<p>if a non-highschool academic.. "counselor" is good friends with many admissions officers at cornell, especially in the college of my interest, (cals)....will her "informal recommendation" over the phone make a difference? at all?</p>
<p>it can't hurt. if she's willing to make an endorsement for you like that, take it by all means, as long as she has substance to her claims.</p>
<p>i did the same thing you're thinking of. My best friend's mom was a counselor in my HS. My school was so big that we never really got to meet with our real counselors. It helped that she knew me so much and was able to evaluate my credentials with thousands of other students even though she wasn't techincally 'my counselor'. It helps that she was a Cornell alum too. I'd say go for it, heck I got in!</p>