Portfolio Guidelines

You may format similar forms on a computer. Please follow instructions carefully. The portfolio is your history of your high school career (grades 9 through 12) as you would like it told to employers, schools, or scholarship review committees. The portfolio can be worked on throughout high school and is submitted in your senior year to your high school's career resource advisor. At a minimum, it should include the materials listed in this packet. You may add new information and documentation to the portfolio at any time during your senior year. Community groups will come to the high school to review your portfolio, and others will request it to be sent to a centralized location for consideration. Check with your career resource advisor frequently during the year to make sure your portfolio is ready for specific committees.Submitting a portfolio does not guarantee an award. It also does not mean that you are applying for every scholarship available. The majority of scholarships have separate applications, and it is important for you to seek out those opportunities, complete the applications, and send partial or full copies of your portfolio for consideration.

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

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

General Guidelines1. Check with your school career resource advisor for portfolio format availability.
2. Using a computer is recommended. The final document should be completed on a letter-quality printer and on white paper.
3. You should have at least three people proofread all material that you include in the portfolio. There should be no errors! Use spell-check!
4. Each page is to be enclosed in a non-glare plastic sheet protector, front side only. Use sheet protectors with an additional extender strip outside the normal 8.5" x 11" sheet (so you will not punch holes in documents). This will allow you to make cleaner copies. The copier will copy through the plastic.
5. Mark the beginning of each section with a press-on clear tab, except the title page, so that each review committee can easily find the information they are seeking. Use the section titles listed under "Contents Check List" (see attached). Do not place a page at the beginning of each section with the section title printed on the page.
6. Submit the portfolio in a three-ring binder with a hard cover. Try not to use a binder that is a loud color or that is over-sized for what you have included. (Do not use a three-inch binder if a one-inch binder will do.) Check with your career resource advisor to see if your school loans or sells binders to students. 7. Submit three copies of your portfolio in flat soft-cover binders with brads. Keep an additional copy for reference. Do not use plastic sheet protectors or tabs in the three copies. If a photocopy of your photograph is not clear, you may include an actual photograph in each copy.
8. Seniors, check with your career resource advisor for portfolio due dates.
9. When you receive a scholarship, award, or job interview remember to send a thank you note.
10. When you receive a scholarship, college award, college acceptance, or any other recognition please tell your career resource advisor.