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…

of ramen as a personality trait and started buying decent groceries. I built friendships with other people whose lives looked unimpressive on paper and deeply earned in practice. We traded manuscripts and rent complaints and stories about parents who only understood the careers that came with conference rooms and billable hours. Sometimes, late at continue reading …