A new tutoring company in Tuscaloosa is offering classroom-style review sessions for University of Alabama students.
Tutor Me Now, a program founded by UA students Carson Tinker and Michael Aronowitz, provides classroom-style test preparation, as well as traditional tutoring services for some of the more common math-based classes offered at the University. Tinker and Aronowitz came up with the idea for Tutor Me Now while brainstorming potential business ideas.
“[Aronowitz] had an idea for having one company with multiple tutors for virtually any subject offered at The University of Alabama,” Tinker said. “In theory, and what we’re working towards, is a service students could come to for any class where they need additional help.”
Tutor Me Now currently offers tutoring sessions for students in all math classes, as well as finance, accounting and statistics classes. The company provides students with a practice test developed by the tutors and an in-depth study guide, which should give students a brief glimpse at all subjects to be covered on their upcoming test. The company is expanding to offer one-on-one tutoring sessions and organized weekly group study sessions for classes where test preparation classes are not currently offered.
However, because of the classroom-style format, the price typically charged for one session is lower than rates charged by traditional tutors for one-on-one sessions. Tutor Me Now charges, on average, a flat $20 rate for a two-hour review session.
“We wish we could provide our service for even less than we currently are, but we are barely covering our costs as it is,” Tinker said. “We have to rent a conference room in Hotel Capstone for all of our sessions, which is a wonderful venue but still very expensive. After we cover our costs with the Capstone and our tutors, we take the difference and put it right back into the company, whether through marketing, advertising or providing students with free coffee at their next tutoring session.”
Tutor Me Now employs several tutors, including Corey Kline, who holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University in mathematics, and Ryan Orlando, who has spent time working directly for the University’s athletic department as a finance tutor.
“The fact that the founders of Tutor Me Now are students here at the University speaks volumes, in my opinion,” Tinker said. “We know exactly how these students feel, and we know how to help. We’ve been there, we had to pass some of the same classes we now offer tutoring for, and we’re offering you the very best tutors to help you do just that.”
