Cover Letters, Personal Statements & CVs
Your resume shows what you have done. These three documents let you explain what your experience adds up to, why you want this opportunity, and what you would bring to it. A cover letter makes the case for why you fit a specific role. A personal statement narrates the path that brought you to a program or opportunity. A CV lays out your full academic and professional record. The resources below will help you write each one well, whatever you are applying for.
Not sure where to start? Application materials are among the most common things our advisors review.
Cover Letters
A cover letter is your argument for why you want a specific role at a specific organization, and why your background makes you the right person for it. It is not a summary of your resume. For Wesleyan students especially, it is where you translate your education, experience, and motivations into a clear case for a particular job.
Cover Letter Guide
How to research an employer, structure each paragraph with the STAR method, and write well for today’s market.
Sample Cover Letters
Several complete letters across different majors and industries, to read for approach and structure.
Annotated Sample Cover Letter
One complete letter, annotated line by line, showing how a Wesleyan student connects their experience to a specific role.
Cover Letter Template (Word)
A formatted starting point with guidance notes for each paragraph, ready to adapt for any application.
Personal Statements
A personal statement asks you to narrate your intellectual and professional trajectory: what shaped your thinking, what you have done with it, and what you will bring to a program or opportunity. Unlike a cover letter, it is less about fit for a single role and more about the arc of your interests and goals. The conventions differ significantly depending on where you are applying, so start with the guide, then look at the guidance for your specific application type.
Personal Statement Guide
Covers structure, voice, and narrative arc, with guidance tailored to Wesleyan students and alumni on how to move from a defining experience to a clear sense of direction.
Not sure how to start your statement? A personal statement is one of the most valuable things to review with an advisor before you submit. Schedule an appointment with the advisor who supports your area of interest, whether that is graduate study, a fellowship, or a health professions application.
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
A CV is the standard document for academic, research, and most health professions applications. Unlike a resume, it is a complete record of your scholarly and professional experience with no length restriction. If you are applying to graduate programs, research positions, fellowships, or medical, dental, or veterinary school, you likely need a CV rather than a resume.
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Guide
Section-by-section guidance, formatting, accomplishment statements, and citation examples, with a full STEM sample CV.
CV Template (Word)
A clean starting point with all standard sections, to reorder based on your field.
Not sure whether you need a CV or a resume? The CV Guide explains the differences in full. In short, a CV is a complete record used for academic and research applications, while a resume is a curated, one-page document used for most jobs and internships. For resume resources, see the Resume Toolkit.
