2:56 p.m., March 15, 2011----A University of Delaware admissions website mistakenly showed a “congratulations” message to 61 applicants who were waitlisted or denied admission to the University.

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“While this computer blunder did not affect a large number of students, it was very hard on those who were affected, and we have been expressing our apologies to them by phone and by email, “ said Louis L. Hirsh, director of admissions. “Most of the students who apply to UD are wonderful kids, and they are heartbroken when they are not admitted. The last thing in the world we wanted was to add to their pain and disappointment. Unfortunately, that's what this mistake has done.”

On Friday evening, March 11, an admissions website (“My Blue Hen Home”) included a link to a registration form for an upcoming event for admitted students. Access to this link was incorrectly available to all applicants for a brief period of time, and 61 students who were not admitted to UD viewed that link.

Specifically, when students clicked on that link, they were taken to a registration form that included the word “congratulations” at the very top. Seventy-five students registered for the event Friday evening using this form, including 12 students who had been waitlisted or denied admission.

The access to this screen was disabled late Friday evening, and the system was reactivated with corrected access on Saturday, March 12. The 12 students were contacted by email on March 13. Senior admissions staff members followed up with the students with personal phone calls on Monday, March 14.

All University of Delaware admissions decisions are sent through the U.S. Postal Service. This spring, more than 13,000 offers of admission have been mailed.