FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

The VICE Guide to Right Now

York University Just Withdrew 500 Acceptance Letters

University-bound kids will now have to wait a little longer to see where they'll be racking up massive student debt.

York University has taken yet another L. Photo via Flickr user The City of Toronto

Read: The New Curriculum—Teaching College Students How to Spy

York University likely crushed some dreams, or at least some Plan C backup dreams, this week when it informed 500 students that they'd mistakenly received acceptance letters.

Staff reportedly sent out two sets of emails Monday in response to applications received over the weekend; the first acknowledged receipt of the applications, while a follow-up indicated the student had been accepted to the school. The latter was sent in error.

Advertisement

Jock Phippen, director of student recruitment and admission told the Toronto Star the students, primarily in high school, and their families were notified as soon as the mistake came to light. Most, he said, have been fairly understanding.

"Truthfully it's probably something that's pretty disappointing for some of them as well."

The Toronto-based university is the third-largest in Canada, with more than 52,000 undergrad and grad students. It placed seventh in the "comprehensive" category of Maclean's 2016 university rankings.

York has a somewhat stigmatized reputation in this country due to the number of shootings and sexual assaults that have taken place on or around campus, though some feel unfair media coverage is partially to blame.

The school has received 26,000 applications for the fall semester.

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.