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Berkeley Portfolio Requirements

jhcy

I emailed the Berkeley for clarification but haven't gotten a response yet. Can someone explain to me what they mean on the website. It says that the portfolio requirements are 12 pages with dimensions at (8.5 x 11). However, a little bit below there is a note to M.Arch that pages can be any dimension. Does this mean that M.Arch applicants do not have to follow the 8.5 x 11 page dimension rule??

http://ced.berkeley.edu/admissions/graduate/applying

 
Nov 7, 15 12:25 am
alrightalright

do you really need this question answered? it is pretty explicit.. you already answered the question.

i am a little worried for your graduate education if you can't follow clear instructions.

Nov 8, 15 1:38 pm  · 
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hvr1

12 pages seem quite restrictive to me.

Are there any successful applicants to Berkeley who got in despite their portfolio being over the 12 page limit?

Thank you

Nov 26, 15 3:11 pm  · 
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international_applicant

Hello guys!

Real dilemma here! I am applying to Berkeley. I have created a portfolio of 60 pages, which goes for most of the programs I am about to apply. Berkeley though, as mentioned above, has a strict 12 pages portfolio, any dimension. The question is: do I transform my 60 pages to 12 by roughly putting 5 pages in 1 huge page? Or do I pick my 4 best projects (12 pages) and give them a shot? Is 4 projects a small number for a portfolio application?

Thank you in advance

Dec 1, 15 5:40 pm  · 
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ivorykeyboard

what if you did one gigantic 48"x36" page that folded up into smaller 12"x9" pages? creative, and a nice way to be snarky

Dec 1, 15 6:26 pm  · 
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tduds

That's a lot of effort just to guarantee yourself a spot in the reject pile.

Dec 1, 15 6:29 pm  · 
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international_applicant

@ivorykeyboard it is a good idea if it was a hardcopy portfolio! :( It is digital submission so I cannot really do that.

@tduds do you mean that I should send 4 projects?

Dec 1, 15 6:39 pm  · 
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tduds

I was reponding to ivorykeyobard.

But yes, either send 4 projects or try to pare down 5-6 to fit on a single spread each. I made a separate portfolio for Berkeley when I applied because their requirements were so much more restrictive than anyone else. Of course they were the only school to reject me, so that was effort well spent.

Dec 1, 15 6:44 pm  · 
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international_applicant

Did you send less projects or did you try to fit your portfolio into less spreads by crowding spreads?

Dec 1, 15 6:55 pm  · 
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tduds

Both. 

I kept the template but moved info & images around, omitting everything but what was absolutely necessary, to get a half decent 12 page portfolio.

Not saying the effort was worth it, but it's what I did and probably what I'd do again. I'm also a design-masochist, but aren't we all?

Dec 1, 15 7:13 pm  · 
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international_applicant

Thank you tduds! Much appreciated. What other programs did you apply, and where did you finally choose to go?

Dec 2, 15 6:00 am  · 
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rengrsl

I am exporting my spreads as pages so I have two pages of my portfolio as one so I can at least take advantage of 24 pages of my original portfolio

Dec 7, 15 5:59 am  · 
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lourou

@[email protected]I just emailed their admission to see if that's allowed. Does the 12 page limit mean 12 overall 8.5x11 pages or could it be 12 spreads (8.5x22). 

Dec 8, 15 4:06 pm  · 
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rengrsl

@lourou I know many people that have done it and got in. I dont think its a problem as they wrote that there is no page format

Dec 9, 15 4:39 am  · 
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rengrsl

@lourou did they answer to you?

Dec 9, 15 4:39 am  · 
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lourou

They responded back to me...

So basically the portfolio can only have 12 pages of design work. Any page size is acceptable, 1 spread (2 pages) will be counted as 1 page. Also, there is no format specified. The pages/spreads can be any dimension.

Dec 16, 15 1:12 pm  · 
1  · 

Hey, this is quite helpful, just wanted to confirm that if "they consider" 1 spread (2 pages) to be as 1 page then "normally" it'll be 12x2=24 pages in total correct? Had this doubt because now their site says 20 screens.......

Oct 7, 20 11:35 am  · 
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