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Writing is an essential skill, but it’s also one of the most difficult to learn. Students need to be able to generate ideas, organize thoughts and write a variety of reports and essays. An online writing tutor can be critical to learning and improving student writing.
What to Look for in an Online Tutor
To find the best online writing tutor, start by thinking about what format will work best. Some platforms offer self-paced classes that students can do on their own. Others offer real-time tutoring, which might be a better fit for younger students and students with urgent assignments. Others offer drop-in services where students can get help when they need it, which might be best for students who work or have extensive after-school activities.
Take a look at the platform’s reputation. Does it have good reviews? Do you know anyone else who’s used it? Does it have certified, experienced teachers?
Affordability is also important. How much does the service cost? How are the payments structured? Does it fit into your budget? Tutoring is an investment but it also needs to fit into your overall financial situation.
Once you find a platform, you’ll need to find a great tutor if the platform allows. Choose that fits your student and look for someone with experience and excellent reviews. If you’re not happy with your child’s tutor, let your service know so you can be assigned a new one.
The Best Writing Online Tutoring Services
Check out Benzinga’s top picks for the best writing tutors online
1. Best for High School: Chegg Tutors
Pricing: $6.95 per lesson or $14.95 or $30 per month
Chegg Tutors specializes in working with high school and college students. It offers tutoring 24/7, so even if your child studies late into the night, he can get the help he needs. Chegg Tutors matches up students and tutors based on the tutor’s area of expertise. Chegg Tutors offers a safe online space for tutoring sessions where you can work via text, audio or video chat.
Chegg Tutors offers per-lesson pricing as well as two monthly plans. Its $30 per month plan offers 60 minutes of tutoring in all subjects, including writing. Its $14.95 plan and per-lesson plans don’t include writing, so if that’s your priority, the $30 per month plan is your best bet.
2. Best for Pay as You Go: Skooli
Pricing: $0.82 per minute ($49.20 per hour)
Skooli offers a unique, on-demand, pay-as-you-go tutoring model. Your student can access instant sessions for help with homework or a looming test. You can also schedule appointments with the tutor of your choice. Skooli’s tutors are available for elementary through college students.
With Skooli, you pay as you go. You don’t need to commit to a high number of hours or buy an expensive package. If you’re not sure how much tutoring your student will need or if your student has a busy schedule, Skooli’s on-demand availability and flexible pricing could be a good fit.
3. Best for Online Tools: Wyzant
Pricing: Varies — tutors set their own prices
Wyzant offers thousands of tutors available for a range of subjects, including writing. It makes online learning easy with a user-friendly online tool that includes an online whiteboard and text editing, critical for writing. You can talk to your tutor using chat, video or audio.
Wyzant allows you to choose a tutor or have Wyzant choose for you. Tutors set their own rates, so you can choose a tutor based on your preferences and your budget. If you want to venture into other subject areas, Wyzant also offers coding tutors, and its online tool has a special setup for practicing code.
4. Best for Personalized Assessments: eTutor World
Pricing: Starts at $18 per session, sold in packages of 5 to 100 sessions
eTutor World offers K-12 tutoring. eTutor World takes the time to assess each student to learn their strengths and areas for improvement. Tutoring is based on your student’s unique needs.
eTutor World’s tutors undergo 400 hours of experience and training and are thoroughly vetted. It offers a flexible schedule so your student can get more assistance before tests and other important assignments and less tutoring when they need a break.
You can choose from a variety of packages, including a new student package that offers 5 sessions for $89 for grades 1 to 8 and $99 for grades 9 to 12. The sessions are valid for 1 month. From there, you pay $18 to $22 per session, depending on the package you purchase.
5. Best for Self-Paced Learning: Udemy
Pricing: Varies by course
Not everyone needs or wants real-time instruction. Udemy offers on-demand lectures on thousands of topics. You can choose from over 9,000 courses on writing alone. Best for high school students and older, you can search by beginner, intermediate and advanced writing classes in fiction, nonfiction, essays and more.
You can view student reviews of each class to get a sense of whether the course is right for your child. You can also sort classes by ratings, price and the length of the video lessons, so it’s easy to find something that’s a good fit. Udemy also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its courses.
6. Best for Tutor Options: Preply
Pricing: Varies by tutor
Preply offers an easy-to-use platform with more than 25,000 tutors, so you have a wealth of options to choose from. Preply started as a language learning platform, so it’s an especially good fit if you want to improve both English writing and speaking.
You can search for tutors based on your subject area and availability. Your child’s first lesson is a trial lesson, and if you aren’t satisfied, you can get a free lesson from a new tutor or a full refund. If searching for a tutor sounds daunting, you can also post a request and let tutors find you.
7. Best for Tutor Matching: Club Z
Pricing: Not publicly available
Club Z offers tutoring to students as young as preschool through college. It streamlines finding a tutor by starting the process with your schedule, the subject(s) you’re looking for, your child’s grade level and your ZIP code. Next, it shows you tutors who match your criteria, along with their reviews.
You can message your child’s tutor before booking, so if you have any questions or concerns, you can address them up front. You can also message tutors who might not line up with your schedule to see if you can find a time that works for both of you. Once you choose a tutor, you can book 1, 5, or 10 lessons at a time. In addition to writing, Club Z offers tutoring in study skills, reading, math, foreign languages, science and music.
8. Best for Guarantees: Tutor.com
Pricing: $39.99 per hour
Tutor.com partnered with The Princeton Review to offer test prep, tutoring and homework help all in one place. Its tutors are online around the clock and 96% of users improved their grades by taking advantage of its services. In fact, Tutor.com guarantees that students who work with a tutor for 2 hours per month for 3 consecutive months in one subject will improve their grades. If you don’t, you’ll receive a refund for that tutoring time (subject to terms and conditions).
Tutor.com’s flexible platform makes it a great fit for students who need occasional assistance or help with homework. There’s no long-term commitment, so you don’t have to spend a bundle on a package you might never use.
9. Best for College Prep: Revolution Prep
Pricing: One-on-one tutoring starts at $1,398 for 12 hours, small group tutoring starts at $199 for 5 hours, homework help is $99 per month
Revolution Prep helps students excel in school and on standardized tests, including the ACT and SAT. All of its tutors are full-time employees dedicated to helping students improve their grades, writing and test scores. In addition to helping students master skills, it also helps students feel more confident and develop a growth mindset.
Revolution Prep also offers Homework Help. Students can pop in and ask a question about homework or get help with a tough essay. It’s on-demand and available 7 days per week. It also gives you access to SAT and ACT videos.
Make the Most of Tutoring
Once you decide on a platform and tutor, it’s important to make the most of each tutoring session. Let your tutor know what your child’s goals are. It might be improving your score on your student’s next writing assignment or boosting his English grade.
If you have samples of your child’s writing, bring those to your first tutoring session. Those can help the tutor get a sense of where you are so she can develop a plan to help you succeed. Encourage your child not to be embarrassed or worried — the tutor is there to help.
Tutoring is an investment in your student’s success. Each platform has something different to offer, so check a few before you make a final decision. There’s a fit for every student and learning style.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community
