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…

finish what you started? I had to set the application down for a moment and press my palms against the desk. I was no longer in my office at Yale; I was back in that Thanksgiving dining room, hearing the word failure spoken aloud like a family verdict. Yet Amanda’s essay did not stop there. At sixteen, she wrote, she had googled me. Not because anyone continue reading …