So many HYPSM grads tutoring

[Anonymous]

I know the algorithm is serving me this, but so many kids w good degrees just issuing them to tell other people how to get into these schools. It seems depressing. This can’t have been their first career choice. Except that Harvard “girlie” who always pops up. It does seem like influencer was her first career choice.

[Anonymous]

yes. There are a few Ivy grads in their 20s in our neighborhood who are full time tutors. It's frankly depressing.

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain this to those of us who are not plugged in?

[Anonymous]

Students at Ivy league schools are great at being students; teaching/tutoring is the natural progression for one who excels at being a student.

[Anonymous]

Being a tutor for a few years is kind of like bring a paralegal at a law firm. It’s not a long-term career for most of these folks and, if you’re in the right market, it can pay well. I do know some fellow HYPSM grads who founded tutoring companies, though, and they made millions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being a tutor for a few years is kind of like bring a paralegal at a law firm. It’s not a long-term career for most of these folks and, if you’re in the right market, it can pay well. I do know some fellow HYPSM grads who founded tutoring companies, though, and they made millions.

I know quite a few who tutor, do essay review and .. it feels like a pause for a person who didn't get the job they wanted - I agree, like being a paralegal. But it also stops all momentum. Going from Harvard to Job is one thing. Getting from Harvard grad, current SAT tutor to Job is way harder.

[Anonymous]

A lot of these kids have never done much independent thinking or made many choices about what they want in their lives. They just follow orders and put their nose to the grindstone to get into elite schools. Then they don't know what to do when they've graduated, so they go into tutoring.

[Anonymous]

We knew of a Chicago student who tutored for a year but was doing so as a break before going onto a STEM PhD program. Their college years included a COVID year and they just wanted a break.

As others have noted - tutoring is a natural/good gig for a person who is really good at being a student and had ability to teach others' how to understand their STEM topics.

[Anonymous]

Less depressing than watching students drop out of college and sit at home. The tutors we used were a godsend to getting through upper level high school classes.

[Anonymous]

I equate this to a former pro squash player that now is a FT squash "tutor".

This guy charges $300/hour to rich kids under the hope they will be able to use squash to get into a top school as a recruit. Works 20 hours per week = $300k+ per year.

These tutors can make tons more on an hourly basis than working a "real" job, so they take it. Now, tutors are perhaps not as scarce as former pro squash players...but it's the same idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I equate this to a former pro squash player that now is a FT squash "tutor".

This guy charges $300/hour to rich kids under the hope they will be able to use squash to get into a top school as a recruit. Works 20 hours per week = $300k+ per year.

These tutors can make tons more on an hourly basis than working a "real" job, so they take it. Now, tutors are perhaps not as scarce as former pro squash players...but it's the same idea.

+1 lots of demand for "how to get into an ivy". Parents are willing to pay for it, so, why not? It's entrepreneurial.

IMO, it goes to show that these Ivies aren't that great at identifying leaders compared to people just interested in making money. These kids were also probably tutored and managed by their parents

[Anonymous]

My son's test tutor did it for awhile while having fun and now is at Harvard law. He was making serious bank private tutoring and traveling around and taking a post-college break for a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I equate this to a former pro squash player that now is a FT squash "tutor".

This guy charges $300/hour to rich kids under the hope they will be able to use squash to get into a top school as a recruit. Works 20 hours per week = $300k+ per year.

These tutors can make tons more on an hourly basis than working a "real" job, so they take it. Now, tutors are perhaps not as scarce as former pro squash players...but it's the same idea.

Well, yeah. Ivy grads are in high demand for that...much more than a kid from a low level 98% acceptance rate offering tutoring.

[Anonymous]

How do you know they are doing it full time? If you can make a $100 or more an hour on the weekends and in the evening with parents willing to overpay for everything, why not? My kid makes good supplemental income doing this.

[Anonymous]

Money