Can you meet December 1st scholarship deadline w/o counselor recommendation?

Hey guys! So, i’m a senior in high school, and obviously i’m applying to USC. Though I have tuition exchange, I really need a merit scholarship if I want any chance of going to college loan free. I have everything done, including all the supplementary questions, common app and teacher recommendations. The only thing missing is my counselor recommendation. To be blunt: I honestly have the worst counselor in the world. I sent her an email in October asking her politely if she could write me a rec. She said she could do it, and on common app it said she had started it, so I didn’t think anything of it.

Stopped by her office several times over the past 2 weeks to try and reach her so I could so how it was going. When I finally did, she said she needs a 2 week notice before deadlines, said she didn’t know me well enough to write a rec, and was just overall nasty. I’ll spare you any more whining, as I could honestly go on for hours. Point is: If I turn everything in, send my common app but don’t have my counselor recommendation uploaded to common app, will they still consider my for the merit scholarships?

While I am not sure of the answer, that is a good question to call Admissions for. I wish I could offer you more insight, but give that a try. I hope everything works out for the best!

Recommendations can come in a little later than the December 1st deadline, and can come in from a teacher OR counselor.

https://admission.usc.edu/firstyear/prospective/checklist.html

Although someone needs to be responsible for sending in your school report (after first semester grades), which is usually the counselor or the registrar so check that someone at your school is doing that. Be polite, everyone is stressed this time of year with too much to do!