[crystalmeph]

I would bet that there has literally never been a school that failed to notify the recipients before now. It is not just an honor for the student, but the school itself.

Yes, now, the National Merit organization will probably come up with a direct notification procedure, but it was not a failure on their part to assume that schools would act in their own self-interest.

[eppp]

I would guess that the number of people that act directly against their own self interest on a regular basis is a very high percentage of the population.

[matthewdgreen]

Except that the article says the school did notify the students. Overall I'm just confused by it.

[RestlessMind]

You are probably confused because you didn't read the article carefully? It says the school notified "after the early-application deadlines had passed".

Also: "On Monday, December 12, after getting caught, Kosatka sent an email to the parents of Commended Students, notifying them of the “important recognition” and saying, “We are deeply sorry” for not sharing the news earlier. He claimed school officials would contact college admissions offices to correct the record."