A leadership portfolio for scholarships is a private file of project notes and evidence you can draw on for essays, CVs and interviews. For each project, record the problem, what you decided or did, what the team delivered and what changed. Save a record that supports your account. Share portfolio materials only when the scholarship asks for them or expressly allows them.
Start with a project you remember well. A dated message, meeting note or work sample can help you recover the detail you need for an application. Use the one-page project record below to put it in one place.
Set up your private portfolio
Open a private folder and add a simple index with one line per project. Include the dates, your role and a link to the project notes or supporting files. When you need an example for an essay, you can scan the index and open the most relevant case.
Check what the application actually asks you to submit. Schwarzman Scholars, for example, asks for a leadership essay and a résumé of up to two pages among its required materials. Its admissions team discourages unsolicited portfolios and keeps them out of the review. See the Schwarzman Scholars admissions requirements.
What counts as leadership evidence?
Chevening looks for examples of taking the lead and influencing others that show clear results. It also asks applicants to explain what they achieved through working relationships. See the Chevening application criteria.
In its Leadership Roles section, Schwarzman Scholars asks you to explain why each role matters and what you personally contributed. Use those questions to find the decision, responsibility or result you can explain in detail. See the Schwarzman Scholars application instructions.
| What you want to show | Record to look for | What the record can support |
|---|---|---|
| You took initiative | A dated proposal or project brief | What you suggested and when you raised it. |
| You coordinated a team | A rota, meeting note or supervisor confirmation | The tasks you owned and how people divided the work. |
| People used what you delivered | An attendance log or anonymous usage count | How many visits or uses were recorded in a set period. |
| Something changed | Measurements taken the same way before and after | The difference recorded during the period you observed. |
| You adapted the plan | An earlier draft and a dated revision note | What you changed after feedback or a setback. |
Build a leadership portfolio in six steps
1. Shortlist projects with a decision you can explain
Think about times you coordinated people, changed a process or helped a group get unstuck. You might find examples in a volunteer team, a student club, a workplace or a research project. Start with three to five cases as a planning exercise. Include one that took a second attempt if you can explain what you changed. For ideas, see our 30-day youth leadership guide.
2. Fill in a one-page project record
Copy these prompts into your notes and give each one a line or two. Mark details you still need to check before you use them in an application.
- Project and dates. What was the activity and when did you work on it?
- Starting point. What problem did you see and how did you notice it?
- Your action. What did you decide, propose or carry out?
- Team roles. Who handled the other parts of the work?
- Results. What did you deliver and what change did you observe, if any?
- Evidence. Which dated record or direct observer can support the account? What can you share?
- Reflection. What would you do differently next time?
3. Separate what you delivered from what changed
An output is something you delivered, such as a set of workshops. An outcome is a change you observed, such as participants later using a skill they learned. Record how and when you checked it. If you have a sign-in sheet, report attendance for the dates it covers. With a small group, give both the count and the total so the result has context.
Some results are easier to document in words. If a club adopted a checklist you proposed, record the date and keep the meeting note that confirms the decision. If a partner described a change, attribute that observation to the partner and keep any permission needed to share it.
4. Save useful records and protect people’s privacy
Keep the records that help you check your account, such as a dated plan, a permitted work sample or a mentor’s confirmation. The European Commission’s Europass profile can record projects and volunteering, with a separate library for documents. Its volunteering guide also recommends recording your role and what you learned. See the Europass profile overview and Europass volunteering guidance.
If you joined an eligible Erasmus+ Youth or European Solidarity Corps project, ask the organization that holds the grant about a Youthpass certificate for your learning. See who can use Youthpass.
Keep files that identify participants where only authorized people can access them. For your application notes, use a redacted copy or an aggregate count where possible. Check what you have permission to share before you attach any records or send a link.
5. Match a project to each application prompt
Put the provider’s exact prompt next to your project index. If it asks how you worked across different perspectives, pick a case where someone’s input changed your decision. If it asks about sustained commitment, choose a project with records across several weeks or months. Check whether your role, timeframe and evidence fit the question before drafting.
6. Use the notes to write the material requested
- CV. Use one line to name your action and a result you can support. Follow the programme’s length limit. See our academic CV guide.
- Essay. Explain why you made a particular choice and what you learned from it. Follow the wording and length of the prompt. See our scholarship motivation letter guide.
- Recommendation. Remind your referee about work they saw directly and give them the official submission instructions. See our recommendation letter request guide.
Write your answers yourself and check each programme’s rules on assistance. Chevening expressly prohibits using AI to generate answers for its application. See its guidance on application criteria and originality.
Worked example from a campus repair café
Hypothetical example. The student, project and figures below are invented. Lina volunteers at a campus repair café. Visitors wait at a single table to find out whether someone can fix their item. Lina proposes a sign listing the kinds of repairs available and sets up a separate welcome desk for two trial sessions. Her teammates handle repairs and keep the time log.
The team uses the same method in all four sessions, assigning each visit a number and timing it from arrival to check-in. The group counts how many visits involved waits longer than 15 minutes.
| Sessions | Visits logged | Waits over 15 minutes |
|---|---|---|
| First two sessions | 24 | 10 |
| Two trial sessions | 23 | 4 |
Lina can use the time log to describe the difference she observed. Arrival patterns and staffing could also affect waits. In a longer trial, she would record both alongside the same measure to understand what happened.
How the project could appear on a CV
Proposed and set up a welcome desk for a two-session repair café trial. The team recorded waits over 15 minutes on 4 of 23 visits during the trial and 10 of 24 in the previous two sessions.
In an interview, Lina could explain how she chose what to put on the sign and which part of the trial she’d adjust next time.
Organize your project files
Give each project its own subfolder. Include the project name and date in filenames so they still make sense outside the folder. A repair café folder, for example, could hold three files.
2026-repair-cafe-project-record.docxfor the project summary and your role.2026-repair-cafe-wait-summary.pdffor the de-identified figures you can refer to.2026-repair-cafe-reflection.docxfor what you learned and what you would change.
Keep permission notes next to the files they cover. Before sending anything to an unfamiliar provider, confirm the organization and the application channel. See our opportunity verification checklist.
Five mistakes to catch before applying
- A title with no action. Under “club secretary,” add the decision or task you handled.
- Team credit that’s hard to untangle. Name your part of the work and credit the people who did the rest.
- A percentage with no headcount. Check the original record and give the number of people or visits it covers.
- A certificate with no context. Add one thing you learned and a later task where you used it.
- A folder link with broad access. When an upload is allowed, share the requested files and test who can open them.
Questions about scholarship portfolios
Can volunteering count if I had no leadership title?
Yes. A volunteer can show leadership by spotting a problem, taking responsibility for a task and helping others follow through. Explain how the work was agreed and where your contribution fits in the team’s account.
What can I use if I have no awards or certificates?
Try a dated draft, a published work sample, a meeting decision or confirmation from someone who saw your contribution. A record created during the project can help you verify a detail you remember, such as when a change was agreed.
Can I use photos or comments from participants?
Use them only when you have the appropriate permission for that use and the application accepts them. If the detail you need is a recurring theme in feedback, an anonymized summary may be enough.
Check your example before you submit
- Does this project answer the prompt the programme actually asks?
- Can someone reading the example tell what you did and what the team delivered?
- Have you checked the dates and any figures against the original record?
- Do the records you’re sharing have the right permissions and contain only what’s needed?
- Have you followed the provider’s format, length and authorship instructions?
Choose one project and check the claim you’re most likely to use. Save the checked version with your notes so you can refer to it when you prepare for an interview.
Official programme and documentation guidance reviewed on 7 November 2026. Check the provider’s current instructions before applying.
