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…

were sprawled on the grass with books on their chests, pretending not to look around while very obviously studying the place that might become theirs. Amanda kept asking small practical questions that revealed the shape of her actual mind. Which workshops filled fastest? Were there professors who discouraged commercial writing? How did students manage continue reading …