The Cynical Reasons Behind Test-Optional Policies

Skeptics argue that plenty of the schools have ditched the SAT for cynical reasons. If an institution, for instance, eliminates the SAT requirement, it often sees an immediate 10% to 20% bump in the number of applications it receives. When word gets out about the change in policy, teens with lackluster test scores conclude that they now may qualify for a school that they once considered unattainable.

Schools are delighted when they receive more applications because it allows them to appear more exclusive. How does that happen? When a school is deluged with applications, it can reject far more teenagers. As perverse as this may seem to many anxious families, US News favors schools that reject the greatest percentage of applicants.