Award-winning journalist and book author teaches writing, reading comprehension, history, political science, all social sciences, Russian language.

James worked with me on my college essays, and he was very helpful! He truly understands how to make you stand out to colleges. He's very knowledgeable and very talented. James is takes his time to get to know you, your story, and your interests in order to best represent you in your essays. He definitely was instrumental in me getting into UVA amongst other competitive universities. I highly recommend using James's help in the college application process, or any other writing focused area! I learned a lot from him that I will continue to use as I go into college.

James worked with my daughter to prepare her college applications and essays. From the short answer questions to the narrative essays, James provided invaluable insight & strategies for how to command an admissions officer's attention at every prompt & input. With James' help over a half dozen sessions, my daughter gained admission to her first choice university. James' experience and guidance was instrumental to my daughter's successful college application experience. I would highly recommend James for anyone in need of a college applications consultant

James has been working with our son (now 8) for almost two years. He has helped our son improve his reading and writing skills enormously, while helping to boost his confidence in himself and his abilities. My son has also made progress in math with James' help. Even though a tutor session is work - my son looks forward to his sessions with James and has a lot of fun learning! I give James a 5 star rating because he is an outstanding tutor.

James worked with me to conceive and edit my college-application essays. He understands what colleges want. His tutoring definitely helped me get into Virginia Tech -- ahead of friends with better GPA's and SAT scores. I learned so much working with him, and I am now applying it in my college courses.

James was a fantastic sounding board for our high-school junior daughter. He helped her brainstorm ideas, develop a theme for her essays, and pushed her to do her very best in a manner that is warm and encouraging. He was a perfect fit for our daughter, and I can't recommend him enough."

James tutored my 14-year-old son for six months last year. He showed great dedication in difficult circumstances during the pandemic, getting tested for COVID every month and driving an hour each way twice a week. Working patiently and creatively with my son, James helped him become a confident writer, more successful in math, and raise his grades considerably. I could not recommend James more highly."

"James has been working with our son for almost a year, starting when he was 6 and continuing since he turned 7. James has helped him make great progress in reading and early writing. Our son has a strong personality and sometimes resists direction, but he really flourishes with James' combination of gentle firmness and making learning fun. We can't imagine a better tutor."