James is an effective, reliable tutor with 4 years of experience. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, CA and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan.
James has successfully tutored numerous students and has helped raise grades and test scores. His average score increase on the SAT is 250-300 points and most of his students receive a 10 or higher or the essay portion. On the ACT, he has had students improve as much as 10 points in a section and recently had a student who scored a 34. He has also done college application counseling and helped students earn admittance to top schools like NYU, Colombia, USC, UCLA, Auburn, as well as many others.
He also specializes in subject tutoring, particularly for students who struggle in math and writing. He has had several long-term students who can attest to his reliability, good humor, and enthusiasm. He can make seemingly insurmountable tasks easy and fun.
James believes in a student-centered approach to tutoring. Each student has a unique learning style, pace, and anxiety level that must be carefully dealt with. He strongly believes that each student is a thoughtful, intelligent, responsible individual who deserves to be treated as such.
James works to create an open, friendly environment and finds common ground in order to connect with students. Most students are pleasantly surprised that his methods avoid memorizing long lists of information, instead using simple tricks and easy ways to remember complicated subjects. He finds everyday examples for academic topics and helps students connect what they are working on in school to their everyday lives.
In lessons, James focuses on first learning about the student: their activities, academic history, strengths, and perceived weaknesses. He begins in areas where students feel they need improvement and asks students to outline their personal and academic goals. Often, students simply need confidence and the encouragement of a mentor to begin reaching their aspirations. James works to be a positive force to show students that they can succeed.
On standardized tests, James particularly excels. He will show students how to break down the ACT and SAT piece by piece with time-tested methods that work. Students will learn the 15 grammar errors and how to identify them, the 12 types of math questions, how to manage time, and exactly what to write on that tricky essay.