Updated on May 11th, 2021
When your student begins applying to colleges or trying to land scholarships, they often need to gather some letters of recommendation as part of the process. The main issue is, students may feel that they have little control over what goes into those letters. Luckily, by having a student brag sheet at the ready, that doesn’t have to be the case.
If you’re curious about student brag sheets, here’s what you need to know.
If your student needs a degree to launch their career, scholarships can make school more affordable. If you and your student want to learn more about finding scholarships, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Head over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today.
What Is a Brag Sheet for College?
A brag sheet is a document that outlines a student’s accomplishments. In many ways, a student brag sheet is similar to a student or scholarship resume, as it provides a solid overview of key achievements in a student’s life.
The main difference between a resume and a brag sheet is that the latter is designed with letters of recommendation writers in mind. The goal is to provide the writer with helpful details that they can include when creating the letter, making it easier for them to recall specifics about projects, awards, and other accomplishments.
Whether your student needs letters of recommendation to go along with their Common App, scholarship applications, or any other purpose, providing letter writers with a student brag sheet helps. It gives the writer direction about what the school or scholarship committee needs to know, allowing them to create more effective letters to go with applications.
How to Create a Senior Brag Sheet for College
Creating a brag sheet is fairly simple. Usually, the most difficult part is simply recalling the accomplishments your student wants to include.
At times, they can use scholarship and college essay questions they encounter as a guide. Those give them clues about what the admissions or scholarship committee wants to know, so they can use that to get them thinking in the right direction.
Additionally, simply reflecting on moments they are particularly proud of can work wonders. This can include projects, sports, volunteering, employment, and any other activity that showcases who they are and why they deserve this scholarship or be admitted.
Once they identify some achievements, the process is pretty straightforward. If your student needs to create a senior brag sheet, here is a handy high school brag sheet template and student brag sheet example.
High School Brag Sheet Template
Usually, your student will want to divide their brag sheet into sections. This helps organize their achievements, making it easier for the letter of recommendation writers to find the details they need.
Here is a list of topics a brag sheet may cover, most of which can serve as section headers:
- Name and Contact Details
- GPA and Class Position or Rank
- SAT, ACT, PSAT, and AP Exam Scores
- Top Choice Colleges and Target Majors
- Academic Awards
- Academic Achievements
- Non-Academic Awards
- Extracurricular Activities
- Leadership Positions
- Volunteering Experiences
- Work Experiences
- Additional Information
Now, students don’t necessarily have to include every section. This simply gives them a solid starting point, showcasing the kinds of details they should likely include.
Students should organize their achievements into the various categories, giving basic details about each one. The brag sheet is meant to serve as a memory refresher, helping anyone who is writing them a letter of recommendation to identify the information they may want to discuss. It’s okay if each entry is brief.
In many cases, when it comes to a brag sheet format, organizing the information into a table or spreadsheet is the easiest way to go. Here’s what a simple college brag sheet template may look like, depending on the sections your student wants to discuss.
| Name: | Address: | Email: | Phone Number: |
| GPA | Class Rank | ||
| Top Choice Schools | Desired Majors | ||
| Academic Awards | School Year Earned | Description | |
| Academic Achievements | School Year Earned | Description | |
| Extracurricular Activities | School Year Participated | Description | |
| Volunteer Work | School Year Participated | Description | |
Student Brag Sheet Example
If your student wants to make sure they use the student brag sheet template properly, seeing an example can help. With the contact information and top choice schools and majors, it would look like this when filled out:
| GPA | Class Rank |
| 3.95 | 4 of 200 |
| Top Choice Schools | Desired Majors |
| ABC College | Pre-Med |
| XYZ University | Human Physiology |
| State U. | Biology |
The other sections are all highly similar when it comes to how they are put together. Here is a brag sheet example for extracurricular activities:
| Extracurricular Activities | School Year Participated | Description | |
| Varsity Soccer | 11 – 12 | Varsity soccer mid-fielder, League Champions both years, State Champions 12th grade | |
| Debate Team | 10 – 12 | Participated in state debate tournament, placing 3rd in 12th grade. Debate team captain years 11 and 12 | |
| Model UN | 11 – 12 | Model United Nations participant, attended Model UN conference in 12th grade, representing Security Council member nation | |
As you can see, the goal isn’t to be overly specific. Instead, it’s quick highlights about a student’s experience that can jog a letter of recommendation writer’s memory.
How to Use a Student Brag Sheet for College
For Recommendation Letters
Once your student has their brag sheet for college ready, they may have questions about when to provide it to a letter of recommendation writer. In most cases, the easiest thing to do is ask the person if they would appreciate the information.
Your student can let the letter writer know that they’ve prepared a quick overview of their relevant achievements, designed specifically to help people remember information that may be beneficial to the letter. They should state that their goal isn’t to have the letter writer attest to details they couldn’t reasonably confirm. Instead, it’s a source of inspiration and general guidance.
In most cases, anyone writing a letter of recommendation will appreciate the information. It makes it easier for them to choose relevant details, simplifying the process on their end.
For Non-Letter Purposes
It is important to note that student brag sheets can serve other purposes, too. It can help a student track their achievements, making it easier for them to write college or scholarship essays. If they strive to keep the document updated, it will give them a way to jog their memories when they need it most.
Similarly, they can review it before taking part in college or scholarship interviews. Since talking about achievements can be a big part of the interview process, any quick reference – like a brag sheet – can make that easier.
Ultimately, a student brag sheet is a resource. Make sure your student reviews the high school brag sheet template and college brag sheet example above, even if they aren’t a senior yet. That way, they can get theirs squared away as quickly as possible, allowing them to make the most of this handy document.
If your student needs a degree to launch their career, scholarships can make school more affordable. If you and your student want to learn more about finding scholarships, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Head over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today.
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