In the context of a political imperative to reorganise the Portuguese higher education system, a deep knowledge of student choice decision-making processes when applying to higher education is needed. Following a 'combined model' of student choice, which emphasises economic and social factors, this paper aims to answer two main related questions: (i) what are the determinants of student choice consistency? (ii) Does choice consistency affect the admission of students to their top preference? Both are analysed within a multinomial logit framework. The results indicate that males, older students and better performing students are more likely to be consistent in their choices in the various forms it may assume. Students with inconsistent choice sets are more likely to be accepted; nevertheless, they are more likely to get a place in a second-best alternative.