What Is a Brag Sheet and Why the Heck Does It Matter?

Advertisement

He’s wondering the same thing, too.

At some point during your high school career, you’re going to either a) apply to attend a summer program, b) apply for a team/officer position, or c) need a letter of recommendation. It’s during that time you’re going to need a brag sheet.

If you’re like me and you’re relatively new to that that term, it’s okay. Many schools simply call this a resume. However, the major difference between a brag sheet and a traditional resume is that brag sheets tend to go into more detail, not only about your activities, but also about you as a person.

There is a lot that goes into brag sheets, but first let’s start with the basics.

What is the purpose of a brag sheet?

The purpose of a brag sheet is to make things as easy as possible for whomever is writing you a letter of recommendation. Presumably, the person writing your letter already knows you, so this sheet serves as supplemental information that they can use and reference in their letter. The information you put in your brag sheet can help your recommender write a more personal and detailed letter that helps you stand out from other applicants.

Why should you make a brag sheet?

Maybe you don’t foresee yourself applying to anything in the near future, or maybe you already have a traditional resume. You should still consider creating a brag sheet.

Having a brag sheet keeps you aware of what you are active in and can be a good sign of whether you are over- or under-engaged outside of your coursework. A brag sheet also makes it easier to fill out online college and scholarship applications since all you have to do is copy and paste the information.

Who should make a brag sheet?

I personally suggest everyone have a brag sheet. Looking back on my high school career, I would have been better prepared to compete for certain opportunities if I had gotten myself together earlier. I’d say get started on your brag sheet as early as your freshman year.

How do you write a brag sheet?

Create a clean looking description of yourself and what you do. Start with your name and any contact information you feel is needed. Then list out what you’ve been up to outside of class. The important things you want to highlight include your grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, community service, jobs, and personal experiences. Don’t go easy on yourself. Include awards you’ve received both inside of school and outside since your freshman year. If there is an activity you started participating in during junior high, feel free to show that you began a long time ago.

If you don’t already have a brag sheet or are looking to update yours, I have created a lovely, basic brag sheet template for you. If you’d like to use this for your own needs as a Word doc, you can download it by clicking here. Be warned, this template is very vanilla. Form denotes a lot more than function when representing yourself on paper. So feel free to add accents or formatting that better suits your style. (I personally like to add a pop of color to my name.)

As a general timeline, add and update the information on your sheet during every calendar break (i.e., fall/Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and summer break). This way, you don’t have to sit down and take three and a half hours out of your homework time on one random school night of your junior year in order to come up with a brag sheet so you can apply for an internship. Been there, done that, and I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.

Important things to note:

You should keep the fonts on your brag sheet easy to read and professional. Also, make sure your brag sheet is descriptive but concise. You want people to have a good feel of who you are – not know your deepest darkest secrets.

Finally, observe your margins and spacing. You need these to make your brag sheet readable instead of cramming all of your information onto one page. It’s okay if you actually have two pages.

What are some of your guidelines for writing a brag sheet or resume? Tell us in a comment below.

Feed Post from More Than A Test Score http://ift.tt/1u9GiSq

via IFTTT