Test‑optional admissions harm disadvantaged stars

New evidence shows that when colleges adopt test‑optional policies, high‑achieving applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to submit scores and therefore less likely to be admitted, because test scores remain a strong predictor of college success and the absence of scores worsens visibility for these students. The finding is based on empirical analysis of application and outcome data under test‑optional regimes. — This matters because many institutions are adopting or keeping test‑optional policies under the banner of equity, and the study suggests those policies can have the opposite effect on the very group they aim to help.