OMG! I’m Beyond Shaken by this! Why didn’t they just Chalk it up and keep the class going ?? I would file something!! I would most certainly complain! I can NOT believe this!! what about the phone call that was made to you ? they still didn’t know that they were calling the wrong person? I just couldn’t imagine this happening to anyone. I’m so sorry. I wish that I could do something. I’d contact the President of the University too! I’m with the other CC’s @momof2lefties
@takeitallin , no, it’s not their standard rejection letter. Only a small number get the letter encouraging them to reapply next year.
This happened last year at Columbia University…to over 200 students!
Oh. My. God. That is ALL i can say. I know nothing about the D & P dept. That is just terrible though.
I would definitely call the head of D & P. Not sure he/she can change anything or not but they should be made aware of this so it NEVER happens again. Also - D & P is a larger major there so I would think they could find a place for her. They obviously like her. We have found much better communication within the drama school than the overall school/admin - hopefully you will find the same with D & P. (by the way - we found this at many schools my D applied to … that communications from admissions or financial aid wasn’t so great, but from the actual dept was wonderful. Unfortunately, not unique to them. CMU admitted 800 kids into computer science a few years back by mistake due to a computer error. Not kidding. 800! Colulmbia did it last year for several hundred as well. Just terrible).
Regarding the letter she “should” have gotten…In drama, only a few kids get the “apply next year” letter. Sounds like that may be the same in D & P - especially if they had kids listed on the same page (or directly under) those accepted. That means the D & P people really like her. Which is good and maybe they will work with you all. I would raise hell.
LESSON to college and huge hint for next year: Separate out the lists! Check and DOUBLE check before sending onto the admissions dept and then again before notifying anyone. Common sense!
Unforgivable. And I am a HUGE fan of the school - but not this!
Good luck and PLEASE keep us posted. Hugs to you and your daughter.
I’ve read (and experienced!) a lot of horrors in my years on CC, but this, sadly, tops them all. I’m not a bit surprised that the school won’t do anything except say they’re sorry. It’s a sellers market, and they are the sellers. I’m so sorry, @momof2lefties!
I agree with @bfahopeful , I would put a call into the head of the department. In addition to finding out whether he can help, you would also get a feel, based on how he handled the situation, as to how your daughter would be treated if they decide to let her in.
My heart goes out to you. My first thought was PAY THE DEPOSIT NOW but after reading the whole thread I wonder if your daughter will want anything to do with them after this incident.
My heart goes to you and your precious daughter!!! This is outrageous!! So sorry you have to go through this complete nonsense! I think they need to honor the offer. This school is so select and only offers a few spots in the first place…how can they justify this kind of error?
@momof2lefties I am new to this and my D did not even audition at the top, most competitive schools because I just didn’t think she had enough experience or training to be competitive. I think the mistake the school made is egregious and they should have honored the admission notification and not called to rescind. But I agree with your thoughts also that if you force the issue, and they did not want your daughter, how is her experience going to be? The relationship with teachers and the small groups of students seems so crucial to the success and overall experience. I think you should go to the president and share the experience and the emotional toll is has taken. But I don’t know that I would feel very welcome if I was your D. I would feel like I forced them to admit me over a mistake. I also will say that a school that would conduct itself this way might not be a school I would want to give my money to. I called a school’s department recently and got the most unknowledgable person on the phone, tried another person, and a third. They were clueless to answer basic questions about the program or put me in touch with someone who could. Finally I was sent to a professor who never called me back. I would never send my D to that school now; they are unorganized and careless. You have now seen how this school handles mistakes and how much they care about the effects of their actions.
@momof2lefties Devastating. I cannot believe or imagine this .
If they were going to suggest she apply again then they liked her. Fight them all the way. Right away.
They should honor this!! These kids go through so much it its NOT OK.
Even if you and your D eventually choose somewhere else.
Insist that they be human.
Insist that they honor their offer!
It doesn’t even matter that this happens in other institutions. The performing and fine arts (design) are different. This is just so wrong.
They should honor this- but if your daughter never wants to hear them again and changes her mind I wouldn’t blame her.
You have every right to be 1000% freaked. My heart goes out to you and your daughter.
I agree with the advice to make the deposit! Hurry! It enhances your legal argument. Offer +acceptance = contract.
I also agree with going up the chain to have them accept her anyway. She was obviously someone they wanted since they told her to reapply! Another possible solution would be for them to accept her for Fall 2019 - and have her take a gap year. Harvard actually does this and kids love it- guaranteed acceptance and they can take the year to travel or earn money. But mostly my heart goes out to you and your D.
Granted, I teach at a different type of institution (though small), but I will say that I can’t imagine a professor would ever treat your child differently (or poorly) because of this sort of administrative error (or your fight to get the school to be honorable). I’m assuming from your comment that you think the professors would know (maybe b/c such a small class size?). But they may not. Also, I think they’d understand the tenderness of the situation. Faculty are human and have their own kids. And even if they did know, they’d forget about it after the first couple of weeks of class once things are rolling.
Did your D withdraw any applications for other programs (or turn down in acceptances?) in reliance on this mistaken acceptance? If so, I think that enhances your “contract breach” argument and that they should have to honor their offer…whether your D chooses to go there or not.
@momof2lefties - I am devastated for you and your daughter. That is just horrible of them. Horrible.
I would tell them where they can shove their mascot!
Much of what I know about college goof-ups is by watching the movie Admissions with Tina Fey on a flight from La Guardia to San Francisco but in that movie, Tina Fey (an admissions counselor at a place like princeton or yale) admitted a student by hacking into the computer system because she thought she was the birth mom and anyway, they caught her…BUT they still let the kid in. (they did, however, fire Fey)
Thank you, everyone. I have not yet heard back from D’s college counselor (I expect her to call me this evening), but my husband and I discussed it and have paid the deposit. The worst thing that can happen is that we lose $500, though surely it would be refunded if she remains denied. Tomorrow I will be contacting the head of D&P, when I have had a chance to sleep on it (who am I kidding, I am not going to get any sleep tonight), formulate talking points, and am confident that I will not explode in either tears or expletives during the conversation. I have elected not to tell D right now–she has a huge test tomorrow morning and this is going to shatter her confidence. I am so grateful for all of your supportive words and advice. They have brought me to tears numerous times in the last few hours. It is really shocking to me that professionals would handle the situation this way and I can 100% say that this is one of the most difficult days I have ever had in my 18 years as a parent. That will surely be topped tomorrow night when I have to discuss this all with my kid. Thank you, all, and please keep the advice coming.
I admire your rationality in the midst of this, @momof2lefties. You’re doing exactly the right thing to collect your thoughts, talk to your husband, and not tell your DD. You probably know this, but you might want to be sure the guidance counselor knows that you are keeping her out of the loop for right now.
Please know I am enraged for you and hoping that the university does the right thing. Also smart that you went ahead and paid the deposit.
It burns me up to think that an admissions “professional” would put you in this position. I suspect the administrators to whom she reports would not approve of how she has handled her error.
Hang in there and know that we have your back!
@momof2lefties everything that I have been thinking today, as I have stewed over this matter has been said. I would probably try to summon all of the grace that I could muster, and ask them to honor the original “decision.” I think that they should; and I suspect that they may.
A little levity: My D went to its HS Drama Program. She has a UNCSA final high school diploma/transcript. This Fall/Winter after applying to the Acting BFA, she kept getting “we can’t schedule your audition because we don’t have your final HS transcript” emails. It was sooo infuriating. And funny. D would call college admissions, AND HS Registrar and be like, “What do I need to do for you to get my high school transcript to college admissions?!” Both last year and this year, they seemed to have a great deal of difficulty sending her transcripts in general. In fact, just last week, Boston University asked for it, and she has electronic proof that she requested it in October!
All of that said-LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the school; and I feel very strongly that you and your D should ask that UNCSA do right per the original offer.
I am so impressed that you are not telling your daughter about this until after her test - I think that is the right call and one I don’t know if I would have the impulse control to do. After her test though - I think you have to tell her and let her help decide whether she wants you to fight this with her (which I think you are more than entitled to and that the school should admit her) or whether she has other good options that she wants to consider where this wont always color her start. I am so sorry this happened. Unbelievable and unacceptable.