Advice for Creating a STEM Maker Portfolio for College Admission

Crafting an Effective Maker Portfolio for College Applications

A maker portfolio can be a powerful tool to showcase your creativity, technical skills, and problem-solving abilities to college admissions officers. Here's some key advice to help you create a compelling maker portfolio:

Focus on quality over quantity.

Highlight 1-3 substantial projects that best demonstrate your skills and passion rather than cramming in numerous smaller works. Choose projects that are meaningful to you and potentially have a positive impact on society.

Clearly explain your creative process.

Admissions officers want to understand your thought process, challenges faced, and solutions devised. Use a combination of images, videos (under 120 seconds total), and concise text to walk them through your project development.

Make it accessible.

Remember that both engineering experts and non-technical admissions staff will review your portfolio. Explain your work in a way that's understandable to someone without a strong science background.

Highlight soft skills.

Top STEM schools value qualities like creativity, tenacity, and collaborative spirit. Showcase how your projects demonstrate these attributes.

Be authentic.

Don't feel pressured to create new projects solely for your portfolio. Genuine passion for your existing work is more compelling than a hastily assembled project.

Craft thoughtful responses.

Take time to articulate why your projects are meaningful to you and how they align with your goals. However, don't obsess over perfection – admissions officers understand you're still developing as an engineer.

Consider the format carefully.

Some schools may prefer a single PDF with images and explanations, while others might allow separate image uploads with descriptions. Follow the specific guidelines provided by each institution.

Remember, while a maker portfolio can strengthen your application, it's typically optional. Don't let it overshadow other important aspects of your application. Instead, use it as an opportunity to bring your technical creativity to life and give admissions officers deeper insight into your potential as a STEM student.

Should I Submit an AP score of 3?

We get this question from students all the time! They know that a 3 is a solid score and shows mastery of the material in their AP class, but is it worth sending to colleges? And if they don’t send it, will the college assume that they got a 1 or a 2? Like many things in the college application process, it depends!

According to the College Board’s charts, AP score distributions vary widely. For example, fewer than 10% of students taking the AP Literature and Composition or AP Physics 1 scored a 5, while 45% of students earned the same 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam. The numbers are even higher for some of the World Languages and Cultures exams.

The first thing that you should do is check the AP Score credit policy for the colleges that you are applying to. If they will give you credit for the 3, then by all means, report it! On the other hand, if they only give credit for a 5 on that exam (not even for a 4), you may want to hold off.

The other thing to take into consideration is the selectivity of the college itself. As a general rule, the more selective the institution, the more applicants they will have with stellar AP scores. Think about how you will compare and make a call with that in mind!

The bottom line is to remember that a 3 is a very good score! Congratulate yourself for taking on the challenge and doing well!

Is It More Competitive to Gain Admission as a Computer Science Major?

Move over biology - computer science is the hot new major!

The numbers are staggering. From 2011 to 2021, The University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering saw a 400% increase in interest in studying computer science. At the University of Wisconsin — Madison? 800%!

Naturally, admission rates reflect this popularity. Last year, out-of-state students applying directly to CS at the University of Washington faced a 3% acceptance rate. At Carnegie Mellon, the admit rate to CS was 5%.

Once on campus, it’s still competitive. A recent article in the New York Times, “The Hard Part of Computer Science? Getting into Class,” highlights the issues many computer science majors have getting the classes they need to graduate. “It’s a cutthroat race to register for classes,” one comp sci student shared.

So what should you do if you want to pursue computer science in college?

• Diversify your list. We always tell computer science applicants to ensure that they have plenty of safety schools on their list. And dig deeper into the admission rates for computer science versus the overall admission rate to make sure that your “safety” school isn’t actually a reach.

• Consider alternative majors. Plenty of students land lucrative tech jobs with alternate majors such as Applied and Computational Mathematics, Data Science, or Digital Arts and Media. Others choose to minor in computer science, pairing it with majors such as economics, physics, or engineering.

• Work to develop your “CS Fingerprint.” Successful CS applicants tend to have robust resumes and diverse experiences outside of the classroom. Yes, they can code, but they have already begun to use their skills to make an impact: developing apps for local non-profits, assisting businesses with website maintenance or database development, and participating in hack-a-thons, robotics tournaments, and science fair competitions.

Recommended Legal Documents to Consider Before Sending Your Teen to College

After paying bills for tuition, room, board, and other college costs, it may come as a shock that the college your child attends will not provide you with their grades.  Officially, your 18-year-old is an adult, so, legally, you will have to seek their permission to make healthcare and financial decisions for them, along with asking them to provide you with updates on how they are doing in their classes!

 This information has some critical implications.  For example, if your student sustains a serious injury or illness, you will need written permission from your teen to discuss and make healthcare choices for their treatment with the healthcare professionals treating them.  Therefore, it’s an excellent idea to get a Health Care Proxy (also called a medical power of attorney) signed by your college-bound student before they leave for college so you can make medical decisions on their behalf in emergency situations.  Since each state has different requirements, it’s important that the document aligns with the state laws where it may be used. 

You can also get a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) authorization (also called a HIPAA release) signed by your teen so that healthcare providers can give you information about your teen’s general healthcare.

Lastly, you may want to get a Durable Power of Attorney that will allow you to make financial decisions on their behalf. 

Here is a link to an excellent article with online resources for these forms: GrownandFlown: The Legal Documents You Need When Your Child Turns 18

Thinking ahead and being prepared is prudent; these documents will give you peace of mind as you send your 18-year-old off to college.

Should I work with a private college counselor?

It can be easy to get lost in the crowd!

Making the decision to work with an independent college consultant depends on many things: family dynamics, specific needs, and time. For some families familiar with the benefits of working with an IEC, it’s a no-brainer. Others wonder what the benefits would be. So we thought it would be helpful to hear from some of our current and past clients about why they chose to work with us.

• “I suppose we could have educated ourselves and done it ourselves, but we don’t have the time.” I feel the same way about doing my taxes; I could do it myself, but I’d much rather hire an expert!

• “Sometimes we would say the same things, but when you say it he listened.” Welcome to the teenage psyche! Often they do listen better to anyone but their parents.

• “We don’t know what we don’t know.” The process of applying to college has changed dramatically since most patents applied themselves. Of course families worry that they will miss something.

• “We wanted to find the right fit and having someone that had actually been on all of these campuses made all the difference.” It is like having a friend scope out the AirBnB before you rent it, but on a much larger scale.

• “College is too expensive of an investment not to get it right.” Absolutely! That’s why we put affordability first in our conversations with a new family.

• “Her schedule was so busy! We needed someone that could work with her when she was free.” We understand how packed many teen’s schedules are! That is why we work on school breaks, in the summer, and evenings and weekends — it’s when they have the time to buckle down and get thins done.

• “Working with you was a gift I gave to myself.” The high school years fly by, and having the last few years at home with your student be as nag-free as possible is a gift!

If you do choose to work with an independent college consultant, make sure that they are a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, which has stringent criteria for membership and holds its members to the highest ethical standards in the industry.

Students Still Want the Real College Experience

There is so much uncertainty in the time of COVID-19 and news outlets are proclaiming the end of college as we know it. But the reality is that most families are still committed to the traditional college experience for their students. They understand the benefits of on-campus learning: the connections you make, the confidence you gain, the learning that takes place outside of the classroom.

So don’t panic! Things will return to normalcy. There may very well be some corrections (less money spent on lazy rivers and climbing walls would be OK with me), but corrections can be a good thing.

Online college is OK. But real college still matters!

It's School Counselor Week

Thank you school counselors, for all that you do!

At College Matters, we’ve been incredibly lucky to have our own children supported in a variety of ways by caring school counselors! These dedicated professionals made scheduling changes, wrote letters of recommendation for colleges and scholarships, reassured both our student and us as parents when things seemed unsettling, advocated and cheered them on, and most importantly, were there to counsel and support in times of crisis. For all of that, we thank you.

Registering for the Draft to Apply for Federal Financial Aid

Q: Do I really need to register for the draft when filling out the FAFSA?

A: On this issue, your options are extremely limited. If you are a male between the ages of 18-25, interested in applying for federal financial aid for college, you are required to register for the Selective Service.* As of now, females are not required to register. Failing to register for the Selective Service if you are 18-25 years old will disqualify you from receiving federal financial aid. There are a very limited number of exemptions: exemptions.

Registration can be completed directly through the Selective Service System (any time after the student is 17 years and 3 months old) at www.sss.gov or by obtaining and filling out a Selective Service Form 1 at any U.S. Post Office and mailing it in.  If you haven’t yet registered at the time you are filling out the FAFSA, you must check the option indicating that you would like to register through the FAFSA application to qualify for federal aid. If you have already registered, indicate that on the FAFSA.  If the student doesn’t answer the question on the FAFSA, they will have another chance to do so on the Student Aid Report (SAR) that is received once the FAFSA is processed.

Note that males are required to register with the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. If a male student is not yet 18 at the time they complete the FAFSA, they are not required to register, even if they will turn 18 during the upcoming year (i.e. the FAFSA does not need to be updated for that year.)  However, when they reapply for financial aid in subsequent years after turning 18 (you must file a FAFSA each year to receive aid), they will have to indicate that they would like to register on the FAFSA or indicate that they have already registered.

If you have any further questions, contact the Selective Service Registration Information Office at 847-688-6888 or www.sss.gov .

*Failing to register for the Selective Service if you are 18-25 years old is a felony under the Military Selective Service Act.  Conviction of a violation can result in imprisonment for up to five years and fines of up to $250,000.

The Pros and Cons of the Summer College Campus Visit

It’s already August, and you still have more colleges campuses to visit than you can possibly see in the fall before applications are due.  Plus, the fall semester is going to be challenging with that rigorous senior course load you have planned, and you don’t want to take too much time off.  What’s a rising senior (and their family) to do? 

Our advice is to use the few days you have available in the fall to see the leading contenders on your list and to use some time in the remainder of summer to visit others, if possible.  Campuses are generally much quieter in the summer months, but there may still be some students around doing research or other projects.  There is still great value in taking in the layout and feel of the campus, its location, the information presented in an Information Session and by the student tour guide and admission people are usually available to answer questions.  Additionally, it is often a great time to schedule an interview. You will get credit for demonstrating interest – provided you check in with Admissions - which some colleges weigh in their deliberations for admission. 

You may not get a solid read of the campus culture as you tour the quieter summer campuses, but you will get a sense of the place.  Note that start times for fall semester vary greatly, so check the academic calendar online at each institution – you may see more students than you expect with late summer visits as some college students may already be making their way back to campus.  It’s nearly impossible to see every campus during the school year, so it may be inevitable that you will have to compromise and visit a few in the summer! 

The Peril of Asking a 16 or 17-year old: What do you want to do with the rest of your life?

What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Counselors, teachers, parents, and friends often ask this question of high school students as they begin to think about post-high school graduation plans, and it makes sense: we want goals to inform planning.  However, it is essential to recognize that many kids this age don’t know what they want to do… or be.  They may be more drawn to STEM classes or love literature and writing, but their goals may still be quite vague.  And they may not have identified a major or area of interest for college.

In the wake of the prolonged recession that started in 2008 that resulted in a rising number of unemployed college graduates, we have found that families want their kids to identify careers earlier and make that a key criterion of the college search and match process.  The students we work with are feeling the pressure, increasing anxiety for some. 

“Let’s stop stressing out our kids with career choice pressure” an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer by the psychologist, speaker, and author, Janet Sasson Edgette reminds us that forcing our children to decide on a career before they are ready can lead to false starts and unintended consequences.  She also makes a case for raising children who are adaptive — who value education for the opportunity to explore and discover as they will be better prepared for futures where they will have to change as the career landscape changes. Parenting our children to seek a balance between security and what brings them joy is a goal worth promoting.