Building a Winning Resume
The first thing to note when looking at the resumes I submitted to West Point is the format. A West Point representative gave me this template, as it helps them quickly identify and review a cadet candidate's accomplishments. They don't care for all the extra information that your standard resume has. That being said, partway through my West Point career, I needed to submit my resume somewhere, and my advisor was shocked that I was using this format.
I have attached a template for the USMA Candidate Resume format below; I also attached a more updated resume format that I had submitted to graduate schools. It does not hurt to have both, and hopefully, you get value out of both products!
To paint the clearest picture of my experience during the West Point application process, it is important to look at the difference between my resume from my junior year (April 2019) to the winter of my senior year (December 2019). I discuss in the transcript section a major shift I experienced at the end of my sophomore year, following a poor performance, in which I went from being a directionless high school student to becoming incredibly focused on getting into West Point.
Looking between these two resumes further clarifies this picture, however. Nearing the end of my Junior year, the first resume clearly shows that I attempted to engage in programs such as Model United Nations, Junior State of America, and Civil Air Patrol. I felt like I was doing all the right things (and in some ways I was). However, although I was on the right track, around the same time as creating this resume, I had the sobering experience of being rejected from SLE. Though I was reassured by many that admission to SLE has no bearing on your overall admission status, I felt the door was slowly closing on the dream that I cared so much about achieving.
With that in mind, let's look at the second resume - a mere 8 months apart from the first one. By my count, there were a total of 32 additional achievements listed in the resume by the end of the first semester of my senior year (this over doubled my previous resume). Now, obviously, a good resume isn't about the length or just the sheer number of accomplishments; however, this does paint a picture of my mentality going into my senior year. I had accepted based on my SLE admission status that, as things were, I had no chance of getting into West Point. I actively sought out any and every opportunity that I could possibly think of to strengthen my resume.
This leads me to one core piece of advice I wish I had internalized sooner. Don't judge your ability based on what others think of you, especially if they aren't trying to achieve the same goal as you. At the time of submitting resume one, I was surrounded by people saying how I was doing “everything I could“ and that I would “certainly get into West Point.“ They had absolutely no concept of whether that statement was true or not. I found myself seeking comfort in their well-meaning but untruthful statements because I did not want to face the fact that I could be doing more to improve my application.
On the other hand, when I skipped spring break trips my junior year to study for my ACT and forwent all summer plans going into senior year to attend as many Civil Air Patrol programs as possible, people would comment that I was doing too much and needed to take a break. Spoiler alert: I didn't take a break, and I am still here (just fine today). Other people will always have commentary about the things you are doing. “You're doing too much!“ or “You're doing too little!“ Rather than drawing your energy from this, I would suggest looking inward and asking yourself if you are performing to the highest ability that you know you are capable of. Only you know your limitations, and you are the one who has to live with the consequences of your actions.
Here you can find resume templates