How important are letters of recommendation for admission and funding?
Very, if the writers can speak to your abilities as a scholar, researcher, or cross-cultural communicator. Letters from people who barely know you, or which strike a very general tone, are less useful than even slightly critical letters from mentors who have worked with you closely. Letters from people who are familiar with ethnomusicology are much more useful than letters from people who aren’t. Ask your referees to be honest about your scholarly potential, not just your personal qualities. Give them writing samples to evaluate and remind them what you did in their class. (And here’s a friendly bit of advice from some busy professors: give your writers at least a month’s notice before the deadline, supply them with stamped, addressed envelopes placed in larger envelopes or folders, mark deadlines clearly on the enclosing folder or envelope in large letters, and remind your writers about impending deadlines — politely — several days before the letters have to be mailed).
