Originally Posted by Doppy
Coming from the UK, you shouldn't have trouble getting one if you get admitted to a university first, and can prove that you can afford to pay for it. There are restrictions on how much you can work, and such. So if you want to come over and need to get a job, this is not the route for you.
Having a citizenship of United Kingdom does nothing much in attaining a studnent visa of the U.S. It totally depends on your financial situation. You don't need to be necessarily admitted to a university. Many institutions that are registered for SEVIS can get you a student visa. Technically, you need to be enrolled as a full-time student, but I've seen some student visa holders who never go to a school. If you do some searches, you might be able to find tons of institutions that can grant you a student visa without attending. Again, this is another paper work.
FYI, student visa holders aren't permitted to work off campus and they need to get an employment authorization from INS. I think this is one of disadvantages that U.S. student visa holders get while most countries allow student visa holders to work.