Brigham Young University Messed Up BIG TIME!
Getting accepted into college is one of those huge moments many people will never forget. Some people get so excited, they even video themselves opening the letters to find out if they got in or not! It's one of those moments where you celebrate with friends and family and start planning your future! You can imagine the excitement (and heartbreak) when several high school seniors believed they'd been accepted to Brigham Young University... only to later learn it was a mistake!
A Glitch in the System: BYU's Mistake
BYU is now apologizing after an error in their system accidentally sent acceptance notifications to nine future students who had actually NOT been admitted. According to BYU, a glitch in the admissions notification system triggered 'Congratulations' messages before officials realized the error. The admissions department in Provo later contacted the affected students to apologize for the error they're calling an "unfortunate mistake" and they are promising some steps to prevent it from happening ever again.
However, for the students and families involved, the damage has already been done.
One student, 18 year old Owen Johansen of Virginia, said that he and his family celebrated after receiving what appeared to be an official acceptance. Owen and his family had already began preparing for the next chapter with exploring housing options and taking steps to enroll before discovering the acceptance message had been replaced with a rejection message in his online portal! The emotional whiplash left the Johansen family frustrated and heartbroken saying the situation could have (and should have) been handled differently.
Public Outrage: Should BYU Honor the Mistaken Acceptance?
And honestly, this is where people are left scratching their heads. With BYU being a massive university with huge resources, and nationally recognized programs that generate millions in revenue. When a school makes a mistake that impacts just nine students, giving them one of the biggest moments of their lives, many people are arguing whether BYU should've simply honored the acceptance.
Taking Responsibility: The Impact on Students
Instead of honoring the acceptance, BYU has nine students that went from celebrating their future, to sitting in pure heartbreak over a mistake completely in the hands of BYU. It's nine students, BYU... honor the acceptance letters. Come on!
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