Our story

For the students,
by the students.

TaughtByStudents was built on a simple bet: the most effective tutors are the ones who just went through it — not professors, not textbooks, but real students who remember exactly what was hard.

How it started
Born during
the pandemic.

In 2020, when schools closed and students across the country found themselves scrambling for academic support, TaughtByStudents launched to fill the gap. The premise was straightforward: connect students with college tutors who had recently mastered the same material.

What started as a local effort quickly grew into a nationwide online platform — one that emphasized relatability and curriculum knowledge over age and credentials. Our tutors don't just know the subject; they know the tests, the tricks, and the exact moments students tend to get stuck.

"The most effective tutor is someone who just figured out the same problem you're stuck on."
— TaughtByStudents, founding principle
The people behind it
Meet the founders.
SF
Sameer Fazil ↗
Co-founder & CEO
Cloud Engineer with a degree in Computer Information Systems. Sameer built TaughtByStudents from the ground up on one belief: the best tutor is someone who just went through it themselves.
AA
Adeel Arif ↗
Co-founder & COO
Incoming medical student at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. Adeel holds a BS in Human Biology from Hunter College and an MS in Applied Analytics from Columbia University, with research experience at Columbia Medical Center and OpenAI.
AA
Amber Arif ↗
Head of Tutors
Research Assistant at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Amber oversees every tutor on the platform — making sure each student gets paired with someone who's genuinely the right fit.
What we believe
The principles
we build on.
🤝

Relatability is everything

Students learn better from someone who recently sat in the same seat, took the same tests, and faced the same challenges.

🎯

Curriculum-first matching

We match by subject mastery, not just availability. The right tutor for AP Chem is someone who aced AP Chem — recently.

🌱

Accessible to everyone

Quality tutoring shouldn't depend on your zip code or family income. We keep sessions affordable on purpose.

Ready to find
your tutor?

It takes two minutes to get matched with a college student who just aced what you're studying.

Get started today