Career Resource Centers

Student Portfolio Shopping List

General Guidelines | Contents Checklist | Portfolio Shopping List | PDF version of guidelines

RTF files: Guidelines | Portfolio Input Pages | Request for Letter of Recommendation

This list can be used in preparing to make a portfolio during your high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year.  Your completed portfolio is submitted, in your senior year of high school, to the career resource advisor at your school. Check with your advisor for your school's due date

The following is a suggested list of materials needed to assemble your portfolio.  Consider sharing the cost with a friend if it is cheaper to purchase a large quantity.

Three-ring binder, hard cover

Use the size that is appropriate for the materials in the portfolio.  (Don't use a 3" binder when a 1" binder will do.)  Color:  blue, black, gray, burgundy, etc.  It needs to look professional.  Your career resource advisor can tell you if your school sells binders.

NOTE:  If you are doing the portfolio as a class assignment, you will submit only the three-ring binder to your teacher.  The required copies will be made when you are a high school senior (see below.)

Paper

Use good quality white paper.  It should be used consistently throughout the portfolio.  Use the same paper for mounting materials on and as backing for two-sided documents.

Plastic sheet protectors

Sheet protectors can be purchased at one of the wholesale warehouse type stores in boxes of 100 or 200 sheets. Smaller quantities can be purchased at stores that carry office supplies, but these are usually more expensive. Must be pocket type. The non-glare finish works the best.  Photocopies can be made of the original document through the plastic. Make sure there is an extender strip on the left side so you don't have to punch holes in the original document.

Index Tabs

You will need to refer to the "Student Portfolio Contents" page in the guidelines packet to determine how many tabs you will need to buy. Clear, self-adhesive index tabs with paper inserts are preferred. The tabs must extend past the portfolio contents. Protector sheets with tabs pre-made on the side with paper inserts are acceptable. Do not use numbered tabs with an index.

Clear corner tabs

Corner tabs are used to anchor any materials that you may want to remove at a later date.  Stores usually carry these in their photo section.  Glue can be used, but it is permanent and can destroy an original document.  Students who choose to scan documents will generally not need these items.

Yellow highlighter

Not only will items highlighted in yellow draw attention, they will also photocopy without leaving a black mark.  Other colors will leave a dark mark when photocopied.

3 Flat binders

When you submit your original portfolio to your career resource advisor, as a high school senior, you will also submit three copies of your original portfolio. The copies must be in flat soft-cover binders with brads.  Color-matching the original portfolio is not required.  Although not required, binders with a clear front will allow the reader to see the cover page of your portfolio.  (Be sure to keep a fourth copy of your portfolio at home for future reference.  Do not punch holes in this copy, the holes will show when copied.)