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…

If anything, it made me stricter about what actually mattered. I had no interest in handing out opportunities as compensation for hardship. But I was increasingly intolerant of admissions cultures that confused polish with depth. One morning during the next reading cycle I opened a file from a student who had started at community college, transferred continue reading …