Linguistics grad school recommendations

[Kathryn Beaver]

This was very helpful information. Thank you so much!

Sent from my Windows Phone From: Judy Pine
Sent: 5/13/2013 4:41 PM
To: LINGANTH at listserv.linguistlist.org
Subject: Re: Linguistics grad school recommendations
Dear Paul, and other undergraduates with this question,

In order to have a strong letter, you really need it to come from
someone with a basis for judging your potential. That means someone
for whom you have done substantial work.  It is far more important
that they know your capabilities than that they be in a specific field
of study.

Of course, you need someone who can speak to your ability to complete
the work you are proposing to do in your application.  And you need to
think about the rank of the referees - a full professor outranks an
associate, and associate outranks an assistant.  If you have a full
professor for whom you have done a research project, and especially if
that project involved skills you will also be using in the graduate
work you are proposing, then they are the absolute best reference.

Be sure to treat the request for a letter as formally as you would a
job application.  It is entirely inappropriate to write a "Hey, prof,
can you do me a solid?" sort of email.  You are asking your referee to
spend some significant time and thought on a carefully crafted letter
on your behalf.  Be sure you remind them of the work you did with
them, connect that work to the project you are proposing for graduate
work, and explain why the particular graduate program(s) to which you
are applying are such a great fit for you and your project.

That is also information that should be in your application letter,
frankly.  That is, you should explain, in a fairly formal register
with the most excellent writing of which you are capable, why you are
a great fit for grad program X and why grad program X is a great fit
for you.

- Judy Pine

-----Original Message-----
From: Linguistic Anthropology Discussion Group
[mailto:LINGANTH at listserv.linguistlist.org] On Behalf Of Paul Otto
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 11:48 AM
To: LINGANTH at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Subject: Linguistics grad school recommendations

Hello all,

I am a prospective graduate student in linguistics, and I have a
question that so far has gone unanswered: as an anthropology major at
a university without a linguistics department, how can/should I go
about getting the recommendations from linguistics scholars that I
need for applying to graduate programs?

Am I mistaken in understanding that my recommendations need to be from
people with specifically linguistic backgrounds? There are some
professors in related fields (including one "linguistically-informed
anthropologist") at my university, and I've contemplated asking them
for recommendations.

What should I do?

Gratefully and respectfully yours,

Paul Otto
Undergraduate - DePaul University
Anthropology Department