1. Introduction

Welcome to CollegeHound. We are committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of students using our platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our college application management platform.

CollegeHound is designed to help high school students, their families, and counselors organize and manage the college application process. We understand the sensitive nature of educational information and take our responsibility to protect student privacy seriously.

By using CollegeHound, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when creating an account and using our Service:

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, password, and profile information
• Student Information: Academic records, test scores, grades, coursework, extracurricular activities, awards, and achievements
• Family Information: Parent/guardian contact information when setting up family accounts
• College Application Data: College lists, application deadlines, essays, recommendation letter requests, and application status tracking
• Payment Information: Billing details and payment card information (processed securely through our payment processor)
• Communications: Messages sent through our platform and correspondence with our support team

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you access our Service, we automatically collect certain information:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, time spent on the platform, click patterns
• Log Information: Server logs, error reports, performance data
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Session cookies, preference cookies, analytics cookies (see Section 9)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to provide, maintain, and improve our Service:

• Provide core platform functionality for organizing college application materials
• Enable family sharing and collaboration between students, parents, and counselors
• Send important notifications about deadlines, application status, and account updates
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Respond to support requests and provide customer service
• Improve and optimize our platform based on usage patterns and feedback
• Ensure platform security and prevent fraud or abuse
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• Send marketing communications (with your consent, and you may opt out at any time)

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Family Sharing

CollegeHound's family accounts allow students to share their information with parents/guardians. When you create or join a family account, designated family members will have access to the student's profile and application materials. Students and parents can control what information is shared within the family account settings.

4.2 Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our platform:

• Cloud hosting and storage providers
• Payment processors (Stripe)
• Email service providers
• Analytics services
• Customer support tools

These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us and are prohibited from using it for their own purposes.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests, such as:

• Compliance with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
• Protection of our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public
• Detection, prevention, or addressing fraud, security, or technical issues
• Enforcement of our Terms of Service

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change and provide options regarding your information.

5. Student Privacy and Educational Records

We recognize the sensitive nature of student educational information and comply with applicable privacy laws:

5.1 FERPA Compliance

When CollegeHound is used by schools or educational institutions, we comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We act as a school official with legitimate educational interests and maintain appropriate safeguards for student education records.

5.2 COPPA Compliance

For students under 13 years of age, we comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We require verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. Parents have the right to review, delete, or refuse further collection of their child's information.

5.3 Student Data Protections

We will not sell student personal information. We will not use student data for targeted advertising. We will not build marketing profiles based on student data. Student data is used solely to provide the educational services of our platform.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Regular security assessments and penetration testing
• Access controls and authentication mechanisms
• Employee training on data privacy and security
• Incident response procedures

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our Service and fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy:

• Account information is retained while your account is active
• Student application data is retained until you request deletion
• Payment records are retained as required by law (typically 7 years)
• Usage logs and analytics data are retained for up to 2 years

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal, regulatory, or security purposes.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request access to your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Opt-Out: Opt out of marketing communications
• Restrict Processing: Request restriction of how we use your information

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Service and store certain information:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the platform to function (session management, security)
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our platform
• Marketing Cookies: Track campaign effectiveness (only with your consent)

You can control cookie settings through your browser. However, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our Service.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Service is designed for high school students, many of whom are under 18 years of age. We require parental consent for students under 18 to create accounts. Parents/guardians have full access to their student's account through our family account feature and can review, modify, or delete their child's information at any time.

For students under 13, we comply with COPPA requirements and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

If you are located outside the United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including personal information, to the United States and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy
• Sending an email notification for material changes

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]

For Data Protection/GDPR Inquiries: [email protected]

For Student Privacy/FERPA/COPPA Inquiries: [email protected]