Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores still wield a mighty force in American culture and in the psyches of teenagers, even though 760 American colleges and universities have made standardized testing an optional part of the admissions process. Three years ago, after the new writing portion of the SAT was unveiled, the author's college, the College of the Holy Cross, announced that it would make SAT and ACT scores an optional part of prospective students' applications. Because Holy Cross had long placed more weight on a student's academic record, high-school courses, and qualitative evaluations than on standardized-test scores, the move was more a public announcement of an existing process than a major shift in how they made their admissions decisions. In this article, the author shares the experience they had at Holy Cross when they became SAT-optional. She also shares some of the lessons they learned along the way, including: (1) Be true to your institution; (2) Know your students--and put them first; (3) Be prepared for criticism, but don't fear it; and (4) Don't let your guard down too soon.