Hello all,
Thank you in advance time and assistance in reading my draft of SOP and giving me feedbacks. Presented below is a draft version of my SOP to apply to MSc in International and Development Economics in one university resided in the US. I would appreciate any comments regarding grammar error, structure of the essay, or anything that you would find to be helpful. Thank you so much !!
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It has long been an ambition of mine to work in a notable public policy research institution as the finding of efficacious methods to ameliorate society's problems such as inadequate education system, poor public regulation, and undeniable inequality, is extremely intriguing in my perspective. This passion, together with past experience and my personal thirst for knowledge, has motivated me to pursue Master's in International and Development Economics.
The origin of my passion began in late summer of 2009, I was sitting with a foreign school counselor while gazing my eyes over the list of unfamiliar course offerings ranging from one edge of esoteric science like chemistry to applied art in cosmetology. Not only did the mere existence of these subjects threw a curve at me, but so did the sheer freedom of selection. A sharp contrast has shed over my experiences; back in my home country, students are confined to exacting course structure where all subjects are stipulated without exemption. This disparate education system plays a vital role in my life, it eventually released me from the nebulous cloud of my lifetime goal. In that event, I suddenly recognize the significant and impact of policy design. In the micro scale, this effect might only seem to be personal advantages. But considering another aspect, there is a copious number of students who similarly undergo this ambiguousness, and if prolonged into higher education, this obscurity could induce difficulties in their academic progress and may result in university dropouts, thus implying economic costs to the nation.
Subsequently, I made the first big decision in life by setting the first steppingstone towards the status of prominent economist at Faculty of Economics, XXX University. During my undergraduate studies at this first and leading economics school in Thailand, I was fascinated by several appealing economics theories and models, particularly those in the Public Policy and Industrialization class. Aside from specialization in economics, my particular interest in human's cognition and behavior has galvanized me to take any psychology class available.
With curiosity and interest in both field of wisdom, I eventually introduced myself to a novel field of study called behavioral and experimental economics. My first impression in this subject was form after my senior friend recommended a book named "Thinking Fast and Slow" written by Professor Daniel Kahneman. His assessment on individual behavior through peculiar but intriguing experiments delineate in this book truly capture my interest, especially when it derived to the prospect theory which clearly explains a certain case of decision making that former expected utility theory fail to describe. Consequently, I later found myself indulging in other similar readings such as the works of Dan Ariely and Richard Thaler, while seeking for possible practices that could be apply to cases of Thailand.
But with uniqueness of Thai culture and behavior, I recognized that merely literature reviews is insufficient for me to utilize these knowledge effectively. What I was lacking is the hand-on experience in the actual context and real situation of Thailand. Therefore, I decided to pursue my first full-time job, a second steppingstone, as a researcher at YYY, Thailand's leading public policy think tank. I was given the responsibility for various tasks, including conducting literature reviews, assessing individual stakeholders through interviews, analyzing relevant data, and suggesting practical recommendations to the government authority. This valuable experience allowed me to cultivate prerequisite skills for pragmatic and influential research and gave me insights into the essence of public policy.
In addition, one significant lesson has engendered in the time of Bangkok's public bus service reformation project research. As I have been born and raised in this city, I noticed that this ongoing public bus service is severely distressing for many people. Antiquated bus condition and reckless behavior of the bus drivers has generate inevitable risks to every road users, which usually result in accidents and losses.
But a profound study on this topic has disclose the fact these factors are just the symptoms. On the other hand, poor institutional structure, imprudent route system planning, and performance-based remuneration scheme are the root causes underlying this hardship. This outcome emphasize necessity to incorporate individual behavior into consideration, and if done appropriately, several problems could be forestall and mitigate. In that event, I am assured that both development and behavioral economics are the subjects that worth studying and I have been able to confirm myself that this is the kind of job I wish to do in my future.
Besides, these experiences have notified me that the existing problems are far more complex than I ever perceived. Hence, I am seriously considering pursuing a Doctoral Program at a later stage in order to advance my knowledge and strengthen my abilities. Towards this, I have chosen to apply for the M.S. program in International and Development Economics at XXX University, as this institution has had an outstanding academic reputation for more than a century and the program offers with comprehensive courses available in economics field conducted by reputed scholars.
Especially Professor R.K. who I particularly impressed from my reading of his remarkable research works. His enthusiasm to tackle the problems of inequality, mitigate the poverty level and improve the well-being of others intensely grasped my attention. Moreover, his personal interest in the application of behavioral economics for public development, for example, the adoption of prospect theory in social welfare measurement, have an impact on me to a greater extent. As I mentioned, this is exactly the area that I am hoping to be associated with and I believe that the course, coupled with internationally notable faculties and intellectual society environment surrounding the school, will be a perfect place to foster me to become a proficient economist in the near future.
Momentary, I realize that studying at the masters level would be a challenging task, but I am looking forward to undertaking any arduous work with full determination and indefatigable manners in order to take a step forward in my studies and career. Coupled with my research background in the Thai context, I believe that my experience will be an asset that will induce beneficial perspective to the program. It would be my greatest honor to be granted with the opportunity to study in one of the most prominent universities in the US. I sincerely hope that I qualify for all the requirements for admission into your Graduate Program and that my application is favorably received by the admissions committee.
Thank you in advance for giving my application a serious consideration.
Thank you in advance time and assistance in reading my draft of SOP and giving me feedbacks. Presented below is a draft version of my SOP to apply to MSc in International and Development Economics in one university resided in the US. I would appreciate any comments regarding grammar error, structure of the essay, or anything that you would find to be helpful. Thank you so much !!
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application to MSc in International and Development Economics
It has long been an ambition of mine to work in a notable public policy research institution as the finding of efficacious methods to ameliorate society's problems such as inadequate education system, poor public regulation, and undeniable inequality, is extremely intriguing in my perspective. This passion, together with past experience and my personal thirst for knowledge, has motivated me to pursue Master's in International and Development Economics.
The origin of my passion began in late summer of 2009, I was sitting with a foreign school counselor while gazing my eyes over the list of unfamiliar course offerings ranging from one edge of esoteric science like chemistry to applied art in cosmetology. Not only did the mere existence of these subjects threw a curve at me, but so did the sheer freedom of selection. A sharp contrast has shed over my experiences; back in my home country, students are confined to exacting course structure where all subjects are stipulated without exemption. This disparate education system plays a vital role in my life, it eventually released me from the nebulous cloud of my lifetime goal. In that event, I suddenly recognize the significant and impact of policy design. In the micro scale, this effect might only seem to be personal advantages. But considering another aspect, there is a copious number of students who similarly undergo this ambiguousness, and if prolonged into higher education, this obscurity could induce difficulties in their academic progress and may result in university dropouts, thus implying economic costs to the nation.
Subsequently, I made the first big decision in life by setting the first steppingstone towards the status of prominent economist at Faculty of Economics, XXX University. During my undergraduate studies at this first and leading economics school in Thailand, I was fascinated by several appealing economics theories and models, particularly those in the Public Policy and Industrialization class. Aside from specialization in economics, my particular interest in human's cognition and behavior has galvanized me to take any psychology class available.
With curiosity and interest in both field of wisdom, I eventually introduced myself to a novel field of study called behavioral and experimental economics. My first impression in this subject was form after my senior friend recommended a book named "Thinking Fast and Slow" written by Professor Daniel Kahneman. His assessment on individual behavior through peculiar but intriguing experiments delineate in this book truly capture my interest, especially when it derived to the prospect theory which clearly explains a certain case of decision making that former expected utility theory fail to describe. Consequently, I later found myself indulging in other similar readings such as the works of Dan Ariely and Richard Thaler, while seeking for possible practices that could be apply to cases of Thailand.
But with uniqueness of Thai culture and behavior, I recognized that merely literature reviews is insufficient for me to utilize these knowledge effectively. What I was lacking is the hand-on experience in the actual context and real situation of Thailand. Therefore, I decided to pursue my first full-time job, a second steppingstone, as a researcher at YYY, Thailand's leading public policy think tank. I was given the responsibility for various tasks, including conducting literature reviews, assessing individual stakeholders through interviews, analyzing relevant data, and suggesting practical recommendations to the government authority. This valuable experience allowed me to cultivate prerequisite skills for pragmatic and influential research and gave me insights into the essence of public policy.
In addition, one significant lesson has engendered in the time of Bangkok's public bus service reformation project research. As I have been born and raised in this city, I noticed that this ongoing public bus service is severely distressing for many people. Antiquated bus condition and reckless behavior of the bus drivers has generate inevitable risks to every road users, which usually result in accidents and losses.
But a profound study on this topic has disclose the fact these factors are just the symptoms. On the other hand, poor institutional structure, imprudent route system planning, and performance-based remuneration scheme are the root causes underlying this hardship. This outcome emphasize necessity to incorporate individual behavior into consideration, and if done appropriately, several problems could be forestall and mitigate. In that event, I am assured that both development and behavioral economics are the subjects that worth studying and I have been able to confirm myself that this is the kind of job I wish to do in my future.
Besides, these experiences have notified me that the existing problems are far more complex than I ever perceived. Hence, I am seriously considering pursuing a Doctoral Program at a later stage in order to advance my knowledge and strengthen my abilities. Towards this, I have chosen to apply for the M.S. program in International and Development Economics at XXX University, as this institution has had an outstanding academic reputation for more than a century and the program offers with comprehensive courses available in economics field conducted by reputed scholars.
Especially Professor R.K. who I particularly impressed from my reading of his remarkable research works. His enthusiasm to tackle the problems of inequality, mitigate the poverty level and improve the well-being of others intensely grasped my attention. Moreover, his personal interest in the application of behavioral economics for public development, for example, the adoption of prospect theory in social welfare measurement, have an impact on me to a greater extent. As I mentioned, this is exactly the area that I am hoping to be associated with and I believe that the course, coupled with internationally notable faculties and intellectual society environment surrounding the school, will be a perfect place to foster me to become a proficient economist in the near future.
Momentary, I realize that studying at the masters level would be a challenging task, but I am looking forward to undertaking any arduous work with full determination and indefatigable manners in order to take a step forward in my studies and career. Coupled with my research background in the Thai context, I believe that my experience will be an asset that will induce beneficial perspective to the program. It would be my greatest honor to be granted with the opportunity to study in one of the most prominent universities in the US. I sincerely hope that I qualify for all the requirements for admission into your Graduate Program and that my application is favorably received by the admissions committee.
Thank you in advance for giving my application a serious consideration.