There’s no academic panic like the night before an exam, when you can’t quite grasp the words in front of you no matter how many times you’ve read them.
You’ve played back the professor’s lecture dozens of times already. The teaching assistant is likely fast asleep and won’t be answering your frantic messages. And your friends don’t know much more than you do. You need help. But where to turn?
An online tutor could be just the ticket to save your grade—and sanity.
Some services have help available 24/7 for such moments. And all of them can be great resources before things get to a panic point. Whether you want to get ahead academically, just have a few questions you need answered from a subject expert, or are preparing for a big test, online tutoring could be the right answer for you.
Another smart reason to use an online tutor is cost. Online tutoring tends to be relatively inexpensive (often starting at $30 or so for an hour) compared with in-person private tutoring, which can often cost a hundred dollars or more per hour. Some services are even free for qualifying students.
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When selecting one that’s right for you, write up a list of goals to go over with the service or tutor, set a budget, and look at not just the cost of the service but also the flexibility of plans and payment (services can charge by the minute, hour, month, or year). And see whether you can interview tutors ahead of time or switch if needed.
We’ve put together some of the top online tutoring services that can see you through semesters and boost your test scores. The services on this list are all highly reviewed online by both the students who use them and the tutors who work at them. They cover a range of levels (from kindergarten through professional advancement), subjects, and needs.
Aralia(Opens in a new window) provides tutoring and more for students in grades 1 through 12. One-on-one tutoring is available for school subjects and even some mentoring for specialized projects. There are courses for small groups of three to seven students in academic subjects such as algebra and Spanish, as well as test prep for AP tests, the ACTs, and SATs.
Aralia is unique in offering courses that can make students stand out when it comes to college applications, including putting together art and writing portfolios, preparation for competitions, and skills such as public speaking. Aralia maintains a list of competitions for high school students(Opens in a new window) and provides mentoring for all of them. Pricing varies, but a consultation call is free.
Club Z Tutoring(Opens in a new window) starts with a quiz, but it’s one you’ll easily pass. You’ll be asked for the subject you’re looking for help with, the grade level, and the days and times you’d like tutoring. It sends you a list of available tutors whose profiles, schedules, reviews, and rates you can check before you choose one. You can even chat with them through the site.
Club Z Tutoring starts at pre-K and goes through college. You can get tutoring help by subject or with things such as study skills and writing improvement. There’s test prep for college and graduate admissions exams and even expert advice from college admission advisors. Club Z also has a school support program for homeschooled students, as well as specialized tutoring for those with ADHD and learning disabilities(Opens in a new window). Pricing varies.
Learn to Be(Opens in a new window) is the service to turn to when you need tutoring for kids in grades K-12 but don’t have the funds for it. Fill out an application(Opens in a new window) that asks about what a student needs help with and financial need, and this nonprofit might be able to match you to a tutor. If you can pay something, it’s welcome, but if not, tutoring is free.
Learn to Be primarily works with students who are foster children, are homeless, or come from low-income families. It has a breakdown of its services and student population on its site(Opens in a new window). Most of the tutors are volunteer high school and college students who have committed to 60- to 90-minute lessons at least once per week. Tutoring is conducted on a site called BigBlueButton(Opens in a new window) that has video and text chat, a whiteboard, and screen-sharing capabilities.
Parallel(Opens in a new window) is designed to help students with learning differences, such as dyslexia or ADHD, and develop their skills in reading, writing, and math. Its tutors use a multisensory approach that combines auditory learning, visual learning, and kinesthetic (body movement) learning. Parallel offers a free goal-setting session and then subscription pricing.
Revolution Prep(Opens in a new window) is distinguished by the fact that all of its tutors are full-time employees of the company. It offers one-on-one or class (up to three students) tutoring for math, science, English, foreign languages, history and social science, and computer science for kindergarten through college-age students. One-on-one tutoring starts at $1,398 for 12 hours, and classes start at $199 for five hours.
Revolution Prep also offers private tutoring and classes for AP and college admission exams, which are priced according to the package you choose. For those last-minute questions, there’s live homework help available for grades 6 through 12, seven days a week, for $99 a month.
Skooli has tutoring for elementary through college-age students. Tutors must have either a bachelor’s degree or higher in the field they’re teaching, a teaching license, or specialized certification in their field. There’s a pay-as-you-go option, at 82 cents per minute, or 73 cents per minute for eight hours, 70 cents per minute for 16 hours, or 65 cents per minute for 32 hours. Tutoring sessions can be replayed if you need a refresher.
One uncommon thing that Skooli does is let you select a tutor. You can view profiles, choose someone who seems like the best match for your needs, and book with them. If you need help ASAP, you can see which tutors are online and get tutoring instantly.
Smarthinking(Opens in a new window) provides tutoring for those in middle school, high school, college, graduate school, and professional schools. On average, its tutors have 12 years of experience working with students, and over 90% of them have advanced degrees.
Help is available in more than 150 subjects. There’s even career assistance available for those who are applying for jobs and could use a review of application essays, employment profiles, resumes, and cover letters, as well as interview practice. The service offers various pricing plans, with a popular one being four hours of on-demand tutoring for $150.
TutaPoint(Opens in a new window) offers tutoring in 50 subjects for elementary through high school students, at $50 per hour. The site also has test prep, including for students with learning differences. TutaPoint tutors are certified teachers, retired teachers, teaching assistants, professors at colleges and universities, and experts in their fields. Tutoring is available 24/7.
If you need help immediately, try TutorMe, which matches students in high school through college and beyond with available tutors ASAP. Aside from an extensive list of subjects, there’s test prep for college entrance exams as well as graduate school ones.
TutorMe isn’t exclusively for traditional students; it has a wide and varied list of tutoring for professionals, whether they’re in IT or fashion. Tutors have tutoring or teaching experience and must be experts in their field; each tutor’s qualifications appear in their profile. TutorMe offers a free trial. You can pay as you go for $1 a minute or sign up for two hours per month ($69), four hours per month ($119), or eight hours per month ($209).
Varsity Tutors(Opens in a new window) online tutoring is available for preschool to professional levels. It covers a range of subjects as well as admission exams for all levels of school and certification and licensing exams for many professions. There’s even tutoring for art, chess, and music. Pricing varies.
Wizeprep(Opens in a new window) is geared toward high school and college students who need help in STEM classes. It has on-demand video lessons for $180 annually or $29.95 per month. Students can ask 10 questions per month. There’s also test prep for the MCATs and LSATs.
Wyzant(Opens in a new window) is a smart choice for students of any age, from kindergarteners to grad students. The wide range of subjects covered on Wyzant also makes it a good resource for job applicants looking to learn a skill or aspiring musicians thinking about picking up an instrument.
Tutor qualifications vary by subject, and each tutor has to pass a proficiency test. Tutors set their own hourly rates, and Wyzant charges(Opens in a new window) a service fee.
Going Beyond the Classroom
Sometimes you want to wander off the academic path to learn something. Lots of online learning services can help you pick up a new skill, take a class from a master, or pursue a hobby. There’s no pressure when it comes to time or grades, so your curiosity is your only guide.
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