Graduate Application Package: CV too long?

[haiku_guy]

I was just looking over my CV for U of T, and it is long. Like 4 pages. I am starting to wonder if I am putting too much detail into this.

 

I take this as a way for Graduate Students to have an "edge" on the undergrads by allowing us to present more information we are given space for on the OMSAS sketch, etc.

 

Any opinions?

 

I'm going to call the admissions office today, and ask them what they are looking for.

 

Cheers!

[Kirsteen]

I was just looking over my CV for U of T, and it is long. Like 4 pages. I am starting to wonder if I am putting too much detail into this.

 

I take this as a way for Graduate Students to have an "edge" on the undergrads by allowing us to present more information we are given space for on the OMSAS sketch, etc.

 

Any opinions?

 

I'm going to call the admissions office today, and ask them what they are looking for.

 

Cheers!

Hi there,

 

A CV that is four pages long, especially from a candidate who has published and presented widely, has accumulated a number of awards or grants, etc., and who is active on a number of committees or other such groups is not unreasonable at all. There's a big difference between a CV that's brimming with quality stuff and one that's padded. As long as your four pages is composed of the former then you should be safe.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[haiku_guy]

I do realize that the length of a quality CV will be dependent on the applicant. I think I may be including too much detail for each item. I would guess that very few applicants to medical school have 4-pages of dense, point form stuff, but what do I know?

 

I guess what I am asking is: What is the purpose of the CV? Is it simply, as it seems to me, to allow Graduate students to include more information on their sketch items than allowed by OMSAS? (I am assumming that most poeple can fit their whole CV into the 48 item sketch)

 

Or is it simply to allow those multiple-publications, many committees, all other sorts of good stuff candidates to fot more things in? I am imagining someone who, for example, puts in the sketch, "10+ refereed papers" and "multiple-invited presentations at conferences", etc etc

 

Maybe I'm obsessing...

[bustylegs]

What is the purpose of the CV?

 

My take is that U of T wants to see whether grad students can present themselves professionally on pieces of paper in the form of a CV.

 

Grad school, in my opinion, is primilarly a training ground for future scientists, either in academic or industrial settings. To many of us, however, grad school is also a transistion point for many other professions such as law, medicine or MBA. Therefore, perhaps U of T is gauging whether we learned the professional skills by asking us for our CVs.

 

Of course, haiku_guy is totally correct in that maybe the purpose of a CV is so the committee can see your productivity by having you list all the references.

 

Best of luck.

[Taylor]

My advice would be to include everything that is of importance. Also, don't forget to include things that show your well-roundedness, not just your academic achievements. Things like music certifications, volunteering, should all go into your CV.

 

Unless it's a trivial thing (like volunteering for a one-day orientation session, or being a tutor for a one-time help session), don't shortchange yourself in the CV!

 

Also, it should look as professional as possible. Make sure you have a good format, perhaps asking some of your profs to take a look at their CVs will give you an idea. But if you're in grad school, you should have an idea of what a good CV looks like anyway.

[Kirsteen]

(I am assumming that most poeple can fit their whole CV into the 48 item sketch)

Hi there,

 

Not every applicant can fit their whole CV within the sketch. I know I couldn't and a bunch of other applicants with research backgrounds couldn't either, so I was happy to be able to submit my CV.

 

As suggested above, have a look at some high quality CVs. If you are chummy with an academic who has published and presented widely, then ask them if you can have a gander at their CV. This will provide a good yardstick in terms of which items to include in your CV, and in which order to arrange them.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[haiku_guy]

Thanks all! I've cut mine down to 2 pages and am happy with it now.

 

Also, U of T has put up some more info on their website see:

 

http://www.facmed.utoronto.ca/English/page-13-15974-1.html#graduate