Begin with a brief overview of why you want to apply to this program. Having completed my undergraduate degree with a double major in Psychology and Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ), I am a firm believer in the necessity of interdisciplinarity in studying any complex issue. I am drawn to the MSc Gender programme at the London School of Economics because the programme offers a uniquely flexible approach to studying gender. I am passionate about conducting rigorous empirical research, applying theoretical analyses to real life situations, and witnessing individuals’ experiences in qualitative forms that allow their voices to shine through. The MSc Gender programme provides a solid foundation in gender theory, while supporting independent qualitative and quantitative research. Discuss your academic interests, and how they inform your future academic goals. I intend to utilize my background in Psychology to continue to study at the graduate level issues pertaining to gendered experiences of trauma. As an undergraduate, I conducted my Honours thesis research in Dr. Bobbi Schwartz’s Gender and Sexuality psychology laboratory, studying LGBTQ+ individuals’ reactions to microaggressions in the workplace. My experiences interviewing research participants about sensitive topics, analyzing data, and applying theoretical analyses to that data has allowed me to hone my skills as a researcher, writer, and thinker. As a student in the MSc programme, I would draw upon this foundation in research skills in order to continue exploring in an empirical manner the ways in which gender and sexuality influence people’s lived experiences. Establish your commitment to studying these topics, and discuss any important influences on your research interests. For the past three years, I have volunteered at my local women’s shelter, which often serves individuals who are in the process of fleeing domestic violence or who have experienced sexual assault. The shelter, which is run by women for other women, considers itself a feminist institution. It was only in 2017, however, that the shelter explicitly stated in its official policy that trans women are welcome in its spaces; the organization currently does not have a policy in place to support individuals who identify as gender non-conforming or non-binary. Witnessing this institution – which is generally progressive and well-intentioned – grappling with these issues has brought to light for me the complexities and difficulties trans and/or gender non-conforming individuals may face in receiving support from feminist institutions. My desire to better support these communities, along with a desire to instigate institutional change, has motivated me to commit to undertaking the MSc Gender programme. Outline your research plans. Include enough detail to show your potential as a researcher, and to explain why your proposed project is significant. In my dissertation, I would research the ways in which feminist institutions interact, both historically and currently, with gender non-binary and trans communities. I would analyze the ways in which major women’s organizations combating violence against women in the United Kingdom have chosen to build and re-build their policies in accordance with contemporary understandings of gender as non-essentialist and fluid. My initial research into several institutions’ policies suggests that accessing support as a gender non-binary or trans individual can be difficult when policies are not inclusive. Drawing up on the work of theorists such as Judith Herman, I would argue that institutional microaggressions (which ironically may be committed even by feminist organizations) are re-traumatizing to the individuals who experience them. I would conduct interviews with women, trans women, and gender non-binary individuals who have interacted with institutions such as crisis lines, shelters, and support groups that have traditionally been created with only cis-gendered women in mind. By asking individuals to share their experiences and their perceived efficacy of the support they received, I would create a portrait of the impacts of feminist organizations’ policies on the trans and non-binary community. I would conduct a meta-analysis of organizational policies, correlating specific institutional practices with trans and non-binary individuals’ perceived well-being after accessing services. Thus, the dissertation would offer recommendations for best practices for feminist institutions in order to better serve trans and non-binary communities. This research would help traditional organizations to update and adapt their policies to align with contemporary notions of gender as fluid, or, in other words, to put theory into practice and into service. Explain why you want to study at this specific institution. Include the names of professors with whom you would like to work. The London School of Economics is, I believe, the ideal institution from which to conduct this research. Courses at the LSE such as “Gender, Knowledge and Research Practice” would provide insight into how to conduct interviews and analyze gender in a respectful and sensitive manner. Furthermore, the programme’s course offerings in areas of policy development and gendered politics would allow me to gain greater understanding of practical issues such as funding, organizational structuring, and bureaucracy which contribute to any institution’s decision-making. The opportunity to study with professors such as Dr. Laura Hunt, who researches women’s resilience and recovery process after experiencing domestic violence, and Dr Amira Amma, who studies the creation of women’s shelters from a historical perspective, would be enormously enriching. So, too, would be the opportunity to work with Dr Arnold Curtis, whose writings on trans individuals’ acceptance in their communities has long served as a source of inspiration for my own studies. Wrap up with a strong statement of your interest in the school and why you would thrive there. I am confident that my passion for research and my commitment to creating social change would make me a motivated and hard-working member of the MSC Gender community. We all share a responsibility to contribute to a more inclusive, harmonious community for people of all identities, and I would be thrilled to undertake this programme as a step towards that goal.