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James L.

Top 1% Test Prep Tutor

Top 1% Test Prep Tutor

$100/hour

5.0 (1,109 ratings)

  • 7,162 hours tutoring

About James

Bio

Hello!

I am an extremely knowledgeable and effective tutor. In my several years at a major test prep company, I had one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the country. In less than a year, they promoted me to training the company's teachers in Upstate South Carolina. I trained instructors on the SAT, ACT, GRE (the graduate school entrance exam), LSAT (law school), GMAT (business school), and MCAT (medical school).

In other words, I am expert in an incredibly broad range of...

Hello!

I am an extremely knowledgeable and effective tutor. In my several years at a major test prep company, I had one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the country. In less than a year, they promoted me to training the company's teachers in Upstate South Carolina. I trained instructors on the SAT, ACT, GRE (the graduate school entrance exam), LSAT (law school), GMAT (business school), and MCAT (medical school).

In other words, I am expert in an incredibly broad range of subjects and have a proven track-record of producing first-class students. But more than that, I know how to teach. Most tutors know their subjects well, but what makes a really great tutor is a teacher who knows his students. I study my students carefully—learning how they learn, paying attention to what might discourage them, applauding them for succeeding in difficult challenges—so that I will be able to meet them in their weaknesses and not crush them with the difficulties that they must inevitably face on test day.

Another trait that makes me an excellent tutor is my versatility: I have broad interests in everything from biology and chemistry to linguistics and philosophy, I am equally at home in the humanities and the hard sciences. I excel at teaching “science kids” to write well and “humanities kids” to dream in numbers. I thoroughly enjoy "challenge" students and have had great success in working with clients with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and ASD. Whatever the learning difficulties, nothing brings me greater joy in my work than seeing a student who despised a subject build confidence in it and go on to study the field at an advanced level.

If you would like to see how I can help, simply send a message and I will be in touch as soon as possible. I am taking students on a first-come, first serve basis—and my schedule is rapidly filling.

I look forward to meeting with you!

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Education

Furman University
Philosophy, classics
Heythrop College, University of London
Other
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Masters

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $100
  • Rate details: Group rates 2: $65 per person/hr 3-5: $55 per person/hr 6+: Negotiable
  • Lesson cancellation: 5 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 7/15/2015

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Subjects

Business

GMAT, GRE

Corporate Training

Greek,

Greek

I am an expert in ancient Greek. As an undergrad in classics, I was invited to be a Junior Fellow with Harvard's classics think-tank, the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. There, I worked on the Homer Multi-text Project and worked alongside post-docs on the most important early Iliad MSS. More recently, I worked under Steve Runge editing the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament. However, I have always been upset about how traditional teaching methods have added to the difficulty of learning Greek. Greek is a demanding language, but it does not have to be nearly as difficult as it has become. The way we teach Greek is fundamentally flawed and radically inefficient. Consequently, I have developed a number of custom resources (and draw on the strengths of several Greek curricula, including a modified immersion approach) to make Greek simple again. If Greek was easy enough for Greek toddlers, it shouldn’t take a Ph.D. to learn it as a second language! In case you are curious, I began serious study of Greek at Furman University where I won the Greek prize and was president of the Beta Beta Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honor society. Since then, I have studied advanced Greek with world-class Koine scholars like Peter Gentry, Rob Plummer, and Steve Runge (who supervised my internship in Greek linguistics). My present interests in linguistics center on understanding information structure and on applying functional discourse grammar to Greek.
Latin,

Latin

I love Latin, and I love teaching—which is why I hate to see students struggle to learn a language that should be straightforward and fun. It took me 6 years of schooling in Latin, both at a classical Christian school and my B.A. in classics (i.e. Latin, Greek, and Greco-Roman civilization), to realize finally that way we teach Latin is fundamentally flawed and radically inefficient. Consequently, I have developed a number of custom resources (and draw on the strengths of several Latin programs, including a modified immersion approach) to make Latin simple again. If Latin was easy enough for Roman toddlers, it shouldn’t take a PhD to learn it as a second language! My own Latin background includes work in classical, patristic, and medieval authors. While still an undergrad, I was invited to serve as a teaching fellow for intermediate Latin. I was also privileged to serve as a Junior Fellow with Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies, working on its Homer Multitext Project.
ESL/ESOL, GMAT, Grammar, Proofreading

Elementary Education

Homeschool,

Homeschool

I love working with homeschool families. In fact, for the last several years, I have averaged roughly 1000 hours a year teaching homeschoolers core subjects in both STEM and the humanities. I would love to be a part of your program in whatever capacity you need! I have a special heart for at home education as I was homeschooled myself from kindergarten through 8th grade. It became difficult for our family to stay on top of the demands of schooling through high school (due to family circumstances), and I was placed in a private classical Christian school. My older brother, however, was homeschooled all the way through to graduation.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

Since 2002, I have regularly taught study skills to a wide variety of ages and abilities--from elementary school to graduate studies, from struggling students to the scholarship winners. In my study skills tutoring, I will work with students on self-discipline, organization, memory techniques, and effective ways of processing new information. Depending on the age of the client, I might teach ways to remember to turn in an assignment, how to memorize all of those pesky dates for social studies, or how to get your work done quickly. For graduate students, my studies skills sessions incorporate insights gained from cutting-edge neuroscience that leverage a student's abilities to deal with memorizing literally hundreds of vocabulary items each week or help with fighting the evils of procrastination in working on your doctoral dissertation.
Elementary Math, Elementary Science, Grammar, Reading, Vocabulary

English

ACT English, ACT Reading, English, ESL/ESOL, Grammar, Literature, Proofreading, Reading, SAT Reading, SAT Writing, TOEFL, Vocabulary, Writing

History

Classics,

Classics

I served as the president of the Beta Beta Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honor society. I was invited to be a Junior Fellow with Harvard's classics think-tank, the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. There, I worked on the Homer Multi-text Project and worked alongside post-docs on the most important early Iliad MSS.
European History, Geography, Philosophy, Social Studies, World History

Homeschool

Study Skills,

Study Skills

Since 2002, I have regularly taught study skills to a wide variety of ages and abilities--from elementary school to graduate studies, from struggling students to the scholarship winners. In my study skills tutoring, I will work with students on self-discipline, organization, memory techniques, and effective ways of processing new information. Depending on the age of the client, I might teach ways to remember to turn in an assignment, how to memorize all of those pesky dates for social studies, or how to get your work done quickly. For graduate students, my studies skills sessions incorporate insights gained from cutting-edge neuroscience that leverage a student's abilities to deal with memorizing literally hundreds of vocabulary items each week or help with fighting the evils of procrastination in working on your doctoral dissertation.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Biology, Calculus, English, ESL/ESOL, Geometry, Prealgebra, Precalculus, Reading, SAT Math, SAT Reading, Writing

Language

Greek,

Greek

I am an expert in ancient Greek. As an undergrad in classics, I was invited to be a Junior Fellow with Harvard's classics think-tank, the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. There, I worked on the Homer Multi-text Project and worked alongside post-docs on the most important early Iliad MSS. More recently, I worked under Steve Runge editing the Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament. However, I have always been upset about how traditional teaching methods have added to the difficulty of learning Greek. Greek is a demanding language, but it does not have to be nearly as difficult as it has become. The way we teach Greek is fundamentally flawed and radically inefficient. Consequently, I have developed a number of custom resources (and draw on the strengths of several Greek curricula, including a modified immersion approach) to make Greek simple again. If Greek was easy enough for Greek toddlers, it shouldn’t take a Ph.D. to learn it as a second language! In case you are curious, I began serious study of Greek at Furman University where I won the Greek prize and was president of the Beta Beta Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honor society. Since then, I have studied advanced Greek with world-class Koine scholars like Peter Gentry, Rob Plummer, and Steve Runge (who supervised my internship in Greek linguistics). My present interests in linguistics center on understanding information structure and on applying functional discourse grammar to Greek.
Latin,

Latin

I love Latin, and I love teaching—which is why I hate to see students struggle to learn a language that should be straightforward and fun. It took me 6 years of schooling in Latin, both at a classical Christian school and my B.A. in classics (i.e. Latin, Greek, and Greco-Roman civilization), to realize finally that way we teach Latin is fundamentally flawed and radically inefficient. Consequently, I have developed a number of custom resources (and draw on the strengths of several Latin programs, including a modified immersion approach) to make Latin simple again. If Latin was easy enough for Roman toddlers, it shouldn’t take a PhD to learn it as a second language! My own Latin background includes work in classical, patristic, and medieval authors. While still an undergrad, I was invited to serve as a teaching fellow for intermediate Latin. I was also privileged to serve as a Junior Fellow with Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies, working on its Homer Multitext Project.
ESL/ESOL, TOEFL

Math

ACT Math, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Calculus, Geometry, Prealgebra, Precalculus, Probability, SAT Math

Most Popular

Study Skills,

Study Skills

Since 2002, I have regularly taught study skills to a wide variety of ages and abilities--from elementary school to graduate studies, from struggling students to the scholarship winners. In my study skills tutoring, I will work with students on self-discipline, organization, memory techniques, and effective ways of processing new information. Depending on the age of the client, I might teach ways to remember to turn in an assignment, how to memorize all of those pesky dates for social studies, or how to get your work done quickly. For graduate students, my studies skills sessions incorporate insights gained from cutting-edge neuroscience that leverage a student's abilities to deal with memorizing literally hundreds of vocabulary items each week or help with fighting the evils of procrastination in working on your doctoral dissertation.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Biology, Calculus, English, ESL/ESOL, Geometry, Prealgebra, Precalculus, Reading, Writing

Music

Music Theory

Other

Study Skills,

Study Skills

Since 2002, I have regularly taught study skills to a wide variety of ages and abilities--from elementary school to graduate studies, from struggling students to the scholarship winners. In my study skills tutoring, I will work with students on self-discipline, organization, memory techniques, and effective ways of processing new information. Depending on the age of the client, I might teach ways to remember to turn in an assignment, how to memorize all of those pesky dates for social studies, or how to get your work done quickly. For graduate students, my studies skills sessions incorporate insights gained from cutting-edge neuroscience that leverage a student's abilities to deal with memorizing literally hundreds of vocabulary items each week or help with fighting the evils of procrastination in working on your doctoral dissertation.
ESL/ESOL, Geography, Philosophy

Science

ACT Science, Biology, Philosophy, Physical Science, Psychology

Special Needs

Study Skills

Study Skills

Since 2002, I have regularly taught study skills to a wide variety of ages and abilities--from elementary school to graduate studies, from struggling students to the scholarship winners. In my study skills tutoring, I will work with students on self-discipline, organization, memory techniques, and effective ways of processing new information. Depending on the age of the client, I might teach ways to remember to turn in an assignment, how to memorize all of those pesky dates for social studies, or how to get your work done quickly. For graduate students, my studies skills sessions incorporate insights gained from cutting-edge neuroscience that leverage a student's abilities to deal with memorizing literally hundreds of vocabulary items each week or help with fighting the evils of procrastination in working on your doctoral dissertation.

Summer

Study Skills,

Study Skills

Since 2002, I have regularly taught study skills to a wide variety of ages and abilities--from elementary school to graduate studies, from struggling students to the scholarship winners. In my study skills tutoring, I will work with students on self-discipline, organization, memory techniques, and effective ways of processing new information. Depending on the age of the client, I might teach ways to remember to turn in an assignment, how to memorize all of those pesky dates for social studies, or how to get your work done quickly. For graduate students, my studies skills sessions incorporate insights gained from cutting-edge neuroscience that leverage a student's abilities to deal with memorizing literally hundreds of vocabulary items each week or help with fighting the evils of procrastination in working on your doctoral dissertation.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Biology, Calculus, ESL/ESOL, GED, Geometry, Reading, SAT Math, Writing

Test Preparation

TEAS,

TEAS

For some years, I was the Teacher Trainer for Kaplan in Upstate SC and lower NC. The TEAS is the nursing school entrance exam. It's format is typical 170 questions in 209 mins and 4 sections (reading, math, science, english) from a typical high school prep curricula. My Kaplan center did not run TEAS prep, the local demand was too small. However, I have a 99th percentile score on a number of much more difficult exams (MCAT, LSAT, GRE, GMAT) and I have experience in the nursing field--training teachers for the NCLEX (the nursing licensure exam).
ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, ACT Science, GED, GMAT, GRE, PSAT, SAT Math, SAT Reading, SAT Writing, SSAT, TOEFL

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (1,109 ratings)
5 star
(1,109)
4 star
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3 star
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2 star
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1 star
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Reviews

Show reviews that mention

All reviews tailored highly recommend took the time assess insight

Featured review

Game Changer!

I had no idea how much I could actually learn in a one-hour tutoring session! James was able to quickly assess the way I process information and tailor his teaching to my unique learning style. What I learned in that single session has already made a major impact on my performance. I am so happy with my tutoring experience. I can't wait to see how my writing grows with more coaching! So, take it from someone who is stubborn and hates being told how to improve: You will NOT regret hiring James. I learned more about writing in one hour with him than I did in two years of graduate school.

Lauren, 5 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

I love hearing about students who change their mind about tutoring! Keep up the good work.

A true educator you can't put a price on

As someone English is not my first language, I wish my words are enough to express the equivalent gratitude I have for our teacher. If you happen to be reading this review, all I have to say is that, sign up to have a lesson with James to feel for yourself.

Connie, 78 lessons with James

Excellent tutor

James has been extremely helpful in preparing my son for SAT's. My son has been very happy with his progress and the one-to-one tutoring via the online teaching method.

Rachael, 10 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

Thanks so much, Rachael. I'm so glad to hear that Noah is pleased with his lessons--it means a lot to me actually.

SAT Test Prep

James has been working with my daughter all summer. He has been attentive to identifying and focusing on her testing weaknesses. James has also taken the time to discuss her progress over the phone with me. He has been on target from the beginning. He assigns her homework and they review the homework including going over new problems from multiple SAT books and strategies. He has worked with her on both the Reading and Math sections. She hasn’t taken an official SAT since she started with him, so I can not comment on her true score improvement other than her score on practice SAT’s has certainly gone up! James has been a pleasure for my daughter to work with and very kind and always on time and easy to communicate and schedule with. I would recommend James to anyone looking for a SAT coach or tutor. I give him 5 stars!!! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Kim, 24 lessons with James

Motivating tutor

James has been extremely helpful in my verbal preparation of the GMAT exam. After only a few lessons I am already approaching every question is a more tactical way.

Omar, 8 lessons with James

Best tutor ever!

1) awesome in figuring out the weaknesses and strengths of the student , 2) easy to communicate , 3) excellent knowledge that he can pass on to the student, 4) We have been working with James since February ( ACT prep. Memory skills, study skills)

Agata, 41 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

Thank you so much for the kind comment, Agata! It means a lot to me. I strive to be a better to do each week, and I genuinely care about whether I am measuring up to my clients’ hopes. I am really glad that I have the chance to invest in your boys’ futures!

Knowledgable, patient and creative tutor.

James is very wise and his knowledge is vast when it comes to the subject matter he is teaching on (Greek is what he is tutoring me in). Gives practical analysis to better help the student grasp the concept of the lesson and questions that are posed throughout the session. I highly recommend James to anyone seeking tutoring in the array of areas that he is fluent in.

Jason, 7 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

Thanks for your words of high praise, Jason. I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to our next session!

Outstanding tutor with masterclass knowledge on all subjects who is engaging, caring and fun

James teaches my two high school aged children their core subjects in online sessions. He truly is a master when it comes to engaging students of all ages in a fun and caring manner. James is able to assess an individuals learning style and align his teaching style to maximize deep understanding and retention of information. If you want to learn and develop solid skills in an engaging and enjoyable manner then James is the tutor you need. He truly is the greatest teacher/tutor! We recommend him highly!

Lolo, 816 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

I am glad you think so, Lolo! I love working with your kids.

Easy to Work with, Very Smart, patient and understands High Schoolers

My daughter has had a few lessons with James and I find he is very knowledgeable and she works well with him. She would rather be out playing sports then doing homework and he has come up with ways to make it not so bad to study. We expect to continue to work with James and she gets ready to need help with her SAT's and preparing for college.

Robin, 7 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

Thanks so much for the kind comments, Robin! I'm looking forward to seeing how your daughter's work starts to pay off for her!

Clear, concise and well planned

James has been a very strong motivating factor for my son. His feedback has been well received and on point supporting a planned strategy moving forward. Thank you for guiding his continued progress!

Ken, 6 lessons with James
Tutor responded:

My pleasure, Ken. I'm really glad to hear about the impact that our SAT work is having. Thanks for the encouragement!

Contact James

Response time: 6 hours

$100/hour

James L.'s Photo

James L.

$100/hour

  • No subscriptions or upfront payments

  • Only pay for the time you need

  • Find the right fit, or your first hour is free

Contact James

Response time: 6 hours