Ivy Insiders hires use application experience to help high schoolers

For the last two years, Kaier has worked for Ivy Insiders, a test-prep and college admissions consulting company started in 2003 by a Harvard student.

Ivy Insiders hires Ivy League undergraduates to tutor high school students over the summer on various standardized tests, including the SAT, the ACT and AP exams. Kaier, who now recruits other tutors for the company, established a branch of Ivy Insiders in his hometown of Queensbury, N.Y.

Unlike traditional test-prep companies, Ivy Insiders relies on the expertise of college students to teach the concepts and strategies related to succeeding on tests.

“Ivy Insider instructors are very, very familiar with the test,” Kaier said. “We’ve all just taken the test two or three years ago, and that’s something that the other companies, who are hiring instructors who took the test maybe 20 years ago, just can’t offer.”

For 30 hours of one-on-one standardized-test tutoring, Ivy Insiders charges $2,399. The price drops to $499 for 18 hours of classroom tutoring. Ten hours of in-person private admissions consulting runs $1,999.

Often, an initial hurdle for tutors is attracting customers.

“You know, it’s tough.” Kaier said. “Schools are skeptical to let you just walk in and start teaching a class. Parents are skeptical because you’re an undergrad.”

When Eric Teitelbaum ’13 tried to start a branch of Ivy Insiders in his hometown of Cinnaminson, N.J., the program proved too expensive for the area, he recalled.

Instead, he started his own tutoring business, focusing on individualized sessions to help improve scores.

After finding clients, Teitelbaum said, his recent experience with standardized tests has helped in building a rapport with his students.

“When students can relate to their teachers, it’s more likely they do their homework,” he explained.

Kaier said that once his branch got started, adding clients became easier. “Once you start teaching, it definitely helps,” he said.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

An established track record also helps. Ivy Insiders reports that, on average, students in their program raise their SAT scores by 255 points on the 2,400-point scale.

Kaier said that part of this increase can be attributed to the atmosphere engendered by the program.

“It’s a lot easier to learn from someone who you consider your peer,” he said. “They appreciate that, and they’re willing to work.”

The one drawback to summer tutoring is that tutors are unavailable to their customers during the academic year, Kaier and Teitelbaum noted.

“The only disadvantage is time,” Teitelbaum explained, since “a professional tutor would have the time year-round, whereas I’m restricted to summer sessions.”

Meanwhile, working year-round has not been a problem for Abby Hewitt ’13, who works for the website IvyAlly.com advising about the application process and reviewing essays.

Hewitt conducts her advising throughout the year via blogs and Skype video chat. She said she enjoys helping students understand college admissions, which can be very confusing at times.

“Trying to explain some of the more complex aspects of college life that you just kind of pick up with time and experience is a big challenge,” Hewitt said.

There are limits to what she can offer, she added, since she lacks the insider knowledge of some professional consultants.

“I don’t know necessarily what the magic formula is that colleges look for in each applicant,” she said. “All I know is from personal experience and what I think comes off as an interesting and well-developed paper.”

Though the instructors focus on teaching their students, they also learn from the process.

“It’s just been a tremendous experience,” Kaier said. “I have improved my skills on so many levels, and at the end of the day, I’m very happy with it.”