BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — More than 5,000 prospective students have mistakenly been notified by email that they've been accepted into an upstate New York university.

University at Buffalo spokesman John DellaContrada says the mistaken email was sent Wednesday to students whose applications hadn't been fully reviewed. He says the university sent a second email about three to four hours later notifying the students of the gaffe and apologizing for it.

The university posted a statement on its website saying the "miscommunication occurred when an incorrect email list was generated from an applicant database."

The statement says it's important to note the students who received the mistaken email are still being considered for acceptance by the university.

The University at Buffalo has about 30,000 students.