All raters notice whether or not a student s portfolio has enough substance. With this in mind, we ask that students use the page limit and make it .work. Five or six pages isn t enough. Longer portfolios offer analysis and discuss the complexity of issues. Brief portfolios rarely get a high score because they can t fully develop, support, and sustain a writer s position.
Instructors prefer concreteness to vagueness and showing to telling.
When appropriate, use dialogue and narrative examples and scenes to help develop your work. As one rater suggests, Look at a lot of examples in Best of Miami Portfolios and try to figure out why they are good pieces. Usually, it s not because of the topic but because of how the writer develops the topic. Be aware of big issue topics and make sure you can take them on in a way that is focused and thoughtful. A reader is less likely to be enthusiastic about the 26th paper on abortion or Hamlet unless it s got a fresh angle.