Hello, I am applying for an Australia Awards Scholarship this year. I have been looking for mentors who can give feedback on my essay, but still not find one. Could you please kindly give feedback on my first essay. Thank you in advance for your help. Here is my essay:
Growing up in a rural area and currently living in one of the most politically unstable countries in the world, I think economics is a powerful tool to effectively tackle complex social and economic issues. Throughout my career, I have applied economic concepts from preparing policy briefs and implementing project activities to monitoring health-related indicators. However, in the development sector in Myanmar, I have observed a significant lack of rigor in project impact evaluations. It is usually in the form of a survey which typically overlooks key statistical measures like randomization. I aim to grow my career as a monitoring and evaluation expert to address this gap. Ultimately, I want to start an impact evaluation firm, which focuses on conducting field experiments to support robust evidence. Advanced training in economics at Australian universities will perfectly prepare me for realizing these goals.
My first choice is a Master of Economics at the University of Queensland. Based on my research, the most appealing feature of the program is the range and flexibility of available subjects. The Health Economics Specialization attracts me the most because it contains highly relevant courses such as health economics, and economic evaluation and health. Moreover, Research Methods in Econometrics and Policy Evaluation Econometrics will lay a solid foundation for my future career as an evaluation expert. The other reason for my selection is I want to meet and network with professionals from diverse backgrounds as it will enable me to build meaningful connections for the future. The UQ can offer this due to its unique admission criteria.
My second choice is the International and Development Economics program at the Australian National University (ANU). In terms of quantitative subjects and their range, it is largely similar to UQ. However, for me, its most distinguishing feature are available internships which will give me the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience in quantitative research. In addition, another attractive feature is the opportunity to engage in writing a research essay, which I believe will cement my current quantitative research skills.
Growing up in a rural area and currently living in one of the most politically unstable countries in the world, I think economics is a powerful tool to effectively tackle complex social and economic issues. Throughout my career, I have applied economic concepts from preparing policy briefs and implementing project activities to monitoring health-related indicators. However, in the development sector in Myanmar, I have observed a significant lack of rigor in project impact evaluations. It is usually in the form of a survey which typically overlooks key statistical measures like randomization. I aim to grow my career as a monitoring and evaluation expert to address this gap. Ultimately, I want to start an impact evaluation firm, which focuses on conducting field experiments to support robust evidence. Advanced training in economics at Australian universities will perfectly prepare me for realizing these goals.
My first choice is a Master of Economics at the University of Queensland. Based on my research, the most appealing feature of the program is the range and flexibility of available subjects. The Health Economics Specialization attracts me the most because it contains highly relevant courses such as health economics, and economic evaluation and health. Moreover, Research Methods in Econometrics and Policy Evaluation Econometrics will lay a solid foundation for my future career as an evaluation expert. The other reason for my selection is I want to meet and network with professionals from diverse backgrounds as it will enable me to build meaningful connections for the future. The UQ can offer this due to its unique admission criteria.
My second choice is the International and Development Economics program at the Australian National University (ANU). In terms of quantitative subjects and their range, it is largely similar to UQ. However, for me, its most distinguishing feature are available internships which will give me the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience in quantitative research. In addition, another attractive feature is the opportunity to engage in writing a research essay, which I believe will cement my current quantitative research skills.
