Frequently Asked Questions
Which colleges have admitted Vox Veritas clients?
Vox Veritas students have been accepted to:
Amherst, U. of Arizona, Arizona State U., Bard, Barnard, Bates, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin, Brandeis, U. of British Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSB, UCSC, UCSD, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), California Lutheran, Cal Poly, U. of Cambridge (England), Carleton, Chapman Clark U., School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Art Academy of Cincinnati, Coe, Colby, Colgate, University of Colorado, Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Columbia College (Chicago), Connecticut College, Creighton, Dartmouth, Davidson, Denison, U. of Denver, DePaul U., DePauw, Drexel U., Duke U., Fort Lewis College, Franklin and Marshall, Georgetown, George Washington, Georgia Tech, Grinnell, Hamilton, Harvard, Haverford, University of Hawaii, Hendrix U., Hillsdale, Hobart and William Smith, Holy Cross, U. of Indiana, U. of Iowa, Johns Hopkins, Kalamazoo College, University of Kansas, Kenyon, Lafayette, Lewis and Clark, Loyola Marymount, Loyola U. Chicago, Lynn U., U. of Maine, Maine College of Art, Marist College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Miami University (OH), U. of Miami (FL), U. of Michigan, Middlebury, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Mt. Holyoke, U.S. Naval Academy, New York U. (NYU), U. of North Carolina, Northeastern, Northwestern, Oberlin, The Ohio State U., Ohio Wesleyan, U. of Oregon, Pacific Lutheran, Penn State, University of Pennsylvania, Pepperdine, Pomona, U. of Portland, Princeton, Puget Sound, Purdue, U. of Redlands, Rice, University of Rochester, Roger Williams University, St. Lawrence, St. Michael’s, St. Olaf, U. of San Diego, U. of San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sarah Lawrence, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Smith, University of South Carolina, USC, Southern Methodist University (SMU), Stanford, Syracuse U., Temple U., Texas A&M, University of Texas-Austin, Texas Christian U., Trinity College (Hartford, CT), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), Tufts, Vanderbilt, Vassar, U. of Vermont, Villanova, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth U., Wake Forest U., U. of Washington, Washington University (St. Louis), Wellesley, Wesleyan, Whitman, Whittier, William and Mary, U. of Wisconsin, College of Wooster, and Worcester Polytechnic.
Why hire a college consultant?
The two main reasons—though there are many, call us to discuss!—are equally important. First, college admissions have changed over the last thirty, twenty, or even ten years. Not only have acceptance rates for many selective schools fallen significantly since you may have applied to your alma mater, but colleges now use different metrics for acceptance. In addition, most colleges have made it a very high priority to have a racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse student body. This changes the admissions picture, as does the increasing number of international students. The more selective the college, the more diverse it is, which means if you’re not ethnically diverse and/or an underrepresented minority, you must work harder to be noticed.
But at Vox Veritas we believe it’s best to be noticed for being you, not for being some mythical creature you imagine colleges might accept. The Vox Veritas Method was created to allow students to discover their own distinctive voice and apply to colleges as themselves, in a voice that colleges will recognize as genuine.
Second, preparing for college can create anxiety for both students and parents. We specifically developed the Vox Veritas Method to defuse stress right from the start, preserving the joy of the high school years as well as family relationships.
Is it unethical to hire a college consultant?
Absolutely not. We wouldn’t be offering this service if it were! From the start, we established the strongest ethical standards in the industry, and then found a professional association that shared our values. All Vox Veritas consultants are members of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), which not only maintains the highest ethical standards, but requires mandatory ethics training for its members.
But why do people question the ethics of college consultants? First, perhaps those who don’t know what we do harbor a sneaking suspicion that consultants write essays for their students, or perform other work students should complete themselves. That behavior is unethical, and we disapprove in the strongest possible terms. Vox Veritas and every consultancy we’ve ever known aspires to a higher ethical standard.
Beyond that, many of us like to feel that no one person should have an advantage over another. But the simple truth is that many of us live in safe, comfortable homes while many in the world do not. We’re born equal, but we’re not born with equal opportunities. Many of our children enjoy music lessons, club soccer, swim teams, golf, family travel, and ACT/SAT prep courses. 26% of us provide our children with the services of an independent college consultant. The good news is that we all do the best we can to reach out and help those without similar advantages. The vast majority of independent college admissions counselors who belong to IECA, offer significant pro bono services as part of their practices. At Vox Veritas, we care deeply about students who can’t afford a college consultant. Our client base consists of a minimum of 10-20% pro bono clients, and we donate a percentage of income to scholarship funds.
How many clients do you have?
When do students usually start this process?
What practical benefit do you offer that my student can't get on his or her own?
What do you know that I don't know, and how do I know that you know it? What tangible evidence do I have of your value?
Is this some sort of canned approach—a formula?
Do you only work with "high-achieving" clients?
Aren't the colleges on to you? Can't they tell when a student uses a consultant?
How does Vox Veritas support our community?
Are you accredited by any college consulting best practices or standards group?
Yes, we’re a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), known for its mandatory training in ethics and rigorous ethical standards.