WyzAnt News

Scholarships recognize ambitious students and their most important life lesson.

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace for private tutors and students, today announced the winners of the 2012 WyzAnt College Scholarship Contest. After several months of voting, three deserving students have been selected to receive a total of $10,000 in college scholarship funding.

In a short essay, applicants shared stories on WyzAnt.com about the most important lesson they had learned in their lives. During the preliminary round, site visitors could read the essays and vote for their favorites. In the final round, hundreds of current WyzAnt tutors voted to narrow the finalists to three outstanding winners.

“WyzAnt prides itself on the quality and selection of tutors available through our online tutor marketplace,” said Andrew Geant, WyzAnt.com co-founder and CEO. “But what this contest shows is that our tutor quality is equally matched by the amazing students across the country. It was truly inspiring to read these outstanding essays and the entire WyzAnt.com team wishes every participant the best of luck as they go forward and accomplish great things.”

The first place recipient, Jesse Barnes, a senior from Spencer High School in Spencer, Iowa, wrote about her family and the importance of selflessness. In her piece, titled “Know the Difference,” Jesse talks about growing up with her identical twin sister during difficult financial times and learning to appreciate the sacrifices everyone in her family made for one another. Next year, Jesse will attend the University of Iowa where she and her sister will major in Biology, with aspirations to attain PhDs in the subject.

Iman Seale, a junior at East Ridge High school in Clermont, Fla., took home second place with an essay about learning to embrace and value one’s differences. In her essay, Iman shares her experience with cultural diversity and her appreciation that “the world is not a place of uniformity.” Iman plans to study Graphic Design when she goes to college in 2014. Until then, she will continue to bolster her resume as she takes advanced English and Economics classes through Florida Virtual Schools, in addition to her standard high school curriculum.

Rounding out this year’s winners was Elena Chavez, a senior from Kempner High School in Sugarland, Tex. As the first member of her family to complete high school, Elena credits her achievement to the hard work and ambition of her youngest sister. “Witnessing my young sister’s adversity and accomplishments opened my eyes and gave me the push I needed to succeed,” she writes. Elena says she is proud to be a role model to her two younger sisters and looks forward to seeing them follow in her footsteps. Elena will attend the University of Texas next year, where she plans to study Dentistry and to continue pursuing her love of the arts.

WyzAnt would like to thank all participants in this year’s college scholarship contest. To read these three essays and thousands of other inspirational stories, please visit WyzAnt College Scholarships on the web.

About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. WyzAnt’s dedication to industry leading customer service has earned it an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau. To learn more about WyzAnt, interested parties can find WyzAnt on Facebook or view WyzAnt’s LinkedIn page.

With 2012 spring SAT and ACT test dates approaching, private tutoring company WyzAnt.com reports an increased demand for standardized test tutors.

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace for private tutors and students, offers in-home tutoring in over 250 subjects including SAT and ACT test preparation. As the 2012 spring SAT and ACT test dates approach, WyzAnt reported tutoring requests for the SAT and ACT exams have increased more than 30% from February to April.

While most students engage in school-organized preparation and personal study, working with a private tutor to prepare for standardized tests like the Sat and ACT is proven to increase test scores and likely the probability of being accepted to college. In a study conducted by the NACAS (National Association for College Admissions Counseling), standardized test takers were asked what they had done to prepare for the exam. Respondents who worked with private tutors reported the most significant improvements over previous scores with an average increase of .43 points for the ACT math section and .6 points for the ACT English Section. Similar improvements were reported for the SAT exam where students who worked with private tutors received 10-20 points higher on average for subject specific sections.

Although these reported improvements might seem insignificant, surveyed college admissions counselors stated that what may seem like small improvements can have a meaningful impact on college admissions decisions. According to the NACAC study, “More than one third of postsecondary institutions agreed that an improvement on the SAT Math section of 20 points, or a score increase on the SAT-CR of 10 points, would ‘significantly improve student’s likelihood of admission.’”

WyzAnt tutor Nicole Coffineau advocates long-term test preparation over a 10 to 12 week period, although she admits just a few lessons can make a difference in raising student confidence and awareness. “Having a few lessons definitely has an impact on students because the first big hurdle is getting past the format of the exam which is significantly different than a student’s normal school work and exams. Once students get used to the logic of the test, they become more comfortable.”

Standardized tests continue to be an important part of the application process for most colleges and universities, and as competition for admission increases, more students are turning to private tutors to help improve their test scores. According to college admissions professionals and tutors like Nicole, working with a private tutor for just a few lessons and receiving even small improvements on test scores can accomplish this objective and bolster a student’s chances of admission.

About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects ranging from academics and test preparation to music instruction and computer and career training. Students and parents can review tutor profiles, subject certifications, background checks, and read WyzAnt student reviews to ensure they find the perfect match for their individual tutoring needs. Find WyzAnt on Facebook to learn more about the company and to hear what other users are saying.

Chicago Entrepreneurs Find Bootstrapping a Good Fit.

Andrew Geant and Michael Weishuhn met on the track team as undergraduates at Princeton University. Now, the two Chicago transplants have traded their track shoes for boots.

In entrepreneurial circles, "bootstrapping" means to self-fund a business. Geant and Weishuhn launched an online tutoring marketplace called WyzAnt.com in 2005. The initial money came from what Geant was earning as a math tutor to high school students and Weishuhn's income from his full-time job at a Washington-area software firm.

Today, WyzAnt is a profitable company with 32 employees based in a newly renovated Bucktown office. And the company has held on to its origins as a bootstrapped startup.

Most firms start this way out of necessity. Then, as the startup grows, financial self-reliance can evolve into a core tenet of the founder's business philosophy. Entrepreneurs who bootstrap say they enjoy the freedom of running their companies their own way, without intervention from outside investors who might have their own ideas on strategy and growth.

"We took a real practical approach to it," Geant said. "We weren't too familiar with (venture capital). Our approach was to keep control of the company as long as possible, and we were willing to compromise our lifestyle to a certain extent to do that."

Geant and Weishuhn pursued personal thriftiness with zeal. They lived in apartments or houses with extra bedrooms they could sublet at a premium to earn extra income. When going out, they looked for midweek happy hour deals — Geant has fond memories of going to Rock Bottom Brewery for $1 drafts and spending a total of $12 between the two of them.

The two friends also carefully monitored business expenses. Domain names using variations of the word "tutor" cost thousands of dollars, so they paid $20 for WyzAnt.com, a homophone for their combined surnames and a pun on "wise."

Read the full story at chicagotribune.com.

Twenty finalists to compete for $10,000 in college scholarship awards offered by WyzAnt.com.

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest marketplace for private tutors and students, last week announced the finalists for its second annual college scholarship contest. Out of thousands of applicants, 20 students were selected to move onto the final round of voting where three outstanding students will be awarded a total of $10,000 in scholarship funding.

Beginning in October, applicants composed essays about important life lessons they had learned and shared their essays on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to solicit votes on WyzAnt.com. This year, WyzAnt received essays from students in all 50 states.

“Every year the contest produces some truly inspiring and insightful stories that we’re honored to share with the WyzAnt community,” said WyzAnt director of marketing, Daniel Breiner. “I look forward to seeing who our tutors choose as this year’s winners and rewarding those students with WyzAnt scholarships.”

Throughout April, WyzAnt tutors will conduct the final round of voting and their collective votes will determine three winners from the remaining finalists. First place will be awarded $5,000 to the school of his or her choice and the second and third place winners will be awarded $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. WyzAnt.com will announce this year’s winners in early May 2012.

About this Company: WyzAnt.com is the largest marketplace for tutors and students, offering an easy-to-use and secure environment designed to foster learning though one-on-one instruction. Students and parents can visit WyzAnt.com to find tutors in a variety of subjects ranging from academics and test preparation to music instruction and computer and career training. Students can review tutor profiles, subject certifications, background checks, and tutor videos and blogs to ensure they find the perfect match for their individual tutoring needs.

National tutoring company WyzAnt helps make private education more accessible and affordable while also serving local communities by working with non-profit organizations like Open Books and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

WyzAnt.com, the nation’s largest network of private in-home tutors, was launched in 2005 to make the segmented tutoring industry more efficient and accessible for students and tutors. In 2008, the company relocated to Chicago and became an active member in Chicago’s emerging technology industry.

Since moving to Chicago, WyzAnt’s tutor base has grown by more than 500% and now features a network of over 40,000 tutors serving students in all 50 states. Students and parents may visit WyzAnt to search for tutors in a variety of disciplines and review tutor bios, backgrounds, student reviews, and even WyzAnt tutor videos to ensure they find the perfect match.

As the company grows, WyzAnt continues to find innovative ways to make affordable private education accessible to as many people as possible. In 2011 WyzAnt established a non-profit organization called WyzAid, aimed at helping other non-profits locate qualified volunteer tutors for at-risk youth. Right now WyzAid serves the Chicago community by working with partners like the Illinois Education Foundation.

In 2010, WyzAnt announced the creation of its annual college scholarship contest and awarded three college students a combined $6,000 in scholarship funding. In May, WyzAnt will announce the winners of its 2011 college scholarship contest and award a total of $10,000 to three deserving recipients.

In recent months, the WyzAnt office has expanded its community involvement by working with local Chicago charities. Last fall WyzAnt employees collected over 200 items of non-perishable food for the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s holiday supply. In February, WyzAnt employees contributed more than 250 books and DVDs to Open Books, a resale store whose proceeds fund a variety of literacy programs.

“We’re honored to be able to work with local organizations that have such a positive impact on people’s lives,” said WyzAnt community outreach coordinator Katherine Brichacek. “Seeing the office rally together to meet our donation goals is really rewarding and we’re excited to expand our community involvement as we continue to grow.”

Committed to supporting the Chicago non-profit community year round, WyzAnt’s upcoming philanthropic efforts will support 826 Chicago, a volunteer tutoring center also located in the Bucktown neighborhood. Starting this spring, WyzAnt will collect office supplies and snacks to assist 826 Chicago’s after school programs.

About this Company: WyzAnt, Inc. is a national tutor-student matching service specializing in connecting students with qualified in-home tutors. Interested parties can learn more about the company on the WyzAnt Facebook page or comment on WyzAnt’s community involvement on WyzAnt’s Twitter Page.