Resume Question Forum

[Anonymous User]

My school doesn't do book awards for earning the highest grade in a 1L class. But I know that my contracts score was the highest in the class, even though my actual grade is tied with 2 or 3 other people. I also know that my torts grade was the second highest in the class. Obviously I'd want to note on my resume that I had highest contracts grade. But would it make sense to note that I had the second-highest torts grade? I figure that it would still look good on a resume, since 2 out of about 90 is pretty darn solid, but just curious.

[rinkrat19]

Don't put either on your resume. Without an actual award, there's no acceptable way to list it.

[Anonymous User]

Don't put either on your resume. Without an actual award, there's no acceptable way to list it.

What do you mean? I would just put a bullet under honors saying "Highest Grade in 1L Contracts". Sure, its not technically an "honor", but its in the same way I note that I was top 5% of my section. Again, not an honor, but seemed only logical to include on resume.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Don't put either on your resume. Without an actual award, there's no acceptable way to list it.

[Anonymous User]

Don't put either on your resume. Without an actual award, there's no acceptable way to list it.

So should I not even be listing my percentile rank in my 1L section just because it didn't come along with some named award? I'm not sure I understand the logic here. I assumed that, when you note a book or CALI award, the intention is to convey to the employer that you got the highest grade in the class, not that you got some arbitrary title assigned to that grade.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Percentile rank is different because your school issues that to you. Unless you get a book/CALI award, you don't get an official statement from your school that you're the top of the class. Making the grade distribution available to students isn't the same thing; it's like when people know from various past cutoffs that they're in the top [whatever] % of the class, but the school doesn't issue percentile ranks - you can't list it on your resume just because you know it.

My understanding has also been that one person books/CALIs a class, and if you're listed in a list of course grades as having the same grade as a few others, it's not the same thing. You got the top grade awarded, but you alone weren't the top of the class. It's still obviously an excellent grade and that will stand on its own on your transcript.

And I'm happy to have other people chime in and say I'm wrong. But that's just my understanding of it, maybe based on how my school handled it (we didn't do book awards/CALIs).

Either way, definitely don't say you had the second-highest grade in the class.

[Anonymous User]

Percentile rank is different because your school issues that to you. Unless you get a book/CALI award, you don't get an official statement from your school that you're the top of the class. Making the grade distribution available to students isn't the same thing; it's like when people know from various past cutoffs that they're in the top [whatever] % of the class, but the school doesn't issue percentile ranks - you can't list it on your resume just because you know it.

My understanding has also been that one person books/CALIs a class, and if you're listed in a list of course grades as having the same grade as a few others, it's not the same thing. You got the top grade awarded, but you alone weren't the top of the class. It's still obviously an excellent grade and that will stand on its own on your transcript.

And I'm happy to have other people chime in and say I'm wrong. But that's just my understanding of it, maybe based on how my school handled it (we didn't do book awards/CALIs).

Either way, definitely don't say you had the second-highest grade in the class.

Right, I won't note that I had second-highest grade in a 1L class. And I also agree that the transcript I submit will speak for itself, so maybe isn't even necessary. Will definitely consider that.