Focus Tutors & Test Prep

From Students

“Chris Falcinelli provided a tutoring experience I could not have gotten anywhere else. His style was new and refreshing and after having run the gamut of other New York tutoring companies, I was quite happy to find Focus Tutors. They helped me flourish and I am happy to say I learned a lot more than testing techniques from my time with Chris.”
— Josh Gordon, Fieldston ’07, Yale ’11

“New York City has a lot of tutors, but Chris is truly the best of the best. He understands exactly how to achieve a high score on the SAT, and his teaching approach is clear, pragmatic, and effective. His students have the scores to prove it.”
— Ben Noble (Horace Mann ’09, Brown ’13)

“With his straightforward strategies and insightful approach, Chris helped me raise my scores and my confidence at a time when the SAT is just one of the many hoops we all have to jump through. Chris is knowledgeable and engaging, understanding yet demanding. His command of the material is extraordinary, and he provided me with the means and the mindset I needed to realize my full potential. We worked through anxieties and bad habits, and in the end, I'm almost tempted to say that the Focus method helped me turn standardized testing into an enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend Chris and his tutors to anyone looking for the most competent and effective SAT prep around.”
— Jake Karr, Brooklyn Friends ’09, Brown ’13

“Chris was extremely helpful as well as fun and flexible to work with. He got to know me and convinced me to look at the SAT in a entirely different and more effective way. My lessons with him on the SAT also helped me to look at the SAT II on my own.”
— Sam Segal, Friends Seminary ’09, Columbia ’13

"Chris is the tutor that everyone deserves to have. Working apart while I was at boarding school wasn't even a problem because he presented the SAT in such a way that I could identify my own mistakes, and work productively on my own. In addition, he seemed always to be able to make time for me when I came back from school. He taught me a whole new way to understand the test, and I find that even in school I've become a better multiple choice test taker. Finally, his sense of humor made our sessions, well, as fun as the SAT can be.”
— Nathaniel Sobel, Hotchkiss ’08, Yale ’12

“Working with Chris was the best thing I could've done to prepare for the SATS. From the methodical and thorough approach to math to the creative tips for the essay, Chris gave clarity, thoughtfulness, humor (and points) to my SAT experience.”
— Meredith Greenberg, Fieldston ’07, Dartmouth ’11

“Working with Chris was a critical step on the path to my top-choice school. Under his instruction my SAT scores jumped from 1280 to 1530 and I achieved SAT II results that I was proud to send to the most competitive universities. Chris’s teaching method is powerful and consistent. He understands his students, demands a lot from them and leaves them with the all the technical skills they need to gain competitive advantage on standardized tests. Chris taught me to take tests with speed and accuracy—a lesson that continues to serve me well in college. He is simply an excellent teacher, among the best I’ve encountered at Trinity School and Harvard College.”
— James Hirschfeld, Trinity ’04, Harvard ’08

From Parents

“I have three very different children—in temperament, learning style, intensity and skill level. Chris was able to reach out and work with each of them at the right place, in the right way, to maximize their test work. He did as well with my quiet, hesitant daughter as he did with her confident, competitive older brother. His approach was rigorous but flexible, demanding their best effort in a manner that enabled them to give it. Chris is a total professional, and a great friend after six years of working with my three. I recommend Chris and his company without hesitation.”
— Anne Gilchrist Hall, Former President, Board of Trustees, Prep for Prep; mother of Jay (Collegiate ’03, Penn ’07), Patsy (Millbrook ’08, Northwestern ’12) and Willy (Columbia Prep ’08, NYU ’12)

“Chris Falcinelli is a grandmaster of the SAT; a marvel of assurance, tone, wit, strategy, intellect, gamesmanship and patience. Even the most SAT-resistant kids, will triumph under his guidance.”
— Ileene Smith Sobel, mother of Nathaniel (Hotchkiss ’08, Yale ’12)

“Chris is a terrific facilitator who helped our sons realize their testing potential. He devised a customized strategy based on the particular needs of each student and then methodically addressed them. Chris is quite professional, interacts well with teenagers, and gets his students to work at their highest levels. Under Chris's tutelage, each of our eldest sons (we have two to go) scored in the 99th percentile of the SAT. We would highly recommend Chris to other families and are available to answer further questions, if any.”
— Todd Slotkin, father of Matthew (Trinity ’07, Yale ’11) and William (Trinity ’09)

“Chris Falcinelli is one of the few people in the test business that simplifies rather than complicates your life. He is no nonsense. His results are nothing short of astounding. I am not sure what else a parent could ask for. He has worked with a daughter applying to college who says he is the best person she ever worked with. He has also worked with a son applying to high school, who would never have managed the tests without Chris. Any one who needs a longer—there is no higher—recommendation need only call me.”
— Elizabeth Press, mother of Katherine (Columbia Prep ’07, Princeton ’11) and Hal (Riverdale ’12)

“Chris Falcinelli is among the best things that has ever happened to our family. Not only did my son's test scores go flying up (putting him in the range for admission to any college) but the time he spent with Chris also improved his grades by honing his critical reading and writing skills. That is just the beginning. Time with Chris during the summer and on weekends should have been the kind of thing that a teenage boy would resist. Instead, my son welcomed his visits, woke up early to prepare and thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. Chris has the kind of personality that provides kids with personal, intellectual and moral guidance in the most upbeat way. I have recommended him to friends who have all had the same positive experience. He is a pure pleasure to have in the house and I am only sorry that there are no more SATs to prepare for!”
— Camille Douglas, mother of Alex (Hotchkiss ’08, Haverford ’12)

“We were referred to Chris by a friend in 2000, when our oldest child was a Junior at Trinity School in New York. From the first moment we encountered Chris’s articulate, authoritative, yet friendly manner, we sensed that we’d found someone who could maximize almost any teenager’s standardized test-taking ability and confidence. We were right. The degree of mastery over this intricate and often tricky medium that Chris was able to instill in our two older children, surely became a critical factor in their ultimate acceptance to Harvard College. Chris is currently working with our third child as well, along with many other families to whom we have done the great service of referring Chris. Chris has an uncanny understanding of the ever-changing nuances of standardized testing—ranging from how and why questions are actually formulated to optimal test-taking strategies. Perhaps more importantly, Chris has the “cool” yet disciplined “desk-side manner” to motivate his students without intimidating them, understanding how to shore up each individual’s weak points while harnessing his or her strengths. A happy and successful husband and father, Chris understands children, families and how to manage and channel the often extreme anxiety this pre-college process can exert on both. Chris can help transform a potentially negative and damaging experience into a positive and affirming one.”
— John and Meg Hirschfeld, parents of Alexa (Trinity ’02, Harvard ’06) James (Trinity ’04, Harvard ’08) and Nicolas (Trinity ’09)

“Chris Falcinelli first came to my attention in 2004, when my son Sam was first applying to college and had to take the SAT. He was recommended to us by the upscale part of the Rockaway community who believed he could perform miracles. With a very focused and intense study demeanor, Chris enabled Sam to raise his score 200 points to a 1510, and to gain admittance to Washington University in St. Louis. This was only the start of our relationship. Since that time he has helped my daughter score 150 points higher, to a 1290, which helped her in getting a scholarship to the U of Miami. Best of all was my third daughter, who never scored well on standardized tests. She improved her score 140 points and gained early admission to Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.”
— Russ Gittle, father of Sam (Poly Prep ’04, Wash U ’08), Julie (Poly ’06, Miami ’10) and Deena (Poly ’08, Franklin & Marshall ’12)

“To all of you who may have the opportunity to work with Focus, do not hesitate to take advantage of this opportunity. I am a weathered parent of college applicants and only wish my eldest daughter had known about Chris’s program and strategies. My second daughter worked with Chris, and through drills and hard work, she increased her Math and Reading scores by over 100 and 130 points respectively. I was impressed with Chris’s professionalism, knowledge, manner and sense of humor. Since he makes the experience more than bearable, even interesting sometimes (that’s no stretch), he deserves not only your child's undivided attention but yours as well. I cannot recommend him enough. In fact, I hope he will have time to work with my youngest child in the near future. There is the most credible recommendation—further employment of Chris and his unique program.”
— Loretta Davis, mother of Julia (Chapin ’06, NYU ’10) and Macgill (St. George’s ’10)

“Chris emphasizes that test taking is a specific skill that can be learned successfully. His low-key approach minimizes test anxiety and increases self confidence. I think that my daughter was shocked when the extraordinary improvement in her test scores confirmed Chris’s matter-of-fact high expectation level.”
— Larry Fuchsman, father of Abby (Brooklyn Friends ’08, Bard ’12)

“Christopher Falcinelli tutored both of my children for the SAT and achieved a perfect balance of rigor and reassurance. I credit him with improving my daughter’s math score by more than 150 points and making it possible for my son to survive the exam at all. Both children were accepted by excellent colleges.”
— Janet Checkman, mother of Alex (Calhoun ’06, Skidmore ’10) and Joseph (Birch Wathen Lenox ’08, Wheaton ’12)

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