CV/Resume length for grad school applications

[wornlaundry]

Hey guys,
I just had a tiny question regarding the formatting of a cv for a grad school application. Should it be identical to recruiter style cv(one page for quant roles, the one I used for this cycle) or can it be more than a page wherever the limit is relaxed(i.e. CMU states that it can be 2 pages maximum). I would just get more space to add a research experience if thats the case to better highlight and solidify my skills.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Calling our resident career services expert and ex-CMU @Ash Cross

Thread 'Top 3 Resume Mistakes I See MFEs Make'

8/10/25

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Recruiting season is here, so here are my top 3 content mistakes I see on MFE and new-quant resumes — plus how to fix them.

To keep things concise and clear, I used ChatGPT to draft and refine my examples — but the common mistakes and recommendations you see here come from 5 years of reviewing MFE and quant resumes, including my experience working at MSCF in Career Services.

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Mistake #1: Overemphasis on fundamental and/or irrelevant keywords.

Instead: Focus on relevant quant experiences, projects, skills, and techniques...

• Ash Cross
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Articles

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[wornlaundry]

Similar question for LORs as well, is 2 pages an acceptable amount?

 

[Ash Cross]

Similar question for LORs as well, is 2 pages an acceptable amount?

Two pages is fine, just keep it relevant. Research and projects are definitely useful sections to have, since committees won't know about those from transcripts. Some programs will specify one page, so make sure you're reading instructions properly.

 

[wornlaundry]

Thanks! Will stick to the limits as and where specified.