Imagine receiving an acceptance letter to a college, only to have it retracted just 15 minutes later. That's exactly what happened to thousands of denied applicants at UCCS.
Over 10,000 acceptance emails were sent out by the UCCS on Thursday, March 1. The letter welcomed parents and families and went on to provide resources and any additional information needed for future students. There was only one HUGE problem ... A majority of the recipients of that email were not accepted to the university. Of the 11,000 letters, about five percent had already been denied, while others were in various stages of the application process and had yet to be officially accepted. [caption id="attachment_34383" align="aligncenter" width="420"]
Courtesy of CBS4 (via UCCS)[/caption]
The email obtained by CBS4 reads, in part:
"Welcome to the Mountain Lion Family! We are so excited that you and your student are considering the University of Colorado Colorado Springs as one of your schools of choice. As a parent or family member of a newly admitted UCCS student, and as a part of the Mountain Lion Family, the Office of Parent and Family programs is here to serve as your listening ear, a community builder, and a communication hub."About 15 minutes later, a second email was sent by Matthew Cox, Senior Executive Director of Enrollment at UCCS, that explained the error:
"It has come to my attention that the data file used for this communication included parent email addresses for some applicants who have not yet been reviewed for admission or have been denied admission ... I ask that you disregard the prior email, and I again offer my sincerest apologies.”Cox also said, "We regret this communication error, and in some ways, our desire to reach out to parents very proactively is part of this communication plan. We've got some work to do to clean that up, but we really appreciate everybody's who's called and asked about this and for their understanding on the way." I can't imagine the whirlwind of emotions many parents and potential students were feeling during those 15 minutes. One minute, you've been accepted to college. And the next, that opportunity is being ripped out beneath your feet. What do you think? Were you or someone you know one of the thousands that were impacted by this error? Let us know in the comments below, and let's get the conversation started.