What are the benefits of personal 1-on-1 tutoring?

There is clear evidence that personal one-on-one tutoring makes a big difference. Most parents today find it very difficult to tutor their children for a host of reasons such as lack of time, being stressed out, or simply not knowing the subject matter, in particular math and science at the high school level. Getting the right kind of help when a student needs it is very important for academic achievement.

Our role is to help kids get smarter. 

Imagine what would be possible with a personal tutor dedicated to helping your child one-on-one, week after week – from the safety of your home, at a convenient time.

What  subjects are covered?

* Mathematics (general Math, pre-algebra, algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, pre-calculus, trigonometry, statistics)
* Science (general science, physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences)
* English (starting fall 2007)
* PSAT/SAT/ACT test preparations. (starting fall 2007)


For which grades?
Middle to High School, grades 6 to 12.

How does the tutoring work?

We use a cool technology that makes it convenient, saves time and money while still being very personal and effective.

1. The student and tutor negotiate a schedule for the duration of the subscription plan. For instance, in our most popular monthly plan, the tutoring sessions take place twice a week to suit the need of the student.
   
2. Each student is assigned one tutor for the duration of the subscription plan. (This is different from what most tutoring companies offer.) Having the same dedicated tutor week after week makes an enormous difference to the student
   
3. The tutor sends an email invitation to the student prior to the scheduled tutoring session. It is an invitation to join the tutor in a virtual classroom – over the internet. The student accepts the invitation and joins the tutor, using a headset with a microphone.
   
4. Using the headset, the student and tutors talk to each other – just like a regular phone conversation. If the student and parent are willing, a webcam can also be used to see view other.
   
5. Both share a whiteboard on the computer that allows them write or draw using the keyboard or a pen-mouse tablet. Both can review it simultaneously. There is no delay at all.
   
6. In addition, both student and tutor can share documents, images, files or applications on each other’s computer.
   
7. There is also a chat window in addition to the voice conversations using VOIP (voice over internet phone).
   

What are our subscription plans?

• Ask about our Special Offer of 20% discount on all plans.
  
• Valid till Novermber 30 2007. 
  

There are three affordable plans to suit individual needs :  

Monthly subscriber	Total of 8 sessions a month for up to two (2) subjects	$160
Annual subscriber	Total of 100 sessions /year For math, science and English	$1600
Pay-as-you Go	Per session	$25
For second child or second subject	Total of 8 sessions a month For 2 subjects at the maximum	$128 per month   (cannot be discounted)

Click for payment terms

Note : Each session is 50 minutes long.

For annual subscription plans, we require full payment at the time of enrollment. We provide a headset and pen-mouse worth about  $150 .

For monthly or annual subscribers, there is a $75 charge for each textbook your child uses. Should the student continue as a subscriber for six months or more, we will credit your account for $75. Of course, you are welcome to mail us the textbook. For pay-as-you go subscribers, we will not be using a textbook. Instead you will have to scan and send us the material (homework, chapter, test questions, etc) to use for the tutorial session.

SAT/ACT

We are revising our strategy for SAT/ACT tutoring and will be offering it later in the year (2007).

TIMING OF TUTORING SESSIONS

Sunday to Thursday

Tutoring sessions are available from 3pm to 11pm EST.

Do you offer a pay-as-you go service?

Yes, you can schedule a session as and when you need it between 3pm to 11pm  EST. There is no need to pay or schedule it in advance. 


How do I pay?

We accept credit or bank debit card payments. You can begin scheduling a session in about a day or two.

Sorry, we do not accept any personal checks, money orders or cashier’s checks. Only credit or bank debit cards are accepted.

What equipment do I need?

You will need :
* Desktop or laptop,
* Pentium II or higher XP 2000 or higher
* Broadband cable or DSL internet connection
* A headset with a microphone
* A pen-mouse tablet

We recommend a Graphire 4 pen mouse tablet , Size 4 x 5 or 6 x 8
It is available from www.wacom.com, Best Buy, CompUSA, It costs about $100 to $150.


How do I start?

Getting started is very easy. Click here to ENROLL

Please use your credit or debit card only.

Once you have enrolled and payment has been credited, it usually takes a day or two to schedule the first session. Both you and the student will receive an email message with instructions on how to schedule sessions with the assigned tutor. Next, the tutor will get in touch with the student to confirm the schedule, the topics to work on, and to set the goals and expectations for the tutorial sessions.

How does a tutorial session take place?

Once the student has confirmed the date and timing of the first session, s/he will receive a reminder about the appointment 24 hours in advance. We expect the student to log onto our site 5 minutes prior to the session. The student will need to make sure that s/he has the headset on and that the pen-mouse or tablet is connected and that both are working. Each session is 50 minutes long. At the end of the session if the student wants a copy of the voice files, we can save them and forward it to the student.

Can I try a session free of charge?

Yes, it is very easy to try out a session for free. It is available from 3pm -3 am EST. Just Click here to schedule a Free Session.

What kind of scholarships do you offer?

We are very pleased to offer two types of tutorial scholarships as our contribution to our community. Each tutorial scholarship is for 3 months for a total of 24 sessions (or 8 sessions a month) for up to two subjects.

1) Student Athletes and 2) Children of Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
For Student Athletes
Eligibility: 
· Member of any recreational or school/varsity sports team. 
· Attend a public or private school in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington DC. 
· Only online applications are accepted. Must include a recommendation by the coach. Send scan image of recommendation along with application.
Application deadline is Novermber 30 2007.

For children of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans
We are very pleased to award a total of 40 tutorial scholarships for the 2007/8 academic year. The actual aim is to honour the war veteran and their family thorough our services. . The scholarship is for 3 months (total 24 sessions). Each student is assigned one tutor per subject -- for a maximum of two subjects. The total value of this scholarship is $480
Applications are now being accepted for the 2007-8 academic year.

Eligibility: 
· A parent must have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan after the year 2001. 
· Attend a public school in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington DC. Or is homes-schooling and is a current resident of any of the above states. 
· Only online applications are accepted. Must include a letter verifying actual tour of service from the respective officer of the service branch.
Application deadline is November 30, 2007. 

Should we make the reco letter from athletic coach a must?

yes, to get verification

Who are the tutors and how are they trained?

Most of our tutors have a master’s degree in subject area and teaching and/or tutoring experience. Many of them have a bachelor’s in education (B. Ed). All our tutors undergo a rigorous and continuous training program in such areas as: 1) tutorial skills based on recognized curriculum, 2) cross-cultural communications, 3) motivation and stress management 4) subject area. 


What happens if a student misses an appointment?

Should a student miss a session, we will re-schedule one missed session per month. In other words, only one missed session (out of the total assigned 8 sessions) can be made up. Should the assigned tutor not be available because of illness or any such reason, we will assign another equally qualified tutor.

What happens if a student is not happy with her/his assigned tutor?

If for any reason a student is not satisfied with her/his assigned tutor, we are happy to assign another tutor. But we expect you to tell us why you are not satisfied and what needs to be done to meet your needs and intended goals.

What kinds of reports do you provide?

For our monthly and annual subscribers they can access our database for student records. 

In addition, we schedule monthly calls between a parent and one of our supervisors to ensure that we continue to provide quality service that makes a difference in the student's scholastic performance.

Where are the tutors based?

Our tutors are based in India.