College Application Portfolio Contents
The purpose of this project is to assist and direct students in applying to
college. The portfolio for this project is intended as a record of a substantial
college application process. Several types of documentation are suggested
with each standard. In addition, the student should collect a number of
artifacts from their application process, including photographs of college visits,
brochures, business cards, hard copies of e-mail correspondence, and any
other artifacts that can be used to verify a rigorous and thorough application
process.
The following are the required components of the application process:
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Application to colleges and universities
Completed FAFSA
Letters of Recommendation (for those colleges and universities that
require letters)
Scholarship Application(s)
College Application Essay
Annotated Bibliography evidencing college search process
SAT, ACT, ACCUPLACER and/or COMPASS
Reflection Letter
Product Standards for College Application Portfolio
Project
Components
Research/ SelfAssessment
(Suggested evidence of
this standard includes
the following: MeyersBriggs Personality
Inventory and/or WOIS
interest inventory as
well as journal entries.
Research /College
Search Process
(Suggested evidence of
this standard includes
the following:
annotated bibliography
documenting research
of college websites and
secondary sources
(such as USA Today)
that rank colleges and
universities; college
comparison worksheet
from ACT or College
Board website, journal
reflections; brochures
and photographs
documenting
attendance to college
campus visits and
college representative
visits at MTHS.
Clearly below
standard
Approaching
Standard
Does not conduct a selfassessment to identify
interests and/or
strengths.
Does not document
research on potential
majors.
Completes minimal selfassessment to identify
interests or strengths.
Documents minimal
research on potential
majors.
Completes thorough
self- assessment to
identify interests and
strengths.
Documents research
into potential majors
related to interests.
Completes both WOIS
interest survey and
Meyer’s Briggs
Personality
Inventory. Documents
research into majors
related to interests as well
as career outlooks related
to those potential majors.
No evidence that student
conducted online
research; attended
college representative
visits on MTHS campus
or attended off campus
visits.
Only looks at one or two
colleges.
Content for the
annotated bibliography
may be limited to “cut
and paste” material from
college websites.
Conducted little online
research, attended a few
representative visits on
MTHS campus but did
not attend any off
campus visits.
This annotated
bibliography may rest
largely on content that
has been pasted from
websites or from only
one type of research.
Conducted credible
online research into a
few colleges and
universities; attended
at least 1 off campus
visit and attended at
least 3 college
representative visits on
MTHS campus OR
National College
Fair.
Conducts a reasonable
comparison of several
colleges for fit with
student’s aptitudes and
interests.
The content is
authored by the
student not by online
resources that are
pasted into the
annotated bibliography
Extensive annotated
bibliography shows
student has conducted
substantial online
research, attended 2 or
more off campus visits
and attended 4 or more
college representative
visits on MTHS campus.
Attended the National
College Fair.
Extensive college
comparison incorporates
many colleges/
universities and includes
consideration of a wide
array of factors.
Took either SAT or ACT
but received scores after
college admissions
deadline
Took either SAT or
ACT test(s) and met
deadlines for college
admission
Took ACT and SAT tests
well in advance of
deadlines; took test prep
course or studied
extensively for tests
Did not take SAT or
College
ACT
Admissions/
college admissions tests
Placement Testing
(Suggested evidence of
this standard includes
the following: test
scores, journal
reflections, test prep
course registration,
pre/post test printouts).
Meets
Standard
Exceeds
Standard
College Essay
(Suggested evidence of
this standard includes
the final essay, drafts
with feedback, and
scored rubrics)
Financial
Planning
(Suggested evidence of
this standard includes
the following: a copy
of the FAFSA received
receipt document).
Reflection Essay:
The student is to write
a reflective essay of
approximately 250
words in which the
student responds to the
following prompt: As
a result of this search
process, which school
are you planning to
attend and why? If you
have chosen not to
pursue college, how
has this process helped
you come to this
conclusion?
Composes a generic
personal essay
demonstrating weak
conventions and little
evidence that the essay
has received a qualified
review.
Composes a college
essay responding to the
generic prompt or to a
specific college. The
essay demonstrates a
developing command
over conventions and
grammar. The essay
may not have been
reviewed.
Composes one or more
well-crafted personal
essays that respond
directly to the prompt
of a chosen college
written in an
appropriate voice
demonstrating
command over
convention. There is
evidence the essay has
been reviewed.
Composes more than one
college personal essay
responding directly to
college prompts written in
an engaging voice
demonstrating exceptional
command over
conventions and
grammar. There is
evidence that the essay
has been reviewed by
qualified reader(s).
Does not complete
FAFSA or apply for
scholarships. Does not
compare costs between 2
or more colleges. Does
not prepare a budget of
costs.
Completes FAFSA but
does not meet FAFSA
priority deadline
(s). Only applies for 1
scholarship. Budget
does not take into
account all costs
associated with one
college.
Completes FAFSA in
time for priority
deadline (s). Applies
for 2 or more
scholarships. Has a
basic budget which
includes most costs
associated with two
colleges?
Completes FAFSA in time
for priority
deadline(s). Applies for 3
or more scholarships. Has
a detailed budget which
includes all costs
associated with three
colleges (transportation,
housing, food, books,
etc.)?
A very limited response
that contains frequent
errors in conventions
and grammar.
The essay responds to
the prompt with an
unclear or incomplete
connection between the
search process and post
high school plans. The
essay may demonstrate
poor conventions or
grammar.
The essay responds
directly to the prompt
but may not provide a
detailed connection
between the search
process and post-highschool plans. The
essay demonstrates a
strong command over
conventions and
grammar.
The essay responds
completely and directly to
the prompt. The essay
demonstrates exceptional
command over
conventions and grammar.