Our Difference

As a boutique tutoring company, MyGuru represents a unique option for students interested in private, 1-1 in home tutoring.  Read below to learn more about how MyGuru compares to other tutoring options, but the quick summary of our difference is this –

MyGuru’s tutor recruiting is our most important differentiator. 

Our tutors are more experienced, accomplished and effective, and our prices make us significantly more affordable than many other comparable companies.

At the same time, we make the process of choosing a tutor and developing a study plan easier because of our high level of customer service; we truly listen to our students and understand their unique situation in ways that other companies don’t or can’t.  How and why is this? 

Because we don’t try to force fit students into a specific teaching methodology or test prep class; everything we do is 1-1 and customized. 

Finally, we have particular set of unique beliefs - the MyGuru perspective -  on how the right mindset and a particular type of focused practice can literally build intelligence and lead to academic and professional success.

As a potential student, consider your options:

‘Find it Yourself’ Tutor Databases

Web-sites like Craig’s List (and others like it designed specifically for matching tutors with students) are fundamentally databases of tutors where anyone, regardless of quality level or experience, can post contact information and make themselves available to tutor.  As a student, you need to review profiles carefully, reach out to several options to see who responds in a timely manner, check references, and coordinate scheduling and payment.

While this is typically the lowest cost way to obtain a private tutor (hourly rates are likely to range from $20 to $60 on sites like these), you must spend a lot of time finding the appropriate tutor, and if you are unhappy, getting your money back will be difficult.  On the positive side, you can usually find a few people in your area and subject, as these sites generally list hundreds of available tutors in almost any subject imaginable.

Learning Centers and Tutoring Agencies

Learning centers (i.e., Huntington Learning Center) and tutoring agencies  (i.e., VarsityTutors) pre-screen, recruit, train, and monitor their tutors on some level.  You pay the learning center or agency, which schedules sessions and often has a physical location.  Learning centers typically have a physical location, while tutoring agencies often do not.  Learning centers and tutoring agencies typically price in the $40-$80 range per hour.  They typically provide both classes and 1-1 help.

MyGuru

As a provider of 1-1, in home private tutoring, MyGuru falls into the “tutoring agency” category, but is somewhat unique for a few key reasons:

  • Highly selective recruiters - we seek exceptional tutors, and are willing to grow slowly, even turning away students until we have the right type of tutor in any given subject. Learn more about our tutors here.
  • Customized – we only offer 1-on-1 help that allows the tutor to maximize attention on the student.  Our tutoring solutions are customized so you get the results you need fast. 
  • Feedback Driven -  we encourage and act on student feedback to improve the tutoring experience
  • Holistic – while we focus on providing 1-1 tutoring, we’ll work with our team of partners to deliver a solution that combines supplementary practice materials and admissions prep
  • Affordable – we’ve been told that other companies sometimes charge 2-3 times our rates for tutors of our quality level.  We’re OK with this – we charge fair prices for high quality, private tutoring.

‘Nationally Branded’ Tutoring and Test Prep Companies

The final category contains the likes of Kaplan, The Princeton Review, or Manhattan GMAT.  With proprietary test preparation tools and processes, well equipped physical locations, and well known and trusted brands, these companies certainly know how to prepare students for standardized tests.

However, they also have significant downsides.  First, in an attempt to expand as quickly as possible, they employ many tutors who, though they may do well on standardized tests, are not good tutors or teachers.  Second, their one-size-fits-all group test prep sessions are more expensive than MyGuru’s private tutoring (on an hourly basis), yet basically consist of reviewing the exact same concepts that are well articulated in any reasonable test prep book.  These group test prep sessions tend to be a very ineffective option if you are in need of customized help.  Finally, these companies simply charge a lot of money for private tutoring – upwards of $150 per hour in some cases.