Tutorme.com

Major improvements in internet technology have vastly changed the entire tutoring industry. Traditionally, tutors have always worked face-to-face and so had to live in close proximity to one another. The ability for people to engage in audio and visual communication online, however, has brought another alternative to bring tutors and students together. And online tutoring has exploded the industry. 

With such an explosion, we have added tutoring services to the categories of reviews that we conduct. We use many of the same factors and criteria that we use for other academic writing companies – services offered, grade levels served, quality of staff, customer service, prices, customer reviews and testimonials, and any additional benefits. We are particularly interested in evaluating such agencies to ensure that they are legit, safe, reliable and trustworthy, in addition to providing high quality to their customers.

The following review of TutorMe.com is provided after our full research into the company.

Step 1: About TutorMe.com

Tutor Me has been in business for several years now. It provides tutoring services in all academic subject areas, K-12, as well as online coursework and test preparation (e.g., ACT and SAT).

Its business model is standard. When a client (student or parent) requests specific tutoring help from Tutor Me, the company uses its automated system to match a tutor to that need. 

The company itself has a YouTube video to introduce its services and benefits:

Step 2: Quality of Products and Services

Determining the quality of TutorMe products and services is a bit different from making the same determination of an academic writing service. Here is a list of what TutorMe.com offers, and our evaluation of the quality of each.

• Urgent homework needs: TutorMe is open 24/7 specifically, so students can find a tutor when they have an urgent need or deadline. Prices are on a per-assignment basis, at $1 per minute, and students pay upfront before a tutor begins work. Based upon student feedback, there is usually a successful outcome. The only complaint related to students getting answers to tough math or science problems is that explanations have not always been thorough or simple enough to be completely understood.

• Long-term tutoring services: When students struggle with a specific coursework area, they often need more long-term tutoring. While this is most common with such courses as grammar and composition and mathematics, Tutor Me offers such tutoring in virtually any academic subject (about 300). There are tutoring packages on a monthly payment plan. Student and parent reviews were generally positive. Dis-satisfaction was the result of a bad “match” between student and tutor. In such cases, the customer can negotiate with the company for a change in tutors. A refund is determined on an individual basis.

• Courses: These are primarily test prep courses for ACT and GRE. The coursework is through video animation with practice questions and tests to accompany them. The courses are between 8 – 10 hours. Students can also request one-on-one individual tutoring to supplement the course, at additional cost. In general, students have reported positive results from these courses. 

Step 3: Tutors and Support

Source

Tutor Me states that it only uses tutors from top universities, listing Berkeley, MIT, Princeton, and Yale as example institutions. This is a bit of an exaggeration. Visitors to the website can look through a long list of tutors and check out their profiles. They are from a wide range of colleges and universities all over the world. We reviewed the profiles of several tutors and did not find any from the advertised schools. There may be some, of course, but a company’s reputation can be damaged by too much exaggeration.

In terms of customer support, most report that TutorMe support staff is responsive when questions or issues arise. Most issues are resolved on an individual basis. 

Step 4: Prices

Anyone considering the use of Tutor Me must understand that, unlike writing services, they will not find discounts, promo code, or coupon codes for special pricing. And they cannot negotiate with tutors for any pricing break. The company sets the pricing through packages, and those are not flexible. Students or parents sign up for packages, pay upfront on a monthly basis, and then pay an additional fee for any hours that go beyond the contracted price. 

Step 5: Additional Features and Discounts

A major plus for students who use Tutorme.com is that tutoring help for urgent needs is available 24/7. So, if a student has an assignment due the next day and cannot solve a calculus problem, he can find a tutor to walk him through the solution, even in the middle of the night. For this feature alone, the agency gets a boost in rating from us.

As stated before, there are no discounts. In fact, there is an honor code that has several conditions under which both students and tutors must operate. Payments may only be made through the company, and then payment is made to the tutor. Students and tutors are not to engage in their own “agreements,” nor are they to share personal information. Tutors are expressly forbidden to go beyond their express functions, and may not do such things as write essays or take tests for students. Such activity would be considered plagiarism.  

Our Verdict

Tutor Me is certainly not a scam or fraud. The company provides legit products and services to students in exchange for payment. It is registered with the BBB, and there are no complaints on file. We also checked Reddit and did not find any conversations regarding the agency, good or bad. In terms of pros, we can say that TutorMe does use an effective method to match students and tutors, will offer a different tutor if the first is not a “fit,” and is transparent about its tutor profiles and pricing. There are a few cons, though. The educational backgrounds of tutors are somewhat exaggerated, and there are a few complaints from students who use the “pay-as-you-go” homework help feature. In all, we give Tutorme.com a decent rating.