Welcome to Lowcountry Preparatory School in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. We are a small independent school on the beach in South Carolina’s beautiful Lowcountry. What sets us apart?

Our school culture sets us apart. Visitors and substitute teachers frequently comment upon the behavior of our students. It is influenced by several factors, the first of which is our emphasis upon good character, which includes formal character development from the Lower School through the Upper School. Additionally, students are governed by a simple honor code, “A student does not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do.” We promote the Golden Rule not only to our students but also to our teachers and our parents. We require a simple uniform and promote a neat and clean image among our students. We routinely administer anonymous surveys to our stakeholders—parents, faculty and staff, and students—to assess the status of our program, thereby creating a high level of trust and transparency.

Our academic program sets us apart. Small class sizes allow our teachers to better reach each student as well as ensuring no one falls through the cracks. Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students at all levels of performance. It includes Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, and Honors. It also includes topics that have disappeared from most schools, including cursive handwriting, a full year of grammar, Latin, and concentrated study of the US Constitution. Starting as early as eighth grade, French students can spend time in our French exchange school. In 2021, we earned the Bill and Lou Kennedy STEM Award for Outstanding Leadership in STEM Education. Our recent college placement reflects the quality of our academic program and features the US Naval Academy, Brown University, the Joint Program with St. Andrews University and William and Mary College, Washington and Lee University, and the Honors Colleges at the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, among others. Typical East Coast independent schools that boast similar college placement do so for tuition about three times the cost of ours, which underscores the value of our education.

Our athletic program sets us apart. Despite our small size, we offer a variety of sports in each season of the academic year as part of South Carolina Independent School Association Athletics. We offer cross-country, volleyball, swimming, and girls’ tennis in the fall; basketball in the winter; and soccer, boys’ tennis, and golf in the spring. With our proximity to the ocean, several of our students have been internationally ranked surfers.

COVID-19 drove new students to our school, and the majority have remained with us. Meanwhile, additional new students continue to enroll. Come by and visit. You may want to join us, as well. You are always welcome here at Lowcountry.