Hey Chris, 

You have some interesting work. I would expand the [IN] Arch section at the beginning to include a bit more for each of the projects. Be careful with spelling mistakes! "Candidate" and "Environmental" are misspelled throughout. Also, maybe take out the photography section, or include some that go beyond straight shots of buildings. I would include them if it's something that you're into and you think is important, but not as a filler. Good luck!

chris,

I would remove the photography and sketches--I think they will hurt you. the photography will not aid you unless there is some conceptual theme that ties the pictures together, or unless they are really compelling in themselves. i am more adamant about your sketches, though... they are just not proficient enough to be of help.

the good news is, i think the first 2-3 preceding projects are very interesting, and abstract. very much along the lines of what you will do in grad school. those, coupled with the things you've built, will give you a solid portfolio. 

i would also remove the photograph of yourself at the end, it is not appropriate for a portfolio and will backfire. You can integrate the personal statement at the back of your portfolio if you wish, but that's not very common... and I feel like it will not be read if you place it there. If you write a really awesome statement, consider placing it at the beginning of the portfolio, if you wish to include it.

good luck man!

hey chris,

grad schools are interested in your process and the the way that you conceptualize your work. the INarch projects are good. i would try to expand on them if possible. everything else is either doing little to help your portfolio, or actually working against you. 

you need to show people how you arrived at a solution and why you took a particular approach. someone should be able to flip through your work and "get it" without having to read any descriptions. also remember that your portfolio is a work of art in and of itself. your graphic layout needs to be more thoughtful.

check out as many portfolios from past years of people who gained acceptance, and get as many critical eyes on your work as possible. omit the weak stuff, improve upon the good stuff, write one hell of a personal statement that ties it all together with who you are and your reasons for wanting to study architecture at x school, and you should be good.

best of luck!

Nic, James and Jason, 

Thank you for your feed back.  I'll definitely be making some changes to the portfolio based on everything you guys have said.