When it comes to crafting a winning resume, the words you choose to describe your experiences and accomplishments can make a big difference. Action verbs are a key element in creating a resume that stands out to admissions committees.

If you’re applying to undergraduate, masters, MBA, or PhD programs at Harvard or any other top university, the importance of using strong action verbs cannot be overstated. In this post, I’ll provide you with a comprehensive list of action verbs grouped into categories that are relevant to different levels of education, so that you can tailor your resume to the specific requirements and expectations of the Harvard admissions committee.

By using these action verbs effectively, you’ll be able to convey your skills, achievements, and potential in a clear and compelling way, and increase your chances of getting accepted to the Harvard program of your dreams.

Action Verbs for Undergraduate Applicants to Harvard

Leadership

• Administered
• Advocated
• Chaired
• Coached
• Communicated
• Delegated
• Demonstrated
• Directed
• Empowered
• Encouraged
• Enforced
• Facilitated
• Fostered
• Guided
• Headed
• Inspired
• Led
• Managed
• Mentored
• Motivated
• Organized
• Oversaw
• Planned
• Resolved
• Supervised
• Taught
• Trained
• Volunteered

Academic and Intellectual

• Analyzed
• Conceptualized
• Conducted
• Critiqued
• Debugged
• Deciphered
• Demonstrated
• Designed
• Developed
• Discovered
• Evaluated
• Examined
• Explored
• Formulated
• Innovated
• Investigated
• Modeled
• Persuaded
• Presented
• Programmed
• Proposed
• Published
• Questioned
• Researched
• Solved
• Synthesized
• Tested
• Theorized
• Validated

Community Involvement 

• Advocated
• Assisted
• Collaborated
• Coordinated
• Counseled
• Demonstrated
• Developed
• Educated
• Empowered
• Engaged
• Enlisted
• Facilitated
• Fostered
• Guided
• Helped
• Impacted
• Informed
• Initiated
• Inspired
• Mentored
• Mobilized
• Organized
• Participated
• Raised funds
• Recruited
• Represented
• Resolved
• Served
• Supported
• Taught
• Volunteered

Communication

• Addressed
• Advertised
• Authored
• Clarified
• Coordinated
• Corresponded
• Demonstrated
• Drafted
• Edited
• Encouraged
• Facilitated
• Informed
• Interpreted
• Liaised
• Negotiated
• Persuaded
• Presented
• Promoted
• Publicized
• Reported
• Spoke
• Transcribed
• Translated
• Wrote

Technical

• Assembled
• Built
• Calibrated
• Constructed
• Debugged
• Designed
• Developed
• Engineered
• Fabricated
• Implemented
• Inspected
• Installed
• Maintained
• Operated
• Programmed
• Repaired
• Serviced
• Tested
• Troubleshot
• Upgraded

Action Verbs for Master’s Applicants to Harvard

Research and Analysis

• Analyzed
• Clarified
• Collected
• Compared
• Conducted
• Consolidated
• Created
• Critiqued
• Debugged
• Deciphered
• Demonstrated
• Designed
• Developed
• Discovered
• Evaluated
• Examined
• Explored
• Formulated
• Gathered
• Identified
• Innovated
• Inspected
• Interpreted
• Investigated
• Measured
• Modeled
• Observed
• Planned
• Predicted
• Programmed
• Proposed
• Published
• Questioned
• Researched
• Reviewed
• Revised
• Simulated
• Solved
• Synthesized
• Tested
• Theorized
• Validated
• Verified

Leadership

• Administered
• Allocated
• Analyzed
• Appraised
• Approved
• Assessed
• Assigned
• Authorized
• Budgeted
• Chaired
• Coached
• Communicated
• Controlled
• Coordinated
• Delegated
• Demonstrated
• Directed
• Empowered
• Encouraged
• Enforced
• Evaluated
• Facilitated
• Guided
• Headed
• Implemented
• Influenced
• Initiated
• Inspired
• Led
• Managed
• Mentored
• Monitored
• Motivated
• Negotiated
• Organized
• Oversaw
• Planned
• Prioritized
• Resolved
• Reviewed
• Scheduled
• Supervised
• Trained
• Verified

Communication

• Addressed
• Advertised
• Authored
• Briefed
• Clarified
• Collaborated
• Communicated
• Composed
• Consulted
• Coordinated
• Corresponded
• Demonstrated
• Developed
• Directed
• Drafted
• Edited
• Encouraged
• Evaluated
• Facilitated
• Guided
• Illustrated
• Informed
• Interpreted
• Interviewed
• Liaised
• Mediated
• Negotiated
• Presented
• Promoted
• Publicized
• Reconciled
• Reported
• Responded
• Solicited
• Spoke
• Summarized
• Transcribed
• Translated
• Wrote

Technical

• Analyzed
• Assembled
• Built
• Calculated
• Calibrated
• Configured
• Constructed
• Debugged
• Designed
• Developed
• Engineered
• Fabricated
• Installed
• Maintained
• Operated
• Optimized
• Programmed
• Repaired
• Resolved
• Solved
• Studied
• Troubleshot
• Upgraded
• Validated

Action Verbs for PhD Applicants to Harvard

Research and Analysis

• Analyzed
• Clarified
• Collected
• Compared
• Conducted
• Consolidated
• Created
• Critiqued
• Debugged
• Deciphered
• Demonstrated
• Designed
• Developed
• Discovered
• Evaluated
• Examined
• Explored
• Formulated
• Gathered
• Identified
• Innovated
• Inspected
• Interpreted
• Investigated
• Measured
• Modeled
• Observed
• Planned
• Predicted
• Programmed
• Proposed
• Published
• Questioned
• Researched
• Reviewed
• Revised
• Simulated
• Solved
• Synthesized
• Tested
• Theorized
• Validated
• Verified

Writing and Editing

• Authored
• Clarified
• Composed
• Condensed
• Critiqued
• Defined
• Edited
• Formatted
• Illustrated
• Organized
• Outlined
• Proofread
• Revised
• Summarized
• Transcribed
• Translated
• Wrote

Communication

• Addressed
• Authored
• Briefed
• Clarified
• Collaborated
• Communicated
• Composed
• Consulted
• Coordinated
• Corresponded
• Demonstrated
• Developed
• Directed
• Drafted
• Edited
• Encouraged
• Evaluated
• Facilitated
• Guided
• Illustrated
• Informed
• Interpreted
• Interviewed
• Liaised
• Mediated
• Negotiated
• Presented
• Promoted
• Publicized
• Reconciled
• Reported
• Responded
• Solicited
• Spoke
• Summarized
• Transcribed
• Translated
• Wrote

Teaching and Mentoring

• Advised
• Clarified
• Coached
• Communicated
• Counseled
• Demonstrated
• Educated
• Encouraged
• Evaluated
• Guided
• Informed
• Instructed
• Led
• Mentored
• Modeled
• Motivated
• Oriented
• Provided feedback
• Taught
• Trained

Leadership and Project Management

• Administered
• Allocated
• Analyzed
• Appraised
• Approved
• Assessed
• Assigned
• Authorized
• Budgeted
• Chaired
• Coached
• Communicated
• Controlled
• Coordinated
• Delegated
• Demonstrated
• Directed
• Empowered
• Encouraged
• Enforced
• Evaluated
• Facilitated
• Guided
• Headed
• Implemented
• Influenced
• Initiated
• Inspired
• Led
• Managed
• Mediated
• Monitored
• Negotiated
• Organized
• Oversaw
• Planned
• Prioritized
• Produced
• Programmed
• Projected
• Proposed
• Purchased
• Recommended
• Recruited
• Regulated
• Reported
• Represented
• Reviewed
• Scheduled
• Staffed
• Supervised
• Tracked
• Updated
• Verified

Technical Skills

• Analyzed
• Assembled
• Built
• Calculated
• Computed
• Constructed
• Debugged
• Designed
• Developed
• Diagnosed
• Engineered
• Fabricated
• Installed
• Maintained
• Operated
• Programmed
• Repaired
• Researched
• Resolved
• Tested
• Troubleshot
• Upgraded

Entrepreneurship

• Brainstormed
• Co-founded
• Created
• Developed
• Established
• Founded
• Implemented
• Innovated
• Invented
• Launched
• Marketed
• Orchestrated
• Pitched
• Promoted
• Started
• Strategized
• Succeeded

Action Verbs for MBA Applicants to Harvard

Leadership and Management

• Achieved
• Administered
• Allocated
• Appointed
• Assigned
• Authorized
• Chaired
• Coached
• Communicated
• Delegated
• Directed
• Empowered
• Enforced
• Ensured
• Facilitated
• Fostered
• Guided
• Headed
• Influenced
• Inspired
• Led
• Managed
• Mentored
• Motivated
• Orchestrated
• Oversaw
• Planned
• Prioritized
• Produced
• Recommended
• Recruited
• Regulated
• Supervised
• Taught
• Trained

Strategy and Planning

• Analyzed
• Anticipated
• Appraised
• Audited
• Brainstormed
• Conceptualized
• Conducted
• Crafted
• Created
• Developed
• Directed
• Established
• Evaluated
• Formulated
• Implemented
• Initiated
• Innovated
• Instituted
• Integrated
• Introduced
• Launched
• Managed
• Modeled
• Monitored
• Negotiated
• Oversaw
• Planned
• Prioritized
• Produced
• Programmed
• Projected
• Proposed
• Recommended
• Researched
• Revised
• Strategized
• Structured
• Synthesized
• Updated
• Validated

Communication and Relationship Building

• Advised
• Advocated
• Arbitrated
• Clarified
• Collaborated
• Communicated
• Consulted
• Conveyed
• Coordinated
• Counseled
• Cultivated
• Dealt
• Educated
• Encouraged
• Established
• Explained
• Facilitated
• Fostered
• Guided
• Influenced
• Interacted
• Interviewed
• Listened
• Mediated
• Negotiated
• Networked
• Persuaded
• Presented
• Promoted
• Publicized
• Recommended
• Represented
• Resolved
• Responded
• Solved
• Strategized
• Strengthened
• Supported
• Synthesized
• Translated

Finance and Accounting

• Analyzed
• Audited
• Balanced
• Budgeted
• Calculated
• Collected
• Compiled
• Conducted
• Controlled
• Created
• Developed
• Directed
• Earned
• Evaluated
• Forecasted
• Formulated
• Identified
• Implemented
• Improved
• Maintained
• Managed
• Measured
• Monitored
• Oversaw
• Planned
• Prepared
• Processed
• Projected
• Provided
• Purchased
• Reconciled
• Recommended
• Reduced
• Reported
• Reviewed