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…

with feeling. I spent the whole weekend writing a reader’s report, then another hour cutting it down because I was still junior enough to know enthusiasm needed to be translated into language senior people would trust. At Monday’s acquisition meeting one of the editors waved the manuscript aside. “Promising but undisciplined,” he said. “Too regional.continue reading …