My P.O.V: A Study of Narrative Non Fiction and The College Essay

One of my favorite authors of narrative non-fiction, David Sedaris, once said, ""If I sit at my computer, determined to write a New Yorker story I won’t get beyond the first sentence. It’s better to put no pressure on it.”  Pressure.    One of the pressures of applying to college is writing the college essay, your chance to express who you are as a writer and a person in a short piece. This may feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. The college essay is nothing more than a really well crafted piece of narrative non-fiction.

The college essay is a chance to dig in and consider your personal philosophies, a chance to remember the indelible moments of your life, a chance to make sense of the moments that define who you are. 

As a way in to studying this genre, we are "reading as writers" both The Color of Water by James McBride and an independent memoir.

These buttons will take you to pages that support each phase of the writing process.  Also, check out the "advice from the experts" below!

Advice from the Experts and Articles about College Essays

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