With midterms fast approaching, students are likely looking for fast help to quickly understand two months worth of concepts and terms, and the answer may be in a tutoring app.
Snaptutor is a new app that allows anyone looking for academic help to instantly find tutors on their iPhone and iPad as well as online at thesnaptutorapp.com. It was created to empower students to grasp a challenging concept launched as a successor to the Snapsolve app, according to a press release.
Students can choose from 26 different topics ranging from architecture to Cantonese and the site instantly connects to a tutor who begins working with students via chat, video or audio options.
According to the Snaptutor website, the first step toward finding a tutor is to download the app, create an account and send the first question. Snaptutor then selects the best available tutor who will receive and work on the problem to find a step-by-step solution. Students are sent push notifications or emails once the answers are ready.
Graphic design major Rachel Siner, 25, said, “If I could get tutoring tailored to my schedule at 4 a.m. instead of having to schedule appointments; I think that’s the best part. I would definitely use it.”
Cofounder and CEO Emerson Malca and cofounder Pindi Albert explained the idea for Snaptutor came after they realized that students have trouble understanding key concepts the night before a final.
“Realizing that simply helping students with their homework was not enough to meet all of their on-demand academic needs,” Malca said in an interview. “In these instances, students needed critical help to pass their exam but were too late to reach out to a professor, teaching assistant or friend for help.”
Ron Jaradat, a 22-year-old journalism major, said that he, “would definitely use Snaptutor. I think there are a lot of students who are sometimes embarrassed to ask for help.” He said that students would benefit from the opportunity to do so privately.
Tutors can make up to $20 per hour, are hired via online applications and are recruited from the StudyRoom website. Snaptutor advertises thousands of 100 percent verified tutors from over 70 universities in the U.S. that are available 24/7 to help with courses ranging from K–12 all the way up to the graduate level.
Applicants first create a StudyRoom account and allow the app to view their public Facebook profile to verify their identity. After choosing topics in which they would like to tutor, identifying their majors and expected graduation dates, tutors fill out an “About Me” detailing their qualifications.
Once the application is complete, a confirmation email from Malca is sent detailing Snaptutor’s next steps of reviewal and a time frame. About two days later, a confirmation or denial email is sent the tutoring applicant.
“We do believe in giving everyone a chance to try it out,” Malca said. “So, for this midterms season, we are giving every StudyRoom student $10 in free tutoring credit to see how easy and great it is to get an online tutoring session with our tutors via the StudyRoom website or from Snaptutor.”
Malca said the online and iPhone platforms have been the most popularly used avenues for StudyRoom. Snaptutor is expected to do well on the iPhone, but the iPad is expected to surpass the success on the iPhone “since a lot of students also just use their iPads to study in the library.”
Questions on the app start at $1.99 or online tutoring is available for 39 cents per minute.
