What is the vetting process like for Upswing Tutors?

Upswing takes the verification of identity and quality of its tutors very seriously. We want to make sure that students are able to access some of the best tutors, mentors, and academic coaches in the world. 

Initial Vetting

Each Upswing tutor is hand-picked by Upswing’s recruitment team, which boasts over a decade’s professional teaching and tutoring experience. Each tutor is vetted through several stages, including a background check. First, applicants submit resumés to document their educational qualifications, work experience, and teaching and / or tutoring experience. Applicants also submit references from employers (e.g. high-school teaching supervisor, writing-center administrator, supervising graduate lecturer, or tutor trainer) attesting to their prior tutoring or teaching performance. We also review applicants’ college transcripts. 

Currently, our hiring practices give preference to applicants with four-year degrees, graduate degrees, and teaching experience. Per CRLA guidelines, we also look for an A or B grade in the subjects the applicant wants to coach in or a 3.5 GPA. In lieu of an A or B grade (for example, in cases where the applicant has not completed study in a particular subject at the college level), we consider documented tutoring and / or teaching experience equivalent to an A or B grade in the subject in question. Such experience includes instruction at the high-school or college level, graduate teaching assistantships, and documented experience tutoring at college learning and / or writing centers. Teaching experience is ranked as follows: professor, adjunct college instructor, high-school teacher, graduate teaching assistant, and writing or learning center tutor. Although we may from time to time hire undergraduate students as tutors, we only do so when the applicant is in their junior or senior year, has previous tutoring experience at a campus learning center, and demonstrates outstanding academic rigor.

"Good Fit" Evaluation

Following the initial vetting, applicants complete a “good fit” evaluation, during which they discuss the subjects they are interested in tutoring, their qualifications to tutor these subjects, their tutoring philosophy, and the impact on student retention they hope to make as an Upswing tutor. Applicants' responses are screened for detail, sincerity, rigor, and, when an applicant has listed a writing- or English-focused subject as a specialization, grammar, syntax, punctuation, register, and general facility with English. Applicants also complete rigorous subject tests in English and writing, mathematics, and science subjects.

Interviews

Once selected, suitable candidates attend face-to-face interviews with Upswing's Director of Academic Content and Recruiting.

Campus Tutor Policies

If our partner colleges and universities decide to bring their own tutors on, they will be in full control of the vetting for their own tutors, but we will still ask these tutors to upload certain information like their experience, a short biography, a profile picture, and the subjects in which they specialize.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your HERO, or reach out to Support using this form -- we're happy to help!