Parents are paying teenagers $200 an hour to be their kid's spelling coach
These highly sought after coaches, some as young as 14 years old, can pull in a price tag of $200-an-hour, The Washington Post reported.
Sylvie Lamontagne, 14, is one such coach, according to The Post. She came in fourth place last year and understands how difficult the competition has become.
"As the spelling bee gets more and more difficult, there are people working harder and harder every year," Lamontagne told The Post. "There are definitely people in the last couple years who are using coaches to get to the finals."
Perhaps it seems silly to pay a teenager what could be a going rate of an adult SAT tutor. But the young age of these coaches, and their recent experience in the same position, is precisely why it works.
To qualify for the Scripps bee, spellers must not have passed the eighth grade as of February, nor reached their 15th birthday before August. For these kids who have aged out, there seems to be a booming business.
And the pricey investment might just be worth it if your kid wins the competition. This year, the first place winner, 12-year-old Ananya Vinay, took home $40,000 in cash and a $2,500 savings bond.
Read the full story at the Washington Post »
- Spiti Valley guide 2024: Stunning locations & interesting things to do
- Zydus Q4 net profit surges 4-fold to ₹1,182 cr; revenue at ₹5,534 cr
- Sebi mulls facilitating MFs to invest in overseas funds with exposure to Indian securities
- India's forex reserves jump $2.56 bn to $644.15 bn
- JSW Steel Q4 net profit falls 65% to ₹1,322 crore
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market