<p>This is probably a dumb question, but it's something I can't seem to be able to find a clear answer to. On the Common App counselor evaluation, it says "Feel free to attach a letter of recommendation. Alternatively, you may attach a letter from another school official who could better describe the student."
My counselor doesn't know me AT ALL, but I'm on really good terms with the principal both personally and school-wise. So I'm hoping that that means that I could ask the principal for a letter of recommendation and he could do my evaluation rather than the counselor and send that into colleges in place of a counselor's letter. Is that alright? Would a college that requires a counselor's letter take a letter from a principal instead?</p>
<p>I would suggest emailing CommonApp directly, or the school you plan on applying to. Considering all have different rules and guidelines, and that seems to be a tricky one.</p>
<p>What if the counselor filled out the evaluation but the actual letter of recommendation was done by the principal? That would be ok, right?</p>
<p>did u get any reply to your counselor query? even i have the same problem as u had. pls help. </p>
<p>This is an old thread, but for the poster who revived it: I feel like this is mostly intended for schools where there is no counselor (some schools don’t even have them, especially for international students or really small schools). I would let the counselor do what they do. There are questions asked on that form that aren’t just “what kind of student is this”. If you want to, you could ask your principal to write you a supplemental recommendation letter (IF your schools are okay with that and say so, you MUST give them the academic teacher letters they ask for, do not try to substitute this for that letter). Some schools are okay with extra recommendations, so you could send it in to those schools.</p>