VCU mistakenly refers to prospective students as accepted in email
VCU Admissions building. Photo by Andrew Hill
Varsha Vasudevan, Staff Writer
Selna Shi, News Editor
VCU sent February open house invitations to fall 2023 applicants on Dec. 27, 2022 addressing recipients as “accepted students,” but admission decisions had not been made for everyone, VCU spokesperson Michael Porter stated.
“We issued an apology and clarification on the same day and sincerely regret the mistake,” Porter stated in an email.
Patricia Merriman’s son received the email from VCU, his first choice for college, a few days after his birthday, according to WRIC.
Merriman said she believed VCU sent the emails mistakenly, but they needed to be “honored” regardless, according to the WRIC article.
The Commonwealth Times interviewed currently enrolled VCU freshmen about their experience getting accepted into the university.
VCU’s regular decision deadline is Jan. 17 and applicants will receive a decision by April 1, according to the VCU admissions website.
“Otherwise, decisions are sent on a rolling basis until enrollment capacity is met,” the website states.
VCU freshman Mercer Freeman, who has not currently declared his major, said he applied under regular decision and received an acceptance around March or February.
Freeman said setting up his student portal was not difficult, but was “definitely a little bit confusing” for some, as his roommate struggled navigating it.
Freshman art student Aryana Satti, said she applied to VCU to have an additional option and was uncertain about attending.
“I mean, I applied, and I got in,” Satti said. “I didn’t really think about it too much. It wasn’t too stressful for me.”
Satti said she applied around January 2022, and most likely heard back in March. Setting up her student portal and finding her roommate was “pretty easy,” according to Satti.
Freshman interior design student Larrieaux Kingston said VCU was the only college she applied to, applying early admission.
“I found out I got in like, before Christmas [2021],” Kingston said. “I got in and did all my stuff, and that was basically it. There wasn’t much to it.”
VCU will contact applicants that received the email and have completed application packets as of Dec. 27 by Jan. 23, according to Porter.
