We offer tutoring, strategy, and essay review services in a deliberately limited practice. The aim is to help candidates navigate a consequential process the right way.
Most people go through the graduate/professional admissions process just once. But the outcome will shape the options available to you for years. Our mission is to help applicants make the most of that process.
“Russell got me into medical school. His admissions strategy helped me present my narrative in a very clear way, and he was so careful and attentive with reviewing my essays that it felt like a trusted family member with insider knowledge of the applications process was doing it.”
“Russell was an immense help during every stage of my application cycle. From reviewing my activities list and resume to conducting mock interviews, Russell prepared me to succeed. I'm prone to worrying, and Russell was also a great therapist for overthinkers like me. At the end of my cycle, I received admission to my dream schools: Penn and Columbia. Thank you Russell!”
“I was worried about telling a compelling story that wove together several distinct extracurriculars, but Russell worked with me to craft powerful stories and gave me incredibly helpful line-by-line edits on my essays.”
“In studying for the GRE, Russell’s approach to the verbal section was like a step-by-step recipe. On test day, I felt very prepared and grateful to have worked with him.”
Tutoring is focused primarily on the GRE for MBA, JD, PhD, and MS/MA admissions. We start with a diagnostic, and then meet for two hours each week to improve quickly.
Strategy work focuses on school selection, positioning, application timing, and overall planning for the admissions cycle. We ideally start 3-6 months prior to the deadline.
Essay work includes line-by-line edits and feedback on narrative.
The GRE remains a central exam for MBA, MS/MA, and PhD admissions. Scores are reportable for five years, and the exam can also be taken remotely at home.
| Program | Typical GRE | Total Comp on Exit |
|---|---|---|
| Top 20 MBA | 320 | $160K |
| Harvard, Stanford, Wharton | 330 | $210K |
Additionally, the GRE is increasingly relevant for JD admissions. It is widely considered to be easier than the LSAT, and thirteen of the traditional top fourteen law schools now accept GRE scores for JD applications, making the test especially useful for applicants weighing law school alongside other graduate or professional options.
| Law School | Median LSAT | Equivalent LSAT |
|---|---|---|
| Yale | 173 | 172 |
| Stanford | 171 | 169 |
| Harvard | 173 | 172 |
| UChicago | 170 | 169 |
| Columbia | 172 | 171 |
| NYU | 170 | 169 |
| Penn | 170 | 169 |
| UVA | 170 | 169 |
| Berkeley | — | — |
| Duke | 169 | 168 |
| Michigan | — | — |
| Northwestern | 171 | 169 |
| Cornell | 168 | 167 |
| Georgetown | 168 | 167 |
| Law School | Tests Accepted | Median LSAT | Median GRE | Equivalent LSAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | LSAT or GRE | 173 | 332 | 172 |
| Stanford | LSAT or GRE | 171 | 328 | 169 |
| Harvard | LSAT or GRE | 173 | 332 | 172 |
| UChicago | LSAT or GRE | 170 | 328 | 169 |
| Columbia | LSAT or GRE | 172 | 329 | 171 |
| NYU | LSAT or GRE | 170 | 328 | 169 |
| Penn | LSAT or GRE | 170 | 328 | 169 |
| UVA | LSAT or GRE | 170 | 328 | 169 |
| Berkeley | LSAT or GRE | — | — | — |
| Duke | LSAT or GRE | 169 | 325 | 168 |
| Michigan | LSAT | — | — | — |
| Northwestern | LSAT or GRE | 171 | 327 | 169 |
| Cornell | LSAT or GRE | 168 | 324 | 167 |
| Georgetown | LSAT or GRE | 168 | 324 | 167 |
Russell has worked with students of all backgrounds, from middle schools to universities to senior homes. His specialties are preparing students for high-stakes exams and pulling together thoughtful narratives from different parts of students' lives.
Within testing, Russell has a particular interest in improving student performance on the GRE. He diagnoses weak section (quantitative, verbal, writing) performance and teaches directly to the test, having scored a 339 (170Q, 169V, 6AWA). Russell has also spent one and a half years writing mock MCAT exams for a test prep company.
He received a BS, magna cum laude, in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale, obtaining the Edward O. Lanphier Prize for ranking first in the Electrical Engineering Department, and is currently serving out a two-year deferral from Harvard Law School.
Russell is a member of the American Statistical Association Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights, and previously, the Yale Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility, where he made proxy voting recommendations for endowment stocks.
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