Some of us tend be humble and don’t like to talk about the great things we have done. However, you’ll have to get over being so humble when you start your scholarship and college search. In the competitive world of college admissions and scholarships, you have to set yourself apart from the other applicants. And, the best way to do that is to brag about everything you’ve done.

It is important to create a brag sheet that shows all of the great things you have done outside of the classroom. You can and will use your brag sheet in a variety of ways:

• Reference. You will be able to pull out your brag sheet when feeling out college and scholarship applications. You don’t want to forget about anything and your brag sheet will remind you of things you might have forgotten.
• Give it to Admissions Officer. When you visit college campuses, you can usually schedule a meeting with an Admissions Officer. These meetings are a great way to learn more about the college, but also to learn about your chances of being admitted to the university. You can give the Admissions Officer your brag sheet when you are discussing your extracurricular activities. Not only will it show them all of the great things you’ve done, it shows how organized and serious you are about the university.
• Include it with your college/scholarship application. As you look at college applications, you’ll notice that the application doesn’t have a lot of space to list your extracurricular activities. If the application says you can submit additional information, your brag sheet is a great addition to show just how much you have done!
• Give it to recommendation writers. Let’s face it. Your guidance counselor and teachers know a few things about you, but they probably don’t know the extent of your activities. The brag sheet will show them all of the great things you have done and will help them to write a great recommendation letter for you. In addition to talking about how great you are, their letter will show the Admissions/Scholarship committee that the writer knows you.

Your brag sheet will look like a resume. So, include your name, address and contact information at the top of the document. You will also want to include the following sections (if applicable):

• Extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities will include all of the clubs and activities that you are involved in at school. This can include student government, yearbook, newspaper, music, drama, clubs, organizations, etc.
• Sports. Organized sports in and out of school should be included.
• Summer Experiences. You should include things such as mission trips, community service projects, travel programs (not vacations) and summer school programs at colleges or universities.
• Awards/Honors. Include all honors and awards you have received in high school. This includes school, regional and national awards, sports awards, and testing honors (National Merit Standing).
• Employment. List all jobs you have had since starting high school. This can include things like babysitting and formal jobs and internships.
• Hobbies. List hobbies you have that are not organized. Be selective when making this list. You will not want to include all of your hobbies. Include hobbies that can impress the reader. You could include hobbies such as playing music and photography.
• Church/Community. Youth group, mission trips and community service activities can be included in this section.

As you are listing all of your activities, you will also want to include descriptions of activities (if necessary), leadership positions and the amount of time that you dedicate to the activity. There are many examples of brag sheets out there. Feel free to be creative with your brag sheet.  Make sure you organize your brag sheet in a way that it is only one page.  Resumes for students in high school should never go longer than a page.

Take your time when putting together your brag sheet. This document will help you in your college admissions and scholarship processes. So, make sure you include all of your great activities. This is a time it is okay to not be humble!

Join me next time when I discuss the last of my tips for rising seniors – writing your college essays.

In case you missed the other tips for rising seniors:

1. Build and Narrow Down Your College List
2. Clean-Up Your Social Media
3. Connect with Colleges
4. Gain Experience
5. Plan Your Senior Year