Tutor.com Review Summary

Tutor.com is an online provider of live and asychronous 1v1 tutoring, homework help and test prep. They hire US-based graduates/students who receive $10-$23, varying across 250+ subjects. Waiting time is paid, and extra sessions can be picked up, but you must pass proficiency exams and commit to 5+ hours a week.

Tutor.com Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Waiting time is paid for during scheduled hours
• Over 250 subjects to tutor
• All ages of student
• Live or asynchronous tuition
• Little prep required
• Can pick up extra, unscheduled sessions

Cons:

• Pay rates are not advertised and vary by experience level, subject and state
• Only 1.2% of applicants are successful
• You have to pass proficiency exams for each subject you wish to tutor
• Must teach 5 hours a week to remain active
• Mentors can be critical

Is Tutor.com Legit?

Tutor.com is a well-established and legitimate online tutoring company that has been around since 1998, and is part of The Princeton Review. They work with thousands of colleges, schools and libraries, as well as official organizations such as the US Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, to tutor almost 2 million sessions a year. Their legitimacy is further underlined by winning multiple awards, including Best Student Experience in the 2022 Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) CODiE Awards.

Below is a video overview of the company:

Tutor.com Online Tutoring Job Description

Tutor.com has over 3,000 tutors providing one-on-one tutoring, homework help, and test prep to children, college students, and adult learners. This may be delivered through live video or asynchronous/written feedback. Tutors are expected to:

• Guide students in understanding the topics they bring to each Tutor.com tutoring session
• Encourage students to engage actively with their topics to build deeper understanding
• Help build student confidence in their ability to learn and to understand challenging concepts
• Use state-of-the-art online tools such as an interactive whiteboard, voice and chat communication, and application sharing
• Classify each session according to the scope and sequence of the topics discussed

While recorded from the student’s perspective, this video demonstrates some of the functionality offered in the Tutor.com classroom:

What Subjects Does Tutor.com Offer?

There are over 250 Tutor.com subjects, for K-12 schooling, Higher Education, the military, libraries, continuing education and employees. You can check the list of concepts you will need to be comfortable tutoring in each subject.

How Much Does Tutor.com Pay Per Hour?

Tutor.com hourly pay is determined by the tutor’s experience level (e.g. new, intermediate, advanced, master) and the subject being taught. Unfortunately, the company does not openly advertise this information, however, Tutor.com pay rates reported by the tutors themselves range between US$10-$23, with professional and tech subjects typically paying more than K-12 or ESL, for example.

Waiting time is paid for (when there are no sessions to deliver during the scheduled time), with the rate dictated by the minimum wage of the tutor’s state.

How Does Tutor.com Pay?

The Tutor.com pay schedule is between the 6th and 10th of each month via direct bank deposit.

Tutor.com Hours and Schedule

Tutor.com tutors are expected to schedule at least 5 hours a week to maintain their active status (excluding the summer months of June-August). Your Tutor.com schedule can be changed weekly, though the peak times offering most student demand are 3pm-1am, Sunday-Thursday (Eastern Time).

It is also possible to log in unscheduled to find on-demand sessions as a ‘floating tutor’, though you will only be paid for the classes you pick up (unlike scheduled waiting time).

A Tutor.com session may last as long as the student requires, from 5 minutes to an hour, though the average length is 20-25 minutes.

Tutor.com Requirements

To become a Tutor.com tutor, you must:

• Currently reside in the USA
• Have a valid Social Security Number
• Be eligible to work in the US (and not require visa sponsorship) – excluding certain districts in Pennsylvania and territories other than Puerto Rico
• Tutor at least five hours per week
• Be an expert in your subject
• Possess strong oral and written communication skills with fluency in the English language
• Have a 4-year degree from, or be currently enrolled as a sophomore or higher at, an accredited University (unless you are a certified coder)

Tutor.com Technical Requirements

To use the Tutor.com classroom, your computer will need to be able to run a Windows environment (Mac users can do so via a multi-boot system such as Boot Camp, or emulated environment, e.g. Parallels). Your device must meet these minimum specifications:

• Windows 11 or Windows 10 operating system
• 4 GB of system memory (RAM) or greater (8 GB recommended)
• Processor (CPU) running at 1.8 GHz or higher (2.4 GHz recommended)
• Terrestrial (land-based) Internet service (e.g. cable, DSL, fiber, etc.) – satellite internet or 3G/4G/public Wi-Fi hotspot connections cannot be accepted
• Internet connection speed of 15 Mbps download, 5 Mbps upload (20 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload recommended)
• Microsoft Office or equivalent software that can view and edit Office files (i.e. .docx, .xlsx, .pptx)
• Display capable of at least 1280 x 720px resolution (1920 x 1080px recommended)
• Headset or speaker/microphone
• Webcam or integrated camera

Tutor.com Application Process

Prospective tutors should be aware that only 1.2% of 100,000+ applicants are successful each year.

The hiring process takes around 1-3 weeks, and you can begin by creating an account through the Tutor.com sign up page with your email address, password, first and last name. You will then complete an application form by providing the following information:

• Address
• Country
• Phone number
• I am 18 years of age or older (Yes)
• Language Fluency (Only select yes if you are fluent in this language and comfortable helping a student who only speaks this language):
  • Spanish
  • Vietnamese
• Have you ever worked for any US. federal government agency (military or civilian), Congress, or state or local government (including but not limited to schools, school districts, public universities, or libraries)? (Yes/No)
• Where did you hear about us?
• Choose from the following: I have authorization to work in the U.S.
• Do you currently teach for The Princeton Review? No
• Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status? (No)
• Is your work authorization dependent upon the status of a visa (for example, but not limited to F1 or H-1B)? (No)
• At this time, Tutor.com is only interested in tutors who would be available to tutor 5 or more hours per week. How many hours per week would you like to tutor? (5+)
• Does your computer – or any computer you own and can use for tutoring – meet the Windows requirement? (Yes)
• Does your computer – or any computer you own and can use for tutoring – meet these hardware requirements? (Yes)
• Do you have regular access to a high-speed connection that meets our requirements? (Yes)
• Does your tutoring computer meet these software requirements? (Yes)
• Do you possess a headset or speaker/microphone setup suitable for use with the Voice feature? (Yes)
• Do you possess a webcam or integrated camera suitable for use with the Video feature? (Yes)
• Select the answer that best describes your education status:
  • I have graduated with a 4-year degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian university OR I am currently enrolled as a Sophomore or higher in a 4-year degree program in an accredited U.S. or Canadian university
  • I have earned a degree from an accredited foreign university and can provide proof of degree (in English) and equivalency in the process
  • I am not enrolled nor have I earned a degree from US/Canada but I am currently certified in one or more of the following computer science languages: Java, C++, Visual Basic, and/or Python and I can provide proof of current certification later on in the process
  • I am not enrolled nor have I earned a degree from US/Canada but I am currently certified in one or more of the following: Certified Professional Coder, Certified Coding Specialist, and/or Certified Coding Associate and I can provide proof of current certification later on in the process
  • I do not meet any of the educational requirements listed above
• Choose the bachelor degree actually earned
• College
• Major
• Have you ever tutored with Tutor.com? (Yes/No)
• Are you a certified teacher? (Yes/No)
• Current or Previous Employer
• Job Title
• Were you working full time or part time with this employer?
• Dates of employment?
• What industry was this job in?
• Have you been a resident outside of the United States or Canada within the past 7 years? (No/Yes)
• Please acknowledge this requirement before continuing with the remainder of the application: I will complete the Tutor Profile as directed later on in the application process.
• Are you able to fluently read, write, speak, and listen in any of the following languages?
• Have you served in the U.S. Military?
• Has your spouse served in the U.S. Military?
• I have read and agree to the Tutor.com Non-Disclosure Agreement.
• I hereby certify that the above information, to the best of my knowledge, is correct. I understand that falsification of this information may prevent me from being accepted as a tutor or lead to my dismissal if my application is accepted.

You will find out immediately whether your application has been accepted, in which case you will be invited to take proficiency exams for whichever subjects you wish to tutor. The amount of time provided and pass rate required for each exam varies between subjects, but most will give you 90-120 minutes to achieve a score of over 80%. Exams may be retaken after 3 days, but you may only fail twice.

Tutor.com Mock Session, Interview and Classroom Introduction

When you pass at least one proficiency exam, you may schedule a 30-50 minute interview, which also includes a classroom introduction (featuring a technical voice test), and a mock teaching scenario commonly based on the following:

Your student, Manuel, has to write a guide on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Unfortunately, though he remembers that his teacher explained this topic in class, he cannot remember that explanation at all, and he enters the session frustrated and lost. How would you approach this scenario?

The company does provide tutors with a checklist of considerations to help them navigate their mock session:

• Do I have a complete picture of the student’s needs?
  • Do I need to ask for the assignment directions before starting the discussion?
  • Does the student know the first or next step?
  • Is the student supposed to use a specific method or approach?
  • What does the student already know…what specifically is he having trouble with?
• Am I keeping the student involved to elicit a better understanding of the concepts?
  • Should I show an example?
  • Am I including the student in the discussion by asking leading questions?
  • Is my technique working for the student? Have I tried other approaches, such as using an example or offering a suggestion for the next step?
• Have I ensured student understanding throughout the process?
  • Am I sure the student understands the thought process behind the approach?
  • Am I giving the student a chance to ask questions or voice confusion?
  • Am I conveying the information clearly in a way that the student understands?

Here are some Tutor.com interview questions that have previously been asked:

• Tell me a little about yourself
• Why are you applying for this position? Why do you want to become a tutor?
• What degree(s) do you have?
• What is your previous work experience? What experience do you have tutoring?
• Talk about a time that you helped someone learn something.
• What is an impactful tutoring experience you have had?
• How would you manage a student who is unresponsive?
• What would you do if a child was having trouble understanding a concept? Describe a time you have tutored someone and how you checked their understanding of the concepts.

Here is an orientation video you will be presented with once you pass your background checks:

Tutor.com Reviews – What Is It Like Working for Tutor.com?

The Tutor.com Glassdoor page gives the company an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5, with 63% willing to recommend them. Here is the summary of these Tutor.com job reviews, with the main positive being schedule flexibility plus ease of use, while the biggest complaint is about the level of pay, followed by lack of benefits, availability of hours, and time limits that inhibit how much help can be given:

The Tutor.com Indeed page provides a slightly lower score of 3.3 out of 5. Recent reviews there provide mixed opinions regarding micromanagement from mentors assigned, who range from being ‘nice‘ and ‘available for assistance and tips‘, to ‘nitpicky‘ ‘bullies‘ who are ‘heavy handed and unfair in analysis of work‘.

Conclusion – Is Tutor.com a Good Job?

Tutor.com is a well-established company that provides a range of options to suit a variety of tutoring styles, covering many subjects, all student ages/levels, and both video and asynchronous sessions. There is quite a lot of flexibility, with the option of picking up unscheduled tutorials. Scheduled waiting time is a notable perk, though the rates themselves vary, and if you are thin-skinned or like a lot of autonomy you may not appreciate being monitored and critiqued by over-zealous mentors.

You can apply for Tutor.com jobs online.

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