- Take the SAT/ACT as soon as possible. Even though most do take it 2nd semester junior year I would suggest taking it for the first time in the fall. The PSAT is in October so a good time to take the SAT the 1st time is Nov/dec since if you have already prepped for the PSAT, the SAT will be easier to prep for.
The SAT and ACT are more similar now than they were before but my recommendation is to take practice tests for both and see which one seems more comfortable. I did this and immediately ruled out the ACT since I found the SAT easier for me. This will save time as you won’t waste time prepping for a test you are not comfortable with.
There isn’t officially a max # of times you can take these tests but think of 3 as an unofficial max. Definitely take it twice because more times than not you score(or at least your super score) will go up. I recommend fall and then winter/spring. Take it a third time if and only if you are completely unhappy with your score. I would STRONGLY suggest to not take it at all senior year. I know that right now I am overwhelmed with College apps and if I were to be studying for a test right now I would not be able to prepare as well as a was able to junior year. Try to get it all done as early as possible.
From my experience, I would also suggest taking the tests withing close gap of each other. i.e. If you take it for the first time in Nov, take it again in Dec or Jan, don’t wait until May. I say this because once you start prepping for a test it is easier to build on what you started. If there is a big gap I doubt that all that time will be spent on test prep and skills will be lost if not worked on. It’s also better to work really hard for 2-3 months and then be done.
- It is important to note that Subject tests are not mandatory or even considered by most colleges. The easiest way to find out if you are okay to take a subject test is to take a practice test. (Practice tests are the holy grail to test prep). If you can answer most of the questions or are at least familiar with the topics I would try to take it. If this is the case, most probably only a few topics need to be brushed up on. I am not really familiar with IB, but SAT subject tests don't always go with AP courses either. Sometimes all that is needed is an honors course (this is true for tests such as Math II and Bio). For these, only general info on the subject is tested. For others, not even an AP course is super helpful (like Lit or USHistory) and for these, a bit more self-prep is needed. Again the only way to figure out if you are ready to take the test is practice tests. However, I wouldn't stress about these.
- Playing violin seems like her most important EC and even if she doesn't pursue it in college your colleges will see the depth in which she is involved with it so don't worry about this.
- I think you mean "superscoring". Most schools do it for the SAT and a slightly less number of schools for the ACT. Basically, if you can take the highest score from each section of the SAT.
I don’t think you should take the SAT several time just to superscore, or not try to prep in a section just because you assume the scores will superscore. You should take the test each time with the intent to raise your score in each section. Whether that happens or not may depend on the curves or how hard that particular test may have been. Ex. I got 10 points lower on my math section the 2nd time I took the SAT despite getting the same number of ?'s wrong but since most college will superscore this won’t effect anything.
- Each college weights differently. Some may only include core classes. A general way to estimate this for yourself is to add .5 for Honors and 1 point for AP/IB. This method is not accurate as your weighted GPA will be different everywhere, but it can help you compare your rigor to others who have been accepted to the school in the past.
I know this is long but I want to answer the questions as thoughrally as I could. As someone who has recently survived junior year, I wish your daughter good luck .