"No, the SAT is not Required." More Colleges Join Test-Optional Train

[Data10]

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As to your statement " Test scores add relatively little to the prediction of academic success beyond other sections of the application" this is consistent to what has already been stated that after a certain level of achievement on the SAT, applicants are pretty similar in ability and SAT predictability has little value.

After adding controls for GPA, curriculum, race, …, the study found relatively little difference in grad rate between those with scores near the 25th percentile at a particular college and those with scores at the 75th percentile. This is quite different from saying that after a particular threshold, scores do not matter. The study does not suggest a threshold level test score.</p>

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I highlight the correlation from the graph because if an applicant has a high HSGPA and high SAT score of that is 2 standard deviations from average those students are fully qualified to do well at any institution from the most prestigious to the least prestigious university.

The graph shows +2 SDs from the mean test scores for a particular college. +2 SDs corresponds to a test score in the top ~2% of the entering class at a particular college (in a normal distribution). Obviously it is not possible to have a SAT score in the top 2% of the entering class at Bowdoin since more than 2% get a perfect M+V score of 1600 . Even among the high scoring CC population, very few will have scores among the top 2% of the entering class at any college they attend, so this +2SD group is not especially relevant.</p>