18

I was wondering if I should include my high school details in the resume of my graduate school application ? It's unclear about this bit since we are not actually submitting any proof of high school records during grad school application( they only ask for undergraduate details). But my high school final examination details are particularly good (better than my undergraduate credentials infact!)

Improve this question
5
  • 7
    I don't know where you live, but probably comparing one high school with another is like comparing apples with oranges. Who reads your resume will probably not know about the quality of that high school, it will mean nothing to them, therefore, unless there is some normalized thing that is equal for everybody (a test, exam, whatever) I'd say no.
    – Trylks
    Nov 5, 2013 at 5:57
  • @Trylks I thought so too. Thanks for confirming.
    – pjamu
    Nov 5, 2013 at 6:08
  • 4
    I still list the name of my high school (and location and dates attended) on most versions of my CV. I feel like it potentially tells people a little bit about who I am.
    – StrongBad
    Nov 5, 2013 at 15:58
  • 1
    I had differential equations, abstract algebra and introduction to topology on my high school transcript. I am kinda proud of As in these... although I have to admit I got a B in stereometry.
    – StasK
    Nov 5, 2013 at 23:58
  • what if I won the 3rd, 6th, and 10th place of mathematics and physics national contests?
    – lmiguelvargasf
    Sep 15, 2016 at 5:11

6 Answers 6

Reset to default
26

I have to disagree slightly with the stark "No" answers.

Only when those details provide evidence of your potential for research.

Some information about your high-school experience may shed light on your research potential. Certainly you would want to mention winning the Intel Science Talent Search or the International Olympiad in Informatics, or describe the peer-reviewed research papers you published as a high school student.

But your high school grades? No, leave them off.

Improve this answer
7
  • 2
    Thanks! That more or less summed up the rest of the answers too.
    – pjamu
    Nov 5, 2013 at 19:05
  • 3
    I agree to the exceptions - prestigious awards and research papers. I'd like to ask some question for the applicants. Should they list the awards under 'Awards' category or high school? If the applicant has published peer-review papers while in high school, should he list them under 'Papers' category or high school?
    – Nobody
    Nov 6, 2013 at 2:45
  • @JeffE That's an interesting question scaaahu raised. I have another related question. Instead of putting my research stuff I did at high school in my CV, wouldn't it look better in a research statement or Statement of Purpose. Otherwise, wouldn't specifying it under awards in CV confuse the AdComs as there is no mention of my high school credential here?
    – pjamu
    Nov 6, 2013 at 11:32
  • 2
    @scaaahu I'm not sure what "listing the awards under high school" would mean. If you have an Awards section, that's obviously where you should list your awards; who should indicate their date, which will make it clear that they are from when you were in high school. Similarly, all your peer-reviewed papers should be listed together; the date will make things clear.
    – Ben Webster
    Nov 6, 2013 at 20:01
  • 1
    Academia, like sports and show business, is really a "what have you done lately?" business. You're only as good as your last show, season, year of school. Listen to all the advice given by the responders. Above all, don't do anything that establishes a negative trend line (as Scaachu) has warned.
    – Chris Leary
    Jul 25, 2014 at 1:26
19

No

You already explain why: they only ask for undergraduate details. The graduate school admission committees already have too many applications to look at. Don’t over-load them

Your idea is actually counter-productive. If your high school record is better than your undergrad credentials, they would wonder why your academic achievement is regressing instead of progressing.

Improve this answer
2
  • I would think if someone was valedictorian of a large high school class, that would give good insight into the type of person they are.
    – James
    Nov 6, 2013 at 19:45
  • 4
    @James I wouldn't recommend it. Probably not a big deal either way, but I don't think committees will see the skills of being valedictorian as having much to with success as a grad student. Besides, if your work at university is of comparable quality that will be sufficient on its own, and if it isn't then knowing you were a success in high school will not help much.
    – Ben Webster
    Nov 6, 2013 at 20:06
6

No.

It's actually a bad idea to include documents which are not actually required. Some universities even specifically mention not to send documents which are not required.

And also as @scaahu explained, it will give an negative impact as you did poorly in undergraduate compared to high school.

Improve this answer
1

I won't do that. it is a waste of time. for a master's degree and pHD, I would use only my university achievement. Completing graduate studies gives an employer a positive signal. However, social conditions (different in each country) may oblige you to write your previous education.

Improve this answer
1

Ordinarily the answer is no, because it is no longer relevant to your aptitude for college, let alone graduate studies.

But if you won some national (or even local) science fair award for research in your current (or a related field), that would be relevant.

Improve this answer
-3

I think that someone should include an accomplishment such as "valedictorian" on a resume, if nothing else from high school. I would especially do this if the high school was quite large. I was the valedictorian at a large high school and I put it on my resume even though I have completed graduate school. I have received negative feedback from a few people about it, but when I looked up their backgrounds, they didn't have any accomplishments even similar to those that I have at all... I mean, these people didn't even have a 3.0 GPA in college. Therefore, I chalked the "stark NO" responses to jealousy. People with similar accomplishments to mine seem to have no problem with me putting that one accomplishment from high school on my resume.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    If someone put on their professional resume that they received gold stars during art time in kindergarten, other people telling them not to include it on their resume are not doing so out of jealousy, no matter whether you can find evidence of similar accomplishments.
    – Zev Chonoles
    Aug 31, 2015 at 0:12

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .