Numerous students took to social media to express disappointment and frustration after receiving incorrect confirmation about their applications to various University of British Columbia (UBC) programs.
Responses to a survey from V.I.A. on social media indicate that many students were excited after receiving a letter from the Vancouver university on Friday, March 14 indicating they were accepted into their program of choice.
On Monday, March 17, the university reached out to the students to inform them of an admission error, stating that they were no longer approved for admittance to their first-choice program. Many students said they were shocked to receive the update, believing they were already guaranteed admission into their program of choice.
The second letter shared with V.I.A. states that students received an "incorrect offer of admission" and the status would be updated to reflect correct information.
"We know it can be stressful waiting to hear about your UBC application. We apologize if our error caused further stress or disappointment and we want to ensure that you feel supported at all times during the application process," reads the follow-up email.
UBC weighs in on admissions error
Sam Saini, the associate registrar of Student Recruitment and Undergraduate Admissions at UBC, said a "processing error" in UBC's admissions system resulted in 215 applicants receiving incorrect confirmation emails about their program placement.
"While all the students who received these offers have been admitted to UBC, the error was related to their choice of program. We sincerely regret this mistake and understand how disappointing and frustrating it is for those affected," he told V.I.A.
Saini added that the university took immediate steps to remedy the error after it was identified on Monday, March 17 and is notifying impacted students with the correct information.
"We are working closely with those students to ensure they receive support and guidance through the admissions process," he said.
Saini noted that the offers "represent a small fraction of the thousands of offers" that UBC makes annually but the university takes "full responsibility" in reviewing its admissions and communication processes "to prevent this from happening again.”
