To Match or not to Match?: Improving Student-Program Fit in Dutch Higher Education

In the Netherlands, every year a substantial proportion of first-year students in higher education drop out due to a wrong program choice. Matching has been introduced to decrease wrong choices. In this dissertation we studied various types of matching procedures using questionnaire and study progress data from four Dutch universities as well as interviews with (prospective) students. Based on a perspective of person-environment fit, we used three aspects that are important in determining whether students fit with the program of their choice: 1) interests, 2) believe in their abilities, and 3)... Mehr ...