New York University Institute of Fine Arts, MA in Art History
New York University, MA in American Civilization
Brown University, BA in European History
SPECIALTIES
Art History
History
Writing (Expository)
High School Admissions
College Admissions
Medical School Admissions
John has been a professional writer, editor, and teacher for almost 40 years, working with everyone from students to corporate executives to help them get their ideas down on paper in a clear and comprehensible way. Upon graduating from Brown University, John worked as a reporter and then as an editor. After that, he spent 20+ years doing corporate writing – speeches, annual reports, ad copy, web content, style guides, ghostwritten columns and books, and business histories. He then began his second career as an educator, and went on to teach History, including such courses as AP Euro, AP Comp Gov, American and World history, and “The Making of Modern China,” a course co-created with Yale University’s John Starr. He has focused in particular on teaching students how to research, write, and revise essays. Along the way, he taught at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, CT., and at Moses Brown School, in Providence, RI. While teaching, he continued to ghostwrite a weekly financial column, and he was also a part-time student, earning a master’s degree in Art History from NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts in 2015.
Since coming to Cambridge Coaching, Sarge has partnered with medical- and business-school applicants to help them think through and craft their application essays and other written materials. He has also worked with high-school students to hone their research and essay writing skills for AP US, AP World, AP Language and Composition, and IB History, among other courses. Beyond the classroom and the office, John (or “Sarge,” as he’s known to his players) has coached tennis, squash, cross country, baseball, hockey, and debate. He currently volunteers with Squashbusters, an urban youth development program in Providence. In addition, in his hometown of New Bedford, MA, he helps high school students who are English-language learners think through and write their college application essays.
When he’s not working or coaching, he’s hoofing – John’s on his way to having walked every street in Manhattan (1,000+ miles) – and traveling – he recently went to his 100th country (well, if you count Transnistria as a county). In a perfect world, he spends his downtime hanging with his two children, Cam and Honor, who live within a block of one another in Manhattan.