Growing evidence shows that parents are increasingly invested to secure their children with better life chances, and private tutoring is a common site where parents’ aspirations are enacted. Adopting parentocracy as a framework (Brown, British Journal of Sociology of Education 11:65–86, 1990), this chapter explores Hong Kong parents’ criteria in the selection of tutoring services and examines aspects prioritized in their decisions. Drawing on data from interviews with 41 parents of a local secondary school in Hong Kong, findings suggest that parents have a range of considerations in selection than mere grade improvement. Their criteria include tutor–tutee relationship, teaching styles, type and modes of tutoring, outcomes and cost. This chapter highlights the relational dimension of tutoring which is central to students’ receptiveness and perceived effectiveness. It extends to note the greater sense of students’ agency embedded in parents’ decision-making process, which offers a new perspective to understanding parentocracy which is typically seen as parents driven.