Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

1. Information We Collect

When you use College Matcher, we may collect the following information:

  • Quiz Responses: Your academic profile, preferences, and goals as entered in the quiz.
  • Account Information: Email address and name if you create an account.
  • Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, and interactions to improve the product.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To generate personalized college matches based on your quiz responses.
  • To allow parents to track their student's college search (with student consent via invite code).
  • To improve our matching algorithms and user experience.

3. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Your data may be shared in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service Providers: We use trusted services (hosting, database, analytics) that process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
  • Parent Dashboard: If you generate an invite code and share it with a parent, they can see your liked schools, dream schools, and deadlines — but not your quiz answers.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose data if required by law or to protect our rights and safety.

4. Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (TLS), secure database hosting (Neon PostgreSQL with encryption at rest), and access controls. Financial data is handled with particular care and is never logged or cached in plaintext.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your data at any time through your account settings.
  • Update or correct your information by retaking the quiz or editing your profile.
  • Delete your account and all associated data.
  • Opt out of non-essential communications.

6. Cookies

We use essential cookies to maintain your session and remember your preferences. We may use analytics cookies to understand how the product is used. You can control cookie preferences in your browser settings.

7. Advertising

College Matcher is free for students and is supported by advertising. We display ads through Google AdSense.

  • Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies (including the DART cookie) to serve ads on our site.
  • Google may use information about your visits to College Matcher and other sites to show ads based on your interests.
  • You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings or, for cross-site opt-out, the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page.
  • We do not share quiz answers, financial-profile inputs, or any personally identifying account information with advertisers.

8. Children's Privacy

College Matcher is designed for high school students aged 14 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use this service.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via the app or email. Continued use of College Matcher after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, reach us through the Help & FAQ page.