Mistaken acceptance?

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snowcherries

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Not sure if there are any other Redditors on SDN, but I just saw this:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/rbgcz/my_friend_got_his_acceptance_letter_to_memphis/

This sounds like any applicant's worst nightmare. While I'm suddenly having irrational fears that I've been fake-accepted, I'm also wondering how any program would actually get to that point with an admitted student--I know that all my programs, especially the ones where I was accepted, kept in touch regularly with students about their admissions status via personal email contact.

Anyone heard any similar horror stories? Alternately, does any know if this is legit?

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Not sure if there are any other Redditors on SDN, but I just saw this:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/rbgcz/my_friend_got_his_acceptance_letter_to_memphis/

This sounds like any applicant's worst nightmare. While I'm suddenly having irrational fears that I've been fake-accepted, I'm also wondering how any program would actually get to that point with an admitted student--I know that all my programs, especially the ones where I was accepted, kept in touch regularly with students about their admissions status via personal email contact.

Anyone heard any similar horror stories? Alternately, does any know if this is legit?

Is that even possible under APA guidelines? Isn't it that once the offer is out, it's out, and they can't take it back?
 
Wow....that program is between a rock and a hard place. I wonder if he signed anything to confirm is agreement to accept? If so....I can't see how Memphis can not take him. If they don't, I'd expect there to be legal action.
 
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My question is I wonder if the person even interviewed? If I never interviewed at a fully-funded Ph.D. program, and then was suddenly accepted.. I would be suspicious. If he was this shocked about getting accepted, it almost makes me thinks he never interviewed at all..
 
Not sure if there are any other Redditors on SDN, but I just saw this:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/rbgcz/my_friend_got_his_acceptance_letter_to_memphis/

This sounds like any applicant's worst nightmare. While I'm suddenly having irrational fears that I've been fake-accepted, I'm also wondering how any program would actually get to that point with an admitted student--I know that all my programs, especially the ones where I was accepted, kept in touch regularly with students about their admissions status via personal email contact.

Anyone heard any similar horror stories? Alternately, does any know if this is legit?

I do wonder about the authenticity of all the facts presented, but that's just the cynic in me. I wouldn't doubt that it's possible it could happen exactly as stated.

If the program sent a hard copy acceptance letter (or even an email, I'd imagine), and he also called/emailed to confirm, then I'd imagine they would be obligated to take him. At the same time, he might also be able to call the offers he turned down, explain the situation, and see if there's still room for him elsewhere (if attending Memphis were now going to leave a sour taste in his mouth, for which I couldn't blame him).

GoPokes also makes a good point. If there was never an interview, that'd raise my suspicions quite a bit.

Although at the very least, if everything happened exactly as stated in that story, the guy deserves more than just a, "we're very sorry" email. You know, like the call from the dean that was promised.
 
My question is I wonder if the person even interviewed? If I never interviewed at a fully-funded Ph.D. program, and then was suddenly accepted.. I would be suspicious. If he was this shocked about getting accepted, it almost makes me thinks he never interviewed at all..
Yeah, I was wondering that too...I also know that I'd be totally in the dark about the admissions process at these schools if I didn't have SDN and the Insider's Guide, so I can't blame the guy too much if that's the case.
 
This happened to me this year with a University based Clinical Psych PhD program in the northeast (I don't want to say which one).
This is my second year applying to doctorate programs and I am a frequent SDN'er so 'this ain't my first rodeo'. I was therefore pretty shocked when I got a letter from my 1st choice school accepting me and asking me for a deposit to hold down my spot.
I had never interviewed there so I called and asked to speak with the Dean. The letter had said to call him if there were any questions.
They put me on the phone with his assistant. When I told her about my letter and acceptance. She said "Oh. That's not right."
She had printed out the wrong letter and sent it to me.
No apologies
It turns out if I had mailed in that deposit and they cashed it, it would have been considered a binding contract.
But who wants to go where they aren't wanted, right ?
Anyway.. it happens. Mistakes happen. But they are outliers.
:)
 
Sounds like the guy had other offers though and turned them down for this one. I feel so badly for him!
 
I wonder if the mistake was made by UM after discovering that their funding was reduced. I believe most programs have a disclaimer in acceptance offers pending unforeseen circumstances such as reduced funding. There is no guarantee on funding. I really believe the student has little legal recourse in this matter. They should reconnect to the programs that they denied to explain the situational variable and most likely one of these programs still would accept them. Just mark it off as one of those life lessons, as this happens. Just be thankful you have not moved already to Memphis. Believe me, count this as a blessing as you don't want to be dedicated to a program that makes such errors in judgment.

Also, APA has no say so of what a graduate program does or does not do regarding admissions. APA is a private corporation paid for by it's members and has no Federal or State allegiance. APA is a private company and my guess is it is a for profit private company due to all of the money it accepts in advertising.
 
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I wonder if the mistake was made by UM after discovering that their funding was reduced. I believe most programs have a disclaimer in acceptance offers pending unforeseen circumstances such as reduced funding. There is no guarantee on funding.

I was lucky to be accepted to 6 fully funded clinical PhD programs the year I applied. Not one of them had a disclaimer in any of the (extensive, in some cases) acceptance packets. Once the initial offer is made, they are required to fund you according to those terms. For a brief period, it looked as though one of our major grants wasn't going to be renewed, and my advisor explicitly told me that they were still required to fund me that year (borrowing from the university if necessary) because they had promised to do so in my offer letter.

I can't speak to this person's situation (mistaken acceptance), but if you just got accepted to a program and this thread is freaking you out, please don't get the impression that the department can just change their mind and revoke your funding. They can't.
 
Not sure if there are any other Redditors on SDN, but I just saw this:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/rbgcz/my_friend_got_his_acceptance_letter_to_memphis/

This sounds like any applicant's worst nightmare. While I'm suddenly having irrational fears that I've been fake-accepted, I'm also wondering how any program would actually get to that point with an admitted student--I know that all my programs, especially the ones where I was accepted, kept in touch regularly with students about their admissions status via personal email contact.

Anyone heard any similar horror stories? Alternately, does any know if this is legit?

I know of someone that this happened to. This person moved and made life changes after getting the acceptance letter. The program had to accept them because this person can sue the school (she did not threaten to sue but the school allowed her in the program because this is grounds for a lawsuit). I personally would sue the school, especially if I turned down other offers. That is extreme negligence on the school's part. The person on this site should have their friend keep the acceptance letter as evidence.
 
A situation happened to me too, but not to this extent. I sent an e-mail to the director of my program of choice asking him about my application status. He replied 5 minutes later saying they were just speaking about how to let me know and that I was accepted with funding. He mentioned I would get an official e-mail shortly with more information. Later in the day I did receive an e-mail from the secretary saying I was accepted into their Online program. At this point I panicked, because I was damn sure I did not apply to any online program ever, and I even went back to seeing my application and I never saw anything about my program being online. I decided not to send an e-mail or anything, because I think I was quite afraid to find out the truth (imagine being so happy and then learning your program is online?) Anyways I ended up going to the interview and they let us know that some students had received incorrect e-mails because the ex-secretary hadn't organized the accepted students per program and the new secretary had to guess which student was accepted to what program. :oops:
I was definitely relieved that I was accepted to the right one, but I know I would be furious if they sent me an acceptance letter and it would have turned out a mistake. So my heart goes out to this guy for sure.
 
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