Varsity Tutors

 I have found so many great things from Instagram ads! Universal Yums international snack boxes, an animation class that has been a great learning experience and community for my youngest, and now Varsity Tutors. 

We've long been fans of Outschool for interesting classes, but Outschool can get expensive when  you've got two kids with a variety of interests. So, when I saw the ad for Varsity Tutors' VT+ unlimited classes for one monthly price I thought it couldn't hurt to give it a try. This is not an ad, by the way. Varsity Tutors has no idea who I am or that I'm writing this. 

Varsity Tutors has several learning options on their website, including a variety of classes and class sizes, self study, and individual tutoring options.

Large Group Classes

Large group classes can include over 250 students, that are completely free. These currently include offerings from the National Wildlife Federation, the Science History Institute, and Bill Nye! So, even though they're free, they're not crap. We haven't tried any of these classes yet, but they sound like they'd be great.

 

VT+ Classes

 These are the first of their paid options and can include classes with up to 30 students (although so far the classes we've attended have been much smaller). For $20/month you get unlimited access to VT+ classes. This is the option we're using. I'm not sure how truly "unlimited" it is, but so far I have two kids signed up for several classes with no problems.

Classes are offered on a variety of topics from Spanish to Science to Origami. There's even an Algebra "study hall" where students can ask questions and get help if they're stuck. Classes meet two or three days a week.

And how are the classes? We've done Outschool for a while now, so that's what I'll compare it to. The quality of the instruction seems great so far. The teachers seem to be highly qualified and both boys have enjoyed the classes they've taken. The only area where I think Varsity Tutors falls short of Outschool is in not having a virtual "classroom" page where students can view information outside of class. My youngest son is taking a Mars Rover class where they're building model rovers and he's constantly running into the kitchen for paperclips, tin foil, etc. It would be nice to have a list of supplies ahead of time so we could have everything ready to go before class starts. But, for $20/month I'm willing to let this slide. 

 

Small Group Classes

These are classes with only 6 - 9 students and they're an extra fee of $15 per hour, which is still perfectly reasonable. These offer more personalized instruction. We haven't tried any of these classes yet.

Virtual Summer Camp

They also have a virtual summer camp option. For $150/week students get two-hour daily sessions on whatever theme they choose. Topics currently listed include Ancient Adventures, Dino Discovery, Space, and Wildlife. 

Self Study

Varsity Tutors also has a self study option called the Learning Lab that we've just begun to explore. This seems similar to Khan but maybe a little more streamlined. Students can take adaptive assessments and then access videos and practice problems to fill in the gaps. There are options for math, science, and language arts in each grade level plus AP, ACT, PSAT, and SAT levels in high school and even a few CPA certifications. 

Both boys have taken assessments for a couple of subjects and have just started working through the lessons in their Learning Lab so I don't have a lot to report at this point but I will probably post again after we've spent more time with this. 

Tutoring

Varsity Tutors also offers one-on-one tutoring in a variety of subjects and test prep areas. I'm not sure what the pricing is for tutoring because they want me to fill out a form so they can contact me and I don't need them to do that, so you'll have to contact them yourself if that's something you're interested in. 

This past year has shown us that virtual learning options are more important than ever. Overall Varsity Tutors seems to be a solid option for online classes at a low price with only a few drawbacks.