[5] Long has conducted several large, randomized controlled trials to establish the causal effects of interventions designed to better support students.

Working with co-authors, she conducted a major study on the impact of information and assistance on completing financial aid forms (i.e. the FAFSA).

[6] The study contributed to quantitative evidence on the detrimental effects complex processes can have on educational attainment, and it has been cited in efforts to simplify the federal financial aid application.

[7][8]  Long followed this work with studies on the effectiveness of interventions that focus on helping families save for higher education[9] and students persist in college.

[11] Long has also used of state administrative data to explore long-standing questions in higher education, and she produced some of the earliest large-scale studies on the causal effects of post-secondary remediation,[12][13] different types of instructors,[14][15] and class size[16] on college student outcomes.

[19] Long was honored in 2021 with a Spencer Mentor award for her contributions towards bolstering career opportunities for those pursuing work in education research.