It seems as though Drexel is acting somewhat foolishly (at minimum, just putting their foot in their mouth), but it's not clear that this particular incident relates to higher education in general.
Needless to say, their email was not well received...
I wish I could find a legitimate school, with an online program, that would accept me.
It will be interesting to see how they treat candidates with primarily industry credentials/experience, given that an online degree may attract a higher proportion of these prospective students (industry credentials suggest a full time job, which may lead to a preference for an online degree, but I'm obviously speculating).
2) The need for letters of recommendation (As I mentioned in the post - I've recently asked my employer/co-workers for letters twice, I hate to impose that again)
It might be worth revisiting GT's program.