Here is the personal statement of a student who made it to the University of Southern California in the program of masters in education policy.

I want to emphasise that you must be honest in writing your personal statements. If you borrow content from other places, refer to them in your personal statement. Admissions officers in the US read many essays each year and can easily detect plagiarism.

Sample Personal Statement in Education Policy

After graduating in Political Science, I developed a keen interest in international development because of my exposure to working with different government departments and international development agencies. Even during my undergrad, I did research that deepened my interest in education policy vis-à-vis international development. For example, I volunteered and interned with different development agencies working on human rights and community mobilization. This experience, supplemented by the theoretical knowledge of Political Science, allowed me to understand how development interventions can be financed and made sustainable outside the Government. Moreover, I also learned how these interventions could lead to the replenishment of the social fabric.

My academic and professional training has helped me understand Education Policy – Brazil’s biggest Public Policy issue. The quality of education needs to be more uniform, and the curriculum needs to promote equality. The primary victims of the Education Policy are women and minorities. Instead of letting young children question these prejudices, the teaching methodology strongly discourages open discussions. Moreover, the power groups have influenced the Education Policy by using the nationalistic Catholic sentiment to serve the vested interests of the status quo. As a result, the youth keep getting radicalized because of the limited vision of the State. Due to the immense importance of these issues and my struggle to achieve quality education, my professional and volunteer work for the past years has been related to education and human development.

Currently, I am working as a full-time Research Associate at The Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Education (BSAE). My experience at BSAE has allowed me to analyze and work with the government education department in Brazil. I am an integral part of a research team of consultants that evaluate the design and policy implications of various educational projects. I have been responsible for reviewing the literature, designing data collection instruments, analyzing quantitative data in Excel and SPSS, and authoring relevant sections of the report. As a part of the larger team, I have worked on several projects to evaluate and advocate for quality education. Recently, I contributed to a research publication on Non-Formal Basic Education in Brazil. I also performed the descriptive analysis of the quantitative data using SPSS for this report. The study found that community involvement in non-formal schools improves student learning outcomes. It also provided insights into the institutional arrangement and pivotal opportunities for policy reforms.

Subsequently, I worked with UNICEF on another project of integrating social cohesion and resilience modules within the current educational framework. The Brazilian public school textbooks present and reinforce century-old stereotypical ideas. For example, it restricts women inside the household and reiterates stereotypes about religious and cultural minorities. The project aimed at promoting plurality, appreciating diversity, and encouraging citizen participation. I was responsible for reviewing the history textbooks and creating supplementary books based on tolerance and peaceful coexistence for the children of grades 4 and 5. Under this project, I checked the Brazilian School Education Sector Plan (BSP) and successfully advocated upgrading the current textbooks based on revised Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). I drafted the policy brief identifying different intervention points in the current curriculum and presented the findings to the government stakeholders, UNICEF, and private textbook publishers. As a result of this project, the Government plans to incorporate these modules on social cohesion and resilience in the next version of the textbooks.

Currently, I am working with the Government to design a research framework for incorporating teacher peer networks in the existing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) structure for teachers. This, so far, has been an exhilarating learning experience for me. The preliminary studies have shown that teachers are highly monitored and under-supported. Therefore, different institutional modalities are premeditated to work within the existing governmental structures to empower teachers and upgrade their knowledge based on their learning. This experience convinced me to enrich my understanding and knowledge of development administration through a rigorous examination of best practices and further instruction.

Based on my experience, I believe a master’s in education policy will be incomplete without having breadth and depth in the learning environment. A graduate degree from the University of Southern California would allow me to combine my interest in education reform with the knowledge and skills necessary to design and manage sound programs in this field. During my research for this application, I was particularly intrigued by the multidisciplinary approach offered by the university. It will be an excellent opportunity for me to carry on and expand my current research interests in education with a cross-cutting thematic focus. My selection for the course will allow me to approach development globally while sharing local perspectives. The all-embracing curriculum of the program will adequately feed my drive and aptitude for erudition.

My short-term goal is to gain further instruction in designing and managing development interventions to facilitate sustainable development growth. This will also allow me to put my newly acquired knowledge to practical use by working with national and international policymakers to correct the inherent flaws in our federal planning process. Knowing that my interest lies within research, I plan to undertake a Ph.D. in Education Policy and contribute towards the field as an academic, though also engaging in development practices as a long-term plan. I wish to engage extensively with educational institutions, the Government, and international development organizations to synthesize more research-oriented development policies, the shortage of which has plagued development administration.