MIT Maker Portfolio Help

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

Hi Everyone,

I am struggling to decide which project I should include in my Maker Portfolio. My first option is a mobile app. The app is really in depth and complex and has lots of different parts, but it isn’t fully functional yet. I normally wouldn’t consider submitting a half finished app, but the part that does work shows a lot of programming knowledge (it sends and receives data from a server and implements dual layer cryptography). My second option would be a hardware project that I built with friends a while back. I mostly worked on the programming of the hardware, and I still have the code lying around. The hardware itself was pretty impressive, but the code needed was relatively simple. Also, I no longer have access to the hardware, so the only thing I can submit are pictures and a technical description. I don’t have any videos of it working. So what do you guys think? Which project do you think I should choose?

Sorry for being so vague in terms of project descriptions, but I’d like to stay anonymous. Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

2

I thought you can submit more than one project? It did say on MIT’s website that you could include projects in the portfolio, but I’m not sure…

3

Yeah you can submit more than one, although you will have to select a ‘primary’ mode of making to help route you to an appropriate member of the EAB to review.

4

So, for example, I probably would not be able to write about the coding I’ve done as well as the Scratch programming language class that I have taught?

5

…sure you can? Not sure why you couldn’t.

6

Alright, sweet! Is there a recommended length to the Maker Portfolio’s Technical Documentation? Mine seems kind of long right now and I’m not sure if I should cut it down or not.

Thanks!

7

We’d like it to be as brief as possible, but no briefer.

8

Chris, with that said, what number of projects (with a focus within a particular category, of course) would you recommend? I have 23 significant projects listed at the moment - I have always been active in making projects - but obviously 23 is far too many for the admissions officers to look at in ~15 minutes. Would even 10 be too many?

Thanks for the information; I’ve been confused about this issue for a while.

9

Thanks for the great responses. I didn’t realize that we could include two projects in the Maker Portfolio :slight_smile:

10

MITChris, can I include a letter of recommendation with the MIT Maker Portfolio?

11

Sure, as a separate document, but you might as well just send one in as a supplemental in general.

12

Hey I also have a question about a portfolio. Questions 8 and 9 I think on the research portfolio are yes or no questions, but there’s no choice to put no. My answer is no. They are required. What should I do?

13

@MITChris if you are into commercial product development but do not submit a research/maker portfolio, would that hurt your application?