Academic Approach

At Academic Approach, we are an organization of educators, expert in the college-readiness space with a passion for raising student achievement on college-entrance exams, such as the ACT and SAT. Founded in 2001 by Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D., Academic Approach differentiates itself and its instruction through a unique brand of skills-based test preparationTM. While teaching college freshmen at Columbia University in New York and tutoring high school students preparing for the SAT and ACT, Pietrafetta developed a rigorous instructional commitment not only to raising his students? test scores but also to developing their vital college-readiness skills. Mission:?Academic Approach began with a focused mission: to mentor students while building their skills and confidence as they fill in essential gaps in curriculum that prevent them from being fully successful both on the test and in the classroom. Over time, Academic Approach has developed instructional content, services, and staff in order to reach thousands of students in the Chicago, North Shore (IL), New York, and Boston areas, raising scores, growing skills, and opening doors to higher education.