Cambridge apologises over student admissions blunder

As many as 400 applicants are believed to have been contacted by academics from St Catharine's College providing them with details of the forthcoming academic year. The email – from the college’s undergraduate admissions office – provided students with a link that read “Congratulations on receiving an offer to come to St Catharine’s”, followed by information on fees, accommodation and term dates. But many of the recipients had already been turned down weeks earlier following a round of interviews. The blunder is thought to have happened when an admissions tutor sent out a mass email using the wrong distribution list. The father of one 17-year-old girl from the Midlands, who was earlier rejected from a medicine course, criticised the error. “It is so unprofessional to send out a blanket email in this way and give false hope to young people who are in the middle of their A-levels,” he said. “I know everyone makes mistakes, but you expect a bit better from Cambridge.” The email contained a link to a website entitled "Information for offer holders", adding: "Now that the dust has settled after the admissions season, there is some information we would like you to read through." A spokesman for the university was unable to confirm how many students had received the email, which was sent out on Tuesday morning. But figures show between 550 and 600 students traditionally apply for places at St Catharine’s each year, with around 150 being given offers. A Cambridge spokesman said: “We can confirm that an error was made regarding an email distribution list. “This was quickly resolved and an apology was immediately sent. “We deal with large volumes of decisions and it is rare for an error to be made. We cannot discuss any individual’s application.”