🧾 Brag Sheet Builder

Why Every Parent Needs One (Even If Your Kid Isn’t a Superstar)

You might hear the term brag sheet and instantly flinch. Especially if you’re a first-generation parent like me, the idea of listing your kid’s accomplishments on paper can feel… weird. Like you’re putting your son or daughter on a pedestal or trying to act like they’re better than someone else.

But here’s the truth:

A brag sheet isn’t about bragging.
It’s about helping teachers, counselors, and scholarship committees see your kid the way you do.

Because let’s face it — most of the people deciding your kid’s future haven’t sat at the kitchen table with them during late-night study sessions. They haven’t watched them balance school, band practice, a part-time job, and tutoring other students. They don’t know your kid the way you know your kid.

A brag sheet changes that.

💡 What Is a Brag Sheet (and Why Does It Matter So Much)?

A brag sheet is a one- to two-page document that outlines your son or daughter’s academic, extracurricular, work, and volunteer achievements — along with personal strengths and goals. It helps:

• Teachers write recommendation letters
• School counselors submit college forms
• Scholarship committees look beyond grades
• Admissions officers see the full story

If you’re applying for scholarships, especially competitive or leadership-based ones, this becomes essential.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Real Talk: Why First-Gen Families Especially Need One

If you didn’t grow up in the college prep world, no one probably ever told you to do this. You may have assumed teachers would just write nice letters or that colleges would “see the potential.”

But the system doesn’t work that way anymore. Teachers write dozens of rec letters with little notice. Many counselors handle hundreds of kids. They may not even know your child beyond a transcript.

That’s why a well-made brag sheet can be the difference between a generic letter and one that opens doors.

🧩 What to Include in a Brag Sheet

• Basic Info: Name, school, graduation year, major/goal
• Academic: GPA, class rank, test scores, coursework
• Extracurriculars: Clubs, sports, leadership roles
• Work & Responsibility: Jobs, family care, translation
• Service: Volunteering, church, civic engagement
• Character (Optional): What makes them special

📥 Download the Brag Sheet Template

This printable template includes all the categories above, with space to fill in real-life experiences, strengths, and notes for recommenders.

🧭 How to Use It

• Give it to teachers writing recommendation letters
• Reference it when filling out scholarship or honors applications
• Use it for essay prompts or the Common App activities section
• Update it throughout junior and senior year