University said my acceptance letter was an error

[ramswell]

I applied to University of South Florida and had all my materials completed by the end of December. Around the second week of february, I get an email saying they want me to get my transcripts evaluated (I am an international applicant). I looked into the procedure of getting it done and found that it will cost me $200. I dont have that much money to spend right now and I was also weighing the benefit of spending so much on just one college application (none of the other universities I've applied to want this). So I replied back saying I need some time to look into it. I didnt get a reply from them. Exactly a week after, I get an email from the department saying I've been accepted and that I would have to make my decision by March 18.

 

I was surprised but really happy as well. I emailed them back asking if the evaluation is still required. I get a reply the next day saying the acceptance letter was sent out in error. I still have to get the evaluation done for them to consider me.

 

I am so mad!! How can they send out an acceptance letter "by accident"? Its just cruel. And she didnt even apologise in the email. How can such a big reputed university do something like this? Dont they understand how we put everything into these applications and lose our minds waiting to see if we got in? I'm worried now that the other two acceptances I got were also a mistake and they are suddenly going to email me saying it was a mistake

 

Sorry for the long rant. I'm just so MAD!!!

 

P.S- does something like this happen often in the US?

[tiarabun]

That is so f--ked up! It reminds me of how 3 out of 5 undergrad schools had lost parts, if not all, of my applications many years ago!

[Andean Pat]

I don't know if it happens often, but at least you know you are not going there, right? A messy department like that... I understand your rage. Accidents DO happen but still... So, are you going to send your transcripts? 

 

FYI, I understand universities cannot force you to make a decision before April 15th. 

[Quantum Buckyball]

I think it was an indication that you were one of the top applicants at that school. They did, in fact, wanted to accept you right away but had to double confirm your credentials.

[ramswell]

Yeah I understand accidents happen but they could have at least apologized. I'm not getting the evaluation done. I'm not spending $200 on a university that is so disorganized and cannot even accept that they made a mistake. I know I'm being petty but I just got an invite to interview with UCF and I heard that USF and UCF are rivals.... so take that!!!

[ramswell]

  FYI, I understand universities cannot force you to make a decision before April 15th. 

[Phdoobiedoobiedoo]

I was accepted at UCSB previously for a PhD (already had a Master's) with full funding and received a letter of several pages in the mail that went into extensive detail about the funding package. I accepted as this school was my first choice, and told my other offers 'no'. Shortly after, I called UCSB to ask a question, had a conversation with the department assistant who at the end of our talk, said 'by the way, you know you're not getting funding right?" I said, uh what? I have a letter here right in front of me that says I did. She said, I knew we shouldn't have let that professor write the letters, and I knew when you accepted the offer so quickly that you probably thought you were funded." Yeah lady, I thought I was funded because you told me I was. I tried to do the whole, well guess what, it's your mistake so now you need to go find me some money. They came back with some miniscule amount, and how welcome would I be in a department when things started off that way? The offer was too low for me to afford attending anyway. So I had no recourse of any kind, they didn't apologize, and I had to wait a year to reapply elsewhere.

[ramswell]

I was accepted at UCSB previously for a PhD (already had a Master's) with full funding and received a letter of several pages in the mail that went into extensive detail about the funding package. I accepted as this school was my first choice, and told my other offers 'no'. Shortly after, I called UCSB to ask a question, had a conversation with the department assistant who at the end of our talk, said 'by the way, you know you're not getting funding right?" I said, uh what? I have a letter here right in front of me that says I did. She said, I knew we shouldn't have let that professor write the letters, and I knew when you accepted the offer so quickly that you probably thought you were funded." Yeah lady, I thought I was funded because you told me I was. I tried to do the whole, well guess what, it's your mistake so now you need to go find me some money. They came back with some miniscule amount, and how welcome would I be in a department when things started off that way? The offer was too low for me to afford attending anyway. So I had no recourse of any kind, they didn't apologize, and I had to wait a year to reapply elsewhere.

Omg! That's really awful. You could have sued them. But then again I know how horrible courts and lawyers can be. There has to be some place where we can complain or something. They can't just get away with this.

[tiarabun]

Omg! That's really awful. You could have sued them. But then again I know how horrible courts and lawyers can be. There has to be some place where we can complain or something. They can't just get away with this.

That is ridiculous! I wouldn't even reapply to that school if I were you!

[msakbo01]

I was accepted at UCSB previously for a PhD (already had a Master's) with full funding and received a letter of several pages in the mail that went into extensive detail about the funding package. I accepted as this school was my first choice, and told my other offers 'no'. Shortly after, I called UCSB to ask a question, had a conversation with the department assistant who at the end of our talk, said 'by the way, you know you're not getting funding right?" I said, uh what? I have a letter here right in front of me that says I did. She said, I knew we shouldn't have let that professor write the letters, and I knew when you accepted the offer so quickly that you probably thought you were funded." Yeah lady, I thought I was funded because you told me I was. I tried to do the whole, well guess what, it's your mistake so now you need to go find me some money. They came back with some miniscule amount, and how welcome would I be in a department when things started off that way? The offer was too low for me to afford attending anyway. So I had no recourse of any kind, they didn't apologize, and I had to wait a year to reapply elsewhere.

 

wow! that's awful, and it's UCSB!

 

I assume that this is the letter from the department. Did the letter from the Graduate School include the same amount of funding?

[Reatha]

That is awful

 

But to the guy that started this tread, her not apologizing in the email really just means they have an impolite secretary. Where yes its a bad reflection on the school, its not necessary the school being disorganized. Also if a school is asking for official transcripts it typically means they want to offer admissions. I would send them if you could. I know its a lot of money and they have left a bad taste in your mouth, but if its where you get in its where you get in

[selecttext]

BRUTAL

[vision15]

I completed my application to USF CSE Dept almost 4 months back with everything done, but they mailed me almost 1.5 months back that they don't have one of my recommendation letters. On my request my professor sent his letter again the next day but till date they are saying they haven't received it although on their website it clearly shows they did, not once but TWICE! And they weren't even apologetic about it and stopped answering to my mails altogether.

So, I mailed the Director of Graduate Studies there last week, he apologized and said they are having major issues with the system at the moment. Just shows you how pathetic the state of the school is, thank god I have other funded offers now, I am in no way going there!

Edited February 28, 2013 by fall13applicant

[pears]

Yeah I understand accidents happen but they could have at least apologized. I'm not getting the evaluation done. I'm not spending $200 on a university that is so disorganized and cannot even accept that they made a mistake. I know I'm being petty but I just got an invite to interview with UCF and I heard that USF and UCF are rivals.... so take that!!!

 

something similar happened to me when i was applying for undergrad many moons ago, and i remember having this exact feeling. i applied ED to an ivy, and 5 days before i was supposed to hear back, they called me to explain they had somehow lost all of my materials, and that i would have to get them all sent again. in the meantime, they had no choice but to defer me. by the time they said "oh, we want you now!" i had put in applications to a bunch of other places, and basically told them good riddance. i ended up at a so-called "baby ivy" and became an all around happier person while i was there. i don't think i would've had an equally positive experience at the ivy, and, admittedly, it was really satisfying to flip a big ol' bird to a school that probably thought i would go crawling back to them after they screwed up majorly, just for the name.

 

now, though, that's pretty much my nightmare, especially since i'm paying out of pocket. you guys are champs for taking it all in stride and not totally freaking out. 

[Purplepolarbear]

Replied in error.

 

It's really not a bad school.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Purplepolarbear

[epsilon]

I was accepted at UCSB previously for a PhD (already had a Master's) with full funding and received a letter of several pages in the mail that went into extensive detail about the funding package. I accepted as this school was my first choice, and told my other offers 'no'. Shortly after, I called UCSB to ask a question, had a conversation with the department assistant who at the end of our talk, said 'by the way, you know you're not getting funding right?" I said, uh what? I have a letter here right in front of me that says I did. She said, I knew we shouldn't have let that professor write the letters, and I knew when you accepted the offer so quickly that you probably thought you were funded." Yeah lady, I thought I was funded because you told me I was. I tried to do the whole, well guess what, it's your mistake so now you need to go find me some money. They came back with some miniscule amount, and how welcome would I be in a department when things started off that way? The offer was too low for me to afford attending anyway. So I had no recourse of any kind, they didn't apologize, and I had to wait a year to reapply elsewhere.

Oh my. This scares me! I hope your apps go better this year

[wpc]

Just for this reason ($200), I didn't apply to university of south florida. It seems that only this university requires it.

[OhMySocks]

What does it mean to get your transcripts evaluated and why does it cost such a ridiculous amount of money?

[ramswell]

What does it mean to get your transcripts evaluated and why does it cost such a ridiculous amount of money?

It is a service that converts international transcripts into the US grading system's equivalent. We don't have a credit system and our marks are based on a percentage system instead of a gpa. The agencies that provide this service charge around $200 to do it. USF does seem to be the only college that wants the applicants to get this done. Other colleges have an evaluator hired by the college that does it for them. The applicant doesn't have anything to do with it.

[mbs191]

On a related but opposite kind of item - - - - when I was applying to PhD programs back in 2010, I got a rejection "letter" from the UNC - Chapel Hill ... except it didn't have my name on it, had "CRAYON" on the margins and was photocopied on a 25 degree angle slant so portions of the overly-xeroxed copy weren't even readable!

 

I didn't know if it was real, a prank, or what - - so I had to email the head of the Dept saying "hi, I got a rejection letter but it doesn't have my name on it, has purple crayon scribbles in the margins, and just overall looks like a prank" .... is this real?

 

I got a response back the next day apologizing, but that yes, in fact, I was rejected...........but that he'd look into the way in which rejections were being sent.  Oh geez.

[whatshername]

I was accepted at UCSB previously for a PhD (already had a Master's) with full funding and received a letter of several pages in the mail that went into extensive detail about the funding package. I accepted as this school was my first choice, and told my other offers 'no'. Shortly after, I called UCSB to ask a question, had a conversation with the department assistant who at the end of our talk, said 'by the way, you know you're not getting funding right?" I said, uh what? I have a letter here right in front of me that says I did. She said, I knew we shouldn't have let that professor write the letters, and I knew when you accepted the offer so quickly that you probably thought you were funded." Yeah lady, I thought I was funded because you told me I was. I tried to do the whole, well guess what, it's your mistake so now you need to go find me some money. They came back with some miniscule amount, and how welcome would I be in a department when things started off that way? The offer was too low for me to afford attending anyway. So I had no recourse of any kind, they didn't apologize, and I had to wait a year to reapply elsewhere.

Oh god! I am also accepted by a Phd program at UCSB with full funding recently. It is also my top choice. Your experience makes me nervous. The funding results were told by my POI. How do I double check that if they can even made such mistake in the official letter?

[ramswell]

Oh god! I am also accepted by a Phd program at UCSB with full funding recently. It is also my top choice. Your experience makes me nervous. The funding results were told by my POI. How do I double check that if they can even made such mistake in the official letter?

 

Call them and ask! Better safe than sorry.

[Seeking]

This seems like a cross-cultural misunderstanding.

 

In most US schools, it's the Department that decides upon the admission list as well as Departmental and regular funding awards. University funding outside the Department and external funding possibilities are handled by the Fellowships and funding Division of the Grad School.

 

However, the official letter of admission is sent by the Grad Admissions School. They also ratify the admission and funding decision of the Departments.

 

In most cases, this ratification process by the Grad Admissions School is just a formality. They just go along with the decision made by the Ad-Committees.

 

However, in some cases where the Grad Admissions wants to confirm the genuineness and the eligibility of the successful candidate, they may either get the credentials checked themselves, or they may ask the candidate to get their credentials verified, before they can make a formal offer of admission and funding to the candidate.

 

This usually happens when the candidate's case is an uncommon one - such as when a candidate having a PhD in one discipline wants to apply for a Grad program in another unrelated discipline - or, when the candidate's previous education is not from a familiar institution. 

 

So, in all probability, the suggestion made above seems to be the most probable one that Ramswell was considered for admission and funding by the Department and the Grad Admissions wanted to verify the credentials before making a formal offer. 

 

For whatever reasons, they may have thought it was alright to ask the candidate to submit a verified evaluation of the credentials. They may not have realized that the candidate might take offence at this. On the other hand, the candidate may not have realized that just spending 200 USD would smooth out the process of admission and funding. When s/he showed unwillingness to do this, the Grad School may have changed their mind about funding and admitting such a candidate, interpreting this unwillingness as obstinacy.

 

The phrase "I need time to look into it/think about it" can be interpreted by many as "I don't want to do it."

 

I also understand that 200 USD can be a big amount for many, but if you can spend the money, it's better to do so. If you can't, just tell them very politely that at the moment you don't have the means to spend this money, so can they suggest an alternative. Chances are that they will get the credentials evaluated on their own.

 

I am aware of cases where the Grad Schools accepted scanned copies of GRE scores and got the scanned copy of IELTS scores verified from the IELTS themselves, rather than insisting upon official copies.

 

Anyway, Ramswell has got another interview, so hopefully this will turn out well.

 

This incident doesn't mean that everyone who has got a funded offer from the Department should double-check with the Grad School. Wait to hear from them. Most probably they will send you the offer letter. If you don't hear from them in a week or so, just send them a short, polite email telling them you received this offer from your POI, but have not yet received the official letter. They will send you the letter, or will ask you if there are any doubts to be clarified. 

Edited March 3, 2013 by Seeking

[callista]

On a related but opposite kind of item - - - - when I was applying to PhD programs back in 2010, I got a rejection "letter" from the UNC - Chapel Hill ... except it didn't have my name on it, had "CRAYON" on the margins and was photocopied on a 25 degree angle slant so portions of the overly-xeroxed copy weren't even readable!

 

I didn't know if it was real, a prank, or what - - so I had to email the head of the Dept saying "hi, I got a rejection letter but it doesn't have my name on it, has purple crayon scribbles in the margins, and just overall looks like a prank" .... is this real?

 

I got a response back the next day apologizing, but that yes, in fact, I was rejected...........but that he'd look into the way in which rejections were being sent.  Oh geez.

 

WTH?????? Did they ever send you a real letter?