<h2>On 12/19, I received the following e-mail</h2>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>You have been selected as a Semifinalist in the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Because so few of the total number of applicants (nearly 84,000) for the Coca-Cola Scholars Program are advanced as Semifinalists, we consider this an outstanding achievement. As one of 2,200 Semifinalists, we hope that you see your selection as affirmation of your ability to distinguish yourself academically and personally.</p>
<p>Next Steps: (to ensure prompt receipt of your materials, do not delay dowloading the forms and notifying counselors and recommendors.)</p>
<ul>
<li>Complete, print, and save all Semifinalist forms (ask recommenders to save copies)</li>
<li>Submit all completed forms in one package, POSTMARKED BY JANUARY 18, 2012:</li>
</ul>
<h2>Then, today, I received this e-mail</h2>
<p>We have just concluded reviewing a record breaking 240,000 applications. It was a very difficult review process as there were many impressive applications in this year’s pool. However, with our limited resources we can only award 250 scholarships.</p>
<h2>Although your application did not advance in our program, we are hopeful that you may qualify for one of the many other scholarships provided each year. Use the links below for additional information. Please pay very close attention to deadlines and eligibility requirements as they vary from program to program.</h2>
<p>I don’t know what’s going on. I thought 2200 semi-finalists were supposed to turn in the semi-finalist forms by 1/15, and they were going to notify the 250 finalists by mid-February.</p>
<p>My D also just received the official (and strange) rejection email. @decillion–Thanks, and congrats on your acceptance to Princeton! @ymlee822–I don’t even know what to say…</p>
<p>It was a weird email. And it’s even more absurd (and unprofessional) that accepted semifinalists got one, too. Either way, I’m disappointed to have received a rejection, but the ineffectiveness of those who run this program makes their decision on my candidacy less of a blow.</p>
<p>Notice how te email says 240,000 APPLICATIONS, not applicants. If you accidentally clicked submit and then found that you could change the app you submitted and clicked submit again, it counts as 2 applications.
According to the operator I talked to, “the computer really doesnt really know what to do in those cases.” maybe that’s why some people, like me, we’re rejected. The computer obviously doesn’t know what it’s doing haha.
There Are so many glitches in this system. I am beyond disillusioned and disappointed, like most of you.</p>
<p>This isn’t the end of the world. I know those who didn’t make SF probably don’t want to listen to me because I made SF, but I got bad news during the EA round for colleges, and THAT is something to cry about (and I did, for DAYS). </p>
<p>I’d rather have an MIT acceptance and coke rejection, but I am grateful for what opportunities are given to me. </p>
<p>Good things come in mysterious ways and mysterious times.</p>
<p>@ymlee…that is just unbelievable! This whole process is a mess! Hopefully for those of you who did advance the rest of the process goes much more smoothly. Maybe the Coca-cola computer can better handle 2200 applicants than it did the 84,000 (or was it 240,000). Ridiculous!</p>
<p>@ymlee822 and bcisaidso - The same thing just happened to me. Got my congratulations email about a week ago and got a rejection email today. What’s going on?! Should we all call?</p>
<p>“Many of you have reported not receiving an email notification of your status. We have discovered that those of you who submitted more than one application did not receive notification as the email<em>system</em>could not*process duplicate applications with the same email.”</p>
<p>We’re the people who had more than one application even given a chance?</p>