As online education expands exponentially, online tutoring platforms like Varsity Tutors cater to students needing tutoring services that are flexible, accessible, and for various subjects. But how do you verify the legitimacy of such virtual tutoring providers amidst an increasingly crowded ed-tech marketplace? This in-depth review examines if Varsity Tutors’ online platform warrants confidence in upholding educational goals.
How Does Varsity Tutors Work?
Chuck Cohn, who used to have trouble in school, started Varsity Tutors so that students could get great test prep help as well as fill in any learning gaps with their own best efforts. The company has an online platform that matches students with qualified teachers who have been checked out.
Today, their online platform has more than 40,000 teachers who can help with more than 3,000 different subjects, including SAT prep, ACT prep, AP biology, general test prep, hobbies, improving the basics for math class, and more.
First, users look at most tutor profiles that list experience, credentials, reviews, and prices. Then they select the package after reviewing Varsity Tutors rates. After that, an educational director will contact the user to assist in setting up their account and matching them with a specific tutor. Tutoring sessions are conducted online, and users receive email reminders as part of their online tutoring service.
Once the choices are made, the Varsity Tutors online platform connects students with a great tutor through safe video tutoring sessions using built-in online tools that allow complex screen sharing, whiteboard drawings, and file collaboration, which encourages active participation in tutoring sessions via virtual lessons and live online classes.
Furthermore, Varsity Tutors provides ongoing support and assistance as part of their online tutoring service, which can be accessed via chat, email, or phone. In addition to one-on-one tutoring, Varsity Tutors also offers small group classes. These small group classes are conducted live online, like virtual school, complete with lesson plans and practice problems for many subjects, regardless of grade level. Like one-on-one tutoring, these classes are adaptive and focused on collaborative learning.
Evaluating The Quality of Varsity Tutors’ Educational Services
When looking at any tutoring platform or private tutoring service, you should look at the entire tutoring experience for both the student and tutor. Note how well the tutors know their subject and how well their teaching methods work. Note if they are a good tutor and a good match for your student.
Varsity tutor background checks are very thorough. Instructor skills and subject knowledge must be confirmed first, and applicants must pass a manual review and diagnostic tests to show they have mastered the material. Programs for staff development, platform improvements, and ongoing performance monitoring all help to increase reliability.
Also, feedback suggests that Varsity Tutors’ tutor quality is good and that students are making progress. Some reviews do talk about random personality clashes in the first session that are easy to fix by switching teachers, but most share that they have had a positive experience. Overall, though, Varsity Tutors is a reliable resource for meeting academic advancement goals because it has credible proof of student success and certified teachers available in thousands of subject areas.
How Varsity Tutors Compares to Other Tutoring Services
Is Varsity Tutors affordable, whether you pay by the hour or for a block of lessons at a discount? Let’s find out the Varsity Tutor rates.
- Varsity Tutors’ tutoring sessions range from $40 to $100 per hour, depending on the expertise needed and the package bought. Costs vary depending on what you need, but for most people, Varsity Tutors offers the same price or less than actual centers.
- At the moment, the hourly rate for a local private teacher usually falls between $100 and $250 per hour across metro areas, though there are significant variations. This is the case for one-on-one tutoring, group classes, and even large group classes. As a result, Varsity Tutors unlocks value that isn’t limited by location, making it possible for your dollar to stretch further.
Concerns about money can also be eased with discounts, financial aid, introductory deals at lower prices, and a tutoring package that can be changed to fit your needs. But for some people, the kinds of problems that present a barrier to entry are not monetary: busy schedules, finding a good tutor, wanting online sessions and adaptive assessments, needing personalized attention, or having a short attention span can also present roadblocks for students, especially those who may have needed tutoring but do not have the tutoring help they need.
Varsity Tutors vs Other Online Tutoring Platforms
While new virtual companies keep popping up, Varsity Tutors’ history of making digital learning exchanges better sets them apart as a valuable resource for students who have been struggling with online shift barriers that were holding them back in the past. Some things that set them apart are:
- Tutor Network Scale: Varsity Tutors has a much larger pool of instructors than its competitors, which means that it can match students with less popular study topics with instructors who are experts in those areas.
- Session Customizations: There are a lot of ways to find a good match on the Varsity Tutors platform. Most tutors are introduced by the educational director assigned to your account, and matching students considers many things, such as tutoring hours, teaching style, expertise in various subjects, past ratings, if they are a new tutor or not, and languages spoken.
- Efficient Cost: Operational efficiencies without the costs of a physical location, a larger market reach, and lower prices help make family budgets more flexible.
By designing the platform around user needs, which the founder learned from his own frustrations, Varsity Tutors makes it easier for people with extra education needs to get help online.
Varsity Tutors Verdict: An Emerging Favorite
The pandemic sped up the use of virtual schools, which met society’s needs while families dealt with insecurity. But comments about how digital learning centers keep bad things going instead of coming up with new, positive ways to fix them also came up. Establishments that copy real locations online while not being creative and making the most of video classrooms seem to be criticized.
Varsity Tutors stands out in a good way here, going beyond the basic functionality of a video visit template by adding purposeful social complexity and supporting behavioral research insights. Intuitive tools that improve lesson interactions, privacy rules that are similar to sectors that already have trust, and honest pricing models that open up more options reduce the need for forced analogies that get in the way of progress.
Tutors can be found anywhere in the world, so distance doesn’t matter. As the website and app are improved, needs are tailored to each age group and learning style, making sessions even more personalized.
Varsity Tutors’ Frequently Asked Questions
How do Varsity Tutors make sure their tutors really know their subjects?
Varsity Tutors carefully check all the tutors’ backgrounds with rigorous assessments. They look at the tutor’s school degrees, give them tests to see how well they know the subject, and also check their professional background.
Does Varsity Tutors help students who have learning disabilities or need special help?
Yes, they do. Varsity Tutors has experts who work with students with special needs. They create special learning tools, adaptive assessments, and ways of teaching that are just right for each student to help them learn better across the school year, in any classes where a tutoring session is needed.
Who uses Varsity Tutors? What ages are they?
People of all ages use Varsity Tutors. This includes young kids in elementary school, teenagers in middle and high school, college students, adults who want to learn new things, and even older adults who want to keep learning.
Can students record their tutoring sessions so they can watch them again later?
Yes, students can record their sessions. These recordings are safe and private. They help students remember and understand important ideas from their lessons, almost like instant tutoring sessions or on-demand webinars.
Drawing on her experience as a middle and high school teacher, Margaret Lipman strives to provide valuable insights for students when writing about scholarships and college application strategies in her articles for Scholarship Institute.
