Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Depending on how you use the Service, we may collect:

• Account information: name, preferred name, email address, password credentials in protected form, email-verification status, profile image, and linked Google account identifiers if you choose Google sign-in.
• College-planning information: graduation year, state or country, intended majors and programs, academic records you enter, GPA, class rank, courses, test scores, activities, awards, college lists, application plans, tasks, and scholarship preferences.
• Content: essay drafts, application text, AI counselor requests and responses, counselor messages, comments, suggestions, test-prep answers and progress, and other material you submit or create.
• Communications: messages and emails exchanged with CollegeSimple, support, or counselors, including contact details and message contents.
• Subscription information: subscription status, billing period, and Stripe customer or subscription identifiers. Stripe processes payment-card details; CollegeSimple does not store full payment-card numbers.
• Device and usage information: IP address, browser or device information, session and cookie identifiers, pages and features used, performance data, security events, and AI usage totals.

We collect information directly from you, automatically when you use the Service, and from providers you use with the Service, such as Google and Stripe.

2. How We Use Information

We use personal information to:

• provide, personalize, maintain, and improve the Service;
• save your application work and provide counseling, planning, scholarship matching, and test-prep features;
• process AI requests using the context needed for the feature you choose;
• authenticate accounts, process subscriptions, send service communications, and respond to support requests;
• measure performance, enforce usage limits, prevent abuse and fraud, and protect the Service and its users;
• comply with law, enforce our Terms of Service, and establish or defend legal claims; and
• create aggregated or de-identified information that does not reasonably identify you.

3. AI Processing

When you use an AI feature, CollegeSimple sends the request and relevant account or application context to OpenAI to generate the requested result. The context varies by feature and may include application text, academics, activities, awards, essay prompts, college selections, or practice settings. Do not submit information about another person unless you are authorized to do so.

CollegeSimple stores feature inputs and outputs only as needed to provide the Service, preserve the work you ask us to save, enforce limits, and maintain safety. OpenAI processes information under its own contractual data practices. CollegeSimple does not authorize OpenAI to train its general-purpose models on CollegeSimple API content.

4. How We Disclose Information

We may disclose information to:

• Service providers: OpenAI for AI processing; Stripe for billing; Supabase for hosted data and file storage; Vercel for hosting, analytics, and performance monitoring; Resend for email delivery; Upstash for abuse prevention and rate limiting; Google for optional account sign-in; and vendors that support security or operations.
• Counselors and support personnel: when needed to provide a counseling or support interaction you request.
• Authorities or other parties: when reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect rights or safety, investigate fraud or security incidents, or enforce agreements.
• A business successor: in connection with a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or part of the Service, subject to applicable law.
• Other parties at your direction: when you request or consent to the disclosure.

CollegeSimple does not sell personal information. We also do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or use it to serve targeted advertising.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

CollegeSimple uses cookies and similar technologies for sign-in, session continuity, security, preferences, and core functionality. We also receive limited analytics and performance information from Vercel. You can control cookies through your browser, but blocking required cookies may prevent account features from working. We do not currently respond to browser Global Privacy Control signals because we do not sell or share personal information for targeted advertising.

6. Retention and Account Deletion

We retain account and application information while your account is active and as reasonably needed to provide the Service. Some counselor artifacts and detailed practice sessions expire sooner under feature-specific retention settings. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify account content from active systems, subject to limited exceptions for legal obligations, payment or transaction records, security, dispute resolution, and fraud prevention.

To prevent repeated trial abuse, we may retain a one-way protected representation of your email address and limited trial dates after account deletion. Residual copies may remain for a limited period in protected backups or provider systems before deletion cycles complete.

7. Your Choices and Privacy Rights

You can review or update much of your information in Settings and delete your account from the Service. You may also contact us to request access, correction, deletion, or a portable copy of personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights and a right to appeal our response. We may verify your identity before completing a request and may retain information where permitted or required by law. Authorized agents may submit requests where applicable, subject to verification of their authority.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right. To submit a request or appeal, email team@collegesimple.com.

8. Children and Teen Users

The Service is not directed to children under 13, and CollegeSimple does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and delete it as appropriate. Users between 13 and the age of legal majority should use the Service only with permission from a parent or legal guardian when required by law.

9. Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. No internet service is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for using a strong password and protecting your account credentials. Notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorized account access.

10. Educational Records and International Processing

CollegeSimple is a direct-to-consumer service and is not a school or college. Information you enter is not automatically governed by FERPA merely because it relates to education. The Service is operated in the United States, and information may be processed in the United States and other locations where our providers operate, subject to applicable law.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to the Service or law. We will post the updated policy with a new effective date and provide additional notice when required. Material changes apply prospectively unless law permits otherwise.

12. Contact Us

For privacy questions or requests, contact CollegeSimple at team@collegesimple.com. CollegeSimple is operated from Massachusetts, United States.