Abstract
A study using data from a post-monitoring survey of the Myn Bala Olympiad identified the career aspirations and migration plans of rural schoolchildren in Kazakhstan. Myn Bala is a national Olympiad held throughout Kazakhstan. Its winners are given the opportunity to enroll in schools for gifted children. Combining the results of the first stage of the Olympiad and the results of the survey over three years, descriptive statistics and regression analysis reveal the factors that determine students' career and migration trends. According to the results of the study, students mainly plan to live abroad and in large cities of Kazakhstan, such as Almaty, Shymkent, and Astana. Regression analysis showed that girls, as well as students who performed best in the Olympiad, are more likely to consider migration. Girls are more likely to choose professions in the humanities, while boys are more likely to choose technical professions. Thus, gender remains one of the most significant factors influencing career choice and migration.