Skooli Review

 Skooli is one of the best online tutoring services available, and our pick for the best option if you need help in math. Math is one of the areas in which students of all ages need the most help, and Skooli’s extensive math curriculum is perfect for the student looking for a boost in that subject. In our review for 2020, we see a service highly specialized in math tutoring. Other subjects are available for study, but they are not the main focus of the site nor its tutors. With a simple pay-per-minute plan structure, it’s also a great option for students and parents who are unsure of how much tutoring time will be needed and are unwilling to commit to a subscription. These qualities, along with knowledgeable tutors, make for an online tutoring service that takes the guesswork out of online learning. If you’re looking for a simple tutoring site with transparent pricing, specializing in math, Skooli is the choice for you.  

Skooli review: Platform

Skooli’s pay-as-you-go structure is what makes it stand out. At $0.82 per minute, it’s great value for such expert help. Many tutors, especially higher education tutors, have rates that well exceed the fees found on the Skooli platform. What’s more, you’re not forced to buy long blocks of time - with Skooli, you can choose to have a 15 minute session at just just $12.30. Many tutors outside the platform will not allow sessions lasting 30 minutes or less. 

The caveat to this is that all tutors have the same rate of $0.82 per minute. Parents and guardians looking to get online tutoring for a young child often think that this is expensive - but college students paying for online tutoring sessions will probably find the rate to be quite affordable. Whether you are a parent, a guardian, or even the student, it’s up to you to decide whether or not the price is worth it. From what we’ve seen, we recommend Skooli for help in math for middle school aged students or older. Similarly, if you’re on your way to earning a Master’s degree or higher, or a more specialized degree, we recommend that you look at another service. 

Getting started with Skooli is easy. Because the plan structure is pay-as-you-go, creating an account is free. From there, you’ll be able to enter your question in a search box and connect with a tutor of your choosing. After choosing a tutor, you can schedule sessions with him or her to continue learning, making Skooli a great choice not just for homework help, but for continued in-depth learning. 

Tutors are technically available anytime day or night, but there have been many complaints from parents that this isn’t true. Of course, tutor responsiveness depends on the individuals themselves, not the platform - if you think your student will need assistance at less likely hours (between the hours of 9pm and 9am), we recommend a more popular platform with a greater number of tutors, like Chegg Tutors.

Because there are no tiers of service, all students have access to the same communication tools: at any time, tutors and students can interact in video, audio only, and chat form. There’s also a virtual whiteboard both parties can write, type, and draw on, and both have the ability to share files. Finally, students have the option of replaying their recorded tutoring sessions in the event they need a refresher. 

As a bonus, all tutors are vetted through a criminal background check, so you know that your student is learning in a safe environment. 

Skooli review: Lessons and tutoring

Generally, parents and students who choose Skooli are satisfied, if not thrilled with their experience. Tutors are knowledgeable, patient, and, in the best-case scenarios, highly specialized. 

Skooli’s homepage definitely gives the impression that the service is best used for math, almost discouraging parents and students from seeking help from its tutors in other areas of learning. In fact, the tagline “Better math grades start here” appears right in the center of the page. If you open up the subject list menu option, you’ll find a range of different math sections. Other subjects, like English or History, are hidden behind the “More subjects” option. While we’re certain that seeking help in any of the areas is never a bad idea, even on Skooli, we think that there’s probably a good reason why the platform highlights math as its main focus.

Skooli emphasizes that it’s not just for homework help, and that there’s a feedback loop between tutor and student if the student chooses to meet weekly with a tutor. This ensures that the student actually improves and learns instead of simply seeking the answers, a common trap some students and parents fall in if they opt for services like Chegg Tutors. 

While it’s not a money-back guarantee, the Skooli Satisfaction Guarantee was formulated to encourage students to pursue help. The risk-free policy dictates that if you are not satisfied with your first session of 30 minutes, you can get another 30 minutes with a different tutor free of charge. Rather than return your money to you, Skooli keeps you on the platform to give online tutoring a second chance. 

Skooli review: Learning tools

Where Skooli excels in leveling the playing field for all students, it lacks in providing those students with learning tools that can help them further their understanding. While these tools aren’t strictly necessary, they’re nice to have - not every student learns the same way. However, if your student is self-sufficient and enjoys a more traditional classroom setting, Skooli’s bare-bones platform is a good fit. 

Should I choose Skooli?

If you’re looking for help in math, we think that Skooli is the best online tutoring service you can opt for. It doesn’t have the flashiness of Chegg Tutors or the in-person option like Club Z, but we think that it’s a fantastic choice for middle school and high school students who are serious about boosting their math grades. If you are new to online tutoring, whether you are a parent or a student, you may be the most comfortable with the pay-per-minute option. However, if you feel the need for more one-on-one time and are fine choosing a different tutor altogether, we recommend you try different, more varied platforms.