I know each school is different in terms of rolling admissions, etc. but when did you all start applying to schools, Sept? I would think you would have to have your best SAT score/ACT in hand at that time though and that might not be the case for us…i know the quicker to apply the better in terms of early admit and all…
My daughter is starting to sent applications now. Many schools require apps to be sent before you can sign up for an audition slot and she wants to spread out her auditions and do some early. She won’t send apps out to some until Sept and Oct. She is retaking the act in Sept but will use her earlier score for now. Don’t know the ‘correct’ answer but that is what we are planning on doing. Good luck!
We went ahead and sent in applications without Ds ACT score. We had to pay to send her ACT scores later but she wanted to wait and send the best one. We were able to sign up for all auditions doing it this way. We had all applications in by the end of October.
We also did apps before “final” ACT score was in (D took in Oct) - recognizing that most schools would not be “evaluating” apps (her schools were not rolling) until later in the process- and we wanted to get the auditions scheduled 
We had no problems
The first year, The D started in August as soon as the common app opened with the intent to be finished by mid September. The common app that year had been totally rehauled that year and wasn’t tested so there were so many problems with many of the schools getting the app. I think she was finished by the end of September/early October. The push to get them in early is to be able to select audition dates before they fill up. At most schools, the application didn’t have to be complete (scores, recommendations,etc.) to schedule an audition.
Get those apps out as early as possible. Every single school my daughter applied to required the app be done before scheduling the audition, and scheduling auditions is a complicated juggle. Having the early advantage in the scheduling arena will help preserve perhaps a speck of sanity. The test scores can be sent later.
I think what they really want is your application fee… once that is there you can often schedule auditions…and pay another fee…
My d has most of her apps in already. She is retaking the ACT in September, but mostly that is for scholarship consideration. She is filming prescreens next week, I hope. Gosh, I’ll be so glad (in some ways) when spring gets here. LOL!
I agree with everyone saying to get the apps in early. (There were apps I literally turned in minutes before the deadline, and lemme tell you, that was an anxiety-ridden mess.)
That said - and this is particularly true for Unifieds - if auditions fill up and the only slots left conflict with auditions you’ve already secured, go ahead and grab a slot anyway. Call the program that’s lower on your list (just don’t let them know that’s the case!) and ask if there’s another time available. Some schools were able to reschedule and move my audition time around as long as they already had my name in the system.
For schools with rolling admissions (and not extremely high academic standards for admission), D applied in September and October (before taking her final SATs). She had her first academic acceptance in the middle of September. Even though she still had to audition, she felt a great relief knowing that she could go somewhere for college.
Now those prescreens… She dragged her feet on those, much to my chagrin.