Out here in the Midwest, my son (prospective BS 9th grader) took the SSAT because we assume the schools in which he’s interested have no way of knowing what an “A” means in his particular middle school, of which they likely have no familiarity. The fact that he got an excellent score should remove any uncertainty about his academic aptitude.
While I can understand making this year SSAT optional for reasons of unequal access, I think every applicant who does take it should be required to submit it to every school to which he/she applies. An applicant shouldn’t be able to opt out just because he/she performed less well than hoped.