Augusta Prep is the only non-sectarian, independent, college preparatory school in the Augusta area (CSRA) serving students in PS - 12th grade with a current enrollment of 450 and 112 faculty/staff. The school maintains a long-standing reputation for academic excellence and is one of only eight Cum Laude Society schools and the only Malone Scholar School in Georgia. Small classes allow faculty to individualize many aspects of a challenging academic program and to engage students in the classroom and beyond. Augusta Preparatory Day School was formed in 1988 with the merger of Augusta Preparatory School (grades 7-12), founded in 1960, and Augusta Country Day School (grades K5-6), founded in 1972. Although each division of the school has its own age and developmentally appropriate focus, the curriculum has a cohesive scope and sequence from preschool through senior year. In addition, interaction between the various ages of students on campus creates a strong sense of community and continuity. Augusta Prep families represent seven counties and 26 zip codes across South Carolina and Georgia. Graduates are regularly accepted to many of the nation's finest colleges and universities,... including: Bentley, Boston University, Case Western Reserve, Emory, Furman, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Harvard, MIT, UNC, NYU, Rensselaer, SMU, and Wake Forest. Augusta Prep is accredited by Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA) and has a chapter of the Cum Laude Society. Campus: The 55-acre campus is located near the boundary of Richmond and Columbia counties. Ten of the acres are designated as wetlands, as the school is set in a beautifully wooded area. The Lower School, housed in Knox Hall, contains two classrooms each from preschool through grade four. Knox Hall has its own library, music room, art room, Mac Lab, and cafeteria. The Middle and Upper Schools, housed in Founders Hall and McCampbell Hall, contain grades 5 – 8 and 9 – 12, respectively. Baird Library in Morris Hall, at the center of this part of campus, is a busy, academically stimulating environment where students may read, study, do homework, or conduct research. The collection holds more than 10,500 books and more than 100 searchable databases that support faculty and student research. Recent additions to the campus include two Lower School classrooms which were added to Knox Hall in the spring of 2005 to address increased demand for preschool and prekindergarten classes. Boardman Athletic Center, a 24,000-square-foot facility, opened in August, 2006 and includes a new gymnasium, locker rooms, four team meeting rooms, training room, weight and fitness room, concession stand, and public atrium. Also, in the fall of 2006, the Hull Fine Arts Center opened a 15,000-square-foot facility with a 350-seat, state-of-the-art theater, costume/makeup room, two dressing rooms, scene construction shop, lobby, and light and sound booth. Knox Music Suite opened in November, 2007 and features four individual practice rooms and two large music classrooms. Athletic facilities include two gymnasiums, a weight room, an athletic training room, multiple locker rooms, fields for football and soccer, an eight-lane synthetic surface track and a baseball diamond. The Nalley Tennis Center is a five-court facility enhancing one of the most outstanding athletic programs at the school. About Augusta, Georgia: Augusta is Georgia’s second oldest and second largest city, founded during the British colonial period as a trading outpost. Augusta is located in east central Georgia and is approximately 150 miles east of Atlanta along the Savannah River, the boundary between Augusta and Aiken County, South Carolina. Augusta's current population is about 200,000 with the immediate surrounding region, known as the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), having a population of about 500,000. Augusta is perhaps best known as the home of the Masters Golf Tournament, which is held the first full week in April. The area is also a center for the health industry, the Savannah River Site, and Fort Gordon, home of the United States Army Signal Corps. Augusta and the surrounding area is experiencing significant growth at the moment within both the medical and military fields. Augusta has nine neighborhoods on the National Register of Historic Places, and many historic buildings, including the Cotton Exchange, established in 1872; the boyhood home of Woodrow Wilson (28th president of the United States); Ezekiel Harris House (1797); George Walton home (signer of the Declaration of Independence) and Springfield Baptist Church, the oldest African American church in America. http://www.augustaga.gov/