You’ve obviously done your homework, and have good sense of the headline pieces. I won’t argue against the idea at all (except to make the home team case for dark blue > light blue!), but will point out some things that may be useful to be aware of as an US undergrad in England (v UK):
- Overall, there is an expectation that you sort things out for yourself. There is much less hand holding - for everything- than in the US, and it starts on the very first day. When my collegekid started there were 16 first year students in her 'staircase' (dorm). That's it. No older students, no RAs, etc. *in situ*. They all looked at each other and got busy helping each other figure out how to do college. It is worth noting that those bonds are strong, and are the basis for lasting friendships. There are resources- but it is up to you to find them.
- The relationship between students and teachers is (on average) more formal than it is (on average) in the US (obvs, that's not necessarily good or bad in itself).
- There is much less (and sometimes no) weight on 'continuing assessment', and end of year exams are typically comprehensive. That puts more importance on being able to work independently, and makes finals stress in the US look like a cake walk (ie, 100% of your mark based on your final vs 15-20% of their mark!).
- For Cambridge, the workload is exponentially higher than pretty much any place except That Place Up The River. It is hard to convey just how intense the work load is, but for a start, you are likely to write the equivalent of a term paper at least once a week, from a standing start (as in, 'here is a topic, here is a many-page list of work/writers you should be familiar with , go'; you turn it in 5-6 days later and discuss the material in detail with a tutor/don the next day. It varies by subject, but I know students who have written a dozen or more of those in a 9 week term. It is why liking your subject is so important! (and, if it suits you it is as exhilarating as it is exhausting).
- You will almost certainly hear some very negative things about the US, and there are likely to be some people who act as if somehow you could actually change things if you wanted to. This is a needle you will have to thread continuously.
- Drinking. No matter what your views on drinking are, understand that English university students drink a *lot*. No, not every single one. But it is rare to find one whose experience of drinking is less than that of all but the heaviest HS drinkers. You might not drink, and you might not plan to drink, but if/'when you do, be aware that you are hopelessly outclassed and trying to keep up will end badly for you. Ease in gently. Seriously. And, when you do have to help put a friend to bed, be kind and put a trash can and some water beside the bed.