Two research ideas

Research Idea A: Who achieves “American Dream” through graduate education

• Research Question: Given that immigration opportunity represents a significant potential return on graduate education investment, what factors determine international students’ success in entering the labor market of a developed country and economic prosperity in the United States?

• Research Objectives: The study aims to analyze both extensive and intensive margins of success for international graduate students in the United States.

• Key Dependent Variables of Interest:

• For Extensive Margin :

  Stay/Leave Outcome

• For Intensive Margin (Success Metrics): > Income trajectory post-graduation

  Occupational advancement

  Immigration status progression

• Key Independent Variables of Interest:

  Academic background (undergraduate institution location, GPA)

  Graduate program characteristics (field of study, institution ranking)

> Labor market conditions at graduation

• Methodology Considerations: The research would benefit from a longitudinal dataset tracking international graduate students from admission through several years post-graduation. This could be complemented by LinkedIn Data to create a comprehensive picture of career trajectories.

Research Proposal B: Predictive Validity of Standardized Tests in Graduate Admission

• Research Question: What is the predictive power of standardized tests (particularly the GRE) for various outcomes in graduate education, especially for international students?

• Research Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of standardized testing in predicting:

• Methodological Framework: The study would analyze the relationship between GRE scores and:

• For Master’s Programs:

  Visa status transitions

  Employment outcomes

  Geographic mobility

• For Doctoral Programs:

  Publication output and quality

  Citation Impact

  Research collaboration networks

  Patent applications

  Startup formation

• Data Requirements: This research would require combining data from: Academic publication databases Patent offices Immigration records LinkedIn Data