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…

regional stacks, essays full of polished ambition and raw longing. Most of the students would be rejected. That was the hardest fact of the job, and it never became easier just because I learned to carry it more professionally.

In January 2025, late on a Friday, I was working through a stack of applications from the Chicago area with four cups of coffee continue reading …