FAQ - Best Bay Area Math, Science, and English Tutors

Question 1

What are your rates?

Accepted Answer

$65–$75/hour depending on the tutor's level of experience or type of tutoring. Test Prep (ACT/SAT), College Counseling/Application Help, and Executive Functioning are all billed at $75/hr.

Settle for only the BEST — you get what you pay for. Knowing a subject is completely different from teaching it and making it understandable, especially to those who struggle. Before you hire someone, do your due diligence and find out about the person's degree, certifications, experience, and most importantly — results.

Question 2

Where are you located?

Accepted Answer

We have switched over to an online-only platform since the pandemic. Students and staff are loving it. In many ways it's even better than in person because of the variety of methods we can use online to illustrate and explain concepts, record, and share notes and materials.

For math classes, we recommend purchasing a document camera so tutors can see exactly what students are writing. We use Zoom, Google Meet, Discord, Whereby, and more. Please do not use a Chromebook as the graphics cards are not always compatible with online platforms.

We can service students from all over the world!

Question 3

What's the minimum age requirement for tutoring?

Accepted Answer

The online platform is generally suitable for students in grades 4 and up. Students younger than that tend to do better with in-person tutoring, which we unfortunately do not provide. That said, the decision is ultimately yours — we have had clients younger than grade 4.

Question 4

How does your program work?

Accepted Answer

There truly is nothing better than one-on-one tutoring! Whether your child is struggling or simply wants to get ahead, we meet them exactly where they are and strengthen their base from there. Simply tell us your goals and we'll find an appropriate tutor match. We can also recommend supplemental resources and curriculum as needed.

Question 5

What subjects do you tutor?

Accepted Answer

Everything! Subjects available include all levels of Math, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, Spanish, SAT/ACT Test Prep, Executive Functioning, College Counseling/Essay Help, AP Computer Science, and AP Environmental Science. Daron coordinates all scheduling and collects all payments.

Question 6

Is there a long-term commitment?

Accepted Answer

In short, no. Clients agree to meet at their predetermined time/day per week on a monthly basis. Simply call, text, or email to cancel at a minimum one week before the end of the month if you no longer wish to continue.

Question 7

What are your cancellation policies?

Accepted Answer

We have a strict 48-hour cancellation policy if you need to cancel for a refund or reschedule, as time is a restricted resource in our business. The cancellation policy does not exempt sudden illness, emergency, or any other reason. By using our business, you are automatically agreeing to these policies.

This protects our tutors' income — they pay their own health insurance and have no paid time off.

Question 8

What if we need to cancel within 48 hours?

Accepted Answer

Your child can submit materials to the tutor by the time of the appointment and we can make a YouTube video answering their specific questions. That way you don't lose that spot and your child can still benefit by watching the video at a convenient time.

Question 9

Do you offer trial sessions? Can we swap tutors if things don't work out?

Accepted Answer

There are no free trials. However, the need to switch tutors after the first session is extremely rare — everyone brought aboard has been personally vetted and trained to demonstrate core values of personability, skill, knowledge, efficiency, empathy, and the ability to check for understanding.

In the rare instance a switch is needed, you can ask for a recommendation for a better fit. A refund is also available if preferred — so in essence, you're never truly committed beyond one paid session.

Question 10

How does billing work?

Accepted Answer

Bay Area Tutors uses Stripe to securely process all payments automatically.

You may choose one of the following payment methods:

ACH Bank Transfer (recommended): No additional cost.
Credit Card: An additional $2.50 per tutoring hour applies to help offset credit card processing fees.

Invoices are emailed on the 23rd of each month and are automatically processed shortly after midnight on the 1st, giving you about a week to review your invoice before payment is made.

Question 11

Do you offer any assessments?

Accepted Answer

No — we feel formal assessments are unnecessary. The beauty of 1-on-1 tutoring is that our staff can quickly diagnose gaps in your child's foundation. We can often get a sense of the situation and devise a plan of action after just a phone call or email.

Question 12

Do you provide curriculum?

Accepted Answer

No — we are not a one-size-fits-all shop like Kumon or Sylvan that only offers their own curriculum. After a consultation with Daron, we'll make a recommendation for a curriculum tailored to your child's specific needs.

Question 13

What do you use for scheduling and invoicing?

Accepted Answer

Clients sign up for a free account with TeachWorks (a link will be emailed after you agree to our Business Policies). All appointments, invoices, receipts, and more are accessible there. Invoices are generally sent via TeachWorks before the start of each month.

Monthly balances must be paid by 10 am on the first regularly recurring day of appointment. Late payments incur a $10 fee.

Question 14

Do you accept adult clients? What about clients with ADHD or Autism?

Accepted Answer

Of course! We work with adult clients and students with ADHD or Autism all the time.

Question 15

Do you offer SAT/ACT prep? What guides do you recommend?

Accepted Answer

Yes! For SAT Math, the best guide by far is Panda Math — completely straightforward and comprehensive. For ACT Math, SAT Reading, and SAT Writing, we have additional recommended guides available. Ask Daron for the current links when you reach out.

Question 16

If I'm tutoring online, how will the tutor see my work?

Accepted Answer

For all Math classes, we recommend a document camera — it lets the tutor see exactly what the student is writing, including arithmetic details and formatting. It is NOT needed for English, Sciences, Languages, or Statistics.

If you use an Apple product, you'll need a USB to USB-C connector. Alternatively, you can use a phone clamp and log on with your phone facing down as a separate participant, though this requires a bit more setup.

Question 17

Do you invoice for school breaks like Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring?

Accepted Answer

No — we do not invoice for breaks. We automatically remove them for all clients unless you specifically request to meet during that time. The same applies to one-off cancellations for birthdays, travel, doctor's appointments, etc.

Question 18

How do I book an appointment?

Accepted Answer

Please fill out the Contact Form linked here.

Frequently Asked Questions