Extremely. So much so that there are even study classes for it that a student can purchase to better improve a score. It’s crucial to do as best as possible, because colleges look very closely at an SAT or ACT score. These days due to tuition costs and the lack of funding for certain things like loans and scholarships, a university needs to find ways to whittle down the number of applicants and be selective with those they accept–
The unfortunate fact is looking at an ACT or SAT score is a lot easier than reading a few dozen extracurricular activity paragraphs.
Still, these standardized tests prove many things–one, it shows deficiencies and proficiencies, and while some schools focus more on certain disciplines or an all-around balanced education, you might have other schools that fit a standard of, say, a high ACT math score. A school dedicated to science and such might be a good choice and a good bet to hit the approval, despite low marks on other categories within the ACT or SAT. Schools do consider that.
Moreover, practicing on these tests is generally healthy learning for any student. While some might argue that they’re too standardized, the obvious truth is no matter how you look at it, when a student studies for these tests, it promotes learning. The fact is on many occasions the ACT and SAT are too standardized for some; but that shouldn’t stop any student from continuing to try for better scores just to get into the school of his or her choice.
The best advantage is any student can generally take any of these tests as many times as possible; and no matter what, any college will only recognize the highest score. Makes it slightly more advantageous to the student body, doesn’t it? If you’re a student, though, that hates testing and never does well on it, know that there are resources to help you with getting a decent score. Don’t fall by the wayside. Your education is important.