I know this is a few weeks old, but just had to reply. I made the impulsive decision to study in Scotland when I was 24. I was already in school here in the US (in grad school), and one Sunday afternoon in early April, I decided that I had 'talked' enough about traveling to Scotland and I was just going to do it. I had just been diagnosed with some rather depressing medical issues too, so I was just seized by a 'Carpe Diem' moment and told myself "I'm going to do this". The next day, I was in my schools' International Studies office, by the end of the day I had applied to a program as well as a scholarship to pay for that program. I'd done very little travel on my own, and didn't even have a passport. I got it all together, got accepted to my school of choice in Glasgow, won the full scholarship, and got a higher paying job to put more money in savings account. Family thought I was crazy, but I followed through and it was something I had to do for myself.
It was a wonderful 4mo there. Glasgow felt like home to me almost from day one. While I missed my family, it was tempered by having met new people and I met my (now) husband. We dated for about 2mo before I had to return to graduate. Ultimately, about 6mo after we met, we decided to get married so we could be together. Eighteen months after we first met, we got married here in the US. After almost 7years of marriage later, we are now in process of moving back to the UK.
I have to say I do wonder if living in the UK now is going to be better or worse than it was when I was a student. I didn't have the same worries/concerns/responsibilities then that I do now as an adult, but I know I have to give it a shot. I, too, don't want to be living a 'what if' game 20 years from now. So many things came together back in 2002 when we first met, and there are a lot of things that have came together now that has made it easier to relocate so it almost seems like perfect timing. Maybe it's Fate telling us it's time to move, ya just never know.
I hope you get the answers to your applications that you want, and get the chance to study and live in England. I think so many Americans don't look outside their own borders, which is a real shame - there is a whole wide world out there ready to be explored. Don't do this for the guy, do it for yourself. Finding love is a bonus of course, but growing as an individual, spreading your wings and finding yourself are the true reasons to get out there.