CV and portfolio preparation for a university application

CV AND PORTFOLIO

Present your experience through relevant information and your approach to making through work that is genuinely your own.

Courses > Study Abroad > CV and Portfolio
DOCUMENT STRATEGY

Two documents with two different purposes

A CV makes a student’s academic and experience history easy to scan; a portfolio shows how they think and make, particularly for architecture, design and some graduate applications. Select a section below to explore it.

01

Select

Education, projects and experience that matter to the target programme are identified.

02

Structure

A clear hierarchy helps the reader find the most important information quickly.

03

Technical review

Format, length, file type and programme-specific upload rules are verified.

01

An application-focused academic and experience summary

An effective CV does not try to say everything. It makes the education, work and responsibilities relevant to the intended programme easy to understand.

Academic foundation

School and degree information, relevant courses, academic projects and research interests.

Projects and research

The subject, the student’s role, the method used and any concrete output.

Experience and responsibility

Duration, scope and personal contribution in internships, employment, volunteering and organisations.

Skills and outputs

Relevant software, languages, technical skills, publications, presentations, awards or exhibitions.

HND review: Each entry should state what the student did, which part they owned in team work and, where relevant, what resulted. Unverifiable titles, publications or experiences are not included.
02

Showing thought and development, not only outcomes

An architecture or design portfolio is not an album of finished work. It should show how the student observes, researches, thinks visually and makes decisions.

01

Selection

We choose work that demonstrates different skills and ways of thinking, not simply the largest number of projects.

02

Process

Where permitted, we include sketches, research, models, prototypes and stages of development.

03

Individual contribution

In collaborative or professional work, the part produced by the student is identified clearly.

04

Explanation

Each project receives a concise account of context, purpose, method and learning.

Important: Portfolio design should not overpower the work. Sequencing, image quality and captions support the file, but the work, drawings, models and writing must belong to the student.
03

Emphasis changes with the application context

One portfolio or CV should not be sent to every programme unchanged. The institution’s purpose for requesting the file determines selection and structure.

UCAS and undergraduate

Some architecture and creative programmes request the portfolio through their own system after the UCAS application. Timing, page limits and file format follow current institutional instructions.

Architecture and design

Drawing, photography, models, collage, product work or digital projects may demonstrate visual and three-dimensional thinking. Selection follows each school’s criteria.

Graduate applications

A programme may request research, professional work, a design portfolio or writing sample. The CV and selected work should support the same intended specialisation.

Official sources for current requirements

Rules vary by institution and admission cycle. The current instructions for each target programme remain the controlling source.

UCL Bartlett Portfolio Guidance MIT Architecture Graduate Admissions Harvard GSD MArch Requirements
04

A concise, traceable and programme-specific workflow

At HND, the process begins by understanding what the target programme requires, rather than filling a generic template.

  1. Extract requirementsWe record file type, page or item limit, size, language, submission method and dates from official sources.
  2. Select contentWe identify relevant work and experience and complete missing dates or project details.
  3. Sequence and captionWe establish a reading order and explain project titles and the student’s contribution concisely.
  4. Technical reviewWe verify file name, format, size, image quality, links and the final uploaded version.
Ownership: HND gives feedback on selection, sequencing, clarity and technical compliance. The student remains responsible for the accuracy of the CV and the originality of portfolio work.

Let us identify what your CV and portfolio need to include.

Review your target programme’s requirements alongside your existing experience and work.

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