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Right now I have a 3.15/169. Since I have virtually no shot at even a lower end T14, my plan is to retake this December and get into 170's. With that said....

Do I apply after the December score release, or am I better off applying now?

I was originally intending to apply after getting the December LSAT score, but I'm worried that, even if everything goes well and I end up with a 170+, applying that late may hurt my chances.

What if I apply with my current score, but let them know that I am planning on retaking in December? Or is this more or less the same thing?

Thanks in advance! Any help would be appreciated.

as a 3.48/164 who was easily scoring 169-172 on my PTs I am applying now, retaking in December, and hoping it doesn't hurt me too much

if you apply now and say you are taking in December, most schools will evaluate your app when the new score comes in. Applying now helps in that you will be complete sooner and possibly on the top of the piles of people who have december scores but you will not gain an advantage.