Glad to hear you were able to get your file to the Army board!
I was one of the lucky ones who were selected the first time around, so I have no idea how long people can be wait listed for.
Regarding your odds of getting in on time for January basic, I presume it all depends on two variables: (1) how many people are ahead of you on the waiting list, and (2) how many people turn down their job offer.
For example, suppose Billy-Bob turns down his job offer for Armour, then they will offer the job to Jane, who is the first person on the Armour waiting list. If Jane accepts the job, everyone else on the waiting list moves up one spot, i.e. the person who was second on the list now becomes first in line, 3rd becomes 2nd, so on and so forth. If however Jane turns down the offer, then they keep moving down the waiting list until somebody accepts the offer.
As far as I understand it, once the deadline for being selected for the current basic course lapses, the "wait list" become the "merit list", and as new candidates complete their applications, they are inserted into the list according to merit. This means that as the months go by until the next selection board, you can either get bumped down the list, remain in your current position, or get bumped up the list (if people who were ahead of you withdraw from the process).
The only way to know what your "chances" are for this January would be to find out both where you rank on each MOC's waiting list and the statistical average number of people who turn down their offer for each MOC that you are wait listed for.
I know... this isn't very helpful... Just hang in there! And if you don't get selected this time around, ask the officer who interviewed you how you can go about making yourself more attractive to the next selection board.
NEVER GIVE UP! :warstory: