Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Account information. When you create an account we collect your name and email address. If you sign in with Facebook we receive the profile information you authorize that service to share (typically name, email, and profile photo).

Profile information. You may optionally provide your GPA, standardized test scores, preferred states, intended majors, climate preference, and budget range to receive personalized recommendations. This information is stored in our database and associated with your account.

Transcript uploads. If you upload a transcript, it is processed by a third-party AI service (Google Gemini) to extract academic data. We store the file temporarily and delete it after processing.

Usage data. We collect anonymized page-view and interaction data through Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. We do not sell this data or use it for cross-site tracking.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to provide you with meaningful and relevant Services, including information about schools, where to live, and where to work. Specifically, we use your information to:

• Create and maintain your account.
• Provide personalized college recommendations and admission-chance estimates based on the profile data you share.
• Respond to questions or comments you submit to us.
• Notify you of changes to our Services.
• Send email notifications about ranking changes for schools you subscribe to. You can unsubscribe at any time.
• Measure and improve the performance of our Services through aggregated, anonymized analytics.
• Comply with our legal obligations and defend our rights.
• Otherwise provide, create, and maintain a trusted online environment.

Where we share your information with authorized representatives of schools or other entities whose services relate to College Index’s offerings, we do so only as described in Section 3 below.

3. With Whom We Share Your Information

A. Per Your Instruction or Consent

We may share your personal information with selected outside companies — such as schools, scholarship providers, and complementary service partners — that assist us in providing you with relevant Services. Such sharing occurs only in accordance with contact preferences you set when you create your profile, when you express interest in content displayed on our Site, or when you provide an affirmative authorization (for example, by clicking a button indicating interest in a school or partner offering).

Any personal information you share publicly through our Site may be indexed by third-party search engines (such as Google or Bing). We do not control the practices of those search engines and cannot guarantee deletion of cached information if you later ask us to delete your data.

B. Third-Party Processors (Service Providers)

We share your personal information with third-party processors who act on our behalf to provide our web and app services and to help with our operations. These processors include:

• Supabase � database hosting.
• Google Analytics � anonymized site-usage analytics.
• Google Gemini � AI-powered transcript parsing (only when you upload a transcript).
• Resend � transactional email delivery.
• Facebook OAuth � social sign-in (we receive only what you authorize).

These processors are bound by contract to protect the confidentiality and security of your personal information. They process your data only to provide services requested by us and only on our documented instructions.

C. Third-Party Websites

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites such as social networks or partner sites. Those sites operate under their own terms and privacy policies, and we have no control over them. If you wish to opt out of any information sharing conducted by a third-party site, you must do so in accordance with that site’s own opt-out procedures.

D. Aggregated or De-Identified Information

We may share aggregated or de-identified information (information that does not personally identify you) with others for a variety of purposes, including improving services for our users and for research. This information cannot reasonably be used to identify you.

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored in a Supabase-hosted PostgreSQL database with row-level security enabled. Passwords are hashed with bcrypt (cost factor 12) and are never stored in plain text. All traffic is served over HTTPS.

API endpoints are protected by rate limiting and authentication checks. We follow industry-standard practices to protect your data, but no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

5. Cookies

We use essential cookies to maintain your session when you are signed in. Google Analytics may set additional cookies for usage tracking. You can disable non-essential cookies in your browser settings.

6. Your Rights

You can:

• Access, update, or delete your profile information at any time from your account settings.
• Delete your account by contacting us at the email below.
• Unsubscribe from all email notifications at any time.
• Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Withdraw consent to any optional data use at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

7. Children's Privacy

College Index is intended for high-school-age students and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can remove it.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Where required by law, we will notify you by email or through a prominent notice on the Site.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at hello@collegeindex.co.