I am applying to your Master's program of Social Policy for Development at the International Institute for Social Studies in The Hague, part of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. My career ambition is to become a Social worker targeting community based work and research to achieve better advocacy and social justice.
I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Social work and Social Administration from Makerere University in Uganda. In my final year, I majored in research, civil society organizations and social development, social work with children and youth, social planning and applied developmental social work. This has laid a good foundation for the intellectual rigor that I have set for myself in my education and my passion to serve the needy.
Development challenges and inequalities has been the cycle in which I grew up right from a young age by default of being in a developing country and from a region that was underprivileged and for long ravaged by war. Having come from the Northern part of Uganda that was for almost 24 years under siege of guerrilla activity and political wars beforehand, I witness the social problems that have for long left vulnerable groups especially women, children and youth wallowing in cycles of poverty, unemployment, social exclusion especially abducted returnees.
During my undergraduate research, I happened to undertake a study to understand the livelihood strategies that households emerging from armed conflict are adapting. The results showed that much as households are trying to return to farming and relying on family ties to rebuild their livelihood, a large fraction of households still depends on government policies and Non-Governmental organizations that have already developed strategies to help them restore their livelihood.
It is for this sole reason that I seek to undertake the Social Policy for Development program to provide me with the professional and intellectual capacity to come up with improved analysis of societal responses to social need, knowledge to close existing gaps with focus on children and youth not only in Uganda but Africa as a whole.
I chose the International Institute of Social Studies because of its dominant political economy tradition of development studies built over sixty years of experience. The multicultural community of staff and students, with staff from over 30 countries over the world gives me comfort and surety of blending in: plus a team ready to keenly nurture my career path further reaffirmed by the student/staff ration of 13/1.
My ultimate goal is to become a Social Worker strengthened by the extensive knowledge base provided by the Social Policy program to realize social justice and equity. With this in hand, I will focus on research to develop better policies and build the existing ones to offer sustainable and lasting solutions to the needs arising within my community, in Uganda and Africa as a whole. I also intend to indulge in intensive community work and ensure ideas gained from multicultural interactions at the International Institute of Social Studies can be integrated in my community by blending modern approaches to what works in our local context.
Hi Pao...
Your essay is excellent. Here are some minor suggestions from me:
1. Your essay should be written with paragraphs structure.
2. My career ambition is to become a Social worker. I think you do not need to use capital letter for "Social". I think the proper one is: "social worker". It applies for the whole essay.
3. I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Social work and Social Administration....I think the proper one is: Social Work as it refers to the name of your major, and also to be consistent with the "Social Administration".
3. Development challenges and inequalities has "have" been the cycle "cycles"....
4. I chose the International Institute of Social Studies because of its dominant political economy "economics" tradition
5... ...I also intend to indulge in intensive community work works....
Palma, there is room for improvement in the overall message of your essay. First up, you need to clarify the purpose for your higher study. What is the motivation behind this interest? Remember, you have to present:
1. The motivation
2. The purpose
3. The possible end result of your interest.
Added to the motivation, should be your desire to further study or advance the program of your interest. Depict the kind of advancement you wish to pursue or present by the end of your studies. As a scholarship student, your best bet at winning this scholarship will be to present a very intricate or interesting advanced studies or research goal that you plan to pursue at the university.
You already explain why you have opted for this specific university so all you have to do is make sure that your academic interests will clearly merge or be supported by your choice of program and university. You do not present any clear points regarding that in your current essay. That makes this essay in particular hard to understand. Mostly because of its lack of direction / purpose / clarified motivation. You may then close the essay by explaining how this scholarship in particular will be able to help you achieve your goals in a way that other scholarships cannot. Tell the reader why you think this particular scholarship is set apart from the others in relation to your academic pursuits.
