<p>pswilla,</p>
<p>excellent observation. Not only it increase average SAT/ACT, but it also increase average GPA, since the kind of kids who will use the test optional strategy will be the ones with high GPA and low SAT. If AU decided to do this to play the “prestige game”, this is a brilliant strategy!!! It will help them up the USNWR ranking. Note: test scores and class ranking together accounts for 9% of the total USNWR ranking score!!!</p>
<p>Meanwhile, while they are at it, why not also create a GPA/ranking optional track? Then, they will really have the best GPA and SAT scores they can report to the ranking agencies 
Now, that will REALLY work for my kid, whose test scores are much better than the GPA. But, I don’t think they will ever do that: it’s completely politically incorrect to say, “screw the GPA, we are using only standardized test scores”. </p>
<p>Not that I am sure AU is doing it for this reason, but it would NOT surprise me at all if they decided to do it for that exact reason.</p>
<p>We went to AU’s regional information session. I left the session with the impression that they are really interested in playing this ranking and prestige game. They kept saying things like, you don’t need to do any AU supplement in addition to the common app, so why not apply? Oh, did you know that ED admission rate is much higher, so why not apply if you are really interested in AU, etc. </p>
<p>We all know that lower acceptance rate and higher yield (read: more active ED season) are all part of the ranking and prestige game. I do believe AU is underrated, and I assume the school administrators feel it even more acutely with even more regret. One of the easiest way to increase the prestige factor fast is to decrease the acceptance rate and increase the test scores of the admitted students. They are doing exactly that now. Heavy marketing drives to drum up the application (which will result in a lower acceptance rate) and the test optional policy will help them achieve it. </p>
<p>Going through the college admissions game the second time, I became very cynical about the underlying motives of the universities.</p>