Frequently Asked Questions

For convenience, most students come in at the same time and day each week. We do take last-minute/same-day requests for tutoring, but we cannot guarantee that a tutor will be available. Our tutors book quickly, so we recommend requesting time as soon as possible.

How many hours should I schedule?

This is up to you and your parents. Most students do well with one hour (per subject) of instruction per week. However, if more time is needed, we are happy to add a second day.

Will you tutor my child in my home?

All of our tutoring services are in our convenient location in Winter Park. We are open late (until 10pm, Monday-Thursday) in order to accommodate students who participate in extracurricular activities, as well as parents who work.

For most students, in-home tutoring is not very effective. We have found that the distractions present in the home often outweigh the convenience.

Will I always have the same tutor?

Our goal is to keep each student with his or her assigned tutor. If a tutor becomes sick, or has an emergency, we will find a suitable substitute for the session. Also, sometimes we will move a student to a different tutor if we feel the change would further help the students progression. When possible, we try to notify parents and students beforehand in situations involving a change of tutors.

What if I come in for chemistry normally, but need help in math one week?

Most of our tutors are experienced in several areas and are flexible as to the subject they help you with during your sessions. However, none of us is competent in everything. In other words, don’t expect your chemistry tutor to help you with your literature assignment until you have confirmed your tutor feels competent in that area.

What are your hours?

We have tutors available Monday-Thursday, Noon-10:00 p.m., Friday 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., and availability varies on weekends. All of our tutors have individual schedules. Some of our tutors are available on Saturday. All tutors are available at least two days a week. Please call to find out when your tutor is available.

Can you help me with my online class?

We are happy to help students with online classes. We have helped several Florida Virtual School students, as well as college students taking online courses. We have Wi-Fi available. We have spare lap tops available; however, we recommend students bring their lap tops so that they will have the files and programs they need for the session.

I’m doing independent study, can you help?

It depends on the area of study. If we have a tutor who is a good match for your area, then we will be glad to help. If we don’t, we’ll be straightforward and tell you that we can’t help. When we’re uncertain, we can offer you a “test drive” session to see if it’s going to help. If you feel that the session was no help, you don’t owe us anything.

What if I come for one session and go away feeling that it was no help?

Then there is no charge for the session. Depending on the reason for disappointment, we will either concede that we can’t help, or we will offer another tutor in hopes of a better match. We want every student to feel that every hour of tutoring is worthwhile.

Charges, Payments and Discounts

How and when do I pay?

Payment is due at time of service. You may pay for sessions in advance if you prefer.

For the 8-week SAT Course, we require a nonrefundable $50 deposit to reserve a spot in the class. We may also require pre-payment for students who have “no-shows” or multiple last-minute cancellations.

Accepted forms of payment:

•	Cash
•	Personal check
•	Debit card, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover
◦	We do not accept American Express.
•	Online payment

What if I can’t make to a scheduled session?

As long as we receive 24 hours notice, there is no fee for a missed session. If you know you can’t make it, please let us know if you want to try for a makeup time. We’ll do our best to accomodate your request.

Why do you charge for no-shows?

We will never charge for a missed session if we receive 24-hours notice. The reason we must charge students who miss sessions without notice is because we often have students who request extra time with their tutors, and unless we know what times are available, it can be hard to schedule. Many students who have an unexpected test will call to schedule an appointment with their tutor last-minute. When we are notified of cancellations, we can provide help to students in these last-minute situations. Also, it is unfair to the tutors (who don’t get paid unless they have a student) who reserve their time for the student.

We recommend programming our number into your cell phone so you always have our contact information on hand. If you don’t have a cell phone, please keep one of our business cards in your wallet. No matter what time of day, you may always call and let us know you won’t be able to make it. If we’re not here, please leave a message. You may also cancel through e-mail, or on AOL Instant Messenger. Add us to your buddy list. Our name on AIM is: WiseOwlTutoring.

Are discounts available?

Although our rates are already low, we reduce the fee for families who schedule 3+ hours per week on a regular basis: • $35 for subject tutoring • $40 for test prep tutoring • $45 for tutoring with Bettie Wailes

What is the Referral Program?

The referral program is our way of saying “thank you” to students and parents who have helped spread the word about Wise Owl Tutoring.

•	We give $5 off the price of an hour to students who refer a new student (not from same household) who attends at least 1 hour of tutoring with Wise Owl.
•	We give a free hour to students who refer a new student who attends 6 or more tutoring sessions.
•	We give $20 off the price of an hour, or SAT or ACT class, to students who refer a new student who signs up for one of our 8-week SAT or ACT classes.

Can I bring a friend to my tutoring session?

Yes, as long as it’s okay with your parents. Our hourly rate is the same for students who share their tutoring session with a friend, so students often share the cost.

SAT/ACT Prep

Should I take the SAT or ACT?

We recommend you take both, either officially or unofficially. Some students do much better on one than the other. The only way to know which test suits you better is to take both and compare the scores. We proctor full-length SAT and ACT tests (including test copy and scores) for $35 per student.

Should I do one-on-one SAT or ACT prep or should I take the SAT or ACT class?

It depends on several factors. With individual tutoring, the student has the option of emphasizing one section of the test and has the undivided attention of the tutor. In the class, there is more discussion and students may benefit from the questions asked by other students. Also, the class includes two full-length tests and other materials. One-on-one students must purchase these items separately.

We recommend the 8-week SAT or ACT course for second-semester sophomores or rising/first-semester juniors who have average scores or little experience with these tests. One-on-one tutoring is better suited for students who have above- or below- average PSAT/SAT or PLAN scores. Otherwise, it is up to the student and parents to choose.

Do you guarantee improvment? (SPELLED WRONG ON SITE!)

Improvement is so closely tied to the student’s effort that we can’t make guarantees. Some students who have worked hard have achieved great improvement, while others who do little work see little gain.

What is your average improvement rate for SAT and ACT prep?

Our average SAT improvement is 190 points (out of 2400). Many dedicated students have improved 300+ points. (Our record is 350 points.) But others have shown little improvement. It depends so much on the amount of homework the student does, and how focused the student is in learning the concepts that appear regularly on the tests. Our average ACT improvement is 3 points, although we have had students who improved by as many as 6 points.