Finding a test prep tutor can feel overwhelming, with thousands of options available, ranging from $20 per hour for high school peers to $1,100 an hour for white shoe agencies. At Ivy Tutor, we offer quality and effectiveness on par with the priciest companies but at a more realistic price point. Each new hire at Ivy Tutor involves evaluating a pool of over 100 qualified applicants and conducting up to 20 hours of interviews. In this post, we will guide you through the tutor hiring process to help you understand what makes for an Ivy Tutor.
How We’re Hiring Exceptional Tutors
Step 1: We Create a Compelling Job Listing
Before we post a job listing, we conduct a thorough survey of the current tutor market, specifically investigating the going rates. Our listings start by matching the higher rates currently offered. Our aim is to attract and retain the best talent by recognizing their worth. We understand that a lower rate might attract some of the same winning applicants, but it’s crucial to us that we pay our tutors what they deserve. Besides compensation, we also communicate our passion, vision, and mission in the listing, appealing to applicants who are looking to be part of something greater than themselves.
Step 2: We Review Over 100 Qualified Applicants
Given the appeal of our job listing, we receive over 100 qualified applications. Applicants are considered qualified if they can certify that they scored at least 1450 on the SAT or an equivalent score on a comparable test. From those whose resumes qualify, we seek evidence of academic excellence, teaching experience, or any other attributes that might indicate they are uniquely suited for the role. However, we remain open-minded, recognizing that some of the best tutors may not look perfect on paper.
Step 3: We Speak on the Phone with Nearly Two Dozen Candidates
After narrowing down our pool, we conduct phone interviews with about 20 promising candidates. These calls focus on assessing two key qualities: strength of communication and depth of thought. We invite candidates to share insights from their tutoring experiences or to respond to complex questions. This step often reveals significant differences between candidates who appear similar on paper and ensures that only the most thoughtful applicants move forward.
Step 4: We Further Scrutinize the Phone Interview Standouts
From the phone screenings, we select 3 to 5 standout applicants for virtual interviews. This stage allows for a deeper exploration of each candidate’s potential compatibility with Ivy Tutor. We delve into their thought processes, insights, and let them ask questions about our Ivy Tutor. Candidates are also asked to teach us something, so they may showcase their ability to explain concepts clearly and intuitively. A tentative candidate is selected from this field.
Step 5: We Vet Our Selection
The top candidate is then invited to an in-person meeting over lunch, which serves as both a final assessment and a verification of their professional suitability. This stage confirms our observations from previous interactions and provides candidates a chance to demonstrate their in-person professionalism. If we are confident in a candidate’s abilities and fit, we extend a formal job offer. Otherwise, we request an in-person interview with another finalist.
Step 6: We Impart Our Insights and Time-Tested Wisdom
Once hired, our tutors undergo a training period, though we do not prescribe specific teaching methods. Instead, we share the ethos, philosophies, and insights we’ve accumulated over many years. As we explain, ‘We’re not here to tell you what to do. Rather, we want to share our approach and the reasoning behind it, so you are equally convinced of why this is the best approach.’ In this way, we aim to equip the tutor—who has already revealed themselves to be gifted—with the wisdom needed to achieve the level of effectiveness expected of an Ivy Tutor, marrying their natural communicative gifts with our proven tutoring approach.
What This All Means for YOU
As you can tell, we take hiring seriously. Sometimes, parents compare our prices to those of competitors, many of whom pay their tutors near the minimum wage. They might think, “How hard can it be to teach a few tips and tricks?” It’s an understandable question—how could inquiring parents know how much we invest into producing our results? But the proof is in the pudding. Our commitment to securing top talent and employing thoughtfully developed methods has led to an average improvement of 200 points on the SAT (or ACT equivalent). That’s no small feat, and it wouldn’t be possible if we cut corners on the caliber of our tutors.
