Online Tutor - Online Writing Tutor Varsity Tutors Employee Review

3.0
12 Jul 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very flexible for scheduling. My students have been wonderful overall. If you are able to work with them long enough, you can see real improvement in whatever discipline you are teaching. Provides a real sense of accomplishment as a teacher. Some of the "Managers" I've worked with have been extremely helpful and professional. Since you never know who you'll be speaking to when you call the call center, take note of the helpful individuals and ask for them when you need non-technical help. The freedom to individualize your teaching and/or curriculum is great if you know what you're doing.

Cons

VT is one of many companies trying to corner the online tutoring market. Unfortunately, none of them pay tutors very well and seem to be overly investing in everything but the customer-facing (literally) contractors. After doing my digital interview, I had a phone interview for which the VT rep never contacted me. The pay is marginal, and there is no room for improvement. For those of you who have 5+ years of experience, it can feel like a slap in the face. They also fail to mention that they charge some clients (I teach advanced students/graduate tests) 5-6x the rate that tutors receive. As a result, clients often already have a chip on their shoulder for having shelled out 1K+ for the service. Communication (on phone and in writing) is inconsistent at best. You are best off dealing with any issues directly with the students and/or their parents. The platform is marginal for the amount of funding the company recently secured; I finally stopped using practice questions with my students and used more reliable sources. FYI, a manager informed me that the system for assigning students is basically first come, first served, rather than on merit. This parallels the instant tutoring concept, which goes against everything I believe in about learning and education. The best thing for the tutoring industry would be if a bunch of tutors got together and formed a collective offering real compensation for the expertise that brings in the big bucks.

Explore other reviews about Varsity Tutors

5.0
6 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You choose your schedule and are able to preselect topics you are able to tutor.

Cons

You must advertise yourself in order to start receiving tutoring opportunities.

4.0
31 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You choose how many and what clients you want as long as schedules are agreed upon. Some safety nets like payment in the case of no-show.

Cons

You never know if the student will cooperate or listen. Could be dealing with inattentive students just because parents wanted to check the box "child has received tutoring".

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