I’m absolutely with you on the standardized testing pains!
And I understand what you’re saying when it comes to one or two applicants bending the rules versus a handful, but will all 30,000 applicants (I assume you’re talking about one school?) have the standardized test scores and GPA’s to even have their applications considered, let alone their essays read? Probably not.
The point is, as you’ve mentioned, that people are going to do what they’re going to do, regardless of what you or I conclude dependently or independently.