Here is guidance for you. Please note, this doesn't answer all your questions but it may help. FYI, I have a candidate who is waitlisted. I talked to her at length yesterday and she has decided to accept her Appointment to Air Force. She also had an appointment from West Point.
What is the Wait List?
The Wait List is composed of students our Admissions Board would like to have in our entering class but for whom there were not enough spaces available. The candidate pool was among the most competitive ever, and the Admissions Board recommended a near record number of candidates for appointment. We have offered appointments to approximately 1,300 of those students; we expect 1,155 students to accept our offer and enroll at USNA. If fewer than 1,155 students accept our offer, we will then offer admission to some of the students who have been put on our Wait List.
Why was I Wait Listed?
The Admissions Board considered all aspects of each student's application--rank in class, grades, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, recommendations, essays, special talents, and backgrounds. We based our decisions on a careful analysis of all these factors and we offered admission to those students whom we thought would make up the strongest and most balanced entering class. Other strong students, like yourself, were put on the Wait List.
Should I accept another college offer?
Because most colleges require a May 1 deposit, even if USNA is your first choice, you should pay a deposit at another school to guarantee that you will have a space next year. We must wait until after May 1, the decision deadline for students to whom we have offered appointments, to determine how many spaces in the class will be filled at that time. If all spaces in the class are taken, we will not be able to offer admission to any students on the Wait List. If spaces do become available, we will still need anywhere from two weeks to a month after May 1 to determine just how many additional offers of admission we can make.
When is the earliest and latest I may hear?
The earliest you may hear about the Wait List is approximately the third week in May, and the latest may be mid-June.
When is Induction Day?
Induction Day, which is the day all Plebes report to USNA, is Thursday, June 29.
Will it help to write, call, or visit USNA at this time?
A visit would not affect our decision. Although you are welcome to send additional letters of recommendation, honors or accolades, decisions are usually based on the evaluation made by the Admissions Board.
How many students are on the Wait List?
We generally have between 70 and 120 names on our initial Wait List. The number offered appointments each year fluctuates, based on our acceptance rate and feedback from candidates.
If students are offered appointments from the Wait List, how will these students be selected?
To select students from the Wait List, we will first need to see how many spaces are available and match those spaces with the students on the Wait List. We will then examine the applications of students on the Wait List and consider our original evaluation of a student's credentials along with any subsequent information we have received (i.e. final grades).