Minnesota State University Moorhead is now granting readmission to around 232 students who were initially granted admittance for fall of 2013 and then sent withdrawal letters as they didn't meet the university's requirements for automatic admission.
Instead of sending the applications of such students to the review committee, they were automatically admitted.
The university had started sending acceptance letters for 2013 from last years' fall. But the error was spotted only last week.
As a result, the university is doing some necessary damage control and has decided to admit all the students as long as they agree to take part in an academic success plan or skills development course.
"We feel really terrible about this situation," MN State marketing and Communications Executive Director David Wahlberg said. "We can imagine how disheartening a letter like that would be, to be told on one occasion that you've been accepted and on another occasion that we needed to rescind that acceptance."
Wahlberg said that the university did not follow the appropriate process.
In order to get automatic admission, students are required to score a minimum of 17 on ACT or secure a rank in the top half of their high school class.
Students who fail to meet the criteria can still be inducted after sitting through an official committee review.
Jeremy Abrahamson, one of the newly admitted student, said that he was very excited when he obtained the 2013 acceptance letter. But, he received another letter that he was not accepted.
Wahlberg said the newly admitted students will need to work along with their faculty mentors to ensure that they're on the right track and help them get through their first semester.