Sample Public Policy Personal Statement (Harvard, Brown, Erasmus Mundus)
by Talha Omer, M.Eng., Cornell Grad
In personal statement samples by field.
The following essay is written by an applicant who got accepted to top graduate programs in public policy (MPP). Variations of this personal statement got accepted at Brown University, Harvard’s Kennedy School, UC Berkeley and Erasmus Mundus scholarship program. Read this essay to understand what a top personal statement in public policy should look like.
Related Personal Statement: Sample Public Administration Personal Statement (MPA)
Here is the example personal statement for MPP
I grew up in Monrovia. People here are resourceful and hardworking, but many live in crushing poverty with little opportunity for upward mobility. Like many rural towns in Liberia, the overwhelming needs of the public are neglected by paradigmatically dysfunctional bureaucracies. So when I was in high school, I thought getting a degree wouldd lift me beyond my humble background. But a strange thing happened while I was doing my undergrad. I found that many people around me, including my professors, were using their education to improve the lives of people living in places like Monrovia.
As a result, education became about empowerment – giving me the language to diagnose social issues. It gave me the understanding to recognize fulcrum points in political hierarchies and the skills to research, propose, and implement strategies for improving social policies. Finally, it gave me the heart and the will to take on the difficult task of making a better life for Liberians in need.
My goal is to become a policy analyst for the government. This position would allow me to promote and implement innovative educational, health, and social welfare policies. I have looked at many schools, but I have found very few that seem as aptly suited to my educational goals as Brown. The course offerings support specialization while allowing room for meaningful electives. Institutions and Policy Making is exactly that kind.
I need to expand my theoretical and practical concepts of social policy and welfare in developing countries. Most impressive to me is the number of faculty who are not just teachers but policy practitioners. For example, Professor John Tyler’s work on returns to education is impressive and shares themes with my thesis research: Economics of Education. In addition, I believe the diverse university culture at Brown will promote my concepts of global culture, practices, and ethics.
A graduate degree is essential to my goal of affecting multiple dimensions of policy in Liberia. I have worked on this goal from the beginning of my undergraduate degree. During my first few semesters, I realized how a shortage of skilled professionals inside public offices had undermined Liberia’s development for a long time. I saw that policy framework serve as ‘paradigms,’ dictating a country’s growth and development rules. I looked for courses that could build on this understanding and help me formulate realistic ideas for improving the status quo.
Courses on policy issues explained how unequal growth patterns in a country could destroy class mobility and quality of life. Economics provided an area of study that brought all these social and political factors together in one implementable philosophy. The more I learned, the more I saw how a small innovation could go a long way in places like Monrovia. I also began to understand that properly implementing this support is key to its success.
I found many others who shared my interests in the Economics department during my undergrad, including Dr. Mishu Pati and Dr. Cmeha Konaya. Both Professors are extremely active in their field, contributing cutting-edge research in trade and education policy, healthcare, and governance. I was immediately impressed with the scope and focus of their ideas. However, only after a few semesters of academic exposure and experience with internships, I realized the most impressive aspect of their work: it was theoretically impressive and implementable.
Working with Dr. Mishu Pati, I discovered my passion and appreciation for research. As a result, I completed three major research projects during my undergraduate degree. Each addressed a unique and important aspect of economic policy across various social influences. First, I studied inefficient pricing mechanisms in the wheat industry that translate into inflated prices. Furthermore, as part of my thesis, I studied economic returns to secondary education, especially regarding the acquired human capital and associated externalities that have a bearing on social well-being. Finally, the most influential and accomplished study allowed me to work with the Trade Development Authority of Liberia (TDAL) to improve export statistics for sanitary and phyto-sanitary handling of citrus fruit. Upon the conclusion of this project, my findings were presented to the officials at TDAL.
After graduation, I started working with Dr. Nakhai Abramozid, an esteemed Public Policy professor in Liberia. As a Research Assistant, I am currently studying livestock micro-insurance, a concept still developing in Liberia that requires the attention of academics and practitioners. Micro-insurance provides low-income families with risk-averse methods to increase their financial independence and fosters growth in their enterprises. Therefore, I was especially excited when I discovered that there are currently only two pilot projects in Liberia.
My RAship analyzes these pilots and advises potential micro-insurance providers and other stakeholders. This experience has allowed me to stay connected with policy practitioners and academics by ensuring continued interaction in the field of Public Policy. It has also put me at the forefront of a developing policy that is beginning to show a lot of promise.
Since I have kept a clear direction and set of goals throughout most of my undergraduate degree, I have been able to do a lot to develop and grow my understanding of public policy, research, and ethics. I have undertaken extra responsibility whenever possible and focused my education on my goals. And yet, imagining all the experiences, classes, and projects I will be able to undertake at Brown University makes me feel like I still have so far to go.
Nevertheless, the holistic skill set developed in the Public Policy program will allow me to pursue my goals. I want to be equipped with a deep understanding of policy analysis, project management, financial management, and technology integration. I wish I had more opportunities to talk with you about the difference Brown would make in my education and the difference my education can make to the underserved people in Liberia.
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