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…

I had not failed. I had refused. Refused the wrong major, the wrong path, the wrong story. “My aunt Rachel taught me,” Amanda wrote, “that success is not about following someone else’s blueprint until they finally call you worthy. It is about having the courage to write your own life even when the people closest to you insist you are making a mistake.continue reading …