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…

family mythology. “My family doesn’t talk about my aunt Rachel,” it began. “I grew up hearing whispers.” My chest tightened. Amanda wrote about how her mother used me as a cautionary tale whenever school or ambition or doubt came up. Do you want to end up like Rachel? she had apparently been asked for years. Working some dead-end job because you couldn’t continue reading …