College Freshman Resume: What to Keep From High School

Complete Undergraduate Research Assistant (summer) resume sample

Not actual user resumes. Names and companies are illustrative.

All dates, duties and qualifications below are illustrative. Replace every detail with your own record; employer types are placeholders, not employer names.

[Your name]

Undergraduate Research Assistant (summer)

[City] · [Email] · [Phone]

Summary

First-year biology student looking for a summer research position. Has completed introductory biology and chemistry with their labs, tutors elementary school students in reading each week, and ran a water-quality project in high school.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Biology (first year; GPA [x.x]) · [Your college and university]
2025-08 – 2029-05

High school diploma · [Your high school]
2021-08 – 2025-06

Projects and volunteering

Introductory biology lab project

First-year course laboratory · project

2025-09 – 2025-12

Designed and ran a four-week experiment on [topic] with two classmates, and wrote the methods and results sections of the group report.
Measured [number] samples on a spectrophotometer and compared them with a t-test in [software you used].

Reading tutor

Community tutoring program at a local elementary school · volunteering

2025-10 – 2026-05

Tutor [number] students in reading twice a week.
Keep the attendance and progress log the program coordinator uses to plan each term.

Science fair project: local water quality

High school independent project · project

2024-01 – 2024-05

Tested water from [number] local sites for [measures] over twelve weeks and recorded every reading in a shared spreadsheet.
Presented the results at the regional science fair; [award, if you won one].

Tools and skills

Lab: pipetting, spectrophotometry, keeping a lab notebook
Software: Excel, Google Sheets, [statistics software you have used]
Languages: English, [any other language and your level]

First-job pathway

What to show as a Undergraduate (1st/2nd Year) fresher

Choose one Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job pathway, then connect your education, projects, and skills to that role.

Use this guidance in the builder

Fresher role skills

Academic Research
Presentations
Group Projects
Microsoft Office
Social Media

Prioritize skills that match the Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job job description and that you can explain from projects.

Project evidence

Academic Projects
Internship
Capstone
Team Collaboration
Presentation

Use clear project headings, name your contribution, and replace illustrative details with truthful evidence.

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Where this qualification actually gets hired

The College Freshman Resume hiring market

This page is for first- and second-year undergraduates in the United States, and the jobs open to you are a narrower set than a graduate's. Most are part-time roles on or near campus. Federal Work-Study pays for many of them: it funds part-time jobs for students with financial need, either at your school or off campus at a nonprofit or public agency, and the program encourages community service and work related to your course of study. Research is the second route. The National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates sites take students working toward an associate or bachelor's degree, and they often ask for a resume. A few employers also run internships only for this stage; Microsoft's Explore program, for example, is limited to first- and second-year students. The resume for all of these is one page, and in the first year it still holds some high school, which is what separates it from a graduate's.

What this qualification maps to

Work-study student employee
Part-time work paid through Federal Work-Study, on campus or at a nonprofit or public agency. The resume shows that you turned up, what the job involved, and any skill it used.
REU participant or undergraduate research assistant
REU sites often ask for a resume, a statement of interest, a transcript and references, so the resume can stay short and let coursework and any lab methods you have used carry it.
Early-career intern (such as Explore Microsoft)
Explore rotates students through the design, build and quality stages of product development, so the resume shows introductory programming and projects rather than a specialism.
Community tutor or program volunteer
Off-campus work-study includes community work, such as tutoring children in reading at a local elementary school. Record who you worked with, how often, and anything you kept track of.

Indicative starting pay

Federal Work-Study pays at least the current federal minimum wage, and more where the job needs particular skills. Undergraduates are paid by the hour, and total earnings cannot go above the work-study award. REU sites pay participants a stipend. Internship pay is set by each employer and is not published as a band.

Any figure shown is contextual guidance, not an offer or a guaranteed market rate. Pay varies widely by city, employer, contract type, and year — check the cited evidence and live listing before you use a number in a negotiation.

When the hiring happens

File the FAFSA early. It is the only way to be considered for Federal Work-Study, students who file early usually have a better chance of an award, and the jobs are limited.
January to March: most REU sites run in the summer and close applications in this window.
Every year: a work-study award is not automatic. It depends on your financial need, whether you had work-study the year before, and how much funding your school has that year.
Summer: Microsoft's Explore internship runs for eight weeks in India and twelve in the US.

Where to apply

Your school's financial aid office and student employment center, for work-study jobs. Most schools expect you to find, apply and interview for them yourself.
NSF's REU program, where each site sets its own requirements and may restrict eligibility further
Employer programs built for this stage, such as Explore Microsoft, which requires full-time enrolment as a first- or second-year bachelor's student
Your college's advising or career office, for a resume review before you send anything

Research sources for this guide

Sources support the role and market guidance above. Resume examples and all sample figures remain illustrative.

Instructions and Template for Freshman Resume
Harvard University, FAS Science Education · Undated template (sample class year 2020)
That freshmen are encouraged to list high school research, work, summer programs, awards and activities; the one-page length; and the advice to list GPA rather than SAT scores.
Instructions and Template for Sophomore Resume
Harvard University, FAS Science Education · Undated template (sample class year 2019)
That sophomores keep high school to three to five awards under the school's name and drop high school leadership positions.
Harvard College Guide to Creating a Strong Resume
Harvard University, Mignone Center for Career Success · Current career services page
That a resume alone will not get you a job or internship, though a good one is an important factor in getting an interview.
Work-Study Jobs
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education · Current federal page
Who Federal Work-Study is for, on- and off-campus employers, the emphasis on community service and course-related work, and the pay rules.
8 Things You Should Know About Federal Work-Study
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education · Current federal article
That the FAFSA is the only way to be considered, that jobs are limited and most schools expect you to find and interview for them, and that awards are not guaranteed each year.
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates: Information for Students
U.S. National Science Foundation · Published 2024-09-19
REU eligibility, what applications often ask for, stipends, and the January-March deadline window for most summer sites.
Explore Microsoft Program
Microsoft Careers · Current program page
That Explore is a summer internship for first- and second-year students, eight weeks in India and twelve in the US, covering design, build and quality.
Internship Eligibility
Microsoft Careers · Current program page
That Explore candidates must be first- or second-year full-time bachelor's students in the term before the internship.
Resumes
Career Engagement, UC Berkeley · Current career services page
The advice to use a simple format with 10-11 point type and margins between half an inch and one inch.

Researched guide

College Freshman Resume resume strategy

Use this section to avoid generic resume advice and tailor your content to the role, recruiter scan, and ATS keyword match.

Role-Specific Mistakes to Avoid

Undergraduate (1st/2nd Year) fresher resumes often underplay projects, internships, coursework, and practical tools that prove readiness for Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job roles.
Avoid a generic objective statement; use a short summary that names your target role, strongest skills, and project evidence.
Do not hide academic projects below long personal details. Put the most relevant project or internship near the top.

Recruiter Guidance

Recruiters for Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job roles want evidence of fundamentals, tools, projects, communication, and learning speed.
Use college projects like work experience: name the problem, tools used, your contribution, and the measurable or demo-ready result.
Choose one primary pathway—Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job—then keep the summary, skills, and projects aligned to it.

ATS Keyword Map for College Freshman Resume

Fresher role skills

Prioritize skills that match the Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job job description and that you can explain from projects.

Academic ResearchPresentationsGroup ProjectsMicrosoft OfficeSocial Media

Project evidence

Use clear project headings, name your contribution, and replace illustrative details with truthful evidence.

Academic ProjectsInternshipCapstoneTeam CollaborationPresentation

Target role pathways

Select one primary target for each resume version instead of aiming at unrelated roles at once.

Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job

Experience-Level Variants

No internship

Lead with projects, coursework, tools, achievements, and certifications.

Academic projectsTechnical skillsAchievements

Internship

Treat internship work like professional experience and add measurable outputs.

Internship bulletsTools usedBusiness or technical result

Campus placement

Keep it one page and align projects to the role family recruiters are hiring for.

Target roleProjectsConcise skills

Page-specific evidence matrix

Connect College Freshman Resume skills to proof

These pairings turn this page's skill and keyword data into drafting prompts. Treat each as a question: can you support both terms with one truthful project, responsibility, or result?

Evidence prompt 1

Academic Research + Academic Projects

For College Freshman Resume, Document Academic projects through a Academic Research project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Academic Projects; use Academic Research only when it names your actual contribution at the no internship stage.

Evidence prompt 2

Presentations + Internship

For College Freshman Resume, Demonstrate Tools used through a Presentations project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Internship; use Internship only when it names your actual contribution at the internship stage.

Evidence prompt 3

Group Projects + Capstone

For College Freshman Resume, Connect Concise skills through a Group Projects project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Capstone; use Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job only when it names your actual contribution at the campus placement stage.

Evidence prompt 4

Microsoft Office + Team Collaboration

For College Freshman Resume, Explain Academic projects through a Microsoft Office project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Team Collaboration; use Microsoft Office only when it names your actual contribution at the no internship stage.

Evidence prompt 5

Social Media + Presentation

For College Freshman Resume, Validate Tools used through a Social Media project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Presentation; use Presentation only when it names your actual contribution at the internship stage.

Evidence prompt 6

Academic Projects + Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job

For College Freshman Resume, Frame Concise skills through a Academic Projects project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job; use Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job only when it names your actual contribution at the campus placement stage.

Evidence prompt 7

Internship + Academic Research

For College Freshman Resume, Trace Academic projects through a Internship project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Academic Research; use Presentations only when it names your actual contribution at the no internship stage.

Evidence prompt 8

Capstone + Presentations

For College Freshman Resume, Show Tools used through a Capstone project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Presentations; use Capstone only when it names your actual contribution at the internship stage.

Evidence prompt 9

Team Collaboration + Group Projects

For College Freshman Resume, Support Concise skills through a Team Collaboration project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Group Projects; use Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job only when it names your actual contribution at the campus placement stage.

Evidence prompt 10

Presentation + Microsoft Office

For College Freshman Resume, Clarify Academic projects through a Presentation project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Microsoft Office; use Social Media only when it names your actual contribution at the no internship stage.

Evidence prompt 11

Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job + Social Media

For College Freshman Resume, Compare Tools used through a Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job project, role, or training example. Pair that evidence with Social Media; use Academic Projects only when it names your actual contribution at the internship stage.

Decision checks for this exact guide

College Freshman Resume: Build check 1

Academic Research belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Microsoft Office makes the Build context verifiable. Test Academic Projects against the internship scope; if Build is not supported by your record, remove Academic Projects and keep Academic Research only beside evidence of Microsoft Office.

College Freshman Resume: college check 2

Presentations belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Social Media makes the college context verifiable. Test Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job against the campus placement scope; if college is not supported by your record, remove Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job and keep Presentations only beside evidence of Social Media.

College Freshman Resume: freshman check 3

Group Projects belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Academic Projects makes the freshman context verifiable. Test Academic Research against the no internship scope; if freshman is not supported by your record, remove Academic Research and keep Group Projects only beside evidence of Academic Projects.

College Freshman Resume: resume check 4

Microsoft Office belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Internship makes the resume context verifiable. Test Academic Projects against the internship scope; if resume is not supported by your record, remove Academic Projects and keep Microsoft Office only beside evidence of Internship.

College Freshman Resume: internships check 5

Social Media belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Capstone makes the internships context verifiable. Test Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job against the campus placement scope; if internships is not supported by your record, remove Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job and keep Social Media only beside evidence of Capstone.

College Freshman Resume: part-time check 6

Academic Projects belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Team Collaboration makes the part-time context verifiable. Test Academic Research against the no internship scope; if part-time is not supported by your record, remove Academic Research and keep Academic Projects only beside evidence of Team Collaboration.

College Freshman Resume: roles check 7

Internship belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Presentation makes the roles context verifiable. Test Academic Projects against the internship scope; if roles is not supported by your record, remove Academic Projects and keep Internship only beside evidence of Presentation.

College Freshman Resume: Showcase check 8

Capstone belongs in this College Freshman Resume draft when Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job makes the Showcase context verifiable. Test Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job against the campus placement scope; if Showcase is not supported by your record, remove Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job and keep Capstone only beside evidence of Intern / Part-Time / Campus Job.

Sample bullets

Bullet points you can model

Replace the numbers and tools with truthful details from your own work. The structure matters: action, skill, scope, and measurable result.

Designed and ran a four-week experiment on [topic] with two classmates, and wrote the methods and results sections of the group report.

Measured [number] samples on a spectrophotometer and compared them with a t-test in [software you used].

Tutor [number] students in reading twice a week.

Keep the attendance and progress log the program coordinator uses to plan each term.

Tested water from [number] local sites for [measures] over twelve weeks and recorded every reading in a shared spreadsheet.

Presented the results at the regional science fair; [award, if you won one].

Essential skills to include

Academic Research

Presentations

Group Projects

Microsoft Office

Social Media

Layout decision

Choose a template for this College Freshman Resume content

Use a one-page fresher template with education, skills, projects, internships, and achievements in a scan-friendly order. Compare readable section order and spacing after your evidence is complete; the template should support the content, not replace it.

Compare resume templates

Find ATS Keywords for College Freshman Resume

Browse industry-specific keywords, action verbs, and skills. Copy only the terms that truthfully match your experience.

Fresher resume guide builder path

Turn this College Freshman Resume guidance into your own resume

Start with the relevant structure, then replace every illustrative project, bullet, credential, and metric with details you can verify in an interview.

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Direct answers

College Freshman Resume questions, answered

Should a college freshman keep high school on the resume?

In the first year, yes. Harvard's science advising templates encourage freshmen to list high school research, work, summer programs, awards and activities, then replace them with college experience over time. By sophomore year they suggest keeping only three to five high school awards, under the school's name in Education, and dropping high school leadership positions.

Should I list my SAT score or my GPA?

The same Harvard templates say it plainly: do not list SAT scores, just GPA. Once you have a college GPA, that is the number a reader looks for.

How do I get a work-study job?

Submit the FAFSA, which is the only way to be considered, and file it early. If your aid offer includes Federal Work-Study, the next step is finding a job, and Federal Student Aid says most schools expect you to find, apply and interview for positions yourself. Start with your financial aid office and student employment center.

When should a freshman apply for summer research?

In the winter. NSF says most REU sites run in the summer and close applications between January and March. Applications often ask for a resume, a statement of interest, a transcript and references, and each site sets its own requirements.

Are there internships just for first- and second-year students?

A few. Explore Microsoft is one: a summer internship for first- and second-year full-time bachelor's students, eight weeks in India and twelve in the US, that moves you through the design, build and quality stages of product development. Read each program's eligibility page, because year of study is usually the first condition.

Will a good resume guarantee me an internship as a freshman?

Not on its own. Harvard's career office says a resume alone won't get you a job or internship, though a good one is an important factor in getting an interview. At this stage the rest is usually a statement of interest, a transcript or a conversation.

How long should a freshman resume be?

One page. Berkeley's career office suggests a simple format with 10-11 point type and margins between half an inch and one inch, which leaves plenty of room for a first year's worth of experience.

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