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…

life.” She nodded like she intended to remember the sentence exactly.

She chose Yale. By then I knew she would. Not because I pushed, though I would have been thrilled to have her nearby, but because the place fit the version of herself she was beginning to trust. She enrolled as an English major with a concentration in creative writing, and while I continue reading …