Many people in higher education were caught by surprise when the nation's governors and chief state school officers announced their intention to adopt common standards for American high schools that aim at college readiness. In this article, the author explores what this common standards is all about and how it can be helpful in college preparation of the nation's high schools. The author mentions that what this latest "common standards" movement is actually about: trying to clarify what successful college students actually need to know and be able to do, so that they can get serious about teaching and measuring those things rather than simply calculating course credits or passrates on low-level state test. The author believes that this clarity would provide a much more solid foundation for regaining the nation's lead in the granting of high-quality postsecondary degrees. (Contains 1 figure.)