<p>I have been planning to use my 11th grade Calculus teacher to satisfy my STEM-field recommendation. I did well in the class, participated in class discussions and visited his office hours regularly, and generally had a decent, but not special, relationship with him.</p>
<p>However, recently I have been considering to use my 9th grade Biology teacher (who was also my 10th grade science fair mentor) instead of my Calculus teacher. She was able to observe me outside the classroom and got to know me very well, and could advocate for my creativity, work ethic, and other small areas of my personality a normal teacher (like my Calculus teacher) wouldn’t be able to see. Through that, we developed an extremely close relationship, and we still catch up from time to time.</p>
<p>The question is, I know most selective universities prefer junior year teachers, but I really feel my 9th grade teacher can provide a much more complete picture of me. Who should I use?</p>