A statement regarding what is needed in academic preparation for college in the 1980s, which was developed during 1980-81 under th aegis of the College Board's Project EQuality, is presented. The work of school and college teacher in cooperation with other professionals addresses expectations about six basic academic competencies that should have been developed in high school by college-bound students: reading, writing, listening and speaking, doing mathematics, reasoning, and studying. Brief thoughts also are expressed about six subject-matter areas that constitute the basic academic curriculum that should have been covered: English, mathematics, history/social studies, natural science, foreign or second language, and visual and performing arts. Philosophical and operational definitions are offered for the basic academic competencies, based on a composite of the views expressed by the first year's participants in Project EQuality. The plan is to state the basic subject-matter areas in terms of learning outcomes rather than simply course content or number of years studied. The statement evolved in three contexts. The first involved more than 40 test development committees and the council on Academic Affairs of the College Board in cooperation with teachers. The second phase focused on the definition of basic academic competencies needed to do college-level work through urban dialogues involving representatives of schools and colleges serving large numbers of inner city students. The third phase was a three-day symposium. Twenty-four dialogues, four in each subject-matter area, will be conducted by Project EQuality during 1981-82. (SW)