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As you think about sending your child to private school, there are so many choices to consider that, for most of us, we shut down. It is simply too much to deal with all at once. That is the point of this little essay. I don't recommend dealing with all those heavy-weight questions in one pass. Take each one and work through it systematically from beginning to end. Then move on to the next question. In other words, break the project into bite-size pieces just as you do with any big project or challenge in your professional life.

Use your tablet or smartphone to record your ideas, thoughts, and questions. Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox will help you share your findings and data with interested parties, such as your spouse and trusted legal and financial advisers.

OK, let's get to those big questions. Each one needs to be discussed and reviewed thoroughly. The results of your discussions will impact the next issue.

Boarding school or day school?

This fundamental question needs to be sorted out first. Why? Because the answer to it drives everything else in so many ways. I can hear some of you thinking, "Boarding school? I would never think of sending my child to boarding school." Indeed, you may have some legitimate concerns about not wanting to send your child to a residential school. But in the long run, perhaps that is best for your child.

What is your genuine concern? Finances? Letting your child

What About a Foreign Language School?

In the United States, a foreign language private school is a school in which the primary language is not English. 80% of our population speaks English. Therefore, it follows that private schools that teach in other languages are few and far between.

I also want to point out the difference between a K-12 private school that uses a language other than English for teaching and intra-school communications and proprietary schools that offer instruction in foreign languages.

• K-12 private schools that teach their students in German or French, for example, offer a comprehensive academic curriculum with specified goals and objectives for their graduates.
• The proprietary foreign language schools generally aim to have their students achieve fluency at varying levels in a foreign language.
• For example, you could learn how to speak Spanish in a business setting, starting at a beginner's level and working your way up to advanced proficiency.

Reasons Why You Would Consider Foreign Language Schools

Now, back to our original question.

• Why would parents consider a foreign language school for their children?
• For several reasons, the first of which is job-related.

Let's say that you are a German national who is an executive with a German firm with locations in the United States.

• Your firm decides to post you overseas in the New York office.
• Your children are ages 10 and 12.
• What will you do about their schooling?
• You know

Late Night Show host David Letterman retires at the end of May 2015. So, with his famous Top Ten lists in mind, here is my list of Top Ten Facts About ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools.

10. There are schools for just about every need you can imagine.

Perhaps this should be number one on the list. In any case, it is true. There are private schools for just about any need or requirement you can think of. ²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools come in all shapes and sizes. There are primary schools, K-8 schools, junior boarding schools, Roman Catholic schools, military schools, schools that offer programs for students with learning differences, schools in urban areas, schools out in the country, large schools, small schools, schools with instruction in languages other than English and on and on. With approximately 29,000 private schools in the United States, the chances of your finding what you are looking for are pretty good.

9. ²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools are more affordable than you think.

²ÝÁñÉçÇø school is an extra expense and a substantial sacrifice for many families. On the other hand, most private schools offer need-based financial aid. The individual schools determine the amount of aid. Some schools even provide a tuition-free education if your family's financial situation is below a specific threshold.

This video offers an overview of Ravenscroft, a day school in Raleigh, North Carolina.

8. Everybody participates in sports in private schools.

²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools

Finding the right private school for your child is a major process in and of itself. It is time-consuming with lots of steps, deadlines and forms to fill out and submit. Then, of course, you have to deal with the issue of how to pay for that private school education once you have identified the right school. Against this backdrop let's you and I figure out how to make the financial aid process work for us.

Start early

The key to success with any major project is to begin early. Taming the financial aid part of getting your child into private school begins with knowing how much you can afford to pay. Have that number worked out and clear in your mind. The most effective way at figuring out what you can pay is to review your income and expenses. Determine what you can afford to pay monthly for your child's tuition. Project that number also as an annual amount. Now bear in mind that this is a rough cut because what you are going to be doing very soon is completing the online documentation known as the Parents' Financial Statement or PFS provided by the School and Student Service (SSS) organization operated by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). The PFS will require accurate financial information about your income, expenses, and assets as well as information about any other children who are in tuition-charging schools, i.e., private school. Having that rough idea of how much