Revolution Prep Review Summary

Revolution Prep is a US online tutoring and test prep company for students from Kindergarten to College level. Classes are 1v1 or groups up to 8. They hire graduates on $25-$40 an hour, with performance-based bonuses and benefits. Full-time hours are expected but not guaranteed, with prime times limiting flexibility.

Revolution Prep Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Promise of more hours than many part-time tutoring companies provide
• Employee benefits (e.g. health insurance, life insurance, and 401K) and quarterly bonuses for delivering 28+ hours a week
• Lots of tutoring resources available
• Technical equipment provided (i.e. webcam, headset, lighting, and annotation tablet)

Cons:

• Full-time hours are not guaranteed and fluctuate according to seasons and sales
• Benefits and bonuses are hours/performance-related
• Pressure to sell more tutoring to students
• Schedule may not suit those wanting more flexibility

What Is Revolution Prep and Is It Legit?

Revolution Prep is a legitimate online tutoring company that is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and has helped over 1 million families since its founding in 2002. While the company’s name was slightly besmirched by the Revolution Prep lawsuit, settled in 2019 after the company agreed to stop using Test Innovators copyrighted materials, it continues to be trusted by hundreds of school and organizational partners. Revolution Prep’s legitimacy is further reinforced by having raised $19 million in funding, winning the 2017 Comparably Award for Best Company Culture, and attracting a Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5.

In this video, Revolution Prep’s co-founder, Jake Neuberg, discusses what sets Revolution Prep apart from other tutoring companies:

How Does Revolution Prep Work?

Revolution Prep tutors American and international students on Zoom, from kindergarten to college, in over 30 academic subjects as well as test prep.

What sets Revolution Prep apart is their employment of tutors on a more full-time basis, supporting them with 150 hours of annual training and development. The Professional Tutor workload consists of:

1. Tutor students in a variety of academic and test prep subjects (80%)
2. Communicate with families regarding student progress including making recommendations for student success (10%)
3. Participate in ongoing professional development and subject expansion (5%)
4. Prepare for sessions using Revolution Prep provided materials (5%)

There are 3 types of Revolution Prep online tutoring that are delivered:

• Private Tutoring = Scheduled around the student, conducted one-on-one, and tailored to their specific academic or test prep needs and goals.
• Tutoring = Schedued by the student(s) on the tutor’s calendar, with up to 3 students sharing the same session.
• Group Test Prep = Set schedule, with up to 8 students in a session.

While the company provides its own resources, Revolution Prep tutoring sessions draw upon students’ current schoolwork, projects and worksheets to provide homework help. At younger kindergarten and elementary levels, there is a greater focus on the fundamentals of reading comprehension, writing and math.

‘Growth Mindset‘ is the philosophy that underpins Revolution Prep’s tutoring and is a pedagoligical concept grown out of years of Stanford University research. It is a holistic approach that combines methods of lowering stress, getting into the ‘test zone’, and building a positive mindset to help students believe in their ability to improve, allowing them to set bolder, ambitious goals and achieve the ‘4 pillars of student success’:

1. Better grades
2. Higher scores
3. Love for subject and learning
4. Lower stress and anxiety

This video provides some insight into what being a Revolution Prep tutor entails:

Revolution Prep Salary Information

The Revolution Prep tutor salary ranges between US$25-$40, depending on subject and location. Tutors with a delivery target of 28 hours per week also receive benefits, including health insurance, life insurance, 401K, as well as quarterly bonuses.

Revolution Prep Hours and Schedule

Revolution Prep tutors schedule their weekly availability (delivery target) of between 16-40 hours, including at least 8 weekend prime-time hours during the school year. This should be consistent over several months. Prime hours are timetabled as follows:

• School-Year Prime Times (mid-August through mid-June)
  • Monday-Thursday: 12-8pm (PST)
  • Friday: 12-4pm (PST)
  • Saturday: 5am-4pm (PST)
  • Sunday: 5am-7pm (PST)
• Summer Prime Times (mid-June through mid-August)
  • Monday-Thursday: 6am-8pm (PDT)
  • Friday: 5am-4pm (PDT)
  • Saturday and Sunday: 5am-7pm (PDT)
  • Sunday: 5am-7pm (PDT)

Those with a weekly delivery target of 28+ hours qualify for benefits. It is important to note, however, that hours are not guaranteed, they fluctuate according to seasons and sales, and are dependent on a tutor’s proactivity with families, availability, individual subject coverage, and quality of instruction.

Most tutors will work somewhere between 20-35 hours a week.

Revolution Prep Requirements

To be considered for Revolution Prep tutor jobs, you must meet these minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree (advanced degree welcome)
• Expertise in your subject, with the ability to comfortably teach it and provide academic support to students
• High-speed internet with ability to connect via ethernet cable, as well as a clean, quiet, professional setting for online sessions
• Ability to teach consecutive online tutoring sessions while sitting or standing for extended periods of time, five to six days per week
• Ability to work during peak tutoring hours
• Ability to work at least one weekend day (at least 8 hours on Saturdays or Sundays within prime-time hours)
• Ability to commit to employment and schedule requirements for at least one calendar year from start date
• Currently residing and authorized to work in the United States
• An engaging personality that is comfortable meeting and collaborating with families, students, and colleagues, including making recommendations to families regarding the ongoing needs of the student
• Ability to connect and empathize with students
• Excitement, enthusiasm, energy and passion for the subject matter
• A commitment to customer service
• A desire for ongoing professional growth
• A “growth mindset” (unafraid of challenges, adaptable to change, with a willingness to learn)

Some positions ask for relevant teaching experience, while for others this is only desired.

Precise hours may be stated for the particular job, while any hybrid roles require an ability to commute occassionally.

Revolution Prep Technical Requirements

Revolution prep tutors must have access to:

• A Mac/PC desktop or laptop
• Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6) / Windows 8.1 or later
• High-speed internet with strong and reliable reception/service, provided through an ethernet connection
• 4GB or more of available memory/RAM

The company provides a webcam, headset, lighting, and annotation tablet to help with the quality of your online instruction.

Revolution Prep Hiring Process

To become a tutor, visit the Revolution Prep careers page, where current openings are listed at the bottom.

Click on the role you are interested in, and you will be taken to the job description which features three options: ‘Apply to Position’, ‘Use My Indeed Resume’, or ‘Apply Using LinkedIn‘.

Complete the Revolution Prep tutor application form by submitting the following information:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Cover letter
• Are you comfortable teaching ALL sections of the SAT and ACT? (This includes the English portions (reading, writing), and math including Algebra II)
• What is the highest degree you have completed?
• Are you willing to undergo a background check?
• Are you authorized to work in the United States?
• Do you live in the United States?
• Please select any related High School STEM subjects you would feel comfortable tutoring tomorrow. If there are none, please select “None of the Above”.
• Please select any related High School AP subjects you would feel comfortable tutoring tomorrow. If there are none, please select “None of the Above”.
• Do you have experience teaching or supporting students with learning differences?
• What are your pronouns?

The company aims to respond to applicants within 24 hours.

Revolution Prep Interview Process

The initial tutor interview for Revolution Prep is relatively straightforward, conducted online and lasts around 30 minutes. Should you pass this, some candidates are required to take a skills/competency test for the subject(s) they wish to teach, while there is also training that needs to be completed.

Revolution Prep interview questions that have previously been asked include:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What was your SAT score?
• What in your most recent job experience prepares you for this position?
• Why do you want to teach for Revolution Prep?
• What is your past teaching experience?
• Do you know how to teach something, not just what to teach?
• How would you accommodate your schedule without minimal supervision?
• Describe a time when you had to follow company protocol that did not make sense?
• What is the biggest problem you’ve faced in the classroom and how did you handle it?
• What is your biggest weakness as an educator?
• Can you think of at least five ways to use a pencil that don’t involve writing?
• If you had 1,000 popsicle sticks, what would you do with them?
• If you had one day with unlimited funds, no obligations, and a teleporter at your disposal, what would you do?
• Teach us something in three minutes.

Revolution Prep Reviews – Is Revolution Prep Good to Work For?

The Revolution Prep Glassdoor page currently gives the company an average rating of 3 out of 5, with 46% willing to recommend them. Below is a summary of these Revolution Prep job reviews, which praise the pay, remote work, professional development, and work environment, though there are complaints about company profit margins, the work/life balance, management, hours, and cancellations:

The most-recent reviews that have been left (at the time of writing) are largely negative, further criticizing micromanagement, weekly meetings, leveraging student relationships to sell more tutoring packages, and fewer hours than full-time:

The Revolution Prep Indeed page presently provides a similar score of 3.1 out of 5. Recent Revolution Prep tutoring reviews here are a little more balanced, talking positively about the pay, coworkers, and content/resources, but with issues against unpaid work duties, late hours, parental pressure, lack of breaks, bonus targets and sales culture:

Conclusion – Is Revolution Prep Worth It for Tutors?

The level of competition that currently exists amongst online teaching jobs means any opportunity promising an almost full-time number of hours, bonuses and benefits is worth considering. The work on offer at Revolution Prep is significant, even when hours are slightly less out of season. However, a lot seems dependent on the pressure put on tutors to sell more services to their students, giving a sales dimension to the role that many educators will be uncomfortable with.

You can sign up for Revolution Prep jobs online. Other test prep companies you might consider are PrepScholar and PrepNow/StudyPoint.

A full list of other online teaching companies can be found here.