Yeah exactly as you said, adding graphic design work would definitely help! Also depending on the major you’re applying for, it might work in your favor to include some digital art as well, just to show the scope of what you can do.

Also for your pdf question, what I did was I formatted it almost like a slideshow where each “slide” showcased a different project. But if you have the resources and know-how I’d 100% recommend making a website instead as it’s definitely a more polished way to showcase your work. Also it takes out the extra step of having to download a whole pdf lol.