rivets

I doubt it would hurt your possibility of acceptance. I think schools request 3 ring binders for no other reason than durability. They get hundreds, maybe thousands, of portfolios and a lot of people look at them. So the durability is a factor.

Having said that, I think it might hurt your chances of acceptance more if you submit a binder portfolio that looks like crap. Just my thoughts, I don't know if that's the actual reason. I know in my grad school that had hundreds of portfolios stacked in mail crates, and they student reviewers along with the faculty.

Thanks pencrush. Much appreciated.

It's possible for it to hurt your chances. It is seen as not following directions. If the portfolio grossly exceeds size regulations or number of pages it may be rejected. Bottom line: if the school specifies a certain binding, size, page number limit, etc. your best bet is to stick to that!

The 3-ring binder or other off-the-shelf solution will pretty much never count against you anywhere. Be careful with custom solutions. A long time ago I posted about having seen an admissions committee comments sheet that said nothing but that the candidate's portfolio was difficult to open. That's not what you want them wasting their 2-sentence summary of you on!

I completely agree about durability. Remember that by the time your portfolio makes it to the committee table it may already have been handled (and perused) by the office staff and various workstudy students, as well as curious-but-not-directly-involved faculty - not to mention the treatment it may have received in shipping! Then, once the committee gets hold of it they sort the portfolios into groups and send them home with committee members to review in their free time - so it needs to be backpack and briefcase safe.

Absolutely avoid movable parts, fold-outs, strings, weird clasps, and any other part that will get detached, broken, torn, etc. Avoid the box-of-cards type of portfolio unless it makes absolutely no difference to you that the cards/your projects will get out of order.

Avoid anything that smells (large amounts of spraymount), anything that will make the committee sneeze (feathers - true story!), anything that will get lint on them (faux fur, velveteen), etc. and obviously anything scratchy or splintery or otherwise hazardous.

The three ring binder is so that it can be opened out flat - in many folio reviews (esp those limited to 3 days - and sometimes only reviewed by 3 people) they open just one page.

sponsored links?

my mind on my money and my money from my archinect!
about time pauly started makng some money of this joint.
word!

Thanks Ormolu - sound advice.

(bigness) - I'm not sure that I know what you're talking about.

definitely. i just needed a post to mark the 200 comments. i'm a daddy now. did anyone mention a t-shirt or something?

first time i opened the thread there was a list of sponsored ads from google, and i know he isntmaking any money out of this, no worries.

if you're going to go with the 3-ring binder, at least make it a good one. I suggest the UniKeep View Case Binder (www.unikeep.com). These are 3-ring binders with a completely enclosed cover that lay flat when open as well as closed. You can make a custom cover for it and it's actually pretty sweet.

i've heard a story from my school that someone submitted a portfolio bound in sheet metal and that a reviewer cut themselves on it!

I've seen quite a few sheet metal portfolios, though I haven't been injured by any yet. I think the popularity is partially because there is one featured in that Harold Linton book on how to make a portfolio. That book first came out around 1995 and ever since then there's been at least one aluminum one in every batch at the schools I've been at (and there's also almost always one with a cover made from pink or orange plexi with piano hinges.)

Go Soft Black Leather

or

Go Rusted Stl Plates 14 gauge Min.
Bound by Razor Wire From a local Prison.


That will keep them talking.

I think I am going to do my binding with rusty nails for that hard agressive look or I am going to use flourecsent bows that you get at the pet groomer for that soft love me look.