Ninety percent of middle-school students state they plan to attend college. However a deeper look into a study released by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and Phi Delta Kappa International reveals that only 66 percent actually go on to enroll in college. The study funded by the Lumina Foundation was based on a survey of 1,800 seventh and eighth graders around the U.S. This poll of middle-grade students shows how the transition into high schools can be a key determinate into students’ post high-school successes.

In addition to the costs of taking college entrance exams, purchasing college guides, making campus visits, and paying application fees, many families are now budgeting for private college counseling. Test preparation used to be the extent of college planning. Now, an entire specialized field has emerged, and families can spend an amount equal to a year’s worth of tuition at a private school for an independent educational consultant.

Nearly 40 percent of schools across the nation no longer use class rank. It seems to be losing value because of a variety of inequalities. In many cases, rank is decided by a minuscule margin. A student who finishes 75th in his or her class will not be as attractive to colleges as one who finishes 2nd, even though their grade-point averages may be only a tenth of a point apart. In addition, education quality varies considerably from school to school.

Most high school students take the SAT as part of the application process for college. Very few achieve the highest score, 1600, and many are thrilled if their scores hit the 1300 mark. My daughter Alissa began the process of preparing for the SAT as a seventh-grader at Piedmont Open Middle School, when she was accepted into the Duke University Talent Identification Program’s Seventh Grade Talent Search. At 12 she was offered the opportunity to take a “practice run” on the real SAT, alongside college-bound high school students.

Dual enrollment, whereby high school students enroll in college courses and earn high school and college credit simultaneously, is increasingly the subject of state legislation. Do your state’s policies promote or impede such programs? State Dual Enrollment Policies: Addressing Access and Quality, a report from the Community College Research Center, analyzes dual enrollment legislation in all 50 states. Of the 38 states with dual enrollment policies, only 18 mandate that such opportunities be provided to students.

Jan and Bob Davidson are the founders of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a national nonprofit organization that supports highly intelligent youth. The Davidson Fellows Program recognizes original, significant work of young people (18 years old or younger) in mathematics, science, technology, music, literature, or philosophy that has the potential to benefit society. Scholarships of $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 are awarded for tuition and related expenses at an accredited institution of learning.

The Duke Gifted Letter interviewed college admissions officers at several leading universities for insights into what students and parents should know about the college admissions process. They share their advice with us here.

DGL: What major assumption do high-achieving students often have about getting admitted to your institution?

Admissions officers agree that students’ biggest misconception is that high test scores are all they need to get in.

U.S. News and World Report, which publishes the annual “America’s Best Colleges,” is removing the controversial yield rate from their ranking method in response to concerns from educators. The yield rate is the percentage of applicants admitted to a college who go on to attend it.

And they can spot an application prepared with a pro’s help a mile away. Even so, about 6 percent of college applicants get professional help, and double that number will seek coaching services in the next decade. Why? Because of a combination of the baby boom of the 1980s and overworked high school counselors. About 3.2 million students will graduate from high school in 2009, up from 2.6 million in 1990, and too few counselors have been hired to keep pace with the increase.

To the chagrin of high school students and parents alike, applying to college has gotten more complicated. Colleges now attract students by offering them one of two early admission options (chances to be accepted to a college in the fall or winter rather than at the regular time, usually May). They are early decision and early action (or early notification). Let me explain what these options mean, particularly for the gifted student.