UK Students Choosing Ivies Over Oxbridge

A record number of British students are forsaking Oxford and Cambridge to apply to elite American schools, the Times of London reports. Lured by more generous financial aid packages and less restrictive curricula, students are crossing the pond to the Ivy League. Yale's applications from Britain, for one, have tripled in 10 years.

While education at Oxford and Cambridge was once free, British students are now graduating with up to $60,000 in debt, making American financial aid packages even more attractive. The opportunity to choose a major after two years of study also lures students unsure of a course of study. One British headmistress said, "Our students still see Oxbridge as very desirable, but other pinnacles are appearing beyond those mountains." (More college admissions stories.)