Imagine receiving an acceptance letter from the #2 Ivy League in the United States! Amazing feeling right? You’re the cream of the crop, your parents will be so proud of you!
Unless… a little over an hour later, you receive notice that the letter was a mistake, as were about 276 other letters.
Well, if you applied to Columbia University, a private Ivy League Research University in Manhattan, New York, this may very well be your story.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, Columbia University mistakenly told 276 students they would be accepted into the prestigious school. Seniors were ecstatic. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Columbia University has an acceptance rate of just 6%, and have alumni that include Barack Obama, Langston Hughes and Alicia Keys. ANYONE accepted into the school obviously deserves to be there.
Unfortunately though, these students didn’t get the chance to stay proud too long.
75 minutes after being notified of their acceptance, they received notice that it had been a mistake. These high school seniors were given no information of what the issue was, and many were very frustrated with the lack of accountability. They basically received a, “oops, it won’t happen again” message.
Friday, Feb. 17, the New York Times highlighted the story of an applicant who felt it was “ridiculous”. She also stated that she “[didn’t] understand how they [could] get away with it and just say ‘sorry.”
This student was only one of almost 300 high school seniors who have similar stories.
Senior year is a stressful time, and choosing a college is even harder. Imagine receiving a letter from your TOP choice of colleges, and an hour later having your dreams shattered. Heartbroken isn’t even the word.
This is an intricate time for seniors, and is a time in their life that can make or break their futures.
What should the policy be on colleges who falsely accept students onto their campus?
Should there be a way to hold these schools accountable, or should they just continue to get by with “oops, I’ll try harder next time”?
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