@"Alex Divine" I am just saying what I have been told. Taking the t14 out of the equation. Chicago-Kent, Loyola, Maryland, Illinois, and Michigan State all told me the exact same thing.
Most schools that I've seen have prompts/allow for optional essays. You should write an optional essay if you have something to say. If you don't have anything meaningful to write about, then that essay is, at best, not going to help you.
Yeah, definitely sounds like a yield protection thing. I'm not really familiar, but if it is optional I just can't see how it is going to help. I guess it depends on your stats and the school you're applying to.