Ok guys, I know someone can me some kind advice, right?

My portfolio had hand drawings, sketches, Photoshop collage type things (actually one was a mix CD cover that I made and another was a wallpaper for Windows that I made as a joke, but no one needs to know that haha), paintings, furniture that I built, some assemblage type things, and my projects from Career Discovery. About 1/2 of the stuff I literally made over a few weeks specifically for my portfolio. I made three of the paintings in about 1 hour one night. I have a BS in geology, so I didn't really have anything for a portfolio. But hell, they bought it and I almost got a full ride from Wash U out of the deal (got slightly less, but decided to go to Penn). I got shot down by Harvard, but I've seen the portfolios of other people who were shot down and I have no idea what they are looking for in their applicants. There is a girl here whose portfolio is amazing. Really really amazing and she was shot down. I know people that got into Harvard and not Penn, or into Columbia and not Penn or Harvard. I have NO idea what the selection criteria are for these places. Although I did write a bunch of crap about systems and science in my essay, but I didn't mean it really in the archibabble sense, but I think that might be part of what got me in too haha.

sounds about right aquaman. my portfolio (and I was coming in with a philosophy degree) had mostly photos that I took to illustrate a piece of my own writing. I think I also had a couple drawings and some graphic design stuff I had done. Pretty simple and wasn't more than 15 pages. I think for MArch3 apps, more emphasis is placed on recs and your statement than on your portfolio. Mostly they just want to see some examples of your visual thinking and engagement in general.