<p>I very much advise calling but be aware that near deadlines and shortly thereafter, many admissions staffs will be too busy to pull individual records up.</p>
<p>We found some schools very good at having everything online and at the command of the person who answered the call . Others asked us to call back later. </p>
<p>It's important to check as your son or daughter generally won't be able to specify how every item submitted is mailed. </p>
<p>It wouldn't hurt to ask your school counselor and teachers who are sending materials if you might give them a prepared mailer that would have some form of tracking/receipt acknowledgement rather than a school envelope and 1st class stamp only being used.</p>
<p>Enclosed postcards are good but I got the impression at one school that stuff kind of sat in a big box until near the deadline, then was opened, collated, and entered into the admissions database. You might wait a while to get a postcard put back in the mail. Just be aware of that.</p>