A 2-year program entitled "Essential Skills for College Bound Students" conducted in a Mississippi high school is described in this paper. The introductory section describes the course of study in essential skills as designed to help average-ability students who plan to attend college increase their proficiencies in oral and printed material, analytical and critical reasoning, rhetorical skills, vocabulary study, and library reference skills. A general description of the progrm as it was modified over the 2 years is also given. Succeeding sections of the paper describe (1) student needs addressed by the program; (2) objectives established for the program; (3) specific activities and procedures, including educational goals; (4) program evaluation methods and results; and (5) the project budget. The concluding section contains letters of communication, an evaluation form, and a list of instructional materials. (HTH)