Five principles for a learning portfolio
The new portfolio system gets a lot of criticism, but its intent isn't bad. Once you settle down and grasp a few essentials, it's nowhere near as hard as it looks.
Having taught so many portfolio-writing classes, we come away from each one with plenty on our minds.
For all the criticism the new learning portfolio gets, we actually think its intent is sound — because it forces children to explore their own interests early, instead of just filling in whatever major their score happens to reach, and ending up in a string of unhappy outcomes.
The real problem is that today's high-schoolers are short on time, and school teachers genuinely don't have the bandwidth to dig into it — so students end up feeling lost, saddled with worry for no good reason. But if you're willing to settle down, understand it, and grasp the essentials, the portfolio is nowhere near as hard as it looks. Here are five principles.
Context for readers outside Taiwan: the learning portfolio is a three-year record Taiwanese high-schoolers build and submit for university admissions, read alongside their exam scores.
1. At heart, it's an act of persuasion
Stripped down, the portfolio exists to persuade a reviewer of one of two things: "here's what I went through that made me decide to apply to your department," or "here's what I have that proves I'm suited to it." Get that straight, and your direction won't wander.
2. Over three years, show a funnel-shaped exploration
Setting aside the few who fix on a direction early, most children genuinely don't know theirs yet. That's normal. So what your three years of portfolio should show is a funnel-shaped exploration — starting from broad trying and sampling, and gradually narrowing toward a clear direction. What a reviewer wants to see is that trajectory of steadily sharpening focus.
3. The earlier you settle on a direction, the more time you save
Those who find their direction sooner can spend their energy where it counts, preparing relevant material with precision — because in the end, most reviewers most want to see content directly related to their own department. Deciding early isn't about winning the starting gun; it's about not squandering limited time on wandering back and forth.
4. Before eleventh grade, learn what your target department wants
Our advice: by around the start of eleventh grade, you really must have a rough idea of which subject cluster you're aiming for, then study the admissions prospectus to learn exactly which materials that department wants to see.
For instance, NTU's dentistry department asks you to provide a social-studies inquiry-and-practice piece. If you don't know that in advance, it's easy to miss entirely — and it's hard to conjure at the last minute, because it's a coursework outcome that has to be certified by a school teacher.
Doing the homework early is precisely how you avoid the "found out too late" trap.
5. Anyone can write nice words — you need real examples
Pretty adjectives and upbeat self-description are things anyone can produce, which is exactly why they persuade no one. What actually moves a reader is your ability to cite concrete examples: to walk through the process in detail, to explain the turns and trade-offs behind each decision. Specifics are what give your words weight.
So if you've just finished ninth grade, your homework this summer is to look properly into what a learning portfolio is really for. Think these five principles through, and the three years ahead will feel a great deal steadier than they do for everyone else.