Take the LSAT again in February or apply this cycle?

Dec 2016 LSAT scores were released yesterday.

I was in the middle of teaching an online LSAT seminar when my phone went off the hook. Text messages were going bonkers. I auto-responded to all of them with: "I'm in class."

One of the many response I got; the definite highlight of my night: "Tell them that they too can get a 176 with your help :) (finally got my score!)"

My Dec 2016 LSAT students scores ranged from a 161 to 180.

I'm proud of every single one of them. They all worked hard and achieved great test scores.

Even so, there were a few good follow-up questions:

What do you think of the option of applying immediately and taking the LSAT again this February? Would there even be enough time to increase my score in that short of time? 

Take a practice test and see how you're scoring now that weeks have gone by without you cracking open a book. I think you'll come to realize that it's generally a bad idea to decide to take the February test in such short notice. You're far better off either 1) pouring energy/effort into improving your personal statement and application OR 2) just waiting and taking the test in June/Oct/Dec, so that you'll be fully prepped and ready (not rushed and on tilt).

Should I just take the test again later this year? Would long term study help me master the exam?

Long term studying will be better than rushing for the Feb exam. However, the trade-off is psychological warfare with your inner-self. Most folks are pretty good about this though, so don't be too worried. Even so, I want to flag the importance of being mentally sharp. This means while prepping long term you need to have healthy distractions (i.e., basketball, fantasy football, mani-pedi, etc.). Otherwise, long term study will drive you crazy.

Would applying to the same school twice in a row hurt my chances? Say I applied to ABC Law School and got in but didn't accept because I wanted to wait another year in hopes of getting a higher score. If I did get a higher score, would it look bad applying to ABC Law School again?

First off, if you apply to a school and DO NOT GET IN, then it doesn't hurt your chances to re-apply. Do note, however, that you should NOT recycle and reuse the same essays for the second round.

If you apply and DO GET IN the first time around, then depending on how you manage your communication, you will (or will not) hurt your chances the second time applying.

There's something called "Deferred Admissions". This means that you're committing to the law school, but taking some time off (typically one or two years), and thus asking the law school to hold your seat during the interim. If you can pull off "Deferred Admissions" (which BTW is not easy), then you can have your cake and eat it too. Just be prepared to give up your seat deposit. By applying to other schools while you're under "Deferred" status you're 1) giving up your seat deposit; and 2) sort of being tricky and misleading.