Code for: How Test Optional Policies in College Admissions Disproportionately Harm High Achieving Applicants from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

We analyze data from one elite institution and find that
test score optional policies harm the likelihood of admission for high
achieving applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Under test optional policies, these
applicants submit test scores at too low a rate; they more than double their
admissions probability (from 2.9 percent to 7.2 percent) by reporting scores. Our findings suggest that, more
than commonly understood, elite institutions
interpret test scores in the context of an applicant’s background. Thus, availability of test scores on an
application can promote rather than hinder social mobility.