How can InstaEDU help?

InstaEDU is a great tool for anyone who needs help grasping an academic subject, preparing for a test or working through a piece of writing. InstaEDU allows you to work with a tutor from a top college who can not only answer all of your questions but also help you grasp the larger concepts. You'll connect in an online learning space that includes video and text chat, a shared whiteboard, homework uploading and document editing.

How does InstaEDU work?

To get matched up with tutor, simply visit www.instaedu.com and search for any subject.

From there, you can browse our tutors. You'll be able to choose to work with a tutor who is available at that moment or send a message to any tutor to set up a lesson. If you choose to work with an tutor immediately, InstaEDU will find you a match in minutes. We'll then connect you with your tutor in the lesson space where you can work together for as long (or short) as you wish. You'll have access to video, audio and text chat and be able to upload documents, draw on a chalkboard and edit papers in real time.

If you want to message a tutor (or multiple tutors), you should receive a response within 24 hours. From there, you can get to know the tutor better and decide on a time to meet. When the time for your lesson arrives, simply click on the link in your confirmation email to enter the lesson space and get started.

What do I need in order to use InstaEDU?

To use InstaEDU, you must have access to a computer and you or your parents must have a valid credit or debit card. Please also make sure that you have the latest version of Flash installed so you can take advantage of video and audio chat (get it here: get.adobe.com/flashplayer).

Who can use InstaEDU?

Anyone ages 13 and older can sign up for InstaEDU.

What subjects can I get help with?

InstaEDU can help with all subjects from an elementary through college level. You can view a full list of the subjects we support here: http://instaedu.com/subjects/. If there's a subject that you can't find in our search box, please let us know at support@instaedu.com so we can add it.

Who will be helping me?

All of our tutors are current students at (or graduates of) top colleges like Stanford and Harvard. Studies have shown that better educated individuals are more effective teachers, and we want to ensure that you're working with the best instructors out there. We also screen each of our tutors personally so we can guarantee that you'll be working with someone who really knows how to teach. You can learn more about an individual tutor by checking out their profile and reading reviews left by other students.

What happens if I select 'Start a lesson now'?

When you request immediate help with a subject, InstaEDU starts notifying tutors who are currently online and who we think would be a good match. When one of them accepts the request, you'll have a chance to review their information before connecting in our online lesson space.

How long will it take to match me with a tutor?

Our average match time is about a minute, but it can take up to 5 minutes to match you with a great tutor.

Can I choose a specific tutor to work with immediately?

Currently, you are not able to choose a specific tutor if you want to get started right away, but you will be able to learn a little about him or her before you begin the lesson. If there's someone specific that you'd like to work with and you're not in a rush, you can easily send him or her a message and schedule a lesson.

What happens if InstaEDU can't find a tutor?

It's rare that we won't be able to connect you with a tutor if you ask to start a lesson now, but it can occasionally happen if there aren't many tutor for your subject currently online. If you've waited 5 minutes and we still haven't found a tutor, we'll help you message a handful of our best tutors to find a time to meet as soon as possible. Time isn't counted until you start working with a tutor, so it won't affect billed or free time.

How do I schedule a lesson?

Scheduling a lesson is simple. Visit InstaEDU's homepage and search for the topic you're interested in. From there, you can browse tutor profiles to find someone who you think would be a good fit. From each tutor's profile, it's easy to send them a message to find a convenient time to meet.

What does the 'Find the perfect tutor' message form do?

'Find the perfect tutor' allows you to start a conversation with several awesome tutors and choose which you'd like to work with. Simply use the message form to say what you're working on, when you'd like to meet and any additional questions you have. When you submit the message, we'll send it to a handful of tutors that we think would be a great fit, and you'll start receiving replies from them shortly.

How do asynchronous written lessons work?

If you don't want to do a live lesson, you can choose to submit a question and receive a written lesson from a tutor. In doing so, you'll also specify the due date and the amount of time you'd like you tutor to spend on the lesson. When a tutor submits the lesson, you'll receive an email letting you know and the tutoring time you specified will be counted as tutoring time for billing purposes. If you don't receive a written lesson before the due date you specified, the time will not be counted.

How does Test Prep on InstaEDU work?

You and your tutor will connect in an online learning space that includes video and text chat, a shared whiteboard, homework uploading and document editing. Throughout your course, we'll send you practice SAT or ACT tests to take, then grade and analyze them, so you can get used to the test and track your progress. We'll also send you each an SAT book, so you can work together on the same exercises.

Who are InstaEDU's Test Prep tutors?

All of our test prep tutors are (or were) students at top colleges, aced the SAT or ACT themselves, and have experience helping other students master standardized tests. We personally screen each one to ensure that you have the best possible experience.

How do I set up Test Prep lessons?

We know how important the SAT and ACT are, so we take a very hands-on approach to getting you started. You can check out our tutors and submit a request here. Someone from our team will follow up with you shortly to get started.

Can I use InstaEDU without a webcam?

While we recommend working together over video chat for maximum effectiveness, you can also choose to work via audio or text-based chat.

Do I need any special software in order to use InstaEDU?

You don't need any special software to use InstaEDU. All you need is the latest version of Flash (get it here: get.adobe.com/flashplayer) and an Internet connection. That's it!

How much does InstaEDU cost?

InstaEDU tutoring starts at just $24/hour depending on how much tutoring you're interested in. We offer three subscriptions, which can be updated or canceled at any time. Each subscription includes a free trial. Subscription minutes do not roll over week-to-week. Our three subscriptions are:

• 15 minutes/week at a rate of $9/week (additional time just 60¢/minute)
• 30 minutes/week at a rate of $15/week (additional time just 50¢/minute)
• 2 hours/week at a rate of $48/week (additional time just 40¢/minute)

If you choose not to continue your subscription, you can still use tutoring time at a rate of 75¢/minute. SAT and ACT packages are sold separately. You can learn more and view those packages here.

How does the InstaEDU free trial work?

We want to show you how awesome our tutors are before asking you to pay, which is why everyone gets the first week of their InstaEDU subscription for free. This includes 15, 30 or 120 minutes of tutoring time, depending on which subscription you choose. You can change or cancel your subscription at any time. If you use less that your weekly subscription time and cancel within the first week, your card will never be charged. Your trial time is valid for the first week you sign up and does not roll over into any additional weeks.

What counts as tutoring time for billing purposes?

The following things are counted as tutoring time:

• Time spent in a live tutoring lesson with a tutor while the lesson is in progress
• Time bid on an asynchronous written lesson where a tutor submits a lesson
• Scheduled lessons that are missed without being canceled in advance
• Half of a scheduled lesson duration that is canceled less that 24 hours in advance
• Lessons less than 5 minutes will be counted as 5-minutes
• All partial minutes are rounded up to the nearest minute

Please note that subscription minutes do not roll over week-to-week and subscription rates are not reduced in the case of unused minutes.