Who should I ask for a teacher recommendation? originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

As the beginning of the school year has started, the question on many of our rising seniors’ minds is which of their teachers this year to ask for Letters of Recommendation. The truth is this: You need to be strategic about which teachers are writing recommendations. For any future major, you should focus on letters from teachers in your junior year, preferably. These are teachers who have most recently known you and have also seen your aptitude in advanced courses, not freshman courses. The exception might be a teacher you had as an underclassman, who also teaches one of your senior year classes or is now the sponsor for one of your extracurriculars (like the school robotics team). If intending to apply to a science field, like BS/MD applicants, make sure you are including a letter from an upperclassmen science or math teacher.

Don't delay in asking your teachers. Make sure to give them plenty of time to write your letter. It is helpful to give them a copy of your resume or activity list beforehand. The more information you can provide for content the better. Afterwards, make sure to follow up with a thank you and keep them in the loop as your acceptances start to roll in.

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