Undermatching and Affective Development During the First Year of College: A Longitudinal Study of College Students in the Netherlands

• In Event: 51.038 - Emerging Perspectives on International Higher Education

Abstract

The study focuses on the phenomenon of “undermatching” in relationship to affective development during the first year of college. We pay particular attention to examining the role of first-generation college student status in moderating these relationships. Our analyses utilize longitudinal data from the Netherlands with findings that suggest college satisfaction is cultivated more within less selective institutional environments, regardless of individual match, and that undermatching may enhance affective development among first-generation students.

Authors

• Gregory C. Wolniak, University of Georgia

• Marjolein Muskens, Maastricht University