@vhsdad when we visited to Wake Forest, the presentation included a portion on their being test optional. The admissions officer was very clear that when they say test optional they mean it. He said, “No, it won’t hurt your chances of being admitted.” He said it is exactly what it is.
It certainly did not come across as not being an authentic option. When I was listening to the presentation, it wasn’t as if I was biased in that direction for my student bc she had high test scores and was only visiting bc of her grandfather who is an alum. (She didn’t even apply.) But, I left there thinking that if I had a student who didn’t want to submit their test scores that it wouldn’t be a problem.