It seems a number of business school applicants couldn't wait to learn if they'd been accepted. Now they may have to wait another year to start an M.B.A.

Following instructions on a BusinessWeek online forum, would-be students hacked into computers at several business schools thanks to a glitch in the ApplyYourselfInc. software system many institutions use. The universities discovered the perpetrators and some, including Harvard, MIT and Carnegie Mellon, have rejected them outright. That amounts to about 150 students automatically dinged by Harvard and MIT.

Here are the two respective deans quoted in the chronicle of higher education:

"This behavior is unethical at best—a serious breach of trust that cannot be countered by rationalization," Kim B. Clark, dean of the Harvard Business School, said in a written statement. "Any applicant found to have done so will not be admitted to this school."

Richard Schmalensee, dean of MIT's Sloan School, also released a statement. "Honesty and integrity are critical character attributes for students at the MIT Sloan School of Management," it said. "These applicants will be denied admission to MIT Sloan this year."According to the Chronicle, officials at other affected schools—including Stanford, Duke and Dartmouth—are still deciding what to do about their hackers.

What dolts. These applicants couldn't wait another few days or weeks to learn their fates, so they hacked in to satisfy their curiosity. I bet these people snuck into their parents' closets to peek at their presents just before Christmas. Now they may have nixed their chances to attend a premier business school.

If they do wind up pursuing M.B.A.s, I'd recommend the courses on ethics.

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