Ivy League
The classic university CV: centred, serif, education first, black and white.
Best for: Graduate school, Law, Finance, Consulting
ATS excellentUse this template
Traditional and Ivy League CV Templates
Traditional resumes look the way hiring committees expect them to: a centred name, a restrained serif typeface, thin rules between sections and no decoration. They put education early, which suits graduates and anyone applying to law, finance, consulting, policy or research roles.
The Ivy League style is not about prestige. It is about signalling that the content comes first. Dates sit on the right, headings are plain, and nothing competes with your experience.
These templates mix a few variations: Times and Garamond for a formal tone, Baskerville for something slightly warmer, and a margin-date layout for UK-style academic CVs.
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Harvard
Crimson rules, Times type and education up front.
Best for: Graduates, Policy, Consulting
ATS excellentUse this template
Oxford
Garamond with a double rule. Refined and understated.
Best for: Academia, Publishing, Law
ATS goodUse this template
Yale
Navy name with a baskerville body and tidy accent headings.
Best for: Finance, Policy, Management
ATS excellentUse this template
Cambridge
A UK-style CV with dates in the margin and education first.
Best for: UK applications, Graduates, Research
ATS goodUse this template
Princeton
Orange accents on a clean, split header. Confident but classic.
Best for: Business, Engineering, Graduates
ATS goodUse this template
Tips for choosing and using these templates
- →Lead with education if you have graduated in the last few years.
- →Keep it to one page unless you have a decade or more of relevant experience.
- →Use black text with at most one restrained accent colour.
- →List results and scope, not just duties.
- →Leave out photos, objectives and personal details such as age.
Questions
Which template is closest to a Harvard or Ivy League resume?
The Ivy League and Harvard templates: centred header, serif type, education first and thin rules. Oxford and Yale give the same structure with slightly different typography.
Is a traditional resume still right in 2026?
For conservative fields such as law, finance, consulting and academia, yes. It is also a safe default when you are unsure of the employer's culture.
Should education go first?
If you are a student, recent graduate or applying to graduate school, yes. With several years of relevant experience, put experience first.
Is this the same as an academic CV?
No. A resume is usually one or two pages. An academic CV can be much longer and includes publications and grants. See the academic templates for that.