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…

ruined her life. I was becoming someone whose judgment altered outcomes.

Teaching came into my life the way the most consequential things often do—disguised as a side job. A friend at NYU asked if I could fill in for a creative writing workshop one semester because their adjunct had dropped out unexpectedly. I almost said no. I was already working full-time,continue reading …