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…

acceptance packet like every other student. Pretend the overlap was merely institutional. Yet silence had done enough damage in that family already. Amanda deserved at least one adult who did not hide behind avoidance when truth became inconvenient. At 9:47 p.m., after pacing my apartment for half an hour and setting my phone down five different times,continue reading …