I’m 23 and I know the reference. 
I miss Suzanne Pleshette.
Another vote for an October half-term visit, but narrow down the last beforehand.
What a curveball of an ending! Can’t believe she ended up a Tar Heel. Thanks for recommending this thread - highly informative, educational and, in parts, entertaining (“I asked if there was campus housing for people who weren’t comfortable with that and had more traditional views on gender. She called me a Nazi.”)
I believe D should be in the frame for well-regarded/reputable UK universities (same GCSE record as OutOfKantrol) but you can never tell how the entrance exams (e.g., PAT) and interviews will turn out.
One difference is that my D is a dual UK-US citizen so that might improve the odds slightly for US colleges. Cost is also a not-insignificant consideration for us so it will need to be quite compelling to justify jumping across the pond if she secures a suitable place here.
1 Like
Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to share your thoughts. Much appreciated. Agree that Oct 2021 half-term makes the most sense for a US tour (D is only looking to apply to 5-6 colleges so one week should be enough to see most of them). The only potential wrinkle is that, as a STEM applicant, she might need to sit entrance exams for a couple of UK universities around that time.
Happy new year!!! 
I would think seriously about whether you want to target need-only prestigious colleges or large merit scholarships like those at UNC and elsewhere. With great, (relatively) cheap options in the UK it might make more sense to focus on the latter. We’ve seen how much the full ride cohort scholarships can provide and wouldn’t consider paying $300K for a tippy top college if one of those was on offer.
Not having lived in the US, my D is most familiar with the academically prestigious US schools (and, additionally, traditional football powers such as Alabama and Michigan, although I told her that the latter is very strong academically) but I have been exploring schools offering merit scholarships. To our big surprise, D got 1600 on the SAT and 1520 on the PSAT and so stands a good chance of being named a NMF and I’ve learned that a number of universities (USC, Fordham, Alabama, Oklahoma, etc.) offer scholarships to semifinalists and finalists. Another possibility is to apply to schools such as UNC and Duke that offer full-ride merit scholarships - but the likelihood of success is probably quite low (particularly since my D’s ECs are less distinguished than OutOfKantrol’s achievements in writing).
As D will also be busy with UK applications, she doesn’t want to apply to so many US schools. I sense that we will end up applying to a few need-only academically prestigious schools and a couple of colleges offering merit scholarships. But who knows how things will evolve in the next 6-9 months!
Don’t you have to be in the US for NMF to apply?
US citizens living abroad are eligible for NMSF/NMF designation. See Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program (imodules.com)
What type of STEM is she interested in? My D21 is interested in engineering so we looked at specific rankings for that. We found some surprises (state schools outranking ivies), so I second whomever suggested considering specific majors of interest when researching. I think a number of state schools with strong STEM programs would offer a significant amount of merit scholarship $. I think many students have changes of heart as they go through the process. D21 has been accepted to her original “clear” top choice, but now it seems to be only slightly ahead in her mind with two schools that were initially just Plan Bs and weren’t even on her radar until we did some research.
BTW as a Tar Heel and Tar Heel parent, I wasn’t surprised the OP in the suggested thread chose UNC once it was on her list. Afterall, it is called the Southern Part of Heaven. I was surprised she had somehow put it on her list during her CC break given her original description of what she wanted/didn’t want. According to my current Tar Heel, she’s met a number of Brits at UNC.
Thanks for the suggestion. On major, I am not sure D knows for certain at this stage but probably more on the applied side.
At D’s school,1-2 graduates usually head to UNC or Duke each year and I know the CC is a fan. Growing up, I followed UNC basketball but, living in the UK, I now watch college basketball much less.