Ask yourself what an admissions officer needs to know about you. Consider aspects of your life and undergraduate career that do not show up on your transcript. Assess your transcript and MCAT scores to determine if there are any deficiencies or trends that you need to explain.
Introduce yourself with a brief narrative. Focus on your professional and academic career. Provide personal anecdotes only when necessary to support statements about your personality. Relate your experience to your career goals.
Explain any deficiencies or trends in your academic record that you identified. Find at least one way each personal experience that negatively impacted your academic record (such as having to work full-time or learning that your mother has cancer the day of the MCAT) contributed to your character.
Outline the items in your portfolio. Place each item in context by telling the reader what the reason for creating it was (such as a college class or internship). Explain how that item demonstrates your abilities and skills.
Close with a hook. Provide a compelling reason for the admissions committee to remember your portfolio. Tell the reader what makes you distinct from another applicant with an identical transcript.