Strong permanently moved to Los Angeles at 16 and later attended morning classes at Occidental College. After "Boy Meets World" ended in 2000, he moved to New York to attend Columbia University. At that time, actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Stiles, and Anna Paquin were all registered students at the university. Strong took one semester off to star as Paul in the indie horror film "Cabin Fever" (2002), directed by Eli Roth. He took another semester off to star in a Broadway production of "The Graduate", opposite Jerry Hall as Mrs. Robinson.