When I interview tutors, one of the first things I ask is why they want the job. I have worked with hundreds of tutors and hired dozens, and here is the worst answer I get: "I like explaining things." Great tutors, and I think great teachers, are not explainers. We don't need explainers anymore. We have ChatGPT.

I bring this up because here's a little secret about great tutors: no one really planned to make it their career. I know this because I started the only university-backed training program for professional private tutors.

So the interviewing is on you (the family, the client, the student). Here is what I would ask if I were a parent sitting across from someone about to spend a lot of hours with my kid.

Start with two questions.

How many years have you been doing this?

And why are you a tutor?

If someone says "I like remote work," that's a bad answer (I got that from an applicant recently). What you want is someone who loves to connect, who likes excellence, and who loves growth. Can you get that sense from the person in front of you?

Then the objective stuff. How many students have you worked with? What kinds of students? If a tutor only works with kids who are gifted, motivated and set on Harvard, and your kid has ADHD and doesn't always do the homework, it's probably not going to be a good fit. You want someone who has worked a lot with kids like yours. If you want one hard number, at Advantage Testing, where I am Chief Cognitive Scientist, instructors have to score in the 99th percentile on any standardized test they teach. It is a fair thing to ask anyone.

A couple of months ago I mentioned my rate while speaking onstage at a conference, and there were audible gasps. People sometimes get uncomfortable when I talk about price. I'm not trying to offend anyone. But I would still ask what a tutor charges, because strangely, price is one of the few signals you get about whether a tutor is good.

The average tutoring rate on the planet is about $25 an hour. In America, a tutor at $25 an hour is usually brand new, doesn't know their worth, or isn't very good. Under $100 an hour is generally not a pro. Between $100 and $200 is good, a small boutique experience, but hit or miss. From $200 up to $400 or $500 an hour, tutors are usually very experienced, or they work with a top company that supports them with scheduling, admin and good materials. In big cities, especially New York, the most expensive market, expect the top tutors to charge $200 to $500 an hour. The top 1 percent charge over $1,000 an hour. The last time I checked, the top tutor on the planet was charging $2,600 an hour.

Which brings me back to the gasps. Almost every market has a high end: housing, athletes, tech. Tutoring has one, too, and for most families it isn't the right fit. A $1,000-an-hour tutor isn't simply better than a $200-an-hour tutor. But they have usually done this for at least ten years, worked with hundreds if not thousands of students of every type, and often written books about these tests. You're removing uncertainty.

Then ask about the logistics, because this is where experience shows. How does homework get done? What happens if my kid doesn't do it? How are parents involved? What is your cancellation policy? Every experienced tutor has dealt with kids who flake, and will have a clear answer about how they handle it. A good answer is specific: what happens, who gets told, and when. A vague answer usually means they haven't done this for long.

Be wary of a guarantee. I think guarantees are a red flag. I went to Duke, so I'm biased, but think of the greatest coach of all time, Coach K. Did Coach K guarantee his teams would be good? He didn't have to. They were always competitive, because he was at the top of his game and knew how to push.

What you want instead is someone who isn't afraid of a difficult conversation. If a kid does two-thirds of the homework, I'm on the phone with the parents. If a kid isn't giving max effort or living up to the standard, we talk it out and change something. In the end the credentials of the tutor matter less than what the tutor can get the kid to do. I can't guarantee a score. I can guarantee the energy: we're going to push.

Ask whether they work virtually or in person. For most families, and for motivated kids, I think virtual is better, mainly for scheduling. Busy, competitive kids can open a laptop, work hard for 50 minutes or an hour, and move on to the next thing. Most top tutors don't come to you anymore, so the alternative is going to them. A lot of the families I work with travel, too, and an hour of work from vacation beats taking the whole week off.

The one time in person wins is when motivation is the question. If a kid is sleepwalking and asking why they're even doing this, getting them in a room with me can electrify them and get them locked in. That usually takes one or two sessions. After that, virtual works, because being in person twice a week with a top tutor just isn't practical for most people.

By now you've been talking for a while, which is the point of my last question, the airplane test. Would you want to sit next to this person on a plane? You are going to spend a lot of time together. There will be highs and lows, it can get emotional, and you want someone you like. If you don't like them, you at least have to respect them, because you are in this together. The stakes are high, and you want someone who will be an advocate for your kid and your family.

If you'd like to ask me these questions yourself, you can reach me here.