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…

unfinished and therefore safely deniable. I had seen Amanda exactly three times in her life: once as a baby who smelled like powder and milk, once at five when Jennifer corrected the way she held a spoon in front of everyone, and once at ten during a brief Christmas visit where Amanda hovered near a bookshelf while the adults talked over her. Jennifer continue reading …