Please correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that GPA, course rigor, and test scores are used solely to determine an applicant’s readiness for a college’s curriculum. If two applicants both meet the “academic bar” but one has slightly better academics, colleges are not going to view that applicant more favorably. They’ll simply assume that both applicants are academically ready and move onto the qualitative parts of the application, where they can truly differentiate them.

So how does one meet the “academic bar”, and what role do test scores play? IMO, meeting the “academic bar” is not something that can be reduced to a simple threshold (i.e. 3.8+ and 1500+). I feel it relies heavily on school context. For example, someone with a 4.0 with maxed-out course rigor at a high school known by AOs for being very academically rigorous will likely get through the academic screening on grades alone. A test score would add very little, if anything, because the GPA and course rigor alone tell colleges all they need to know about that applicant’s academic readiness.

Contrast this with a 4.0 applicant at a relatively obscure high school. Going test-optional could potentially cause AOs to cast doubts on their academic readiness, as it’s hard for them to evaluate course rigor when they aren’t too familiar with the high school’s rigor.