Making the Dean’s list is one of the most significant accomplishments you can achieve during your time at college.
And it can play an important role in making your resume stand out from the competition.
Here’s the best way to add it to your resume if you want to get noticed and land a great job.
How to put Dean’s list on your resume
As Dean’s list is such an impressive addition to your application, you need to make sure that you carefully consider how and where to put this on your resume.
You need to ensure that it can be seen by busy recruiters, and that it contains information that will impress them.
Here’s an example of how to include Dean’s list on your resume.
Example of Dean’s list on resume
Add to your education section
Your education section is your chance to outline the schools you’ve attended, what you studied, your grades, and any other impressive academic achievements.
This should be set out in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent experience. In this case, your college or university degree.
Your education typically goes below your work experience section, but if you are a junior or you don’t have much experience, it can be better to prioritize this and move it further up your resume.
This is also the perfect section for you to include your Dean’s list accomplishments.
Add Dean’s list to your college degree listing
As Dean’s list is a part of your educational history and was achieved during your time at college, it makes sense to include this in your college degree listing.
You should structure this section as normal, giving the name of your college, what you studied, and the dates you were there. Follow this up with your GPA and details of your time on Dean’s list.
Add your GPA score
It’s a good idea to include your GPA within your educational credentials. You can then add ‘Dean’s list’ directly alongside this to further strengthen your impressive scores and achievements.
Include how many times you made Deans list
If you’ve made the Dean’s list more than once, as many top students have, it’s a good idea to add the number of times you did so.
This shows employers you were consistent in your efforts, test scores, and recognition from your college.
Should you include Dean’s list in your resume?
Dean’s list is a great achievement, but there might be times when you question whether to include this or not. For example, if you only made the list once.
But no matter how many times you made it, this is absolutely still worth including on your resume if you think it will boost your application and make you stand out above other candidates.
More examples of Dean’s list on resume
Example 1:
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
BA in English Literature
Graduated 2022
GPA: 3.8, Dean’s list 6 semesters
Example 2:
BA in Psychology (Degree and Major achieved)
University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island
2018-2021
4.0 GPA, Dean’s list
Example 3:
Stanford University, 2011–2016
BS in Engineering
Made Dean’s list 5 semesters in a row between Spring 2017 and Summer 2018 as a result of my 3.75 GPA.
What is the Dean’s list?
Dean’s list is an academic award given to college students who demonstrate excellence and an impressive GPA.
The specific requirements needed to qualify for Dean’s list will vary from college to college, but in most cases, it is the highest academic achievement you can get and is based on having a consistently high GPA.
As we’ve mentioned, students can be on Dean’s list more than once, as this is typically done on a semester-to-semester basis.
When not to include Dean’s list on your resume?
Despite this being a positive achievement, there are times when you might not wish to include Dean’s list on your resume.
If you have lots of other impressive academic achievements that make you stand out from competitors or you graduated with Greek or Latin hones, it might be better to reserve your space for these.
Not only this, but if you’ve got loads of experience and an already successful career, this information might be unnecessary to build your case.
Finally, if you don’t think the employer will understand or recognize the criteria for Dean’s list, it might be best to forgo this information to avoid confusion.