School refusing to send recommendation letters after gap year (re-applying)

Applying to College
1

I am an international student and I applied to several US colleges for the class of 2023, but was waitlisted/rejected from most. I decided to take a gap year and explore my interests before going to college. I graduated from my high school this June. But now that I am just 3 months away from ED deadline (for class of 2024), I contacted my school counselor about my plans to re-apply to US colleges in November, but she plainly refused to submit her recommendation letter to CommonApp for me, and the school teachers cannot submit the teacher recommendations either due to restrictions put up by the school principal and counselor.
The school insists that I have to be a current student in order to apply through the school counselors, and that all gap year students must pay the entire year’s school fee in order to re-apply. I know several other students from this school who had to do this to reapply during their gap years. My family simply cannot afford the entire school fee (i studied on a scholarship before). Should I let the colleges I am applying to know about this situation? Is it possible to have those colleges re-consider the same recommendations that were submitted last year by my teachers and counselor? What about the colleges I am applying to where i didnt apply last year?

2

Yes, you can contact the Admissions officers at the colleges and explain the situation. Hopefully some will work with you. Understand that they are no more required to give you leeway than your former highschool has to give the references.

3

Have you got a plan B? Which schools DID accept you?

4

I think it’s unlikely that you’ll get accepted to a school that rejected or waitlisted you last year unless there’s a major change in your application. What will you be able to add that wasn’t in last year’s app?

What’s your budget? Chances of acceptance for international students are small, and they’re worse if the student is from a low income family. Most US colleges don’t have the money to fund international students. Do you have any affordable options in your home country?