Asking for recommendation letters in September

Teachers get most of their recommendation requests in a narrow window in early fall, and quality drops when someone is writing their twelfth letter that week.

Ask at least three weeks out, in person if you can, and follow with a short email containing the deadline, the submission link, and two or three specific things you'd like mentioned.

Give them material. A teacher who taught you two years ago genuinely may not remember the project you're proud of, and a one-paragraph reminder turns a generic letter into a specific one.