<p>The crux of the matter is this: English universities are not a great option for American high school seniors. OP, you have a better chance of getting into Harvard than you do Oxford or Cambridge.</p>
<p>A common misconception is that the American version of higher education was imported from England. Not so. The American-style liberal arts institution came directly from Scotland in the person of John Witherspoon, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh who was lured to the U.S. in 1768 to head Princeton. With the model of his alma mater in mind, Witherspoon transformed Princeton from a small-time school for ministers into a broad-based institution that taught philosophy, history, geography, science, mathematics, and theology. In the process, he became the most influential educator of his time and charted the path on which the American university system has continued, more or less, to this day. </p>
<p>Basically, consider Scotland. </p>
<p>At British universities, there are no posh food courts or fitness facilities that resemble those of a ritzy health club. The student body will not come out on a Saturday afternoon for the big game- there are no big games. Dorms are generally the domain of first-year students; expect to find a "flat" for your upper-class years. Generally speaking, there will be no campus "bubble" to cloister you away from the real world- a good thing if you want an authentic sample of life in your new home. </p>
<p>Although the price tag for all this cross-cultural enrichment is about 1/3 less than that of a selective private institution in the U.S., there is a dark lining to this ostensibly silver cloud. Academic scholarships are scarce and institutional financial aid is all but nonexistent. Federal aid such as Stafford loans and Pell Grants can be transported in some cases, but most families will find themselves paying the full freight. And because exchange rates fluctuate, the bill can vary significantly depending on whether the dollar is weak or strong. For a searchable database of the few scholarships available for study in Great Britain, visit the British Council at <a href="http://www.britishcouncil.org/usa%5B/url%5D">www.britishcouncil.org/usa</a></p>