The article mentions that SAT and ACT scores are now mostly optional, is that really the case at most universities/colleges?

It is not a "Ploy" - or at least not a ploy from the applicant side - if colleges are eagerly favoring every sort of expensive deck-stacking scheme which well-to-do students' families might try.

Was interesting to read. I'm in college right now. I even found essay writing service Canada at https://ca.customwritings.com to help me with homework and save my time. Thanks to this custom service I got the highest score in the class. I think such services are great option for students who need some writing help.

Seem like this "ploy" could be easily defeated by a knowledgeable interviewer --- but then most colleges don't take the time do personal interviews.

So how about this as an alternative --- simply ignore claims of "peer-reviewed" authorship because they are so easily faked?