Constructive criticism of my SOP please!!

[chukswealth]

Hello Guys,

 

I am applying to the university of Wyoming for Spring 2015 admission for the MA Economics program. I need you all to help me critic my SOP. Thanks.

 

  Four years after my undergraduate degree in economics, I am yet to find another course for my postgraduate studies for which I have an equal amount of passion.  I have had a good quantitative foundation in a number of subjects from basic statistics and fundamental mathematics for economists before I started pursuing my undergraduate degree. Being a commercial student, the choice as to where I can apply real mathematical theories to real life situations made economics my first choice and up until now, I am glad that I chose that path and I am still threading on it. During my undergraduate studies, I have been introduced to interesting economic modules like macroeconomics, microeconomics, international economics, econometrics, public policy, mathematical economics and development economics. I found these modules interesting in its own way. For me, development economics is the most interesting economic module I have ever been taken. In fact, I see it as the offspring of all branches of economics. It is one module that has made me see things with the eyes of an enlightened mind. It is self-discovery.  Topics such as Urbanisation and rural-urban migration which has enlightened me as to why there is a high concentration of people in Asaba than in Ogwashi-ukwu despite the rising unemployment in Asaba. My knowledge of basic calculus ­­­and mathematical functions enabled me to grasp the Todaro migration and Harris-Todaro model. I was also overwhelmed when I saw how the Cobb-Douglas production function I was taught in my basic microeconomics class was used to explain the Lewis two-sector model of structural transformation. The interrelatedness of poverty, income inequality and development struck me as I took this module. I saw the application of Lorenz curve and Gini’s coefficient from my basic statistics module as to how income inequality is measured. I now understand that when a woman on the street, starts to talk about how she needs constant supply of good drinking water for her family, or when a refrigerator mechanic is complaining about lack of constant electricity to enable him weld the cooling pipes of the fridge, I understand they are yearning for basic infrastructural development.  Also, coming from a third world country where development is an objective that is yet to be achieved, the practicality of this module, stared at me. This module ignited my interest to participate in the GOI PEACE/UNESCO international essay contest for young people in 2010 for which I was issued a certificate of recognition.  Already, I have my hands dirty in many community services, with some of them initiated by me and some that I have co-initiated, that is geared towards economic development. From being the president of the Millennium Development Goal’s community development group during my one year of compulsory national youth service, to volunteering and initiating the organisation of secondary school leavers to enlighten rural subsistence farmers on modern ways to control diseases of crop plants such as soil-borne fungus, water-borne fungus and wind-borne fungus by using the cultural method of disease control in a more healthy way while employing  the direct methods of disease control by using fungicides (chemicals that kill diseases that breeds fungi but which do not damage crop plants) in Ogume/ Ogbo-ogume community with the support of Ndokwa-West local government from the fourth phase of the exercise. In the next paragraph, I am going to concentrate on the incentives that drive me to pursue graduate studies and to explain my motive for applying to the University of Wyoming.

   My purpose of applying to graduate school is to broaden my mind and to create additional opportunities for myself in the future. Although, I have the intention to major in development economics, I need a postgraduate program in economics that is flexible and offer several opportunities. It is my opinion that to be a very good researcher, you need knowledge, even though little, outside the confines of your desired concentration. The University of Wyoming offers me copious electives of modules to build knowledge in almost all fields of economics. During my undergraduate studies from the third year, I wrote about four papers, including my final year thesis, all of which I made use of statistical packages such as E-views, SPSS and STATA. Thanks to my Lecturer and thesis supervisor Dr Kehinde Olapade who introduced us to them during our econometrics class. I am still fascinated about the usefulness of econometrics in economic research, and its usefulness is inevitable as far as I intend to remain in the business of economic research. Although my mathematical and statistical foundation is firm to an extent, I still feel there is a knowledge gap and I intend to leverage on the knowledge I would gain from most of the majors and intended electives like ECON 5115, ECON 5130, ECON5310, ECON5320, ECON5340, ECON5360 and ECON5370, to get a stronger foundation necessary to successfully complete my PhD in future. I have no doubt that this program would broaden my horizon thereby making me see things from different perspectives as well as exchange knowledge and ideas. It will help strengthen my research, analytical, modelling and problem solving skills necessary to successfully see me through my doctoral studies. I am a hard-working and determined person and I am ready for a new leap in my economics career. I will work hard in the belief that much effort will result in a high level of knowledge and success. I have always wanted to do my studies in an environment that is highly conducive to advance learning, and I believe that the University of Wyoming fits that bill.