<p>That’s not a bad idea. Keep in mind that many US PhD programs may not get too many UK applicants. So, they might not have much experience in this area. That does not necessarily mean they wouldn’t welcome applications from strong UK students with well-focused research interests.</p>
<p>Very few research universities in the USA are as selective as Brown. The University of Rochester has an open/flexible curriculum (<a href=“http://blog.enrollment.rochester.edu/blog/admissions-and-aid/rochesters-open-curriculum-keep-an-open-mind-v1”>http://blog.enrollment.rochester.edu/blog/admissions-and-aid/rochesters-open-curriculum-keep-an-open-mind-v1</a>). Steven Chu, former US Secretary of Energy and Nobel Laureate (physics, 1997) went there. </p>