YALE Honors Grad, journalist, tutors English Comp, Am Lit, ESL, French

Tutor specializes in English language & composition, including re-writing and editing college essays. He also tutors English as a Second Language (ESL) and French.

A Yale honors graduate (Magna Cum Laude, top 5% of class) with a major in Communications, he studied Creative Writing at Cornell University's prestigious Telluride Program.

He has written cover stories and feature articles for such national and West Coast-based publications as Adweek, Billboard, Box Office, Movieline, The Hollywood Reporter, The LA Herald Examiner, The LA Weekly, People Magazine, and Software Developer & Producer.

A popular instructor known for his ability to intellectually engage his students, he also has: taught English, French, ESL (English as Second Language) and American Literature at the high school and college level, most recently at UCLA; served as an International Editor on successful graduate-level MFA Dissertations; written and edited successful Book Proposals; and privately tutored English, French, and ESL, among other subjects.

Donald McLeod's Subjects

Art:	film
English:	ACT English, ACT Reading, English, ESL/ESOL, grammar, literature, proofreading, public speaking, reading, SAT reading, SAT writing, TOEFL, vocabulary, writing
Test Preparation:	ACT English, ACT Reading, LSAT, SAT reading, SAT writing, TOEFL
Language:	ESL/ESOL, French, Italian, TOEFL
History:	American history, classics, geography, government & politics, social studies, world history
Elementary Education:	elementary (k-6th), grammar, reading, spelling, study skills, vocabulary
Business:	marketing, public speaking
Sports/Recreation:	chess, football, swimming
Corporate Training:	ESL/ESOL, French, grammar, Italian, proofreading, public speaking
Homeschool:	elementary (k-6th), English, ESL/ESOL, French, reading, SAT reading, study skills, writing

American History

A well known political science professor of mine at Yale (James David Barber) said that a thesis I wrote about trends in midterm Congressional elections was one of the finest he had ever read.
In my post-academic life, I have worked closely and effectively as a communications (PR) consultant on several political campaigns, including the late LA Mayor Tom Bradley's successful re-election campaign.
I thus bring both academic and professional expertise to my current work teaching and tutoring... Read More

French

Having studied French at two top American universities widely respected for their French programs (UCLA, home of the "immersion" theory, and Yale, where I graduated with honors), I arrived in Paris at age 19 largely unable to speak the language.

With a little effort, I could make myself understood. But I didn't understand most of what the French themselves were saying back to me.

That's when I realized the crucial importance of slang (including student and business slang)... Read More

Reading

All writers were readers first, and I am no exception.

The son of two noted actors (Don Keefer & Catherine McLeod), I was surrounded by books and great literature as a child - the prefaces of Shaw, the stories of Twain and O'Henry, the essays of Montaigne.

That kind of intellectually enriched home environment gave me a distinct advantage when it came time to apply to colleges (I was accepted both at Harvard and at Yale, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude, meaning "with high... Read More

Writing

As a Communications major at Yale, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude (top 5% of my class), I studied creative writing with former Life Magazine Editor William Zinsser.

Prof. Zinnser's book series "On Writing Well" has become the go-to contemporary reference source on the subject, much the way EB White's "Elements of Style" was for an earlier generation of writers and students.

Before matriculating at Yale, I also studied Creative Writing in the prestigious Telluride Program... Read More

English

An honors graduate with a degree in Communications from Yale University, I have taught English, American literature and English as a Second Language (ESL) at both the high school and college level, most recently at UCLA.

A veteran journalist and communications executive, I also bring proven professional competence in composition (writing and editing) to my work as an English tutor.

My cover stories and feature articles have appeared in Adweek, Billboard, Box Office, The... Read More

ESL/ESOL

An honors graduate of Yale University, where I studied Communications and Romance Languages, I bring an appreciation of the sometimes humbling process of learning a new language to my work as a tutor of English as a Second Language (ESL).

Through the years, I have taught ESL at both the high school and college level, including a recent advanced class for visiting Italian and German students at UCLA.

A well-traveled journalist and former Hollywood communications executive,... Read More

Literature

Modern American, French, Italian and British literature constituted the core curriculum in Communications at Yale University, where I graduated with honors (magna cum laude) in the top 5% of my class.

My academic credentials also include the prestigious Telluride program in literature & creative writing at Cornell, as well as a year studying modern French literature at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Since completing my studies, I have often worked as a journalist,... Read More

World History

I first studied World History in an advanced AP (honors) class taught by a woman who was a political refugee from Czechoslovakia in the wake of the Communist clampdown after the "Prague Spring," so I have never doubted the subject's importance or relevance.

Later, I took the entire Ancient History sequence (ancient Greece & Rome) and a high-level course on Soviet History at YALE University, before ultimately deciding to concentrate in Communications.

I also studied modern... Read More

Italian

After studying Italian at YALE, I soon put my language skills to good use as a stage manager for Jake (Raging Bull) LaMotta and the "LIRA" (Little Italy Restoration Association) organization in New York.

Later, in Los Angeles, I spoke Italian extensively at industry events like the Cannes Film Festival) as an executive at MGM Films, which had been taken over by an Italian conglomerate in the early 1990s. Italian also came importantly into play when I worked in publicity for Warner Bros,... Read More

Proofreading

As a journalist, I've written well-regarded cover stories and features for a dozen national publications covering media, communications and entertainment -- among them, Adweek, Billboard, Box Office, The Hollywood Reporter, Movieline, People, and Software Developer.
As a communications executive in Hollywood and Silicon Valley, I have written hundreds of press releases and dozens of press kits for such major studios and production companies as Warner Bros, Castle Rock, MGM, and France's Pathe... Read More

ACT Reading

A veteran journalist who has written for a dozen national magazines, I also am an honors graduate of Yale University (3.84 GPA, "Magna Cum Laude") and a National Merit Scholar who participated in the prestigious Telluride Creative Writing program at Cornell University.

My professional competence as a writer and editor is supplemented by years of teaching experience, including a great deal of recent work prepping high school seniors for various standardized exams (SAT, ACT, etc.). Read More

Film

Having served as the head of PR and Corporate Communications for the most profitable division (home entertainment) of the world's most successful movie studio (Warner Bros) for five years, I have extensive experience in film marketing.

Among the films I launched into the home market for Warner Bros were GoodFellas, Free Willy, JFK and Bladerunner: The Director's Cut.

My work in movie marketing includes stints in the publicity departments of Pathe and MGM Films, where I worked... Read More

Read all subject qualifications »

Education

Undergrad, Yale College, Yale University Graduate, Coursework, Cornell University

Hourly Fee

Standard Hourly Fee: $30.00

With Prepaid Discount: $25.50 - $28.50

Save up to 15%

Cancellation: 6 hours notice required

Group rates also available.

You don't pay until after your tutoring and there are no hidden fees or charges. The price you see here is the price you pay.

Your first hour with any tutor is always 100% refundable. You must be completely satisfied or we will gladly issue you an instant refund.

Travel Policy

Donald McLeod will travel within 30 miles of Studio City, CA 91604.

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