... exactly the same:
> Applicant A:
> 1) Cancel ... ) 171
>
> Applicant B:
> 1) 163 ... take your highest score, but applicant A will be in a ... slightly better position than applicant B. For B, admission reps ...
So maybe it's actually better to apply in Dec-Jan this cycle. I wonder if schools were more strict with early acceptances/denied more people who applied Sept-Nov. based on the early applicant numbers.