While summer is a time of relaxation and a departure from the grind of the school year, some parents and high school students are looking ahead to applying to colleges and one of the key components of the college application process is taking the [easyazon_link identifier=”1119508061″ locale=”US” tag=”evanstutoring-20″]ACT[/easyazon_link] and/or [easyazon_link identifier=”1457309289″ locale=”US” tag=”evanstutoring-20″]SAT[/easyazon_link]. Either test sounds daunting so most look for a tutor to help. (Of course, this situation can also apply to any school year difficulty.) However, how do you know you’re finding the best tutor?
Some flock to a tutoring company who send you a tutor while others look for an unaffiliated private tutor. Which is the better way to go? As someone who started by working for tutoring companies and then tutoring independently, here are the pros and cons (not just for parents, but also aspiring tutors):
TUTORING COMPANY
~~PROS~~
The greatest advantage of a tutoring company is that they have already vetted the tutor you are assigned. You could have been assigned anyone from a big pool of tutors, and they thought this tutor would bring chemistry due to their academic strengths or overall personality.
Companies also have a plan in place and a track record. Some companies produce their own study manuals and core curriculum, which shows organization.
Another thing a company can bring is variety. Say you do not like the tutor you are assigned, you always have recourse with the company and can get a replacement tutor, maybe even get a free lesson. They also have a support staff to handle any other issues.
~~CONS~~
A tutoring company can have its own philosophy and may dictate how lessons are supposed to go. If that does not fit how your child learns then you can hit a dead end.
One of the biggest cons about tutoring companies can be the price and non-corresponding quality of the tutor. You may be thinking, “I paid $80/hour for this lesson. My tutor is going to be great!” Well, your tutor may only be making $25 of that as the difference goes towards staff and other maintenance costs. So now you have to ask, “Do I want a $25 tutor or an $80 tutor?” “Do I want to pay $200 an hour for a tutor that may only be worth $40?”
Earlier in my career I was working at a company where only a fraction of the money the family was paying was going towards the tutor. Perhaps I did not value my ability, perhaps I wanted to get more experience first, but it always felt like, even though I knew I was doing a great job, the family was overpaying.
WHAT ABOUT A PRIVATE TUTOR?
PROS
The great thing about finding a private tutor is that you will get what you pay. For example, I do a lot of tutoring on Wyzant. In the beginning when I had little experience I started at $40/hour. (Keep in mind that Wyzant is similar to a company that does have a support staff and takes 20-40% of the tutor’s wage.) But when you look up tutors on that website you see the great ones are the more expensive ones.
Another pro of a private tutor is that you deal directly with them. You don’t have to schedule or voice concerns through office staff. You can go right to the source. And the tutor can adjust on the spot.
CONS
Usually tutors come with a track record. You should be able to be able to track down testimonials or past references. However, when you go off blind faith sometimes the tutoring can fall flat and you are back at square one. There is no corporate framework behind the tutor, but sometimes the tutor can develop their own materials. You have to trust that the private tutor will get results.
(Subtext – Evan will get you results!)