variable management, composite index

[Chiara Tasselli]

Good evening,
I am analysing the university enrolment intentions of high school students. By intention, I mean that students haven't done their choice yet and they have to reply to two questions:

i) HAVE YOU ALREADY DEVELOPED A CLEAR IDEA ABOUT YOUR FUTURE ONCE ENDED SECONDARY SCHOOL? (tomorrowsecurity_1)
(Please give a rating from 1 to 6 where 1 = I am very undecided|not yet sure and 6 = I am very sure/ determined)

ii) HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT YOU WILL .....? <This is a battery of 14 possible universities choice + a variable for going to work>
Express a rating from 1 to 5 where 1 = Extremely Unlikely and 5 = Extremely Likely"

My variable of interest is the university choice (in particular economics or STEAM field) I was wondering if there are some ways to include (maybe by weighing) for their certainty ( i) bullet point ) or for clean for people that are very determinate to go to work (without dropping* them from the sample: maybe also here weighing differently).

* I think it is also important to point out that I am in a diff in diff setting with the desire to keep a balanced panel (pupils could change their willingness to go to work between pre and post)


So, in summary, I am looking for advice on how to create a variable on the choice of university by using also the probability of going to work and|or the certainty on that answer.

* Example generated by -dataex-. For more info, type help dataex
clear
input int IDpanel byte Time double(tomorrowsecurity_1 futurechoice_work futurechoice_2 futurechoice_3 futurechoice_4 futurechoice_5 futurechoice_6 futurechoice_7 futurechoice_8 futurechoice_9 futurechoice_finance)
32 0 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 5
32 1 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 4
33 0 4 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1
33 1 6 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1
34 0 6 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
34 1 6 5 1 1 1 3 2 2 1 3 1
36 0 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 2
36 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 3
37 0 4 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4
37 1 2 2 4 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 4
38 0 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
38 1 3 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3
39 0 5 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 3 2 5
39 1 6 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 1 5
40 0 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
40 1 5 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2
42 0 5 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
42 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
43 0 5 2 2 1 3 2 2 3 1 2 1
43 1 5 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1
46 0 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
46 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
47 0 4 2 1 1 2 3 2 2 2 2 3
47 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
48 0 1 1 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 3
48 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3
49 0 5 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4
49 1 4 3 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 4
50 0 5 2 4 1 2 1 1 1 4 2 3
50 1 5 2 3 2 3 1 1 1 4 3 3
end
label values Time tim
label def tim 0 "pre", modify
label def tim 1 "post", modify

Many thanks in advance for your time.
Wishing you all a peaceful week ahead.