Various areas of continuing education have made use of portfolios over the years. Visual art students compile a collection of their artistic endeavors and create a portfolio which they share with the various art schools to which they are applying. In a sense, music students provide a portfolio of their ability when they audition for admittance to conservatories. Frequently, athletes present a video of their athletic performance to various coaches hoping to find a place on a college team. This video can be considered a variation of a portfolio. Portfolios show others what you are capable of doing. 

Portfolios can also be used in the college application process. Although some colleges will only review the same kind information for each student applicant, other colleges will review any material and information that will help them construct a more complete picture of what you are like. Sometimes portfolios can help colleges get to know you better, because grades and test scores do not show or tell everything about you. 

You can put together a quality portfolio and take it with you when you visit and/or interview with college admissions counselors. In addition to classes, course grades, test scores, projects, experiments, term papers, awards, a portfolio helps colleges to better understand the following: 

• What your skills and abilities are
• What you have accomplished
• What experiences you have had
• What is important to you
• What effort and energy you put into things that are important to you
• What goals you hope to fulfill
• What you have done and are doing to assure that your transition from high school to college will be successful

You are using your portfolio to convince colleges that there is little risk on their part to accepting you as a student. This means that the college can be pretty confident that you will not only start college, but that you will also be successful and graduate. 

The best predictor that you will be successful in college is your past performance. Your portfolio should show that you are actively involved in establishing goals and implementing ways to fulfill those goals. In a general sense, your goal in high school is to prepare yourself academically so you can make the transition from high school to college successfully.