Background. Early prediction of academic performance is important for student selection and support. We explored, in a multivariate approach, whether pre-entry data (e.g., expectations, capabilities, motivation, attitude) could predict university students’ first year academic performance. Methods. Pre-registered applicants for a bachelor’s program filled out the Leiden Intake Questionnaire (LIQ) before study-entry (N=739). Outcome data (first-year GPA, course credits, attrition) were obtained one year later. Results. Students who performed better in preparatory education, and students who followed a conventional educational path before entering performed better during their first year at university. Non-Dutch students were less successful than Dutch students, and students who expected to spend more time on a study organization were more successful. Conclusions. The LIQ may be used for identifying upfront who may need additional support, but is not suitable for student selection. Future work on academic performance should include cross-validation to determine how well the findings may generalize.