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For the past two years, we have given students (mostly those interested in Engineering) an opportunity to showcase their engineering inspired creations and projects. This is a completely optional portion of the application, so if you don't have anything to submit, please don't fear!! We will not penalize students for not having portfolios so there is no need to start frantically buying and building computer parts tomorrow!

Last year, we saw some really cool submissions, from robot hats to blacksmithing to assistive technology to renewable energy. After reflecting on the submissions and consulting with our evaluators, I wanted to share some advice on how to put together a great Maker's Portfolio. 

Ask yourself: Why is this project meaningful to you and does it make an impact on society?
Did you come up with a solution to a problem you encountered? Were you enthralled by an engineering elective at school? Does working with your hands genuinely just make you happy? Personal projects sometimes make more compelling maker portfolios because we get to know you better as an engineer and person! How your project helps others is also important. Tufts Engineers are civic minded, and they create for a purpose. Your project doesn't have to be the invention that saves the world, but if it serves a social purpose or starts to think about issues we face, tell us!

Take some time to craft your responses!
I know... Applying to college is TIME CONSUMING. There are so many supplements to write and forms to fill out. We try not to ask you too many questions for the portfolio but we do still want to get a good idea of your project, how you did it and why you did it. For example, it doesn't give us as much information if you simply copy and paste the abstract from your research paper as the response to the first question.
 

You don't have to use fancy scientific jargon to tell us how.
The big buzzwords don’t matter! While you should mention how you did the work and what technical tools you used, you don't need to go in depth explaining every catalyst and compound or go overboard with engineering vocab. Those evaluating the technical side of your application will be experienced in engineering but there will also be admissions officers less science-y like myself checking out your work (see gif below for my relationship with science). Think about it this way…explain your work as if you are explaining it to one of your friends who might be more of a history buff than a science whiz.

Did a part of your project crash and fail the first time? Did you learn anything from your making process? If so, tell us!
Mistakes happen. Tufts Engineering is all about learning from failure. Your process did not have to go perfectly for you to showcase good maker portfolio. Talking about what went wrong helps us understand how you are approaching the engineering design process. Our readers are looking to see if a student has the tenacity to handle engineering projects and the ability to fail forward. 
 

As admissions officers, we are always looking for a fit for Tufts Engineering--in the essays, in the extra-curricular activities and in the maker portfolio. Engineering at Tufts takes grit, collaboration, stick-to-itiveness, creativity, playfulness, humility, intellectual curiosity, kindness, and more. You do not need to check all these qualities but as we review your portfolio, we'll look for some of these soft skills that tell us about who you might be in a lab, on a team, or in the classroom. For example, we understand that some projects can be done solo and some projects require group work or advice from teachers. Engineering is all about collaboration. If you were the leader of the group, you should showcase your leadership and your involvement in the work but don't forget about your teachers and your teammates!

Hopefully with these tips, you are ready to take on our Maker's Portfolio. I can't wait to see what you have created!