<p>
[quote]
I have found that many schools could care less if a teacher likes me, but if you know differently, that'd be fantastic, because I know of a few teachers who know my true work ethic.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Most letters of recommendation are fairly meaningless. That isn't specifically for university, in the working world as well, very few say much of anything. They indicate that the recommendee is a fine, upstanding member of society, but since everyone has a letter just like that, who cares?</p>
<p>A letter that actually goes beyond that, that explains who you are (and yes excuses the GPA) is usually considered at most schools. How much depends on the school. Many schools allow for some admissions department discretion (not all, some work purely by the numbers). Heck, even MIT takes some 2% of applicants with scores <1650 (not that I am recommending MIT as a good choice here). What an admissions counselor is looking for is something to give them comfort that they are not going to get burned by using their discretion and admitting you. Letters of recommendation can be really useful in this regard, if they are good enough.</p>
<p>Well, what kind of school are you interested in/how far are you willing to go from home? Because the first thing that came to mind for me was Bard--good LAC that is known to take a HUGE range of students based on essays, interveiws etc., but it's definitly not the school for everyone. You might want to check it out though.</p>
<p>Before seriously considering the community college option you need to think if it is right for you. Community colleges in California work with the UCs to enable students to transfer. But these transfer programs are rigerous, if you are going to be moving again in that two years this may not be the best course of action for you. It may be better to pick a 4 year you can get into, and set yourself on the clear road to graduation.</p>
<p>Oh, and for the person who suggested Cal Poly, Cal Poly is pretty hard to get into. Average GPA 3.73, average Math/crit reading SAT score 1203. Also, at Cal Poly you cannot come in undeclared, you need to pick your major before you show up, and it is difficult to change. So you really need to know what you want to major in as a senior in high school. Other campuses, for instance Sonoma, Chico, Humbolt, Long Beach are easier to get into.</p>