BECOMING A PEER TUTOR

The Two Peer Tutoring Programs

 On-Call Peer Tutors (OPTs)

To be an on-call peer tutor, you must be a registered student in Harvard College or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.  The peer tutors include approximately 500 talented students each year, with varied backgrounds and interests.   Students with career interests in teaching or other helping professions appreciate the opportunity for hands-on practice, and students with other career interests appreciate the opportunity to work with the concepts and materials of their field.  Peer tutoring could be a wonderful experience for you if you:

• have earned a B+ or better in the subject(s) you want to tutor
• are interested in helping other students
• would like to share your enthusiasm for a particular subject
• are sensitive to others' difficulties with their coursework

Students seek formal peer tutoring from other students for many reasons: to discuss new information and concepts they are learning; to review material they already know; to refresh their mastery of material they have forgotten; to prepare for a test, exam, or presentation; or simply to get academic assistance beyond the help provided by the course faculty and teaching fellows.

On-call peer tutors are required to complete an on-line training and attend a tutor orientation session.  For more information, to access the Peer Tutor Handbook, and to apply on-line, please see below. 

 Award Peer Tutors (APTs)

APT's must have the same qualifications as OPT's.  In addition, they commit to tutor at least two students at all times during the academic year and to attend weekly meetings to discuss their work with each other and a supervisor.  APT candidates are ordinarily nominated by faculty or have served previously as on-call tutors; about 15 tutors are selected each year.  Applications are accepted in spring and early summer.

(Note that first-year students are not ordinarily eligible to be Peer Tutors, although occasionally they may begin in their second term.)

Most Frequently Requested Courses
for Peer Tutoring

 Most peer tutoring requests are for math and science courses as well as the large economics and statistics courses. Students who can tutor one or more of these courses usually get regular work.  We receive requests for Peer Tutors in over 190 different courses each year and never know what request may come our way.

Compensation

Peer tutors earn $14 per hour.  Peer tutors in the Award Peer Tutor Group earn $16 per hour and are required to attend a weekly group supervision meeting.   

Peer Tutor Applications

On-Call Peer Tutors (OPTs)

Eligible Harvard College students will receive an email each August with details of how to apply to become a tutor.  We encourage you to apply in the late summer, either in person at the Bureau of Study Counsel or by downloading the electronic application form. The upcoming year’s application form will become available in August.  Students may apply during the academic school year as well.

The Handbook for Peer Tutors is a guide for tutors and contains valuable information and guidelines for Peer Tutors.

You may not accept a tutoring job until your application has been completed and processed.  This includes:

·         Peer Tutoring Application Form

·         Employment/Tax Forms (takes 2-3 business days to be processed by HU Payroll)

·         Completion of online training (approximately 30 minutes) An email will be sent to you from Lori Nelson with a link to the On-Line training, after we process your application

·         Scheduling of Peer Tutoring Orientation meeting (at end of online training)

Please call 617-495-2581 or e-mail bsc@bsc.harvard.edu if you have any questions or to get more information.

Award Peer Tutoring (APT)

Applications are accepted in late spring and early summer for this special tutoring group.  In addition to submitting an application, candidates may also be interviewed by Bureau staff. 

Those selected for the groups are notified during the summer.