Don't Forget to Look For This When Choosing a Tutor

As summer programs come to an end and we prepare for the upcoming school year, many families buckle down in their search for a tutor to facilitate the test prep process.

Certain qualifications are somewhat obvious. How long has the tutor been working with students on college admissions tests? What is the tutor's track record? How have previous students performed? Does the tutor have a plan?

But what is, perhaps, the most important quality in a tutor has little to do with past experience with other students. It has to do with something that can only be discovered right here and right now. To put it simply: 

Do you (the student, and/or the parent) LIKE the tutor?

It may sound simple (actually, it is simple), but it is easy to overlook this question when hearing promises about point increases and the fear-based messaging that some companies use in order to "close the sale," (for example: "Oh, you waited until NOW to get started! Wow, we'd better get moving ASAP so you can make up for lost time"). 

When you're putting yourself out there into a new area, all you want is the solution, so qualifications that can't be read on a resume are easy to overlook.

Let's consider why "likability" or "chemistry" or "rapport" are so critical for top results. Students spend a good amount of time with their tutors. You may not be able to hand-pick your teachers in high school, but you are in full control of with whom you choose to work for private tutoring.  Furthermore, let's be honest, the tests are tedious enough when taken at face value. There's something to be said for working with someone whose company you enjoy, with whom you have fun between problem sets, whose explanations you find engaging, and whose attitude you find encouraging.

Additionally, you should feel like the best version of yourself around your tutor because the test prep process can make you feel like the not-best version of yourself. When going through the process, it's not uncommon to feel small, weak, frustrated, stupid, disillusioned, and discouraged. By working with a tutor whom you like and trust, you can openly confide in him or her when the process is starting to feel overwhelming. (And trust them when they offer guidance about how to most productively move forward... and reassure you that it will all be okay.)

When we like the people with whom we collaborate, we both look forward to our meetings with them and have them in mind when we sit down to do the prep work on our own. The associations with the test aren't limited to feelings of stress, anxiety, frustration, and apathy. Positivity begins to sneak into the process, too.

Needless to say, positivity is a good thing.

Now, I can practically hear the naysayers: "But SAT/ACT prep isn't a party, it's an obligation."

I hear you, so let me put a finer point on my basic thesis here. I'm not suggesting that your tutor should spend the majority of a session chatting about a TV show/band/sports team you both dig. But, the goal here isn't to find you (or the tutor) a new best friend, it's to empower you to achieve maximum results. I have a hunch that "likability" taken to the extreme wouldn't feel empowering, it would feel frustrating.

Furthermore, lacking rapport isn't a judgement on the tutor or his or her skills (or general likability, for that matter), it is a discernment of what jibes with you.

I unapologetically have so much fun with the students I coach. We laugh. We learn. We learn some more. It's a blast. And, truth be told, there's something in it for me, too. After all, my student's session only lasts a couple of hours. I'm working on test prep every day of the week. Why would I want that time to be a total drag?
 
The gist is that having the basic checklist of qualifications doesn't mean a tutor—whether the tutor is an independent freelancer or representing a tutoring company—is a good fit for you. Make sure all those qualifications are there so that you have a basic confidence in the tutor's abilities, but also monitor how you are feeling during your first few sessions.

Synergy helps everything work more effectively. {Tweet It}

...And it isn't found in a resume.


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