Many Nigerian graduate applicants make the mistake of submitting a corporate-style résumé when applying to US universities, despite the programme requiring an academic CV. An academic CV provides a broader record of a candidate's education, research experience, publications, presentations, teaching, and other academic activities. This document should make the applicant's academic preparation and potential contribution to the field easy to identify.
An academic CV should open with education, not a professional summary or job history, as admissions committees evaluate academic fit before other aspects. The degree, institution, and thesis title should be at the top, followed by research methodology, conference presentations, and published or submitted work. Generic employment history unconnected to the academic or research trajectory should be avoided, and research assistantships, teaching assistant roles, and relevant internships should be prominently featured.
When listing experiences, applicants should use active verbs to quantify their contributions. Instead of vague descriptions, clear action verbs such as designed, analysed, conducted, developed, examined, collected, presented, and led should be used to describe work accurately. For group projects, individual contributions should be explained rather than presenting the entire project as individual work.
An undergraduate thesis can be included under the Education section, particularly when relevant to the programme. The thesis title, supervisor, and year of completion should be included. If the thesis has been formally published, submitted for publication, or presented at an academic conference, this achievement may also be mentioned.
Before submitting the CV, applicants should ensure consistent entries, accurate dates, institution names, and degree titles. Unnecessary personal information, spelling errors, and generic descriptions should be removed. The CV should be tailored to the programme, as research experience highly relevant to one master's or PhD programme may be less important for another.
A master's-level application CV is typically two to three pages, notably shorter than a faculty or PhD-level academic CV. The undergraduate GPA should generally be included, even if below 3.0, and context can be provided to address any concerns. Unpublished undergraduate theses should be listed under the Education section, alongside the relevant degree.
By following these guidelines, Nigerian graduate applicants can increase their chances of success when applying to US universities. An academic CV should give an admissions committee a clear picture of the applicant's academic background, research interests, and preparation for graduate study. Experts advise applicants to adjust familiar local CV conventions to match the expectations of the US university and programme they are applying to.
Key points
- An academic CV should prioritize research experience and education over generic employment history.
- Active verbs should be used to quantify contributions and describe work accurately.
- The CV should be tailored to the programme and match the expectations of the US university.
