<p>Again just by way of relating experience.
Neither my son nor my daughter had academic recommendations, except in the broadest sense. My son’s two recs were from the head of the local public library and a neighbor who had experience in and interest in education on various levels. My daughter’s recs were from two ballet teachers. In all cases, the recs were from people who knew my children in various settings over many years. Qualitatively quite different than a rec a teacher who gave you an “A” in English in 11th grade.
I regarded the counselor (parent) write up as a free opportunity. Nobody could expect objectivity, and I freely admitted to none. The chance was to give detail and anecdotes that helped my kids come alive. As if the reading lists and backing from folks who had known them intimately for years weren’t enough.
In my opinion, unless seriously flubbed, being a home schooler is a great asset in college admissions. A frequent mistake, I’m guessing, is trying to fit a home school circle into a schooled square, a la the Common Application, or by being forced into similar formats.</p>