Sounds like you got a 2.2 or 3rd?  Your choices are down in the UK.  A 2.2 at one school can be great, but at certain UK schools is dire. Perhaps the US schools don't understand this subtly..

Portfolio is everything. And some UK schools are very oversubscribed.  What was your degree award? Where did you get turned down?

US programmes are much more expensive than UK schools and have higher intake numbers per cohort on average than UK.  Feed the belly of the capitalist monster, as they say.

Hi TED, . yea I got a 2:2 albeit a high one, just missed the mark for a 2:1 by a few points - so annoying. I went to Manchester for my undergrad, but also did a masters at the university of kent in architectural visualization with distinction. while I was job hunting the feedback I got quite a lot was that my portfolio was quite good and well rounded. I got turned down at some of the more exclusive schools like Cardiff and Edinburgh, got an interview at rca but didn't make the cut. also got turned down at not so exclusive, London metropolitan and Westminster. not exactly sure why tho. is a 2:2 really that detrimental? I'm not sure I'd totally agree with you on us schools having a bigger intake. 2 of the schools I got into take less than 25 students each year.

Perusing your portfolio that you posted earlier, it could use a lot of work  - I've noticed the same from looking at other's portfolios that were accepted in the same Ivy/ "top" state schools that I was accepted into...  It must be a down year for talent overall in USA applicants - It doesn't bother me much since I do me and I don't think I'm "elite talent" (hence going to grad school so that I can develop my skills).  A few years ago, I thought the exact opposite with people from my undergrad, who I thought were exceptional, didn't have too much success.