I want to be an ACT tutor but am pretty lost...

<p>I am a senior in high school looking to make some money over the summer before college. I hear tutoring generally pays well depending on location, and I live in a fairly affluent area so I think I could make a good amount hourly. I could tutor a number of subjects - AP sciences, calculus, math/chem/bio subject tests - but I would feel most confident tutoring the ACT, and I think that tutoring only one subject would make things a bit easier.</p>

<p>I don't have very much (read: any) experience tutoring, but I did score a 34 on the ACT with the following breakdown: 35E/36M/35R/30S 10 Essay.. I may retake to bump up science.</p>

<p>So my question is, am I qualified to tutor without taking a formal class on how to tutor (personal anecdotes would be much appreciated), and how much should I expect to make an hour?</p>

<p>Hour rate depends on the market and experience. You probably want to ask around in your area.</p>

<p>Most people want tutors that are already in college, so I would mention the university you’ll be attending in any advertising you do. But honestly, you won’t make big bucks with no experience, and most companies won’t hire you if you’re only available for the summer. The smart thing to do would be to use this summer to work for dirt cheap ($15 an hour or so) off craigslist ads so you gain experience, and then while in school or subsequent summers you’ll be able to charge more or work for a company that pays more because you’ll have references.</p>

<p>You are qualified to tutor if you </p>

<p>A. Know the academic material thoroughly.</p>

<p>B. Know the test.</p>

<p>C. Know how to communicate the material clearly and completely to someone else who doesn’t know it.</p>

<p>^+1 to C. above - Some of my best tutors scored in the high 600s on the SATs, but they know how to teach. Many high 700s/800 scorers can’t communicate to save their lives - this isn’t a mean generalization; it’s because they’re naturally gifted in that subject and don’t quite know why they do as well as they do.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice everyone. So I’m getting that the general consensus would be to start small to gain experience and maybe next summer I could tutor more comfortably.</p>

<p>You don’t necessarily have to start small. The key is getting that first client and delivering great results, and then get referrals. </p>

<p>I started tutoring last summer and my first client was a hockey player who needed to score above a certain level to play college hockey. His fundamentals were not great, so we worked hard to leverage what we could. I not only got him above what he needed to qualify, but got a nice fat score increase way beyond expectations. Soon after the referrals started coming in.</p>

<p>Now, I routinely get $60/hr for ACT/SAT tutoring in-person in an area where the market price is closer to $30-40 and also online. You may have to set a low rate to begin with, but once you demonstrate results, people find you.</p>

<p>I tutor all levels of high school math and charge $15.00/hour. Just make sure you know the material well and can convey it clearly.</p>