Upper School

The Upper School at Savannah Country Day school endeavors to create an environment in which each student can find an area to shine. While all students will benefit from our rigorous college preparatory curriculum, we don’t limit our pursuit of excellence to the classroom. The cornerstone of our Upper School experience is balance, and we strongly encourage students to find interests beyond the classroom to augment their academic experience. The typical Country Day upper school student is not only engaged in the classroom, but is also eager to make an impact on the playing fields, on the stage, in the art studio, or in the larger community. While we are preparing students to be successful in college and in life, we are also preparing them to be the sorts of citizens who will carry our region and nation forward. Country Day students will be the leaders of the next generation, and by encouraging critical thinking, creative problem solving, and independence of thought, the Upper School helps to form these leaders.

Because of our size, which is small by design, students have lots of opportunities to participate and engage in all different aspects of school life. The size also allows our students and teachers to form close relationships with each other, fostering a sense of trust and encouragement in the different things they try."jonathan day, head of upper school

Curriculum, Advanced Classes, and Electives

The Upper School offers its students a wide array of co-curricular activities. Virtually every teacher sponsors some club, activity, or sport.

College Counseling

Working with students for all four years of Upper School, our College Counseling Office helps find the best fit for every student.

Advisory & Class Deans

All Upper School students have faculty advisors assigned in the ninth grade. The groups stay together for four years, which allows students and faculty to create the kinds of bonds that can only be forged over time.

Leadership, Clubs & Organizations

Students are encouraged to explore their talents and interests beyond their classroom experiences.

Global Online Academy

GOA offers SCDS students the opportunity to learn alongside peers from around the world. GOA courses further enrich the Country Day experience by allowing students explore their passions with classes that are outside of the traditional course catalogue.

Social & Emotional Wellness

The Upper School Counseling program is tailored to address the unique needs of the Upper School student as he or she develops independence, a stronger sense of self and identity, and personal values and goals in preparation for life both in Upper School and after graduation

Our faculty

Our skilled faculty fosters in our students a desire to know more, and to ask the questions that will help them achieve their goals. It is only by teaching students to formulate their own questions that they will grow as lifelong and self-sufficient learners, and that is our goal as a school. Of the 42 Upper School faculty members, 34 hold advanced degrees in their fields. Nearly all teachers serve as academic advisors and many coach and/or sponsor on-campus clubs and activities. the average teaching experience is 17 years.

Our campus

We use our 65-acre campus extensively, realizing that sometimes the best classroom is our beautiful campus. From art classes in the butterfly garden to Environmental Science water testing in the bog, we use all of the resources at our disposal to create meaningful educational opportunities for all of our students. And regardless of the time of day, the Quad is always full of Upper School students meeting in small groups or studying outdoors.

Our graduates

The Class of 2020 earned admission to 105 colleges in 27 states and they will attend a variety of schools, including Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Emory, NYU, Villanova, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.

Our 67 seniors will attend 36 different colleges and universities located in 16 states
Five students will participate in collegiate athletics
14 seniors (20% of the class) were offered admission to schools with an acceptance rate at or below 25%: Barnard, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Georgia Tech, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Tulane, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Virginia and Vanderbilt;
UGA admitted 20 of our 28 applicants (71% admit rate compared to the overall admit rate of 46%)
Georgia Tech admitted 9 of our 20 applicants (46% admit rate compared to the overall admit rate of 20%)
Collectively, the class was offered scholarships totaling more than $3 million from all admitting colleges—not including the HOPE awards

The impressive statistics regarding their matriculations are a testament to our students’ confidence and preparedness. Most importantly, these graduates have fully embraced their time at Country Day and are well-prepared for success in the next phase of their educational journeys.

Our Honor Code

Central to our mission at The Savannah Country Day School is the Honor Code. There are things that are even more important than academic success, and our emphasis on the Honor Code is designed to emphasize the importance of creating citizens with an ethical and moral core. Every student is honor-bound to refrain from lying, cheating, or stealing, and every member of the school community takes an active role in adhering to, upholding, and promoting our Honor Code. This emphasizes the fact that honesty and integrity are the foundation on which SCDS is built, and the cornerstone of our community. Upper School students sign and pledge their adherence to the Honor Code on every paper and test, and each student will, during his or her time in the Upper School, sign their intent to maintain the Honor Code in the Upper School’s Honor Book.

Our Learning Support Program

Upper School At a Glance

359 students in the Upper School

Average class size of 15, student/teacher ratio 8:1

Of the 45 Upper School faculty members, 33 hold advanced degrees. The average teaching experience is 16 years

80% of Upper School students participate in athletics

A robust curriculum including Honors, Advanced Placement, and Advanced classes

Over 70% of students taking AP tests achieve 3+ scores

Seniors participate in off-campus research or career education project during the month of May

In This Section