Two recent news stories provide a lesson on how easy it is to make a serious mistake when communicating electronically.

On April 1, hundreds of applicants to NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service got an e-mail reading:

“Congratulations! We are delighted to offer you a place in the Fall 2009 class at NYU Wagner.”

The problem: The applicants had all been rejected or waitlisted days earlier. And an hour after being congratulated, they got a third e-mail, this time apologizing.

“The letter you received today via e-mail was sent in error,” the new message said. “Unfortunately, your previous decision is final and must remain.”

Apparently, when sending the congrats to the accepted students, the school accidentally sent the note to everyone who applied, the Washington Square News reports.

Needless to say, the recipients were upset. “Worst April Fools’ joke ever,” one applicant wrote on a forum on TheGradCafe.com. “Nice one, Wagner, you really got me!”

A similar snafu occured at UC San Diego at the end of March. This time, 28,000 applicants got a welcome e-mail after hearing they were rejected earlier in the month.

Tags: e-mail, rejected applicants