@Cookies510 I agree. Seems a bit extreme but being our fourth time around this, not entirely surprising. I think they take the whole FERPA thing too far with kids in college.IMHO.
@takeitallin and @momof2lefties I agree with @takeitallin – for what its’ worth; I would call the top person and copy every theater arts professor’s email. I would cc the person who called you. I would NOT TELL YOUR DAUGHTER UNTIL I HAD EXHAUSTED EVERY POSSIBILITY (unless you just feel too exhausted and heartbroken in which case by all means walk away and tell them that what goes around comes around and this will surely come back to haunt them. Any future applicants reading this board, BEWARE!)
In that email, however, I would not assume that the powers that be know of this woman’s mistake. Why would she tell anyone? You have to alert the powers because any Dean or Director worth their salt would own this mistake and admit her regardless. What is one more admit to them? This is just lunacy. Whoever called you is trying to protect their ***
That’s my take on it. The SCHOOL did not do this; a fearful employee who made a BIG mistake did. If it is the actual SCHOOL, then shame on them. I hope no one of talent like your daughter every applies again.
I’m a big believer in no harm no foul. Here, there was harm. BIG FOUL.
So, hang in there and I hope this lights a fire under your daughter’s belly - however it turns out --\
BTW, the Director of Theater at Kenyon College (never mentioned on this board but I wonder why) has a brother who got a BFA at U-Evansville and he designed the costumes for Hamilton. If she applied to U-Evansville and got in, that would be a very good alumnae contact to share the news with UNSCA with. Because when people get wind of this the school will wither at what they did to you. I am so angry for you.
@momof2lefties I wonder if College Confidential has a “supreme” moderator for these boards and can help you network with the right person to contact. I think you need an advocate by your side, one who is probably not in mama bear mode because screaming and yelling and crying and emotion usually sets of the fight or flight response. You need someone level-headed and deadly serious who can clearly convey the very very DOWN SIDE to not admitting your daughter.
I mean, after all, if the dean of admissions made one mistake like that who is to say there is not another mistake? I am thinking of a post by someone whose daughter got a No from Michigan? And the mom (poster here?) reposted indicating she got a call from the auditor wanting to talk to her D “next week” when he “had his notes”?
Sounds like a true organizational problem.
@dfbdfb very good point @momof2lefties
This is why all the applications ask for the STUDENT email!
@Publisher – great advice, I think!
@Publisher and @momof2lefties
Think like a lawyer. It was an oral offer that may give you contractual rights.
CC is a forum, not a direct advocate for students. As it should be.
I think we all need to leave @momof2lefties alone now. She’s probably really regretting her post right about now. Hopefully the next post on this thread will be her telling us the outcome of this nightmare.
I’m puzzled. it sounds like there was never a formal WRITTEN withdrawal of the admissions offer. the timeline sounds like this:
- written offer of admission to student
- portal to student email opens to accept admission offer and deposit
- phone call from director of admission to parent NOT to student, saying it was a mistake
- deposit made on behalf of student
- student was never directly contacted by school with admission withdrawal, and never received WRITTEN withdrawal of admission offer
if this is the case I cannot see how they can refuse her admission. the only official written communication from the school itself, on their letterhead, is an offer of admission. there is no such official notification of the admission withdrawal.
It really sounds like the director of admissions is trying to make the situation go away without bringing her mistake to anyone’s attention, hoping not to leave a paper trail for her bosses to discover.
I would like to second the suggestions by @marg928 above. Please let’s leave this alone now. I think all has been said and advised that need be on this awful situation. I’m sure things are being addressed and now we probably need to respect the request by @momof2lefties to let this rest until such time as she chooses to come and share anything additional. It’s truly amazing how this group jumps in to support and encourage each other but best now to let this discussion end.
I hope moderators will leave this open for the OP to return and update, if she gets to the point of wanting or being able to.
I have been reading through this and think the school needs to make a better decision on this. This sounds like a lawsuit. You have an official letter from the school saying your admitted? Signed by the director of admissions? I would hold them to it. I bought a car last week. I emailed the dealership asking me the price of the car. They emailed me back with a price lower than their advertised price. When I went to see the car, they tried to sell me it for higher. I showed them their email. The sales manager said it was a mistake on their sales person’s part, but they would honor it. So, yeah, I bought the car. This school should have done the same for you - owning up to their mistakes and honoring their signature that they let you in!
Unless the admissions officer recorded the conversation, there is no record of it. Also, how does AO know she was talking to the mom? How does she know that mom told her D? A phone call to mom doesn’t sound very official. D can honestly say that nobody ever notified her of of a withdrawal of the offer.
This is the most unprofessional, terrible thing I have EVER heard of with this process. I am so sorry for you and your D. Perhaps if they weren’t in such a rush to release their incoming class right after their last auditions, they could’ve pulled together the people who should have been on the list. WOW.
Hi,
I just read this post, and I am sooo hurt for you and your daughter. As you are deciding what to do, please be sure to take screen shots of the Accepted/Admitted portal pages in case they update the portal. God Bless.
I realize this is an awful situation, but I have to ask: would you really want to go to a school when you know you got in because of a mistake?
For music and performing arts, yes, because the selectivity is so high and who gets in a year means nothing when they’re invited for the next year. This student is qualified and in all likelihood was recommended by faculty.
How strange that they called you and not your child. What an awful position to put you in. They should tell her. They are passing the buck. Shameful.
From one tech mom (and lefty mom) to another, I feel for you, your H and your D.
@momof2lefties I am heartbroken for you! What a terrible situation.
I’m thinking of this from your daughter’s perspective if she is admitted, and chooses to attend: What will her mental state be if she is made aware of their terrible mistake? I’m not sure how to word this - will she feel like she is not really wanted there? And will this effect her confidence in herself? I know someone who experienced something similar, and her daughter always felt like she was an outsider. Not that the faculty or students necessarily made her feel that way, but that she herself felt that way. This affected the girl for her entire four years at the institution; that feeling of not being good enough was always there chipping away at her. If your daughter attends, and is unaware, that may eliminate that issue of course. I’m just so sorry that you’re having to deal with this.