brenau academy was formed in 1928 when pearce told his wife that some of the first-year college students were having trouble with their course work. she began a program to help prepare young women for college which evolved quickly into the brenau academy, which until 2012 remained the only female, college preparatory, residential school for grades 9-12 in the state of georgia. the academy evolved in 2011 into an early college program of the women's college in which qualified young women could earn college credits during the time of their lives in which they normally would complete high school studies. today, the historic academy space is utilized by the women's college.