<p>most of the teachers i've had, i've only had for a semester or two (though rarely). i have a bio teacher from sophomore year who liked me because i was one of the only people in the class who actually self studied and paid attention, and i heard he writes some of the best recommendation letters, but i don't know if he still remembers me. he still says hi in the hallways but it's been a while since i actually talked to him. do you think i should ask him for a recommendation letter or ask a more recent teacher?? or is it okay to ask him whether he would be a good teacher to write a letter for me? any help would be very welcome ^^</p>
<p>While having teachers from jr year is good if possible, I think the most important factor for a LOR is what the teacher says, not when they had you in class.</p>
<p>Yes, it is absolutely OK to ask him if he thinks he can write you a strong letter.</p>
<p>Most colleges do recommend teachers from jr/sr year and some go as far to say they will give less weight to letters from earlier teachers.</p>
<p>However, it sounds like this teacher knows you well. I recommend getting in touch with him again and getting him up to speed on what you’ve been doing. I’m sure he’ll love catching up with a former student and will enjoy writing your letter. And yes, it is always a good idea to ask if they even be willing to write a good letter.</p>
<p>If your school needs 2 letters, I do recommend a teacher from jr/sr year in additon to this one.</p>
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<p>I disagree with this as a generalized statement. It really depends on the strength of the LOR and the class taken. For instance, a good LOR from a soph year AP teacher is not going to be downgraded.</p>
<p>I will agree that you need to check the schools and check their requirements or recommendations for LORs.</p>
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<p>While I know many schools talk about sr yr teachers, I really think this has to be taken with a grain of salt. They are recommended because they are usually teaching a higher level course, however the negative of knowing the student a relatively short time, compounded if it is for an early or rolling admission, can result in a relatively weak LOR.</p>
<p>My main point is that there are many things to take into consideration and the student needs to evaluate their own individual situation.</p>