Will I be at a disadvantage if I don’t submit my scores to test optional schools?
For ex.
Person 1:
35 Act- Mediocre ECs- average Grades
Person 2:
No test scores - very good Ecs - Average Grades.
Will person 2 be at a disadvantage?
They’ll assume your test scores are very poor. If they’re better than very poor, you should submit.
Depends on the school and how competitive it is. In your scenario, because of the average grades of both applicants, neither would have a realistic shot at a top school like Bowdoin. But both likely to get in at Loyola MD.