How to list conference paper and posters on CV?

[bsharpe269]

Hi all,

 

I am a masters student who will be applying for phd programs in the fall. As an undergrad, I did one undergrad research symposium at my school and have a seperate conference paper (this is not an abstract, its an actual multipage paper) but did not go to the conference (my PI did).

 

Now as a MS student, I have done one school poster session so far. I hope to work towards publishing an actual paper this summer or fall (im starting to get close!) and my PI has also mentioned sending us to larger conferences this fall. I will also definitely do at least a couple more small school things.

 

So how do I list all of this on my CV for phd applications? Can I put the school symposium stuff on there or does that look silly since it isnt a large conference? Also, would you put the conference paper in the presentation or papers section of the CV?

 

Thanks for any advice!

[fuzzylogician]

At this point in your career I think you should put the school symposium on your CV. It at least shows that you're out there presenting, even if it's only at local/small conferences. Once you'll have better things (bigger, national/international conferences), you'll want to take these early entries out of your CV. 

 

As for the paper, you could either list it separately under a "papers" heading, or together with the presentations in a "presentations and publications" section. Since the presentations are in local conferences and the publication is in a 'real' one, my guess is that separate headings might highlight that better. It'll also highlight that you only have one paper, though, so it's up to you which one you think looks best.