Every year, as a senior lecturer, I reviewed hundreds of Interior, Architecture & Design portfolios from students applying to university. Some were confident. Some were nervous. Many apologised before we’d even opened the folder. And here’s the thing, most students don’t realise: Very few portfolios fail because of a lack of talent. Most struggle because of avoidable mistakes.

If you’re preparing an architecture portfolio for university, especially for interviews, clearing, or late applications, this post will help you avoid the most common pitfalls I’ve seen time and time again. For a full step-by-step guide, start with my portfolio preparation guide for architecture students.

Common architecture portfolio mistakes students make when applying to university

Mistake 1: Showing Too Much Work

More is not better. In fact, you will soon learn about a design and lifestyle principle, “less is more” - Mies van der Rohe

One of the biggest mistakes students make is trying to show everything they’ve ever created. Sketchbooks bursting at the seams. Page after page of similar drawings. Projects with no clear end. Admissions tutors don’t need to see everything - they don’t have time for it. They need to see your best work.

A strong portfolio usually includes:

10-15 well-chosen pieces
A mix of process and final outcomes
Clear development, not repetition

If two pieces say the same thing about you, choose the stronger one.

Mistake 2: Only Showing Finished Work

Beautiful final drawings are great. But architecture is about thinking, not just outcomes. Portfolios that only show polished final pieces often raise questions:

How did you get here?
How do you think through a problem?
Can you develop an idea over time?

Universities want to see:

Sketches (recording what you see)
Iterations
Mistakes (not afraid of them)
Experiments (design thinking)
Process pages

Rough work is not a weakness. It’s evidence of learning. This is something I also talk about in more depth when it comes to studying architecture as a whole, including workload, expectations, and mindset in studying architecture effectively.

Mistake 3: Hiding Behind Perfection

Many students try to present work that looks “professional” too early - perfect lines, overworked drawings, erased personality.

This often comes from fear - fear of getting it wrong, fear of being judged, fear of not being good enough yet. But architecture schools are not looking for finished architects. They are looking for potential. Confidence comes from clarity, not polish.

Mistake 4: No Clear Focus or Direction

Another common issue is a portfolio that feels scattered. A bit of everything, but no clear sense of:

What interests you
Why architecture (or interior architecture, interior design)
Where your curiosity lies

Your portfolio doesn’t need a “style”, but it should have a thread - something that ties it all together.

Ask yourself:

What kinds of spaces excite me?
Do I enjoy drawing buildings, interiors, details, and materials?
Am I more conceptual, technical, or observational?

Let your interests lead the selection.

Mistake 5: Too Much Text (or None at All)

Some portfolios are overloaded with explanation. Others offer no context whatsoever. Aim for the middle ground.

For each project, a simple structure works best:

Project title
Medium (materials)
One or two sentences explaining the idea or intention

This works as an ice breaker, a starting point for the interviewer to ask questions. You don’t need to answer everything on the page; remember “less is more”, but if your portfolio is viewed without you there, then it will help the person viewing your work understand it.

Mistake 6: Forgetting the Interview Is a Conversation

Many students treat the interview like an exam. It’s not. It’s a conversation about your work, your thinking, and your curiosity. It’s as much about meeting you and having a chat to see if the course is a good match for you, and you for the course.

If you can:

Explain why you made something
Talk honestly about what you struggled with
Reflect on what you’d improve next time (portfolios are a work in progress and develop over time)

You are already doing well. You don’t need to ace this, but you do need to present yourself and your work as best you can.

Mistake 7: Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else

This one matters.

Every year, students would sit in waiting rooms, maybe flicking through each other’s portfolios, quietly panicking.

Please remember:

Everyone comes from a different background (a varied studio cohort is often a good thing)
Not everyone has had the same teaching, time, or support (do not compare, we know how to spot potential)
Your story matters (sometimes, you as a person can outshine your work in a meeting, that’s good too)

Admissions tutors are trained to see potential. We know what we are looking for, and it probably wasn’t in that one drawing you left out of your portfolio, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel that it didn’t go well.

What Strong Portfolios Have in Common

Across years of interviewing students in the UK, Japan, Thailand, India and Iceland, the strongest portfolios I’ve seen shared:

Curiosity
Willingness to learn
Evidence of process
A clear interest in space and design
Honesty
Not perfection

This is especially important if you’re applying through clearing, where your portfolio and interview often carry more weight than grades alone.

If You’re Preparing Your Portfolio Now

If you’re applying this year, through clearing, or returning to architecture after a break, focus on:

Selecting thoughtfully
Showing your thinking
Practising talking about your work
Trusting where you are right now

If you’d like a full step-by-step guide, you may find this helpful: Architecture & Design Portfolio Preparation Guide (University Interviews)

And if you want personalised feedback, I offer portfolio reviews and mentoring to help you understand what universities are really looking for and how to strengthen your work with confidence.