only document an employer sees to evaluate your record before making a decision to move forward with your application, or they may be used in conjunction with resources like LinkedIn or professional networking profiles and/or a cover letter. A resume that “stands out” in a positive way is one that has been written thoughtfully, clearly and concisely, effectively communicating your abilities and strengths in a very brief space.

Six basic tips will help you build an outstanding professional resume. Note that resumes may vary by professional field (e.g. engineering vs. non-engineering), by location or by other factors such as professional degree. These tips are designed around some of the most common sections and most useful points for resumes across different types.

Tip 1: How to Write an Education Section that Stands Out

The education section demonstrates that you have the academic qualifications for the position. The key questions you should ask yourself while writing this section is, “Have I clearly communicated the strongest and most relevant aspects of my educational experience?” The next question is, “Is this section organized in a way that is easily readable by the employer?”

The education section is important for all applicants but may be weighted differently depending on how long it has been since you graduated from a degree program. For instance, an employer may have a different level of interest in the educational history of a college senior, compared to someone who has been professionally working for several years after college. Understanding this fact may influence where you choose to place this section on your resume.

In general, you should include all of the higher education that you may have had, including undergraduate, graduate, or professional schooling.  You may also consider including online courses, certificates, and completed programs through companies like Coursera. Most people list their experiences in an order called reverse chronological, meaning that they list the most recent experience first, and work backwards down the page.

For each listed school, provide the full name of the school or online program, the years of your attendance, your major or majors, if applicable, as well as a minor if applicable. Include the type of degree received (e.g. a Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science) and the year of graduation. If you are graduating soon, include the month and year of graduation so employers know when you will be available to work. If you have studied abroad, include the institution, program of study, and any relevant coursework.

You may want to include which semesters you qualified for special academic recognition, if any.  Other special awards, scholarships, or competitive grants can also be listed in this section. If you have non-academic awards, such as for sports or community service, you may choose to create a separate section of your resume for honors and awards.

Tip 2: How to Make the Experience Section Stand Out

Along with education, your experience is one of the most important ways to show that you are qualified for a position. Use this section to clearly convey your strongest professional experiences, whether paid or unpaid. Be sure to give detailed aspects of your roles and responsibilities for each listed position. Emphasize any relationships or similarities between your past experiences and the job you want. You should also include the start and end dates of your involvement with each organization, and any key accomplishments from the role. Don’t forget to include where the company is located, including city and state/province, or even country if different from your home country.

Ask yourself: while involved with the company, did I win any awards, get any special recognition, make new discoveries, start a new program? If so, what happened and what were the results? Quantify your experiences when you can! As the expression goes, “Show don’t tell.” In other words, you can more effectively convey a point by giving concrete examples, rather than through vague descriptions. Consider the following examples.

Instead of:

Improved worker productivity significantly, leading to recognition from upper management.

(A resume reader may ask: What does ‘improved’ mean? What does recognition mean? How much have you improved it by?)

Improved quarter returns by 25%, exceeding projections and leading to the Top Manager Award, given to only one manager in the company per year.

When it comes to language, be honest about your job functions while thinking of professional ways to present your experiences.

Sometimes people fall into a trap of thinking that their job or internship experience won’t sound impressive enough to list. The job may have felt like “sitting at a desk, answering the phone.” True, but you may have been performing other responsibilities or developing useful job-related skills without realizing that you were!

When you were at a desk, were you at the FRONT desk? Were you the only person or the main person in this position? Were you overseeing anything while you were sitting there? Were you the sole person responsible for any tasks? Did you have to learn how to deal calmly and confidently with any customer issues? Did people occasionally ask you to take on additional responsibilities, even for a short time?

It is fair to say that a person sitting at a front desk, may have been MANAGING the front desk, or even managing the desk when the person’s boss was away. Time during which an individual is placed in charge of a business or an office, even if for a limited time, can convey responsibility to a prospective employer.

Look at your accomplishment bullet and ask yourself:

• What did I do in the job?
• Using what?
• To what extent or impact?

Sometimes you may need to pare down your list in order to avoid making your resume too lengthy. Try to select the accomplishments based partly on how impressive they are and partly on how well they relate to the position you want. To describe your experience, always use more than one sentence or bullet. That said, word economy in your bulleted descriptions is also important. Try to keep each bulleted description or sentence to one or two lines at most. You can often rephrase a description, eliminating words while keeping the meaning. The more information you can present clearly and concisely within the short resume format, the more the employer will understand what you can do for them.

Remember that by providing relevant details in each statement of your experience, you will give the employer enough information to evaluate you and also provide them with ideas of what they might want to discuss with you in an interview.

Tip 3: How to Create a Leadership and Activities Section that Stands Out

For many people, especially students and recent graduates, a Leadership & Activities section can be a fantastic differentiator for your resume. If you have not been in the workforce for long, or if you have only worked summers and part-time, then you may not have much relevant content to add to your Experience section. A strong Leadership & Activities section can help you fill that gap while also telling an employer something about you as a person.

When creating the section, you should first consider what student organizations and activities you would want to include. Then, you should consider what you would want to write about each one. In general, this section is much like the Experience section, except that it is about what you have done in a personal, rather than professional, setting.

Of course, because student organizations and activities are personal, you should be careful about which ones you choose to list; they should be appropriate to a professional setting. For example, you should probably not choose to share that you were chosen “Top Drinker” of your college’s “Beer Keg of the Day” club. On the other hand, if you volunteered at a food bank, wrote for a school publication, or had a membership in an honor society, those accomplishments would be worth sharing.

Most importantly, you should include student organizations and activities where you have made significant contributions or held leadership positions. Just as you did in the Experience section, you should think about what you did in the organization, any responsibilities you had, any skills you used, and any knowledge you gained. If you made improvements to the student organization or activity, definitely include concrete examples. Make sure to consider if any of your experiences with student organizations and activities could be related to the position you are applying for. Could any of the skills you have learned be useful in the job?

Because student organizations and activities can offer students leadership opportunities and experiences that are often limited to experienced professionals in companies, this section is your chance to show not only that you are qualified for the position but that you have even greater potential. Make the most of this opportunity to show the employer what you can do!

Tip 4: How to Highlight Your Skills

Another important component of what defines an attractive candidate in the modern economy is their skill set. Because employers want people who can quickly start being productive, they care about what skills a job prospect has, particularly in certain technical fields. In most cases, skills are incorporated into the Experience section, if you acquired skills as part of your internship or job, and in the Education section, if you obtained the skills through coursework, research, or projects. Sometimes people with additional skills, such as technical skills, foreign language, or certifications obtained outside of university, will place them into a separate section at the end of the resume. Whichever format you choose, you still need to emphasize the skills you have, so that an employer can easily see how you can help them.

You should ask yourself a few important questions. What skills do I have? What skills are my target employers looking for? Are my skills hard skills (i.e. technical, like computer programming) or soft skills, such as the ability to listen?

Make a list! Separate the skills into hard skills and soft skills. What skills are most in demand (on both lists) for the position you are interested in (One good way to decide this is to look at job listings for many similar positions and note how often a particular skill is listed.)? How can you highlight your proficiency in these skills?

Lead with your strongest skills and/or the ones that seem the most marketable. Let’s say you know the programming language Python. How well do you know it? How many years have you used it? Do you have any specialized knowledge and ability that may set you apart from a competing applicant? Do you have demonstrations of your work anywhere for a prospective employer to see?

Here’s an example of a skills entry that might be included into the Experience section:

Programming: 8 years of experience with Python and similar scripting languages, wrote MyFirstPythonProject software available on GitHub

Useful tip: Artists may have portfolios for their artistic work. Examples of appropriate work, such as for coding, may not be a bad idea to have available in addition to a resume!

Even if your field is not technical, you may still have important hard skills. Do you have experience with popular office software, such as Excel, PowerPoint, or Access? Do you know any foreign languages, even at a basic level? Think about not only what might be required in the day-to-day performance of the job, but what other skills could potentially be useful to the employer.

You will want to include all the relevant skills to demonstrate your qualifications, without including too much less-relevant information which could distract from your message. Think carefully about which skills you want to include, and which could be left out. Remember to choose your words economically to maximize content in a minimum of space. With a little effort, your skills details can transform your resume from a simple list of accomplishments to a document that gets an employer thinking about all the great ways you could contribute!

Tip 5: Formatting and Making the Resume Look Professional

Believe it or not, the appearance and organization of a resume can greatly affect the response. The first hurdle for any resume is to get the employer to read it. An attractively presented, concise resume is easy for a recruiter to pick up. On the other hand, if a resume is 5 pages, written in 6-point font, a prospective employer may not think that it is worth the time to find a magnifying glass and read it. In most cases, a resume should not exceed one page (sometimes two pages, mostly for more experienced candidates, or in scientific and technical fields where publication lists can be lengthy), which has a few key sections that are separated from one another or clearly delineated.

Here are some suggestions to make the format stand out positively:

• Use 10-12-point font or larger. (10 point may even sometimes be too small, and the choice can depend on the chosen font.) Your audience should easily be able to read the size of the writing. Often prospective employers may not have perfect vision, so readability may create problems if the text is too small.
• Use a clean, professional-looking font. Don’t use fonts that are overly artistic and hinder the ability for the reader to understand them. Some find fonts like Times New Roman most clearly readable; others find competing fonts better. The font is just an aspect of the writing; don’t let it overpower the words themselves.
• Use respectable margins. Don’t try to deviate too much from 0.5 margins at either side. Also, don’t make the margins too large, beyond 0.75 or 1 unit on either side. Around 1 unit on the top and bottom should be acceptable.
• Use adequate spacing.
• Abbreviate months of employment.
• Include proper contact information. Most people include full name, address, email address and at least one phone number at the top of the document.

Tip 6: Revision and Review 

One of the most important steps to writing a good resume is having others you trust look it over. A small spelling or grammar error on a resume could cause problems by making it seem like you lack attention to detail.

You can start with standard spelling and grammar checking programs. However, while these programs are very helpful, they are not enough by themselves. For example, the programs may not flag errors with homophones (e.g. hair and hare). They also have difficulty with uncommon, technical, or foreign words that may not be in their dictionaries. In addition, they are not looking for formatting inconsistencies or at the overall appearance of the resume. While computer programs can help with many issues, there is still no substitute for the human eye.

Start by printing a copy of your resume and looking for errors and inconsistencies yourself. Then, present copies to others along with a description of the job or educational opportunity that you are applying for. When presenting your resume to others, consider at least two kinds of people: a peer, and an experienced professional or teacher. Each may identify different issues with the resume.

Ask the reviewers to provide two types of notes: technical revisions and feedback on the writing, organization and effectiveness of the resume.

Once you get feedback, discuss it with them for a few minutes. Remember, don’t take constructive criticism personally! They are trying to help you, and their points of view may be similar to that of the employer. Your goal is to create a resume that most people will appreciate.

Once you obtain proper feedback, you can work on improving your resume. Try to incorporate your reviewers’ suggestions. Their ideas may even make you think of other ways to improve your resume! Most importantly, always remember that once you have made your revisions, review your resume again before you send it out!

The stronger your resume, the better your chance of getting an interview and landing a meaningful job. Just by following these simple tips, you will be well on your way to resume success, creating a clear, detailed, and concise document designed to impress employers. So, get writing and get yourself noticed!

A good resume can help you land an interview, but even minor errors can take you out of the running.  Schedule an appointment with a counselor  to ensure it will be effective.

Quick Resume Tips:

• Use the position description to decide what to include.
• Pick a standard and consistent format.
• Describe your experiences with specificity and strong action verbs.
• Record accomplishments and contributions, not just responsibilities.
• Revise carefully!
• Don’t include personal information about your age, religion, health or marital status.
• Photos are generally not preferred for U.S. resumes.
• Typically, you will not be expected to share past salary information on a resume.
• Employers assume that “references will be available upon request,” so you don’t need to include them on your resume unless asked.
• Employers may use keyword scanning on resumes, so know what words are relevant to the industry and position and ensure they appear in your resume.

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Resumes: What You Need to Know

The resume is an opportunity to market yourself to a prospective employer. It should be succinct, target an employer's needs, and distinguish you from your competitors. Before you get started, think about your strengths, weaknesses, personal preferences, and motivations. You should also consider the company's needs, who your competition might be, and your unique skill set. The best way to convince employers that you will add value is to show them that you've done it before.

Alumni Resume Book

Our Alumni Resume Book connects you with organizations looking for talent. Visit 12twenty (our recruiting platform) and upload your resume to get started. You should complete your Profile in 12twenty by updating your Background tab which contains information about your career experience, skills, preferences and more. Ensuring your Background tab is complete and accurate will greatly improve your chance of being contacted by an organization. Looking to connect with fellow HBS alumni? Upload your resume to the Alumni Networking Resume Book to kick start those connections.

Resume Makeover Using VMock and Aspire

Gain instant feedback on your resume and LinkedIn Profile

VMock is a smart career platform that provides instant personalized feedback on your resume and LinkedIn Profile to help improve aspects like presentation, language, and skills.

VMock Smart Editor tool will enable you to:

• Receive an objective score on your resume based on recruiter criteria
• Review line-for-line targeted feedback on your resume
• Re-upload your resume up to 10 times to track improvement

Sign up using your HBS email address. Account requests are granted within 24 business hours. During holidays and winter break (December 24th – January 1st) turnaround time will be delayed until the CPD office reopens. Please note, we recommend you review your resume before considering it final.

Resumes: Sections, Templates & Examples

• Contact details - Let others know who you are and how to get in touch with you. In addition to your name, you should list your mailing address, phone number, and email address. It is expected to be found at the top of the page. No need to include it on additional pages.
• Professional history - Start with your most recent role and list in descending chronology. For each role, provide a sentence or two that describes the scope of your responsibility. Then in bullet format, provide accomplishment statements. To write an accomplishment statement, state the problem you encountered, the action you took and the result or impact of your actions. For example, "Led team in implementing a new general ledger package by providing expertise and encouragement, which contributed to a successful, on-time project completion."
• Education - Spell out your degree so it will stand out better. It is not necessary to include your GPA or GMAT score. Do not list courses. Do list any leadership roles or study abroad experiences.
• Summary/Profile - A great opportunity to tell the reader exactly what you want them to know. It should be 3-4 sentences in paragraph form following your contact information. Be careful not to load up on overused resume jargon and avoid listing previous jobs/education as it is redundant. Instead, focus on your branding statement, unique themes in your career path, and skills.
• Key skills - Listing your skills is a great way for the reader to quickly evaluate your skill set. List skills that are relevant to your next position. For each skill, you will need a proof statement in the form of an accomplishment stated in the professional experience section. A good way to set up this section is in 2 or 3 columns with 3-4 skills in each column. The heading could be "Key Areas of Expertise" or "Core Competencies".
• Personal/Interests - Only include if it helps tell your story.
• Additional roles - If you participate in organizations outside of your professional employment, you may list these in a separate section. Headings are typically "Volunteer Leadership Roles" or "Community Service".
• Licenses and Professional Certifications - If you possess a license or certification, these should be called out in a separate section.
• Objective - No longer in style. Do not include in your resume.
• References available upon request - No longer in style. Do not include in your resume.
• Zip file of all resume templates (login required)

Chronological - This is the most commonly used layout. Recommended for a mostly consistent record of employment showing progression/growth from position to position. Not recommended for gaps in employment dates, those out of job market for some time, or changing careers.

• Template 1 (login required)
• Template 2 (login required)
• Template 3 (login required)
• Template 4 (login required)
• Sample 1: C-Level Resume (login required)
• Sample 2: Consulting to Operating Company Resume (login required)
• Sample 3: VP with Long Tenure Resume (login required)
• Sample 4: C-Level Biotech resume (login required)
• Sample 5: Exec. Ed. with Long Tenure Resume (login required)
• Sample 6: Financial Services Resume (login required)

Streamlined Chronological - This layout also shows progression from one job to the next, but does not include extra sections such as Summary/Profile or Areas of Expertise. Recommended for recent alumni.

• Template: Streamlined Chronological (login required)

Chronological/Functional Hybrid Resume - In this layout, you can highlight your employment history in a straight chronological manner, but also make it immediately clear you have filled a variety of roles that use different but related skill sets. This is useful to provide a few accomplishments in the beginning to show a theme. Each role would also have specific accomplishment statements.

• Template: Chronological/Functional Hybrid (login required)
• Sample: Accomplishment Focus Resume (login required)

Cover Letter Writing

It is essential to send a cover letter with your resume to provide a recruiter with insight into your qualifications, experience, and motivation for seeking a position. The letter also conveys your personal communication style, tone, and professionalism. An effective employment letter should:

• Be targeted and personalized
• State why you are interested in the company
• Explain how you can fill a need
• Convey your enthusiasm about the opportunity
• Suggest next steps for communication and action

Guidelines & Examples

Investigate your target company. What is the company's "breaking news?" What drives their business? What are their greatest challenges and opportunities? How can you contribute? eBaker can help with your research.

Outline your objectives using relevant information that attracts the attention of the reader.

• Salutation Address the letter to a specific person. Capture the reader's attention and briefly introduce yourself. Mention the referral/company contact, if applicable. State the purpose of your letter.
• Body Describe relevant information you discovered about the company. Discuss the position offered or the position you are looking for. Detail how your skills will benefit the company.
• Closing Convey your enthusiasm. Anticipate response.

Pay close attention to sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation. Always print your letter to check for typographical errors. Have a friend, colleague, or family member review your letter whenever possible.

Cover letters are the place to briefly and directly address the gap in your career. For example, "I am returning to the workforce after a period of raising children." Then address your strengths, qualifications and goals. Emphasize your excitement and preparedness to re-enter the workforce now.

Response to Identified Advertisement (pdf)

Branding You

Resume writing tips  , creating visual impact.

A concise, visually appealing resume will make a stronger impression than a dense, text-laden document. Respect page margins and properly space the text. Learn to appreciate the value of "white space." Limit a resume to one or two pages but not one and ¼. Ensure content is balanced on both pages. A CV is typically longer because it includes additional sections such as publications and research.

Use Parallel Construction

Select a consistent order of information, format, and spacing. If one experience starts with a brief overview followed by bullet points, subsequent experiences should follow a similar form. Parallel construction—including the use of action verbs (pdf) (login required) to start all phrases—greatly enhances a resume's readability.

Always Proofread

Pay close attention to margin alignment, spelling, punctuation, and dates. Read your resume backward to check for typographical errors. (You will focus on individual words, rather than the meaning of the text.) Better yet, have a friend, colleague, or family member review your resume.

Use Action Verbs

Action Verbs List (login required)

Improve Your Writing

Common questions, past program resources  .

How to Build a Resume that Stands Above the Competition

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Preparing a Resume

Many applications require that you submit a resume. Typically, the resume will be either one or two pages; it is important to adhere to this page limit. Even though you have achieved some incredible things during your time thus far at Harvard, it is important that you tailor your resume to the opportunity at hand. This does not diminish all of your varied experiences, but rather it shows that you really understand the opportunity and can highlight your most relevant qualities and experiences. For example, if you are applying to a high-level research program (ex. Herchel Smith), make sure that your resume is very research-focused. Or, if you are looking into a public service opportunity, you bet that you should be highlighting your public service experience (ex. extracurriculars, leadership, academics, etc.)! If you are applying to a program that emphasizes community as part of a research team, for example, feel free to include different community- or leadership-related experiences on your resume.

How to do this? Before turning to the draft itself, set some mini-goals for your resume to achieve within the greater whole of your application. After reading your resume, what do you want the selection committee to have learned about you? How does your resume contribute to the application as a whole? Does your resume complement other aspects of your application by giving context or additional detail (ex. your research proposal or statement)?

Be sure to go beyond listing responsibilities and dates and use deliberate and concise prose to demonstrate your qualifications for a particular opportunity. Also, keep both the impact and implications of the experiences on your resume in mind.

Impact: How was your contribution to this group/activity impactful? How was it different because you were part of it? This can be an aspect of your formal responsibilities or it can be an articulation of something less formal that you brought to the group. Also, what impact did this group/activity have on you? This doesn’t have to be an explicit articulation but it should be clear in how you describe the activity that it was formative in some way.

Implications: For students who study more esoteric areas of academia, this section can help non-experts understand your experiences. You do not have to sacrifice the sophisticated articulation of your research topic, but including some clarification that will help a non-expert understand the value of what you worked on. Remember, selection committees often include individuals from a broad spectrum of backgrounds.

For example: “Studied the functional implications of naturally selected polymorphisms in human TLR5. Potential implications for developing low-cost physiotherapy treatments to be deployed in emerging markets.”

A few things to remember:

• Once you have entered college, it is usually best to leave your high school experiences off of your resume, unless they are directly relevant (ex. research experience when applying to a research program). In some cases, first year students may find it helpful to list high school experiences.
• List opportunities that are indicative of your experiences, what you value, and how you choose to spend your time. Even if you are not able to include every experience, you will have lots of good fodder for an interview!
• Make sure that this resume is a specific fit for this opportunity and links your experiences to the selection criteria of the program.
• Be creative! You have lots of transferrable skills that might not be apparent to you at the start. Be sure to check out MCS resources  to help break down your set of experiences into their most essential skills and building blocks.
• Please make sure that your resume is easy to read! Consult The Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) for examples of good formatting and templates. The selection committee can tell when you have adjusted your margins and changed the size of your font just to squeeze more information into the page limit!
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Student Speaker Dramatically Goes Off-Script at Harvard Graduation

“The students have spoken. The faculty have spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?” graduating senior Shruthi Kumar said.

Breaking News Intern

Screenshot/YouTube

A Harvard University student speaker put the institution on blast Thursday morning when she dramatically went off script during her commencement address to slam the school for punishing more than a dozen of her peers for their activism.

Shruthi Kumar, the Harvard senior chosen to deliver the English address, sharply reprimanded the university leaders during her time at the podium. During her speech—which was titled “The Power of Not Knowing”—Kumar drew out a piece of paper containing off-script remarks hidden up the sleeve of her crimson gown.

“As I stand here today, I must take a moment to recognize my peers—the 13 undergraduates in the class of 2024 that will not graduate today,” Kumar told the crowd. She was referring to the 13 students who had been denied the opportunity to walk at commencement over the sanctions they’d received for participating in campus pro-Palestinian protests .

“I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and their right to civil disobedience on campus,” she continued. “The students have spoken. The faculty have spoken. Harvard, do you hear us?”

“Harvard, do you hear us?” she repeated.

In response, Kumar received a standing ovation from the crowd, including some of the faculty. The rest of her remarks covered the war in Gaza , the experience of being doxxed for her views, and what she characterized as attacks on free speech and free expression.

Kumar’s fiery indictment of her school was the latest in a wave of protests at Harvard’s commencement ceremonies, sparked by its highest governing body’s decision to deny a faculty-led action that would allow 13 students who participated in pro-Palestinian protests to walk at their commencement ceremony.

On Thursday morning, several protesters silently held up a banner calling attention to the suffering in Gaza and rallied in support of their peers who had been prevented from receiving their degrees. Meanwhile, pro-Israel counterprotesters flew planes high in the sky, trailing U.S. and Israeli flags and a slogan that read, “Jewish Lives Matter.US.”

Kumar was one of three students who won the honor to speak at graduation through an annual contest hosted by the university. In a Harvard Gazette feature on her and the other winners, Kumar previewed a very different message that was more anchored in the personal than the political: She spoke of embracing change in the context of her own decision to switch from a pre-med career track to a path in public health.

“At the end of the day, I think we owe it to ourselves to listen to that voice inside that tells us, ‘Oh, this is what I’m passionate about,’” Kumar said then.

But Kumar is also an accomplished yogi who focuses on mental health practice and mindfulness. Ahead of her speech, with its message to embrace the chaos, she told the Harvard Gazette that her remarks would be about the “conscious shift you must make” to adapt in times of uncertainty.

“We are all people walking through the world, not really knowing what’s going to happen,” she said. “But the power of not knowing is about how you can turn that space of fear and anxiety into something that is empowering, uplifting, and exciting.”

In off-roading at commencement, Kumar apparently excelled at taking her own advice.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

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Celebrating 150 years of Harvard Summer School. Learn about our history.

Preparation and Arrival

This preparation and arrival guide is designed to ensure that you have completed all necessary steps to prepare for and check-in to your Harvard Summer School program.

Please read these checklists thoroughly, check your calendar frequently to meet all appropriate deadlines, and complete the necessary steps before arriving on campus and during check in to get your summer experience off to a great start.

Before You Arrive: Getting Ready View More

Register for courses.

• Register for summer courses by June 20.
• See the  calendar  for additional deadlines regarding online and on-campus courses.

Pay your balance.

• Pay your balance in full immediately after registering or making course changes. If you do not, you risk being dropped from all courses and waitlists.

Check your name, date of birth, and contact information.

• Your name and date of birth in  MyDCE  must match exactly what is printed on your government-issued photo ID, which you must present during check-in to receive your Harvard ID card.
• Correct any name and date of birth errors by submitting a  biographical and contact information changes form . Once completed, this form can be submitted using the Document Uploader in MyDCE.
• The Summer School communicates with students via email. Keep your student email address and other contact information current in  MyDCE . If you are not receiving email from us, be sure you are not using an email account with strong firewalls and be sure to check your spam and junk folders.

International students who received a Summer School I-20:

• Please consult the instructions provided to you by Harvard International Office (HIO) with your electronic form I-20 on how to prepare for entering the U.S .

Planning to live on campus?

• Wondering what you should bring with you? See  Your Room  for a list of what’s provided and what you can rent on campus or purchase in Harvard Square.
• Don’t forget to bring a pillow and linens with you or rent them from  Harvard Student Agencies .
• You will be able to view your housing assignment and on-campus mailing address on your H-ticket (see H-ticket section below).

Review placement test requirements.

• Be sure to take any placement tests (noted in  course descriptions ) that are required for your courses.

Meet the immunization requirement.

• Proof of vaccinations (or medical or religious exemption documentation) must be submitted to Harvard University Health Services PatientPortal by all students with an on-campus presence for Summer School. The last day to register for on-campus courses (if you haven’t met the immunizations deadline yet) is June 6.
• If you arrive on campus and are still non-compliant you will be expected to receive any missing immunizations, or you risk being dropped from your on-campus courses and/or housing.

Insurance Coverage

• Nonresidential students who are seen at Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) may be required to pay a fee for services. Services at HUHS will be billed to your own health insurance plan. Patients are billed and held responsible for services not covered by their health insurance.
• Residential students are automatically enrolled in and covered by the Summer School’s Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan, with Global Assistance Services.  This plan is provided by On Call International and is considered secondary coverage to your own health insurance plan. Patients are billed and held responsible for services not covered by their health insurance.

Learn your Harvard ID number and claim your HarvardKey.

• View your Harvard ID number in  MyDCE .
• Claim your  HarvardKey .

Provide a photo for your Harvard ID card.

• Upload a photo using the  Harvard ID Card Web Application no later than May 17 if you plan to use on-campus resources.
• Visit  ID Cards  for instructions.

Learn about accommodations and services for a disability or medical condition.

• See  Accessibility Services  for more information.

Prepare for your classes.

• Make travel plans to arrive for your check-in and first class meetings.
• Find your classroom by  viewing My Courses in MyDCE . Check for classroom changes right before classes begin.
• Course syllabi may be viewed in your course website in Canvas. You must log in using your HarvardKey.
• Taking an online course ? Review technology guidelines for taking an online course.
• See which textbooks you need by checking course syllabi or websites (linked in  course descriptions ) or use the  Harvard COOP textbook search .
• Note the deadlines for  course and credit status changes, drops, and withdrawals .
• Check the  final exam schedule  before making your travel plans home.

Bring your H-ticket and government-issued photo ID to check-in.

• Bring your H-ticket, your customized check-in ticket. The H-ticket is available in MyDCE starting the week before your session’s check-in. You have the option of displaying it on your mobile device (recommended) or printing it in advance. You must show your H-ticket and a government-issued photo ID to check in.

Still have questions?

Call Enrollment Services at (617) 495-4024 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, or email [email protected] .

Opening Weekend Check-In View More

Saturday, June 22

Move-in and check-in hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Bring your H-ticket (printed or displayed on your mobile device) and a government-issued photo ID.

Travel to campus.

• Travel to campus should be scheduled so that you can check in during regular check-in hours on Opening Weekend. Early arrival and check-in are not permitted.
• See  Directions  for information on getting to campus.
• View the  Campus Map  to find Opening Weekend locations.

Move into on-campus housing.

• Pick up your key and move into your room before checking in elsewhere. Your key pick-up location will be listed on your H-ticket.
• See  Moving In and Out of Housing .

Pay any balance due before checking in.

• Pay online  with a credit card. Or visit Student Financial Services at 51 Brattle Street.
• Your balance must be paid in full before you can check in and pick up your Harvard ID card.

Received a Form I-20 from Summer School? Check in with the Harvard International Office (HIO).

• Review emailed instructions from HIO on how to register your arrival in the U.S. remotely or in-person.
• To register your arrival in-person with HIO, bring your passport, printed Form I-20, F-1 visa, a copy of your I-94 arrival record , and H-ticket to check-in, if you were unable to do so remotely. Check-in location will be noted on your H-Ticket.
• You must register your arrival with HIO either remotely or in-person before you can pick up your Harvard ID card.

Check in with Harvard Summer School.

• Bring your H-ticket and government-issued photo ID. Location for check-in will be noted on your H-Ticket.
• Pick up your Harvard ID card.
• See the Accessibility Services Office if you have requested accommodations for a disability or have questions about services.

Set up a Harvard email account and connect to the Harvard network.

• For help, visit the computer services table at check-in.
• You can also visit the computer lab at 53 Church Street.

Visit the online Harvard Summer School Resource Fair.

• From 3–6p.m. ET, learn about the extracurricular activities and vendor services.
• Access the Zoom link here  (HarvardKey required).

Commuting Secondary School Program students: attend orientation.

• Secondary School Program Commuting Students Orientation, Saturday at 1 p.m. The location will be emailed to you by the SSP team in June.

Attend your residential orientation.

• Residential Orientations will be held Sunday after dinner. Your proctor will provide details.

Get ready for class.

• Classes begin Monday, June 24.
• Check out course syllabi and websites (linked in  course descriptions ).
• Be sure to attend all classes for which you are registered or waitlisted.
• Confirm your classroom location by  viewing My Courses in MyDCE .
• Buy your textbooks. To find out which ones you need, visit the  Harvard COOP , check your syllabus or course website, or use the  Harvard COOP textbook search .
• Keep deadlines for  course and credit status changes, drops, and withdrawals  in mind.

Dining Options.

• Meal service for students living on campus begins with Saturday dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Annenberg Hall.
• The full summer schedule is also available on  Dining Services .

A variety of convenience stores, grocers, and restaurants are also within walking distance of Harvard Square. See  HarvardSquare.com .

Parking and Shuttle Options.

• Parking is extremely limited in Harvard Square.
• Free parking is available at the  52 Oxford Street garage from 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, to 7 a.m. on Sunday, June 23.
• Residential Secondary School Program students arriving in personal vehicles may enter Harvard Yard via Johnston Gate, located on Massachusetts Avenue across from the intersection with Church Street. Park near your dorm, unload your vehicle, and promptly exit the Yard to park. Students assigned to Greenough may proceed directly to their dorm without entering Harvard Yard.
• Shuttle services are available to help you travel between check-in and move-in locations.
• See  Parking and Transit  for more information on parking and shuttle services during the summer.

What if I arrive late because my flight is delayed?

• Adult and college students: If you are living on campus, your flight is delayed, and you arrive after 4 pm, you must seek other accommodations until business hours resume at 9 am on Monday, June 24. See the Cambridge Office of Tourism  website for hotel listings.
• If you arrive late on Saturday, June 22, go to Widener Gate on Massachusetts Avenue. Widener Gate is behind Widener Library, directly across the street from SEE Eyewear, 1276 Massachusetts Avenue. Harvard Yard does not have a street address so the address for SEE Eyewear is the closest address to Widener Gate in Harvard Yard. Speak with Harvard personnel at Widener Gate, and tell them you are a Secondary School Program (SSP) student who has just arrived. Security Guards at Widener Gate will assist you by contacting the SSP. You will be met by a member of our staff who will guide you to your dorm.
• If you become lost, call the Harvard University Police Department at 617-495-1212 . Explain that you are a Secondary School Program student and have just arrived. Ask the Harvard Police dispatcher for assistance in getting to Widener Gate.
• If you arrive early Sunday morning, June 23, during daylight hours, we will have staff available starting at noon. Go to a safe place — e.g., stay at the airport — and meet SSP staff at Widener Gate at noon.
• Call Enrollment Services at (617) 495-4024 Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, or email [email protected].
• For Secondary School Program questions, email [email protected] or visit Thayer Hall during Opening Weekend.

Three-Week Session II and Four-Week Check-In View More

Sunday, July 14

Move-in and check-in hours are noon to 3 p.m. Bring your H-ticket (printed or displayed on your mobile device) and a government-issued photo ID.

If you’re enrolled in three-week session I and either three-week session II or the 4-week session, you only check in on Opening Weekend on June 22. You do not need to check in again on Sunday, July 14.

• Travel to campus should be scheduled so that you can check in during regular check-in hours. Early arrival and check-in are not permitted. Check local advisories for potential delays and road closures.
• View the  Campus Map  to find check-in locations.
• Your balance must be paid in full before you can continue with check-in and pick up your Harvard ID card.

Received a Form I-20 from Harvard Summer School? Check in with the Harvard International Office (HIO).

• Review emailed instructions from HIO on how to register your arrival to the U.S. remotely or in-person
• To register your arrival in-person with HIO, bring your passport, printed Form I-20, F-1 visa, a copy of your I-94 arrival record, and H-ticket to 51 Brattle Street to check in with HIO, if you haven’t done so already.
• Bring your H-ticket and government-issued photo ID to One Brattle Square.
• Pick up your Harvard ID card or ID card authorization form.
• For help, visit the computer lab at 53 Church Street.
• Adult students meet the residential staff at an orientation in your House Sunday evening.
• SSP students, residential orientation will be held Sunday after dinner. Your proctor will provide details.
• Classes begin Monday, July 15.
• Confirm your classroom location by using the  course catalog  or by  viewing My Courses in MyDCE .
• Meal service for students living on campus begins with Saturday dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m at Annenberg Hall.

A variety of convenience stores, grocers, and restaurants are also within walking distance of Harvard Square. See HarvardSquare.com .

• Free parking is available at the  52 Oxford Street garage from 11 a.m., Sunday, July 14, to 7 a.m., Monday, July 15.
• Adult and college-aged students. If you are living on campus, your flight is delayed, and you arrive after 3 p.m. on Sunday, you must seek other accommodations until business hours resume at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 15. See the  Cambridge Office of Tourism website for hotel listings.
• If you arrive late on Sunday, July 14 — Go to Widener Gate on Massachusetts Avenue. Widener Gate is behind Widener Library, directly across the street from SEE Eyewear, 1276 Massachusetts Avenue. Harvard Yard does not have a street address so the address for SEE Eyewear is the closest address to Widener Gate in Harvard Yard. Speak with Harvard personnel at Widener Gate, and tell them you are a Secondary School Program (SSP) student who has just arrived. Security Guards at Widener Gate will assist you by contacting the SSP. You will be met by a member of our staff who will guide you to your dorm.

If you arrive early Monday, July 15, during daylight hours, we will have staff available starting at 9 a.m. ET. Go to a safe place — e.g., stay at the airport — and meet SSP staff at Widener Gate at 9 a.m.

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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Six receive honorary degrees.

Honorary degree recipients Jennie Chin Hansen (clockwise from top left), Sylvester James Gates Jr., Lawrence S. Bacow, Joy Harjo-Sapulpa, Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez, and Maria Ressa with interim President Alan Garber and interim Provost John Manning.

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Recipients include an educator, conductor, theoretical physicist, advocate for elderly, writer, and Nobel laureate

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Lawrence S. Bacow

Doctor of laws.

President emeritus of Harvard University, Larry Bacow is widely admired for his decades of distinguished leadership in higher education. As Harvard’s 29th president from 2018 to 2023, he worked to advance interdisciplinary initiatives in areas including climate change, quantum science and engineering, the future of cities, natural and artificial intelligence, and the legacy of slavery. He is known for his efforts to expand educational opportunity, to promote international exchange, to encourage public service, and to guide Harvard through the COVID-19 pandemic. A scholar of environmental studies, Bacow served as president of Tufts University from 2001 to 2011, strengthening its commitment to academic excellence, inclusion, and civic engagement. He previously served for 24 years on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he led centers on environmental initiatives and real estate and rose to become chancellor. He has served as chair of the Association of Governing Boards’ council of presidents, chair of the executive committee of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, a member of the American Council of Education’s executive committee, and a Fellow of Harvard College. His numerous honors include the ACE’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez

Doctor of music.

Known for his dynamic musicianship and his devotion to the power of the arts, Gustavo Dudamel is an internationally renowned conductor. Currently the music and artistic director of both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, he will become the music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic in 2026. He has conducted major orchestras worldwide, featuring works by composers from Beethoven to Mahler to John Adams, and his discography includes more than 65 recordings. Born in Venezuela, he began violin studies as a child through the celebrated El Sistema program. By his teens he had distinguished himself as a conductor, becoming music director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela at 18 and winning the inaugural Gustav Mahler Competition at 23. He is a passionate advocate for music education through his work with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles as well as the Dudamel Foundation. Named one of Time’s most influential people in 2009, he has received such honors as Spain’s Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, the Konex Foundation Classical Music Award, and the International Society for the Performing Arts’ Distinguished Artist Award.

Sylvester James Gates Jr.

Doctor of science.

Sylvester James (Jim) Gates Jr. is an eminent theoretical physicist known for his contributions to supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory and for his dedication to promoting public understanding of the wonders of science. With two S.B. degrees and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Gates holds the Clark Leadership Chair in Science and a joint appointment in the Department of Physics and the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland. He is also a Distinguished University Professor and a University System of Maryland Regents Professor. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Gates also received the 2011 National Medal of Science. He served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) under Barack Obama and was the vice president of the Maryland State Board of Education. Gates was the recipient of the American Institute of Physics’ 2021 Andrew Gemant Award, given in recognition of contributions to the cultural, artistic, or humanistic dimension of physics. In addition, he has served as Ford Foundation Professor of Physics and director of the Theoretical Physics Center at Brown University, as well as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Howard University. He is past president of both the American Physical Society and the National Society of Black Physicists. He co-authored both “Superspace,” a groundbreaking book on supersymmetry, and “Proving Einstein Right: The Daring Expeditions that Changed How We Look at the Universe.” He has appeared in numerous documentaries about science.

Jennie Chin Hansen

Doctor of humane letters.

Jennie Chin Hansen is an innovative and influential leader in care for older people. Raised in Boston, she received her B.S. at Boston College and her M.S. in nursing at the University of California, San Francisco. She served for more than 25 years as the leader of On Lok, a California nonprofit that pioneered new models of comprehensive community-based care for older adults. Its programs became a prototype for the federal Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), available to states nationwide. She went on to serve as president of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), playing a key role in advocating for the Affordable Care Act. She next served as CEO of the American Geriatrics Society, dedicated to the care of older adults. She continues her work on issues important to older Americans, such as dementia, emergency medicine, and health equity. Past president of the American Society on Aging and a former member of the U.S. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, she has been honored by such organizations as the American Academy of Nursing, the American Society on Aging, the National Council on Aging, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

Joy Harjo-Sapulpa

Doctor of literature.

Joy Harjo is an acclaimed poet, educator, author, playwright, and musician. She served as the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, only the second Poet Laureate to serve three terms (2019–22). A member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, whose work draws deeply on Native histories and traditions and on themes of remembrance and transcendence, she is the author of 10 books of poetry, including “Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: 50 Poems for 50 Years.” She has also written several plays and children’s books, and two memoirs. Her many honors include lifetime achievement awards from the National Book Critics Circle and the Poetry Foundation, as well as Yale University’s Bollingen Prize and the Academy of American Poets’ Wallace Stevens Award. She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and former chair of the board of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. She is also an award-winning musician who has released seven albums. A graduate of the University of New Mexico and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she has taught at UNM and several other universities, and she is the inaugural artist-in-residence of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Maria A. Ressa

Principal speaker doctor of laws.

Maria Ressa is an intrepid journalist and media innovator known for her fierce commitment to safeguarding freedom of the press and advancing the pursuit of truth. Her many honors include a share of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her efforts to promote free expression, to combat disinformation, and to expose abuses of power in her native country, the Philippines. She is co-founder and CEO of Rappler, a digital news outlet in the Philippines focused on investigative journalism, editorial independence, and building communities of action for a better world. Before launching Rappler online in 2012, she served as chief of CNN’s bureaus in Manila and Jakarta and as senior vice president of multimedia news operations at ABS-CBN, the largest news organization in the Philippines. She is the author of books on terrorism, social media, and defending democracy against authoritarianism. A graduate of Princeton University and a former Shorenstein Fellow and Hauser Leader at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, she will become a professor of professional practice at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in July 2024. She was named a Time Person of the Year in 2018.

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Master’s Student Resume Samples

Your resume is individual to you, your experiences, skills, and education. These sample resumes are not intended to be used as a template. The job/internship description defines the content of the resume; therefore, you will have more than one resume as you apply for various opportunities. Using action verbs , providing context/details, describing transferable skills, and including results/impacts in the bullet points of the experience section are key elements to an effective resume. In addition, it is important to think strategically about who will be reviewing your resume.  

The sample resumes below show both strengths and areas for improvement, which are listed to the right of the document. For more information and assistance with writing an effective resume, we recommend that you view the formatting checklist and resume resources below. We also have online resume books connected with career fairs , so be sure to upload yours in advance of the relevant fair. Finally, we encourage you to schedule an advising appointment on our Handshake platform to have your resume reviewed by Career Services.

Here are some general formatting guidelines to get you started with the formatting. Remember to always be consistent throughout the document:

• Your margins are at least 0.65” on all sides and your font size is at least 10pt.
• Your section headers are all spelled correctly (spellcheck does not automatically check words in ALL CAPS).
• You have provided your official degree (e.g. “Candidate for Master of _____”).
• You have included cities and states for each experience and formatted them consistently. (Make sure locations are listed in the same place for each experience and use two-letter state abbreviations).
• All your experiences have dates, including months or seasons, and are formatted consistently. (Be especially mindful of alignment, spacing, how you abbreviate months, and dashes: – versus – ).
• How to Write a Resume (Beyond Graduate School platform)
• How to Modify Your Resume for Each Job (Beyond Graduate School platform)
• 5 Resume Tips to Get You Started
• 10 Ways to Improve Your Resume Today
• How to Write Effective Resume Bullet Points
• Making the Most of Targeted Resume to Robot-Proof Your Resume
• Resume Tool Lesson on Big Interview

Also be sure to check out our Career Services YouTube Channel for more videos on resumes!

Resume Sample Type

Master of environmental studies (mes).

Key Features:

• One page with good, consistent formatting
• Clear descriptions within the bullets and uses good action verbs to describe the skill/responsibility/project
• Includes result/impact/outcome when possible
• Dates placed on the right-hand side to keep the reader’s focus on the position title and experience – not when it was done

Advice we might give for this resume:

• Include quantifiable elements that help to make the experiences more tangible and specific for the reader to understand
• Include relevant coursework under the master’s program if the courses are related to the job position/field
• Add a “graduate student” entry to the professional experience section to highlight key coursework or student projects, and the specific skills used to do them

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Key Features for MPH resume:

• 2 pages due to extensive experience and background
• Clear descriptions within the bullets and uses good action verbs to describe the skill/responsibility/project.
• Includes Presentations section given the nature of the field and if applicable for a research based role

Advice we might give for this MPH resume:

• Move the dates from the degrees in the Education section to the right side (so that it is consistent alignment with the dates in the other sections)
• Include relevant coursework under the Master’s Program in the Education section
• Include a Summary Profile at top of resume to help give overview and highlights of experience

Master of Behavioral & Decision Sciences (MBDS)

• Put the Education section above the experience section since student is still enrolled in the master’s program
• Add volunteer, leadership, or extracurricular experience if relevant to the position

School of Engineering & Applied Science

Master of Architecture

Click here for the design resume guide.

• One page in length
• Clear descriptions within the bullets and uses action verbs to describe the skill/responsibility/project
• Organizes the skills section by category
• Includes Activities (Extracurriculars) section
• Highlights honors/awards
• Include result/impact/outcome when possible
• Use different action verbs in the experience section (the same verbs were used a few times)

Master of Landscape Architecture

Key Features

• Includes Leadership Experience section
• Highlights competitions/awards
• Make sure font style is consistent throughout the resume (there are currently two different font styles being used)

Master of City Planning

Advice we might give for this resume

• Add volunteer, leadership, or extracurricular experience as a separate section if relevant to the position 

Master in Law

• Include quantifiable elements that help to make the experiences more tangible and specific for the reader
• Includes Leadership Section
• Dates placed on the right-hand side to keep the reader’s focus on the position title and experience– not when it was done
• Include relevant coursework under the master’s program if the courses are related to the job
• position/field
• Include result/impact/outcome for each position (when possible)
• Instead of just having descriptions of what was done under the experience section bullet points, describe the transferable skills in action

For more info on how to write a resume, click her e