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…

love to mistake for merit. Instead I saw the kind of intelligence that had to build itself while also surviving life. I knew what it costs to keep producing in the middle of instability. I knew that the students who look messy on paper are often the ones who can do the most transformative work once they are finally given room. I wrote at the top of continue reading …