Moving to a smaller city in the UK vs London: why it was the right decision for me

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A woman of Indian descent stands in front of an old building in Nottingham, England.
Tanushree Srivastava moved to England from India as an international student.

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I live rent-free in NYC. Moving into a van has allowed me to save, avoid taking out loans, and live a life of adventure.

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a man sits on top of a blue van in a grassy field
Gerardo Rios Garcia and his van.

Gerardo Rios Garcia

I'm a high school senior who commutes an hour by train to school every day. It's helped prepare me for the real world.

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selfie of teddy almond on the train next to a nj transit train
The author, left, takes the train to high school every day.

Courtesy of Teddy Almond & Drew Angerer/Getty Images

My daughter is on track to become high school valedictorian. I'm not sure it's worth the effort and stress.

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The author's daughter, not pictured, is on track to be valedictorian.

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I'm a student at Yale University. Here's what a weekend is like on campus.

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Brian Zhang and a building on yale campus
The author and a building on the Yale campus.

Courtesy of Elishevlyne Eliason & Brian Zhang

My son is applying to 17 colleges. The stress is becoming too much for both of us.

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selfie of Erika Ebsworth-Goold and her son
The author and her son.

Courtesy of Erika Ebsworth-Goold

I didn't get into my dream college even though I was a top student. I was devastated, but I'm happy it worked out the way it did.

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headshot of Hazra Khatoon next to a building on Delhi University campus
The author and Delhi University.

Courtesy of Hazra Khatoon; Hindustan Times/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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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

When I got into Harvard, everyone started treating me differently and taking me more seriously. But I'm so much more than a Harvard student.

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