Privacy Policy

College World 360 ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of students, parents, and visitors who use our website at collegeworld360.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Contact information (name, email address, phone number)
• Student information (grade level, high school, graduation year)
• Parent/guardian information for enrollment and consultation requests
• Account credentials (email and hashed password — we never store plaintext passwords)
• Payment information (processed securely by Stripe or PayPal — we do not store card numbers)
• Any information you include in consultation requests, contact forms, or messages to us

Information Collected Automatically

• Browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• IP address and approximate geographic location (country/region level)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to consultation requests, contact form submissions, and inquiries
• Process event registrations and associated payments
• Create and manage your account on our portal
• Send transactional emails (booking confirmations, payment receipts, set-password links)
• Send service-related communications with your consent
• Improve our website and services through analytics
• Comply with applicable legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your information for automated decision-making that produces legal or significant effects.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share personal information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use trusted third-party vendors (e.g., Neon for database hosting, Resend for email delivery, Stripe and PayPal for payment processing, Vercel for hosting) who process data on our behalf under appropriate data processing agreements.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of College World 360 or others.
• Business transfers: If College World 360 is acquired or merges with another entity, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Account information is retained while your account is active. Consultation and enrollment records are retained for a minimum of three years for business and compliance purposes. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Section 6).

5. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, remember your preferences, and analyze traffic. Specifically:

• Essential cookies: Required for authentication and core site functionality. Cannot be disabled without impacting site operation.
• Analytics cookies: We use Google Analytics (via Google Tag Manager) to understand how visitors use our site. This data is aggregated and anonymized.
• Preference cookies: We store your cookie consent preference in your browser's localStorage.

You may decline non-essential cookies via the cookie consent banner that appears on your first visit. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect site functionality.

6. Your Rights and Choices

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

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Opt-out of marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email.
• Data portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format where technically feasible.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@collegeworld360.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Our services are directed at high school students (typically ages 13–18) and their parents or guardians. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under age 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at privacy@collegeworld360.com and we will delete such information promptly.

For students under 18, we encourage parents and guardians to review this policy together and to be involved in any consultation or enrollment submissions.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• HTTPS (TLS encryption) for all data transmission
• Bcrypt hashing (salt rounds: 12) for all stored passwords
• Signed JWT tokens with 48-hour expiry for password setup links
• Payment data processed exclusively by PCI-compliant providers (Stripe, PayPal)
• Access controls limiting who can view personal data

No method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to protecting your information using reasonable safeguards.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., college websites, scholarship databases). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, to request deletion, to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights. To submit a request, contact us at privacy@collegeworld360.com.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify registered users by email. Your continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: