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…

that had once been unimaginable and now felt simply earned. My office at Yale looked out on old stone buildings and disciplined lawns, and sometimes in the late afternoon light it all seemed so theatrically prestigious that I wanted to laugh. I had spent years building a career through back doors, night classes, slush piles, adjunct work, and stubbornness,continue reading …