Unbelievable! First accepted, then rejected!!!

[hakandoga]

Hello my fellow grad school enthusiasts,

I am writing here to ask your opinion about a situation that my friends is currently experiencing and she honestly doesn't know what to do.

Shortly, she applied to a Phd program in Sociology, in University of Binghamton. Firstly, they asked her to check to website and it was written that she was rejected. But the very same day, she recieved an email from the secretary that there was an "administrative glitch" and she was accepted with partial funding. As any candidate would do, she said it is not possible to afford the tuition and everything as an international student and asked them to inform her if anything changes about funding. About 10 days ago, she recieved this emal from the department with admission offer letter, full TAship, tuition waiver and all official documents with signatures of the director of graduate studies. Just yesterday, she signed the documents and sent them back and today, she recieved another email from the director if graduate studies telling her it is another "administrative glitch" that she still has partial funding. In the meantime, my friend planned everything according to this acceptance, buying plane tickets, looking for an apartment in the city etc. I am just wondering if anyone else experienced sth like this and if there's anything that can be done legally? Thanks a lot for your answers and I really appreciate your comments and suggestions on the issue.

[rising_star]

I can honestly say I've never heard of something like this happening. She should call the DGS and have a frank conversation, at a minimum.

[TakeruK]

I haven't heard of this many administrative glitches happening to the same person in a row!

But administrative glitches about these decisions do happen and when they do, the offer is not valid. See: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/02/11/mit-admissions-mistake-email/ for example. Another example is when my friend got paid a stipend a bit higher than they were supposed to and no one noticed it (since with tax deductions etc. it's hard to know the exact numbers). When the school found out, my friend was required to pay back the extra stipend. 

One thing that is strange about your friend's case is that it doesn't sound like it is necessarily a computer glitch accidentally sending notification but probably a person making a mistake and sending the wrong offer to the wrong person. However, schools are not required to offer admission because they mistakenly sent an offer letter. 

I agree with @rising_star that your friend should have a frank conversation with the DGS, find out what's going on and let the DGS know the costs your friend already incurred because of their mistakes. Honestly, at this point, I personally would not want to attend a school that screws up in this way, so I would be requesting the school be responsible for airline ticket cancellation fees (usually non-refundable flights meant that your friend can still pay like $250 to get the cost of the ticket become credit for another flight) or any other financial costs. I don't think the time spent looking for an apartment counts as something your friend can ask them to repay though. But I think the cancellation fees is something your friend could hold them responsible for. 

Of course, going this route only makes sense if your friend has decided to not take the offer. If they do take the offer, then the flight is still valid!

[hakandoga]

Thanks a lot for your response rising_star, I mean I have also never heard of such a thing. It is so ridiculous that I also don't know what to do. If things don't work out, do you thing there something that can be done legally? Because there are documents with my friends name, signed by the DGS.

[rising_star]

I'm not a lawyer so I have no idea if there are legal actions which could be taken. Perhaps your friend should talk to the university's ombudsman about the situation?

[GeoDUDE!]

12 hours ago, hakandoga said:

something that can be done legally?

What would you like to accomplish legally ? Say the court forces acceptance, then your friend has to go to a program in which no one wanted her to be in.

What damages can you likely prove beyond an application fee and a few hours of time ? Could she not get refunds on her plane tickets ect ? If she can't I suppose those could cost some money.

A lawyer would laugh at this case, imo.  Small claims might work. 

I think going through the university is really the only way to resolve this. 

 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

Tbh, I think your friend is going to have to cut their losses and just walk away. In my opinion, the legal fees and the hassle wouldn't be worth it.  That's really unfortunate and speaks volumes about that department. She's better off going somewhere else or reapplying.