Upgrade is a 1:1 tutoring service that specializes in international admissions. Upgrade has tutors from top universities around the world who work with students from all over the world on a variety of subjects, including SAT, AP, IB, and more.
Upgrade's tutors are either students at top universities in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere who have studied abroad, or professional tutors from those schools. To ensure smooth communication between tutors and students and efficient lessons, tutors are selected through a rigorous process of academic verification, in-depth interviews, and tutoring skills tests.
We conducted anonymous interviews with tutors to get their honest opinions on what it's like to teach on Upgrade.
Tutor A: I think there are a lot of people who have doubts about the quality of the tutoring since it's 1:1 tutoring, but you get one free OT lesson to get a glimpse of the overall atmosphere before you pay! Since the lessons are recorded, I, as a tutor, am always concerned about the quality of the lessons. I used to teach a lot of SAT classes, and I would do a type of diagnosis based on the Vocab TEST results, taking into account the student's level, and give them Khan Academy's preferred points. I've seen students improve their scores by 70 points on the very next test if they kept doing that. I also give them feedback after the lesson, which helps them quickly identify their weaknesses.
Tutor B: Upgrade matches students, and of course, they take into account my school specifications and major subjects, but they also take into account the personality of the student they're matching with, which is great for the student, but it's a human-to-human experience, so I've enjoyed the time I've spent with students who are a good match for me. It's not just the matching, but the curriculum and the system are well organized, so I was able to focus on the class. I gave feedback every lesson, explaining how to solve the wrong answers and the points to keep in mind, and I could tell that the student was enjoying the lesson, which helped him improve his grades!
Tutor C: I've also had several classes with junior students, such as book clubs, so I think there's something more fulfilling about watching their growth, not just their grades. I want them to grow up healthy and happy.
Tutor B: Speaking of matching, even if you're hired as a tutor, you often don't get matched with students, so you're just a member of the organization. But with the upgrade, you can freely make inquiries via messenger, and it's easy to contact students for matching.
Tutor A: I used to tutor on other platforms, but I don't know if it's because there are more tutors than students, or if students are attracted to certain tutors, but it was very difficult to match. In comparison, Upgrade matches quickly, and it's nice to be able to use my schedule in a meaningful way.
Tutor C: I was satisfied with the matching rate, but I think the biggest advantage was that they matched me with the best possible student. I think they even took into account the personality of the student and the tutor to make sure that the two would be a good match. I haven't felt that any of the students I've taught have bad attitudes or are difficult to teach.
Tutor C: When I used to tutor privately, it was too personal, so there was no system in terms of scheduling and compensation, but with Upgrade, I was able to communicate well with the management team.
Tutor A: I like the fact that I get reminders 1 hour before the lesson and 10 minutes before the lesson! If I have a lot of lessons, I might miss them, but they take good care of me.
Tutor B: Upgrade actively helps me maintain the quality of my lessons! They take care of all the payments and other instructions, so I can just focus on preparing for my lessons.
Tutor C: The biggest reason I recommend upgrading is that I don't have to go out and look for students, so I can focus on my own studies and still do my best in class. I definitely recommend upgrading if you're thinking about tutoring!
Tutor B: To be honest, I felt that the process of hiring a tutor was a little tricky, but I think that parents and students had more trust in the tutor and enjoyed the lessons. I would definitely recommend Upgrade because it allows you to work in a comfortable environment.
Tutor A: If you're thinking about becoming a tutor, Upgrade is a great option.
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