As soon as you complete your profile and pay for an application, a school will receive it. As soon as you do that, the school will receive and begin tracking your application via their SAO system. Any components and forms completed after this initial submission will be delivered to the school in real time.
If you are not ready to complete your profile or pay for an application, you can add a school to your SAO and select the "share basic profile" option. This won't apply to the school, but it share your basic information, let them know you are interested, and that you may soon be submitting an application. This option is available when adding a school or even after they have been added to the SAO.
