I donated my eggs to help pay off my student loans. I made nearly $50,000, but I'm still in debt.

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Alicia Erickson in a london phone booth
The author while studying abroad.

Tina Erickson

Growing up in Uruguay, I thought college was a pipe dream. But I was accepted into Harvard with no help from consultants or private tutors.

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two students leaving a harvard building at night
Getting into Harvard on his own was not easy.

Brooks Kraft/Getty Images

I worry I got into Yale only because I'm Black. I now do everything I can to prove I belong.

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Miles Kirkpatrick wearing a yale shirt under a sign that reads welcome to yale class of 2027
The author.

Courtesy of Miles Kirkpatrick

I'm an American teaching at a university in Tokyo. College life is much different in Japan, from admissions to housing.

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Students sitting at desks in a classroom.
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Frédéric Soltan/Getty Images

I'm a college admissions expert. Here's my advice on what you should and shouldn't do on your applications.

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girl writing with a marker at her desk
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Carol Yepes/Getty Images

I encouraged my son to apply to only 3 colleges even though his friends were applying to 12 to 15. He still got into his dream school.

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Liz Alterman and her son at a table
The author and her son.

Courtesy of Liz Alterman

I was drowning in student-loan debt, so I bought a house and flipped it. I used the profit to pay off my loans.

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A house with a

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

I was drowning in student-loan debt as a single mother. But this year, I turned 53 and my $200,000 loans were forgiven.

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Sean Gladwell/Getty Images

I saved so much money by going to community college — and then, I was able to transfer to UC Berkeley

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Kaitlin Clapinski dressed in graduation regalia
The author.

Kaitlin Clapinski

My twin brother and I don't know whether we want to go to college together. We toured 3 campuses to help us decide.

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Drew Wesson and his twin brother at the drake university statue
The author, right, and his brother.

Drew Wesson

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