<p>Hey MSUDad,</p>
<p>first off you can get acquainted with rankings at the following website:
<a href="http://www.thegooduniversityguide.org.uk%5B/url%5D">http://www.thegooduniversityguide.org.uk</a>
its an extremely useful resource operated by the times and gives you subject specific rankings.
As far as prestige etc. go Oxbridge nd the University of London top that list. But keep in mind that there are some fabulous alternatives like bristol nd warwick which are also very well rounded universities. However, seeing your subject choice in english lit nd drama i would say the traditional nd older universities will always be a safe bet. UCL is extremely well reputed in the arts.
The UK education system is extremely focussed as most local students finish their A-levels and then head on to college. Therefore, they are quite certain of what they want to pursue. The introductory year that allows you to explore and experiment isnt really there as they go straight into the major. However there is a little bit of flexibility.
Also, admissions to the UK is major based rather than applying to the school in general. So an application through UCAS requires you to apply to a specific course in each school you select. The application is reviewed by a department specific admissions tutor and the admissions office handles mostly clerical work. Therefore, the application really needs to be focussed on your major, why you would like to do it etc. because the department tries to identify your potential in that particular field. Also there is little emphasis placed on extra curriculars. There reasonsing is that 7 hours of track or community service wont make you a better drama student which in isolation sounds fairly reasonable.
As for the social scene, it varies from college to college. Most of the London schools such as UCL, LSE and Imperial have a very different social life that is integrated into living in London. Some students prefer this environment but many would rather go to a campus university like bristol, york or warwick which resembles the states a bit more. </p>
<p>PS: Out of curiousity, if you dont mind answering, is there any particular academic or non academic reason that you have chosen the UK over the US. I too am making a similar decision and was hoping to hear your thoughts.</p>