<p>I've called a few colleges I'll be applying to, namely Duke, Penn, and Cornell, and they've all replied that yes, it is indeed okay to send in materials other than the online application before the app. itself.</p>
<p>Would this be the concensus among most colleges?</p>
<p>I believe so. Or rather, I hope so, because that's what I did. :-)</p>
<p>yes that is ok, they jsut open a folder for you</p>
<p>thanks! but will I be able to check my application status from this?</p>
<p>Some colleges have a "Part 1" application that helps open your file. The Part 1 just has biographical info, like your name, address, high school, etc. This is probably particularly helpful if you have a common name, e.g. John or Mary Smith. If your colleges have such a Part 1 it makes sense to send it in as soon as possible. In theory the colleges keep track of all the stuff you send in, no matter in which order. You can always call the admissions office to check on what pieces they have received.</p>
<p>Yeah, if they don't have a file open already, then there might be hitches in filing the stuff you send.</p>
<p>Majority of the colleges that use the common app. exclusively, don't unfortunately have form 1s to create a folder : (</p>