Ditto what @FrancescaBennett said. My S - current college sophomore - talked to his HS counselor and his teachers about recommendation letters in spring of his junior year. We aimed to get everything in by October first, hoping to have all loose ends tied up by November 1 - the deadline for some MT program applications and many university merit scholarships. Our plan was to have everything mostly done before the majority of his senior classmates realized there were deadlines approaching. The earlier you get everything in, the better for scheduling audition dates. Check out all the threads pinned to the top of this forum and look for ones from past years that talk about “what we did right” and “what we’d do differently”. It may be hours of reading, but the past experiences of many others are freely shared for the benefit of those who come after. You might also check out all the “Final Decision Background” threads from the past few years.