ACT Information Brief 2004-1 showed that retention and cumulative first-year college GPA are related to ACT Composite scores. Overall achievement, as measured by cumulative first-year college GPA, is strongly related to high school preparation, as measured by ACT Composite score, for students who return for a second year of college. This brief expands on these results by exploring the connections between attainment of ACT's college readiness benchmarks and college retention and first-year college GPA. To assist in identifying students who are ready for entry-level college course work, ACT has established "college readiness benchmarks". These benchmarks represent ACT scores at which students who score as well or better have at least a 50% chance of earning a B or higher and a 75%-80% chance of a C or higher in specific entry-level college courses. Student performance relative to these benchmarks can be used as indicators of subject-specific achievement in high school and of college readiness. This brief illustrates how admissions and institutional research professionals can use the benchmarks as another tool to identify students who are likely to perform well in college and persist after their freshman year. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)