Meager CV for Applications

[TheTraditionalProgesterone]

So I'm about ready to submit all my materials for graduate applications, the one outstanding thing which a couple of my universities are requesting is a CV. I'm having a hard time figuring out what exactly to do with it. I didn't engage in extra-curricular activities or research during my undergraduate. My main strengths are my language skills and what I think (hope) is an excellent writing sample incorporating foreign-language primary sources, but that means I have basically nothing to put onto a CV, aside from simply listing my degree and languages. Can anyone share examples of what they put on theirs?

[ashiepoo72]

Do you have any teaching/tutoring experience? Fellowships? Scholarships? Were you on dean's honors? Are you a member of any professional historical associations (like the Organization of American Historians)? Are you a member of phi alpha theta? 

You should definitely include language training on the CV. Don't worry, many applicants have sparse CVs.

[haltheincandescent]

Did you get any scholarships/awards/honors? Did you study abroad? If so, you can list those things under relevant headings.

You can also have a section that lists your areas of research interest (so like, early 20th century American history; United States Labor History; Social Movements; History and Philosophy of Science; etc., etc. [I'm not a history person, so, just throwing random things out there, sorry]). Maybe around 6 or 7 different interlinking areas, as supported by/discussed in your SoP? Then, you can also have a short list of courses you've taken in those areas of research interest, with relevant info about the professor, semester, etc. And, at the very end, you can include contact information for your references. A lot of this info might be repeated elsewhere in your application or on your transcripts, but it can be handy for the adcom to have it all together, and (especially with the "research interests" and "courses in areas of research interest") it gives you a chance to give a slightly more structured/controlled version of your transcript, highlighting what you think has been important for you as a scholar.

Here's a guide I found to be helpful, especially the "Suggested C.V. Categories": https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/studentlife/ocs/media/pdf/step-three/Curriculum_Vita_Guide.pdf

Edited October 20, 2015 by haltheincandescent

[pro Augustis]

My (sparse!) CV has the following categories: Education, Awards, Research (I don't have anything published, but my advisor encouraged me to discuss the research projects I've done as a way to concretely show what I'd done and what my interest were), Languages, Membership in Organizations, and finally Work & Academic Experience (a sort of misc. section that I'm probably going to reorganize). Hopefully that's useful! 

[fencergirl]

For undergraduates/students going into graduate studies I think it's fine to include things like "relevant courses" and "research interests" that a more experienced scholar would probably leave out. I wouldn't put references as there will be a place on the application already, plus they have your letters of recc. I also included (relevant!) work/volunteer experience. And I think it's good to include any research projects even if they weren't published or presented at conferences!

Of course I'm a newb at this too so take this all with a grain of salt.