This is a really easy question/answer. If you had asked the question in august of: "Does it hurt my chances to send my CFA in January compared to August"; you'd get many different opinions.
However; what is the "Alternative" to you not submitting it in this week? The alternative is to NOT SUBMIT it. What would that do to your chances? Marvin mentioned that if you don't submit it at all, that it would hurt your chances much, much more. Let me correct a small part of that. If you don't submit the CFA at all, then you CAN NOT RECEIVE AN APPOINTMENT!!! The reason you can't receive an appointment, is because until it's submitted, your application is not 100% complete. And if your application is not 100%; the review board has not and WILL NOT look at your application. In other words, no one has looked at your application other than admissions to determine if it's complete. It isn't complete, so no one's reviewed it to score it. So until your CFA is submitted, no one will look at your application. So I think that you have answered your own question.
1. Submit the CFA now, and you have a chance. What's that chance? No one here knows. Why? We don't know your entire package or the others competing against you. But you can't "Back-date" it; so it doesn't matter if the odds are worse this week compared to a month ago, 2 months ago, or 6 months ago.
2. Don't submit the CFA, and your chances are EXACTLY 0%. That's because no one on the review board will even look at your name, until your application is 100% complete. And that doesn't happen until your CFA is submitted.
The only time they will look at your application if it's not 100% is if it's still waiting on the DODMRB or a nomination. Other than that; anything missing, and they don't even look at it. Hope that explains it.
And please don't think my answer is ladened with attitude. It's not. I didn't look at how long you've been a member here; but others will tell you that ALL of my responses are intended not only to answer your question; but to also help others who will be applying next year and in years to come. This way instead of a simple YES/NO answer, they can understand the process and be better prepared in the application process. Definitely get it in, and best of luck to you. Mike....