<p>I have a counselor, but she doesn't know me THAT well. Contrastingly, the principal knows me VERY well, and I would really like to get his recommendation instead of the counselors. Am I allowed doing this (not as a supplemental)?</p>
<p>I did that, and it was fine. I believe a principal counts as a counselor/school official.</p>
<p>no, you technically are not supposed to do that becuase it asks for a guidance counselors. They are the ones who are in charge of your academic record, and they basically are supposed to reflect tthat in the rec. having the principal give you one may be good, but it woul dhave to be considered as an outside source.</p>
<p>The Common Application calls it a "School Report" not a "Counselor Report." And, they clearly say that students should "give this form to your secondary school counselor OR another school official who knows you well." </p>
<p>In almost all cases, it is fine to ask your principal, your dean of students, your academic advisor, even an AVID teacher, etc. to write the school report recommendation AS LONG AS (1) they know you well enough to do so (2) they have access to the other information requested, such as your class rank, etc. and (3) they include a copy of the School's Profile. I know plenty of students who have asked "another school official" other than their school counselor to write the school report, and it has been fine, as long as the above criteria are met.</p>
<p>However, two caveats: You should not ask the same person to write both a teacher recommendation AND the school report - you need two different people. And, as always, it is never a bad idea to check with individual colleges just in case they have some weird preference. I have not yet encountered one, though (of course, I have not yet had students apply to every single school in the country, so there could very well be exceptions!)</p>