Drexel University apologized Thursday to hundreds of applicants who were denied admission but received follow-up emails congratulating them on getting into the school by accident.
The university said the follow-up notices were intended to be sent to admitted students only. Although the emails contained a congratulatory note, their purpose was to remind the student who got into the school about a reply deadline.
Marisa Fleming, the mother of prospective student Tearra Bookard told MyFoxPhilly.com about how excited she was about her daughter getting into the school.
"We were excited about it,” Fleming said. “She's telling people she got accepted. I'm telling my co-workers, my staff, my daughter got accepted to Drexel.”
The website reported it was Bookard’s dream to get into Drexel’s medical program after spending many days in a hospital battling a childhood disease. Bookard hopes to help out other kids someday, but her excitement turned to disappointment after receiving the follow-up notice about the error.
“I felt like my dreams were coming true and I was finally taking that first step forward," Bookard said. "To be rejected twice is kind of like a slap in the face."
Nearly 500 students who were denied entry or submitted incomplete applications to the Philadelphia university received the error.
Drexel made a similar error in 1994 when it mistakenly sent early acceptance letters to 25 students.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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