Although a vast majority of American middle school students say they plan on attending college after high school, only one-third of them are aware of what it will take to get there, according to a recent nationwide survey.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals and educational association Phi Delta Kappa International collaborated to interview more than 1,800 seventh- and eighth-grade students about their college plans, discovering that an overwhelming 92 percent said they planned on pursuing a college degree. However, 83 percent of those same students knew close to nothing about the classes it would take to graduate – a number that teachers and school administrators nationwide are calling alarming.

Ninety-three percent of surveyed students were optimistic about their chances of success, saying that there was “”no chance”” they would drop out of high school before graduation. However, of the students who said they could not discount the possibility of dropping out, 40 percent cited poor grades and difficulty keeping up with coursework as reasons to discontinue their schooling. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2006 that only 66 percent of students who believe they are college-bound will actually enroll.

“”Ninth grade is where a lot of students start running into problems academically,”” PDK Director of Marketing and Communications Delaine McCullough said. “”It’s important to organize efforts to help students with that difficult transition between middle and high school.””

During that transition period, students are expected to understand such concepts as the course credit system, which may be confusing and overwhelming, the study said.

Eleanor Roosevelt College junior David Polakoski said that he would not have been adequately informed about the college process without the knowledge and help of his older sister.

“”I went to a private elementary school for kindergarten through eighth grade, and I don’t think they did very much to prepare me for college,”” Polakoski said. “”I don’t think I started getting a taste of what college would require until I began attending high school.””

Alternatively, Monta Vista High School English teacher Andrea Kanda said she believes that students in her area are not only prepared for college by the end of middle school, but that the stress of these expectations can have negative consequences for students.

“”[Students] come into high school with the idea they need to take the AP and honors courses, with colleges becoming more and more picky,”” she said.

The survey suggests that while some middle schools do offer guidance for pursuing higher education, it is not always adequate.Revelle College freshman Spencer Nguyen agreed that he was exposed to almost none of the expectations for high school achievement while he was in middle school.

“”Middle school really didn’t help with much of anything for me, especially in terms of deciding what was going to be my academic future,”” he said. “”The counselors seemed as though they had no sound advice to give, or they were just apathetic. I sat with my middle school counselor for 15 minutes only two weeks before my eighth-grade graduation to pick my classes for freshman year.””

Study researchers, collecting data as part of the nationwide pro-college KnowHow2Go campaign, also analyzed the role that teachers play in preparing their students for future success, and arrived at mixed conclusions.

Although they highlighted the ability to provide detailed explanations as a necessary trait of a good teacher, 8 percent of students said that their teachers did not give them an adequate chance to learn specific subject material. Similarly, 72 percent of students indicated that only one to five of their teachers had ever been helpful in improving their educations.

However, PDK Executive Director Bill Bushaw said he believes the issue is more complicated than simply the effectiveness of the teachers themselves.

“”We are an increasingly information-oriented and innovative society,”” Bushaw said. “”Some level of college is now required for many jobs. Therefore, some schools are making changes; curriculum is changing; better assessment approaches are being developed. I think what’s unfortunate is that these things aren’t [being done] as quickly as they should.””

More and more high schools in California, however, have demonstrated awareness of the disparity in college preparedness and have implemented programs to ease the transition between middle and high school.

In recent years, programs such as Link Crew, which pairs high school student volunteers with middle school students in a mentoring capacity, have appeared at various high schools around the country.

Kanda, who is also a Link Crew adviser, said that the changing environment for middle school students often worsens the already difficult transition process.

“”It is a whole new thing to them in terms of the big school, the student population size, having to be more responsible for themselves academically and having an open campus,”” she said. “”Being responsible is one big step they have to take.””

Both Bushaw and McCullough said they support any program or initiative that aims to reduce the percentage of students that are unprepared for higher education.