This week's spotlight takes us to Gould Academy in Maine. Gould is a small boarding school with about 250 students in 9th grade through PG year. Located a couple of hours north of Boston, the Academy offers some interesting programs which set it apart from other schools. The Point Programs, for example, offer experiential learning in each year a student is at Gould. Winter sports are another feature at which schools in the northern climes excel.

Read Gould Academy's profile. If you went to Gould, tell us about your experiences and what you thought of the school. Please post your response here.

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Recently I asked Jeff Wolfsberg to answer a few questions about teen substance abuse. The result was a splendid interview which I am honored to publish. Parents and educators alike need to read what Jeff has to say. He speaks with authority and eloquence on an issue about which he cares very deeply.

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Prep Schools Face Cuts in Student Aid confirms what most of us have suspected for some time now. Private school endowments have taken a hit in these tough economic times. The good news is that they have not taken as much of a hit as some major university endowments have. Why is that? I am convinced that it is the result of trustees charting a conservative fiscal course when it comes to their fiscal responsibilities and duties. You won't find any derivatives and other exotic investments in private school endowment portfolios. Their physical plants have been updated to save energy costs and make their programs more sustainable.

Supporting this cautious, conservative financial approach is the high regard and affection their graduates have for their alma maters. (Read the comments Peddie grads have left following a recent profile on this site of their beloved school.) If you are grateful to your school for what it has done for you, you will support it over the years. Perhaps you will even remember it in your will as Elizabeth Beckwith Nilsen did with her amazing gift of $31 million for Chatham Hall School. All these factors combine to make most private schools financially stable and poised to weather the economic storms we will face in the months and years ahead.

If you need financial aid, don't panic. Be proactive. If you are going through the applications process for admissions in fall 2010, don't delay. File the Financial Aid Forms as soon as you can. If you are one of those fortunate families who needs no financial aid, you might want to investigate schools which normally might have been a reach. If you don't need financial aid and everything else is what the school is looking for, you just might - no guarantees - get the acceptance you are looking for. Always hedge your bets when applying to private schools and colleges. Include a safe school or two on your list.

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This week's spotlight takes us to Peddie School in southern New Jersey. Perhaps Peddie School doesn't have the name recognition of Exeter or Andover, but it's got all kinds of good things going for it. Its finances are exceptionally strong. The buildings and facilities are state of the art. The academics, sports and extracurricular activities are extensive. The location between Philadelphia and New York in the Princeton area of New Jersey is wonderfully convenient. But there's a catch! Peddie is a selective school. Make sure you have what the school is looking for.

Read Peddie School's profile. If you went to Peddie School, tell us about your experiences and what you thought of the school. Please post your response here.

You can follow me on Twitter at PRIVATESCHL.