21 Lubav Prompts for Data-Driven AdvisingAllExplore majors/programs dataExplore schools dataVisualize the dataQuestion the dataSummarize the dataExplore majors/programs dataAssess a major’s outcomesI’m advising a student interested in [major]. Before we look at any school, what do national outcomes say about this major: underemployment rate, market demand, option value, and rigor? Explain what each rating means and what it doesn’t capture.Compare two majorsCompare [major A] and [major B] on underemployment, market demand, option value, and rigor. Which is the riskier bet for a student who wants [aspiration], and why?Find related majorsA student is set on [major]. Which related majors share most of the coursework but have higher option value or lower underemployment? Rank them and name the trade-off for each.Compare program earnings across schoolsShow me median earnings for [major] at [School A], [School B], and [School C], bachelor’s degrees only, four years after completion. Which school is the outlier, and is the spread wide enough that school choice should matter for this major?Identify high- and low-earning programsAt [School], list the three highest- and three lowest-earning bachelor’s programs and the median across all reporting programs. Does the school’s headline earnings number describe either end?Assess missing program dataHow many programs at [School] report earnings and how many are suppressed? Is [major] one of the suppressed ones? If so, what’s the fairest way to estimate what a graduate in that program earns?Weigh school choice for a majorFor [major], does the school a student attends change earnings much, or are outcomes flat across schools? If they’re flat, what should drive the decision instead of the school?Explore schools dataSeparate school inputs and outcomesGive me [School]’s inputs—acceptance rate, median ACT or SAT, and sticker price—in one list, and its outputs—8-year graduation rate, Pell graduation rate, median earnings 10 years after entry, success rate, and ROI at 10 and 20 years—in a separate list. Keep them apart so I can show a family the difference between the front door and where it leads.Compare similar schools’ outcomes[School A] and [School B] have similar acceptance rates, test scores, and net prices. Where do their outcomes diverge, and what’s the most likely explanation for the gap?Compare costs by family incomeWhat is the net price at [School] for a family earning [income band]? Compare it to the sticker price and to [School B]’s net price at the same income band.Assess low-income completion oddsAt [School], how far apart are the Pell graduation rate and the headline graduation rate? What does that gap tell me about a low-income student’s actual odds of finishing?Visualize the dataChart program earnings across schoolsBuild a bar chart comparing median earnings for [major] four years after completion at [School A], [School B], [School C], and [School D], bachelor’s degrees only. Mark any suppressed program as “not reported,” not zero.Chart inputs versus outcomesMake two charts for [School A], [School B], [School C], and [School D]: one of inputs (acceptance rate, median ACT, average net price) and one of outputs (8-year graduation rate, median earnings 10 years after entry). Put them side by side so I can show that similar inputs don’t predict similar outcomes.Rank programs by earningsChart [School]’s bachelor’s programs by median earnings from highest to lowest. Flag any program in the list that is a graduate or professional degree so I don’t mix credential levels.Chart completion and mobilityMake a grouped bar chart for [School A] and [School B] showing 8-year graduation rate, Pell graduation rate, and success rate side by side. I want one picture of whether completion and mobility move together.Chart costs by family incomeChart net price by family income band for [School A], [School B], and [School C]. Which school is cheapest for a family earning [income band], and does the ranking change at higher incomes?Chart long-term ROIChart ROI at 10, 20, 30, and 40 years for [School A] and [School B] on the same axes. Then explain the assumptions behind the ROI calculation and the point at which the later years become estimates.Question the dataCheck who earnings data representsFor the median earnings figure on [School]’s page, answer separately: who is counted (everyone who enrolled, graduates only, or federal aid recipients only), what year the data describes, and what the national midpoint is for comparison.Compare equivalent earnings measuresI’m looking at [School]’s median earnings 10 years after entry and [major]’s program earnings four years after completion. Explain why those two numbers shouldn’t sit side by side, then give me a comparison that is apples to apples.Distinguish success and underemploymentExplain the difference between the success rate on a school page and the underemployment figure on a major page. Who is in each number, how old is each data set, and what does one tell me that the other can’t?Summarize the dataWeigh two schools for a studentA [grade level] student with a [GPA] and [test score], interested in [major], from a family earning [income band], is choosing between [School A] and [School B]. Walk through three questions: is each school aligned with the student’s aspirations, is it reachable (admission odds and odds of finishing), and does it work for them on cost at their income band? If the answers point to different schools, state the trade-off in one sentence I could say to the student.
