No, they could ratify their constitution, but until that ratification was voted on by Congress, it had no effect. There was no time, between the ratification of the state constitution and president signing the bill admitting the state to the union, that the state was an independent nation.
The Enabling Acts (now we're down to what, a 25% rule)
30 out of 50 states passed through formal US territorial status. Maybe that qualifies as 25% in your math. For the record, there were the 13 original states. Five states were formed out of other states, one was an independent country annexed at their request, and one was admitted to statehood shortly after being ceded by Mexico, before a territorial government was organized.
were the owner's authorization to allow formation of a state (the owner being the U.S. in the case of the territories - i.e. all states had to agree...
Well, a simple majority, but I guess in the world were 60% equals 25%, it should be expected that 50%+1 equals "all."
Once they've codified their state powers (as every other state had), they are admitted as an equal.
Colorado ratified its state constitution in 1865. Their admission as a state, however, was vetoed by Andrew Johnson and it wasn't until 1876 that they entered the Union. What was Colorado's status during those 11 years?