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Martin Ringlein admits he was a slow starter in school, and it nearly cost him when it came time to move on to college. "I had weak freshman and sophomore years in high school. I didn't think much of my future education, nor did I care," he says. "At the end of my sophomore year, I started to realize how important my future was. I received a 3.9 and 4.0 in my last two years. My overall GPA was just a little over 3.0, though, and my SAT scores were just a little over 1200, leaving me with a comparably average academic standing. "That's when Martin decided to turn to a powerful and seemingly unlikely weapon to aid him in his quest -- a  

resume

 .

The results were staggering. He was accepted to all nine colleges he applied to, including the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, where he decided to pursue his post-secondary education. In addition, he was awarded four guaranteed two-year scholarships worth a combined total of $8,500.

While his academic improvement and his participation in numerous extra curricular activities clearly helped, Martin believes it was his resume that put him over the top. "It showed what no test score could, and it explained a lot more about me than any number could," he says. "It showed that I was involved as a leader, an athlete, a philanthropist, and that I gave back to my school."

A Growing Trend
Using a resume to sell yourself to colleges is a growing trend among high school students, claims Sally Rubenstone, a former admission counselor at Smith College, Northampton, MA. "The space available on most application forms does not allow students to fully explain what their activities entail and how much commitment is involved," says Rubenstone, who is also a contributing editor at CollegeConfidential.com, and the co--author of three books about college admissions. She adds that electronic applications in particular tend to limit what students can say.

"In today's world, high-schoolers do lots of unusual things that cannot be understood from a few words that fit in a small space. Even familiar undertakings (e.g., 'Debate Society') may now involve atypically extensive research, or even international travel, that should be noted." Rubenstone is quick to point out that the type of resume a student would send along with their college application (typically referred to as a "high--school resume") differs from the traditional one used to obtain employment.

"While both should list key activities and eliminate inconsequential ones -- e.g., a job-seeker at a major magazine won't list that she baby-sat during college but would include a concurrent internship at a newspaper -- high school resumes can and should be more informal," she says. "For instance, if a student mentions an after--school job at McDonald's, I might encourage her to put something cute, such as 'I'll never eat another French fry again,' on the resume, after noting that she sometimes commits up to 30 hours/week behind the fry-o-lator."

Why the splash of creativity? "Since admission officers read so many resumes every year -- generally far more than potential employers read in the 'grown up' world -- it's nice to give them something to chuckle about every now and then," explains Rubenstone. "And to remind them there's a real person behind the (sometimes seemingly similar) entries."

But Will It Work?
Absolutely! Just ask Martin.

"I am now a senior at the University of Maryland, and I believe it was my resume that led to many of the scholarships and acceptances I received," he says. In fact, as a computer science and business double-major and recipient of the University's Certificate for Academic Excellence and Achievement, Martin now serves as a mentor and tutor at the university. He encourages other students to follow in his footsteps and create a high school resume. "A university loves nothing more than having one of its alumni become a great success in whatever their field of study is," he says. "It takes dedication and a strong will to accomplish that type of success. Your test scores will show your dedication. Your resume will show your strong will and character. "After all, says Hendrick, "Everyone has a resume. All it takes is a little analyzing of activities to discover all the experience the student truly does have."

Thinking about putting together a professional resume to help in your college search?
Then check out this list of tips, courtesy of Rubenstone:

• DO list activities by category (Sports, Community Service, etc.) instead of by year (Ninth Grade, 10th Grade, etc.). "The latter leads to a lot of repetition for those who pursue the same extra curriculars each year," says Rubenstone.
  
• DON'T be humble. Rubenstone calls the failure to brag enough about
  leadership and commitment levels one of the most common mistakes students make on their high school resumes.
  
• DO explain each of the activities you participate in, preferably in a brief sentence or two, following each entry.
  
• DON'T use obscure abbreviations or vague explanations for listings.
  
• DO emphasize leadership roles, especially when there isn't an obvious title to go along with the position (i.e., 'captain' or 'president').
  
• DO make sure that every supplemental page is clearly labeled. Rubenstone suggests using your name, high school, and Social Security number, if available.
  
• DON'T get too hung up on how fancy your resume looks. "The content is far more important than appearance," says Rubenstone.
  
• DO make sure to double- and triple-check your spelling and grammar!

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