When I Dropped Out At 20, My Sister Told Everyone: “She’s The One Who Didn’t Finish.” Twelve Years Later, I’m Yale’s Dean Of Admissions. One Essay Read: “My Family Moved Past My Aunt’s Setback.” The Name? Amanda Chen. My Niece. I Picked Up My Red Pen And…

The Thanksgiving table went silent so completely that I could hear the antique grandfather clock in my parents’ hallway clicking off each second like a warning. It was November 23, 2012, and the turkey had gone cold between us while the candles my mother insisted on lighting every year burned down in thin, nervous streams. I set my fork beside my plate continue reading …