LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- At the height of college decision season, the University of Kentucky emailed 500,000 high school seniors an acceptance letter to a "selective" College of Health Sciences program that usually accepts only 35-40 students a year.
According to a report by LEX 18, the acceptance email was sent to seniors on March 15, saying, "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the selective Clinical and Management program in the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences for the Fall 2021."
This email was mistakenly sent out to 500,000 high school seniors falsely saying they had been accepted into the University of Kentucky's College of Health Sciences program. (Source: LEX 18)
As students across the country started opening the emails that day, the confusion grew.
Mary Dougherty, a senior from San Antonio, Texas, was one of the many to receive the email.
"I was like, 'Mom, I just got accepted into the University of Kentucky,'" Dougherty said. "And she's like, 'Oh, I didn't know you applied to University of Kentucky.' And I was like, 'Oh, I did not.'"
Dougherty is one of several high school students who told LEX 18 they never applied to UK, visited or even went on its website.
"I had to google it just to make sure it was a real college because, like, I've heard of them. But I'm not so sure," said Erin Esping, a senior from Georgia.
Less than 24 hours later, the school sent another email apologizing for its mistake, citing a "technical issue."
Apology email sent by the University of Kentucky after the school mistakenly sent out emails falsely accepting 500,000 students into its College of Health Sciences program.
The University admitted to LEX 18 the emails were sent in "error."
"Only a handful of those on the prospect list had been admitted to UK," University of Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton explained. "The vast majority had not, nor had the vast majority of these students expressed an interest in the program. Nevertheless, we regret the communication error and have sent correspondence to all those who were contacted, offering our apologies."
Blanton said the emails were sent using the school's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool.
"Think of it as a much more sophisticated tool than, say, MailChimp to send a newsletter," said Blanton. "There has to be a platform for distribution -- whether a current student or one we may be recruiting. It is a common practice in higher education. So, the student could have indicated they were interested in UK at some point or they ay have sent an application. There are a number of ways we would have their contact information."
Students who spoke to LEX 18 said they worried they might have accidentally applied and were fearful they were taking another student's spot. One student said she called UK to make sure they knew she would not be attending.
Texas Senior Garbriel Botello who also did not apply to UK said after going through the college admissions process his first thought when he received the acceptance email and then the redaction the next day was about any students who were hoping for a spot in the Clinical and Management Program.
"I'd be heartbroken," said Botello. "Reading that 'Congratulations, you're in' for students who really wanted it, that must have been horrible. Like, I cannot imagine what that felt like and I'm really sorry."
But Blanton said, "a very small number -- a handful" of students who received that acceptance email "had expressed interest in this particular program" and all students who should have been admitted received their acceptance letters.
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