Frequently Asked Questions
- Why choose Illini Tutoring?
- Which subjects do you tutor?
- Are you familiar with the CPM curriculum (Unit 4 math curriculum)?
- What types of students go to Illini Tutoring?
- Will I always work with the same tutor?
- Where do students and their tutors meet?
- Do you offer online tutoring?
- Do you offer in-person tutoring?
- When can students have their tutoring sessions?
- What do parents do during the tutoring session?
- How much does tutoring cost?
- Can I purchase single sessions?
- How does payment work?
- Is there a contract? What is the minimum commitment?
- Can I try tutoring before signing up?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- How do I get started?
- How soon can I start tutoring after registering?
- What is the rescheduling policy?
- How much time does a student need?
- What do students need to bring to each tutoring session?
- How will busy students have time for tutoring?
There are several tutoring options in Champaign, Illinois. What sets Illini Tutoring apart?
One-on-One and Small Group Tutoring
Illini Tutoring offers one-on-one tutoring and small group tutoring. Unlike other centers, our tutors and students do not work in a big noisy room full of distractions -- each tutor has their own quiet, calm office where they work with their students. All of our rooms have windows that open into the waiting area, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your student's safety and comfort is our first priority.
Excellent ACT, SAT, and PSAT Prep
We also offer second-to-none ACT, SAT, and PSAT prep services. Our Executive Director of Test Prep, Taso Sotiropoulos, has helped thousands of students earn higher scores on the ACT, SAT, and PSAT. Our students have been accepted to the top universities and competitive programs in the country, and many of them have also received scholarships based on their test scores alone.
We Hire and Train the BEST
We aren't a tutor matching service. We are a team of educators, and we work together to deliver excellent results to each and every one of our students. Because tutoring and coaching is all we do, we are experts - we do not tutor "on the side." We are constantly developing our skills so that we can continue to improve the tutoring services we offer.
We love teaching and forming strong tutoring partnerships with our students. Our focus is entirely on tutoring and helping your child be successful in school and in life. Our ultimate goal is to help students become independent learners and problem solvers so that they go to college prepared to succeed in life. Our tutors not only pass a rigorous background check, but they must also ace an interview and training process that tests their knowledge of the subject areas they wish to tutor and their ability to effectively teach those subjects. Being a certified teacher or tutor isn't enough and even having years of experience isn't enough - we only hire the most highly qualified, compassionate tutors.
Available In-Person or Online
Currently, students can choose to attend tutoring in-person or by Zoom. In-person sessions take place at our office at 2500 Galen Drive - a convenient, quiet location in Southwest Champaign, Illinois, just minutes away from Next Generation, Centennial High School, Central High School, Uni High School, Urbana High School, St. Thomas More, and Judah Christian.
Our online tutoring is just as strong as our in-person tutoring. We support our students by teaching them the skills they need to be successful in remote learning. Students upload their homework online (usually by taking a picture of it or sending us a PDF or a link with the homework in it) with our online program so that we explain how to do problems directly on your homework page. We also use our own materials to supplement what your child is learning in class. In some cases, our students need hands-on manipulatives that help them grasp more difficult math concepts.
We'll Use Your Curriculum or You Can Use Ours
We meet our students' math and science learning needs through academic tutoring and academic coaching. If your child is struggling in school, we work directly with their homework and curriculum. We have years of experience helping students make sense of CPM math and Common Core math, along with every other math curriculum found in middle and high schools in Champaign County and other communities nearby. We teach students how to teach themselves, which is critical to getting an A or B in any math class from pre-algebra to advanced calculus.
Some of our students aren't challenged enough in school, and they don't need to work on homework in tutoring. They come to us looking for a challenge, and so we help them work through a rigorous math curriculum that elite math students around the world have used for decades.
Many of our students combine homework help tutoring with additional challenging math. We work with our students and their parents to determine what will help them most.
One-on-One and Small Group Tutoring
Illini Tutoring offers one-on-one tutoring and small group tutoring. Unlike other centers, our tutors and students do not work in a big noisy room full of distractions -- each tutor has their own quiet, calm office where they work with their students. All of our rooms have windows that open into the waiting area, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your student's safety and comfort is our first priority.
Excellent ACT, SAT, and PSAT Prep
We also offer second-to-none ACT, SAT, and PSAT prep services. Our Executive Director of Test Prep, Taso Sotiropoulos, has helped thousands of students earn higher scores on the ACT, SAT, and PSAT. Our students have been accepted to the top universities and competitive programs in the country, and many of them have also received scholarships based on their test scores alone.
We Hire and Train the BEST
We aren't a tutor matching service. We are a team of educators, and we work together to deliver excellent results to each and every one of our students. Because tutoring and coaching is all we do, we are experts - we do not tutor "on the side." We are constantly developing our skills so that we can continue to improve the tutoring services we offer.
We love teaching and forming strong tutoring partnerships with our students. Our focus is entirely on tutoring and helping your child be successful in school and in life. Our ultimate goal is to help students become independent learners and problem solvers so that they go to college prepared to succeed in life. Our tutors not only pass a rigorous background check, but they must also ace an interview and training process that tests their knowledge of the subject areas they wish to tutor and their ability to effectively teach those subjects. Being a certified teacher or tutor isn't enough and even having years of experience isn't enough - we only hire the most highly qualified, compassionate tutors.
Available In-Person or Online
Currently, students can choose to attend tutoring in-person or by Zoom. In-person sessions take place at our office at 2500 Galen Drive - a convenient, quiet location in Southwest Champaign, Illinois, just minutes away from Next Generation, Centennial High School, Central High School, Uni High School, Urbana High School, St. Thomas More, and Judah Christian.
Our online tutoring is just as strong as our in-person tutoring. We support our students by teaching them the skills they need to be successful in remote learning. Students upload their homework online (usually by taking a picture of it or sending us a PDF or a link with the homework in it) with our online program so that we explain how to do problems directly on your homework page. We also use our own materials to supplement what your child is learning in class. In some cases, our students need hands-on manipulatives that help them grasp more difficult math concepts.
We'll Use Your Curriculum or You Can Use Ours
We meet our students' math and science learning needs through academic tutoring and academic coaching. If your child is struggling in school, we work directly with their homework and curriculum. We have years of experience helping students make sense of CPM math and Common Core math, along with every other math curriculum found in middle and high schools in Champaign County and other communities nearby. We teach students how to teach themselves, which is critical to getting an A or B in any math class from pre-algebra to advanced calculus.
Some of our students aren't challenged enough in school, and they don't need to work on homework in tutoring. They come to us looking for a challenge, and so we help them work through a rigorous math curriculum that elite math students around the world have used for decades.
Many of our students combine homework help tutoring with additional challenging math. We work with our students and their parents to determine what will help them most.
We specialize in math and science help for students in middle school, high school, and college. We also offer ACT, SAT, PSAT, SSAT prep and college application essay writing. Our most popular courses are:
- Elementary math (6th grade math and higher)
- Pre-algebra, Algebra I and II
- Geometry
- Pre-calculus and Trigonometry
- Calculus, AP Calc AB and BC, Business Calculus
- Chemistry and AP Chemistry
- Physics and AP Physics
- College-level biology classes (MCB, IB, and more)
- College-level physics classes
- College-level chemistry classes
- College-level Calculus I and II
- Statistics and AP Statistics
The majority of our students are college-bound students in grades 6 - 12 and college freshmen and sophomores. Many parents initially seek tutoring for a child who is struggling with a math or science class, or a child who needs help getting organized, staying motivated, and getting focused. Most of our students come from Uni, Central, Centennial, St. Thomas More, Mahomet-Seymour, Monticello, Judah Christian, St. Joe/Ogden, Unity, and Urbana High Schools. We also work with students from other Illinois cities, including Peoria, Springfield, Charleston, Chicago, and Effingham.
Whether you sign up for one-on-one or small group tutoring, you will be assigned to a tutor who is an expert in the subject in which you need help. You'll meet with that tutor regularly -- it's vital that you work with the same person consistently so that you can see real results. With that said, we work as a team. On the rare occasion that your tutor is sick or can't make it to tutoring, or if you have to reschedule a tutoring session to a time your regular instructor is unavailable, we make every effort to pair you with another tutor at your regular tutoring time or another time that works for you.
In-person tutoring sessions take place at 2500 Galen Drive. We're on the 2nd floor in the west building. Students can also meet their tutor by Zoom.
Yes, we offer Zoom tutoring in addition to in-person tutoring. Students can do exclusively one or the other, or they can mix in-person and Zoom tutoring. Student privacy and safety is critically important to us, so our Zoom sessions are secured with a password and a waiting room to control who is allowed into the session.
Yes, students can meet in-person at our office. Students can do exclusively one or the other, or they can mix in-person and Zoom tutoring.
During the school year, our tutors see students on Sundays from 10AM-6PM and Mondays-Fridays 2:30PM-9:30PM. Please note that not all tutors have the same availability.
We have a waiting area at our office for any parents who wish to wait on site.
The rates for tutoring and coaching packages can be found on our registration page. While you can purchase single sessions without purchasing a package, we strongly recommend that students commit to a package of tutoring hours. Students need time and consistency to build better habits that lead to better grades and higher test scores.
Packages of hours cannot be split between students, including siblings. For example, families and friends may not purchase a package with the intention of one student using some of the hours and another child using the remaining hours.
Packages of hours cannot be split between students, including siblings. For example, families and friends may not purchase a package with the intention of one student using some of the hours and another child using the remaining hours.
Yes, but we strongly encourage students to purchase and redeem a package of hours so that they can build better habits over time. Single sessions can be purchased from the schedule above.
Students and their families choose a package(s) of hours on our registration page. After paying for the package of hours, you can schedule your hours as you need them. When your package of hours runs out, you can add another package.
All of our tutoring is packaged into pay-as-you-go packages. Students and their families choose a package(s) of hours on our registration page. After paying for the package of hours, you can schedule your hours as you need them. When your package of hours runs out, you can add another package or discontinue tutoring.
All tutoring hours must be scheduled and redeemed within 135 days of purchase. After this time, they expire.
All tutoring hours must be scheduled and redeemed within 135 days of purchase. After this time, they expire.
Students can purchase individual sessions. However, we strongly recommend students commit to a package of tutoring or coaching hours. Students need to build better habits over time.
Committing to new habits is the only way we can improve, so committing to tutoring is vital to getting better grades and having more confidence in school. We are ready to work with students and parents who are ready to commit to hard work, habit changes, and the success that follows. Thousands of students have come through Illini Tutoring and well over 90% of students continue tutoring with Illini Tutoring with us because our system really works.
Committing to new habits is the only way we can improve, so committing to tutoring is vital to getting better grades and having more confidence in school. We are ready to work with students and parents who are ready to commit to hard work, habit changes, and the success that follows. Thousands of students have come through Illini Tutoring and well over 90% of students continue tutoring with Illini Tutoring with us because our system really works.
There are no fees beyond what you purchase through our registration page.
All tutoring sessions are purchased through Acuity, which is powered by Square. Square accepts credit and debit cards. If you wish to pay by Zelle, or personal check, please email us. Personal checks must be processed before tutoring begins.
As soon as you pay for your package of hours, you can schedule them right away! We highly recommend scheduling all your hours as soon as you know when you want to use them: our schedules fill up every semester.
If students need to change their tutoring time, students must reschedule their tutoring or coaching times at least 24 hours in advance. Students schedule and reschedule their hours directly on Acuity.
We will not reschedule any one-on-one sessions if less than 24 hours notice is given, regardless of the reason. Students are able to make up missed and forgotten sessions at our Make-Up Tutoring hours, which are scheduled for different days and times each month.
We will not reschedule any one-on-one sessions if less than 24 hours notice is given, regardless of the reason. Students are able to make up missed and forgotten sessions at our Make-Up Tutoring hours, which are scheduled for different days and times each month.
Every student is different. We designed our packages like this:
Essential: An Essential package is meant for students who need just a little bit of support. These are great add-on packages for students who've completed a bigger package of hours and who need a little more support to reach their goals.
Honors: Honors packages are perfect for many students. An Honors Academic Tutoring is meant for students who want once-a-week tutoring after registering at the beginning of the semester, or twice-a-week tutoring after registering in the middle of the semester.
Scholar: Scholar packages are ideal for students who want twice-a-week tutoring after registering at the beginning of the semester, or more intensive three-or-four-times-a-week tutoring after registering in the middle of the semester. Students in AP Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, along with Precalculus or AP Calculus, typically sign up for a Scholar package.
A more complete guide to Test Prep packages can be found here.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. We offer a variety of packages to accommodate many tutoring needs, academic goals, family budgets, and student availabilities. As soon as you use up a package of hours, you can add another one. The larger the package, the lower the cost per session. Packages of hours must be scheduled and redeemed within 135 days, and they can only be used for one student.*
*Academic Tutoring packages may be used for duo or group tutoring for no additional cost.
Essential: An Essential package is meant for students who need just a little bit of support. These are great add-on packages for students who've completed a bigger package of hours and who need a little more support to reach their goals.
Honors: Honors packages are perfect for many students. An Honors Academic Tutoring is meant for students who want once-a-week tutoring after registering at the beginning of the semester, or twice-a-week tutoring after registering in the middle of the semester.
Scholar: Scholar packages are ideal for students who want twice-a-week tutoring after registering at the beginning of the semester, or more intensive three-or-four-times-a-week tutoring after registering in the middle of the semester. Students in AP Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, along with Precalculus or AP Calculus, typically sign up for a Scholar package.
A more complete guide to Test Prep packages can be found here.
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. We offer a variety of packages to accommodate many tutoring needs, academic goals, family budgets, and student availabilities. As soon as you use up a package of hours, you can add another one. The larger the package, the lower the cost per session. Packages of hours must be scheduled and redeemed within 135 days, and they can only be used for one student.*
*Academic Tutoring packages may be used for duo or group tutoring for no additional cost.
Students must bring whatever they need for class, including the textbook, a calculator, a notebook, pencils, notes, past homework assignments and tests, and any assignments that they need help with. Students are encouraged to spend a few minutes before each tutoring session to look over the past week's material and note which questions or topics they struggled with. This makes each tutoring session productive and beneficial. Sometimes students forget their textbooks at school - we have most of the textbooks right here at our office.
Tutoring can help busy students spend less time doing homework all while understanding the material better. There are many different times available to suit every family's busy schedule. Many busy students like to meet over the weekend so they can start the week prepared. Students can be involved in sports, clubs, band, and more, and STILL get the best grades possible!
