Portland

Josh

M.F.A. University of California, Irvine
18 years experience

About

Since earning his M.F.A. from the University of California, Irvine, Josh has been tutoring and teaching in the arts and in the field of college admissions exam preparation.

A strong advocate of the Socratic style of teaching, Josh believes that the best testing and learning experience comes from guiding students to discover the practical techniques that work for them, coupled with a thorough understanding of the content of the exam. He is also an expert in testing mindset, coaching his students on proven strategies for combating test anxiety. These highly individualized techniques help students perform exceptionally well by providing them with habits that they can rely on under pressure to avoid careless mistakes and direct actions they can take to engage material that may seem overwhelming or tedious, such as advanced or wordy math problems. Josh’s own scores are a testament to these strategies. As a high school student, he achieved a 750 in both the Math and Verbal portions of the SAT, and has since then scored in the 98th percentile on the GMAT and the 96th percentile on the LSAT. One of Josh’s recent students improved 10 points in the Science section and 9 points in the Reading and English sections of the ACT over the course of just 12 hours of tutoring. He has helped SAT students improve over 300 points total over both sections of the exam.

Having taught students of all ages and tests for nearly every college or graduate school admissions exam, Josh recognizes that all students have specific needs, and he meticulously structures their programs and his teaching style to build on their strengths. After a program with Josh, students find that they have the flexibility and confidence to adapt to challenges not only on the admissions exams but even in their schoolwork.

Noteworthy Accomplishments

  • Josh graduated Magna Cum Laude in his undergraduate and received a full scholarship to his Masters program.
  • Josh has four degrees in the Arts: Music Theory & Composition, Acting, Lighting Design, and Directing.

Fun Facts

  • Josh is always excited to talk about Olympic-style weightlifting and high intensity interval workouts.
  • He loves anything Star Wars-related.

Areas of Expertise

  • ACT
  • English Literature
  • GMAT
  • GRE
  • IELTS
  • ISEE/SSAT
  • Math
  • SAT/PSAT
  • TOEFL
  • US History