Cambridge University has sent around 400 students congratulatory emails containing details of fees and term dates, despite having already rejected them.
Academics from St Catherine's College have now apologised for the email blunder, which is suspected to have occurred when an admissions tutor sent the emails using the wrong distribution list, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The emails provided students with a link reading: "Congratulations on receiving an offer to come to St Catharine's", but the hopefuls had already been told they had failed to gain a place at the university weeks earlier.
The father of one 17-year-old told the national paper it was "unprofessional" and said he "expected a bit better" from Cambridge.
To apply to Oxbridge, students have to not only submit a UCAS application but are also required to sit admissions tests or submit school essays, as well as attending interviews. The interview process is conducted in December and Cambridge says they interview everyone with a "realistic chance of being offered a place", which the university estimates is more than 80% of applicants every year.
Candidates applying to St Catharine's, which was founded in 1473, receive the college's decision by mid-January at the latest. Figures indicate as many as 600 students apply for places at the college annually but only around 150 actually receive offers.
A spokesperson for Cambridge University 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.”