Georgia State sends out 1,500 mistaken acceptance letters, retracts them

Hundreds of high school students who were anticipating attending Georgia State University (GSU), received a surprise when their acceptance letters were revoked.

About 1,500 students received an acceptance letter from the university last week. 

But the university said that the students, who had incomplete applications, received the letter by mistake.

“The Admissions department, sent a retraction communication," the university said in a statement according to the Atlanta Georgia Journal-Constitution. “We also have encouraged the students to finish their applications so they can be considered for admission.”

USA TODAY reached out to Georgia State University for comment regarding the acceptance letter mishap.

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Student who received the acceptance letter from Georgia State University was hurt by the revoked letter

As many high school students anticipate the welcome letters from their prospective college or university, many students who received acceptance letters from GSU said they were heartbroken when the school reversed their decision.

Filled with excitement and crying tears of joy, one GSU applicant ran upstairs to tell her mother, Vanessa Peters, WSB-TV reported.

“I was upstairs, and she came running upstairs, crying in happiness,” Peters told the broadcast station. 

The following day, Peters’ daughter received the news that the acceptance letter was sent by mistake.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Peters said. “As a mother, I was heartbroken. I cried too.”

Peters told the broadcast station that her daughter's college essay detailed how she has dealt with some mental-health struggles. The back-and-forth with the school has caused her daughter, an aspiring veterinarian, to feel depressed again, she said.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.