Privacy Policy

Admissions Helpers ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients and visitors to our website. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, interact with Admissions Helpers, and engage with our services in any capacity.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• Personal Information: When you contact us or use our services, we may collect personal information such as your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, educational background, and other information relevant to your application process.
• Payment Information: If you purchase our services, payments are processed securely through third-party payment processors, such as PayPal. We do not directly collect, store, or process your credit card details or billing information. While we may have access to certain transaction details through these payment processors (such as confirmation of payment, billing address, or transaction ID), we do not have access to your full payment information. For details on how your payment information is handled, please refer to the privacy policy of the payment processor.
• Usage Data: We may collect information about your interactions with our website, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time and date of your visit. This information helps us improve our website and services.

2. Consent

By using our website, engaging with Admissions Helpers, or utilizing our services in any capacity, you agree to the collection, use, disclosure, and processing of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. We may ask for your explicit consent to process certain types of personal information or for specific purposes (e.g., receiving marketing communications). If you provide us with your consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. To withdraw your consent, please contact us at info@admissionshelpers.com. Please note that withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide you with certain services.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• Providing Services: To provide you with our consultation services, including strategy development, application guidance, and interview preparation.
• Communication: To communicate with you regarding your use of our services, respond to inquiries, send updates, and provide customer support.
• Payment Processing: To process payments for services and manage billing and collections.
• Improvement: To improve our website, services, and client experience by analyzing usage data and feedback.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties except in the following situations:

• Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in providing our services, such as payment processors and IT service providers. These third parties are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information and are prohibited from using it for any purpose other than the services they provide to us.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government regulations, or if we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our business, your information may be transferred to the new owners as part of the transaction.

5. Data Security

We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information. These measures include:

• Access Controls: Access to your personal information is restricted to authorized personnel who need it to perform their job functions.
• Regular Audits: We regularly review our data collection, storage, and processing practices to ensure your information is protected.

However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Handling of Academic Records and Sensitive Documents

When you engage with Admissions Helpers, you may provide us with copies of your academic records (such as transcripts or prior applications), background information, or prior essays. We understand the sensitivity of this information and are committed to ensuring it is handled with the utmost care.

• Sensitive Health Information: Occasionally, students may voluntarily share personal health information (such as details of an illness) in their essays or other documents. While we treat all shared information with confidentiality and care, we are not a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and therefore, HIPAA regulations do not apply to our handling of this information. By sharing such information, you consent to its use solely for the purpose of providing our services, including advising and application preparation. We will not share your health information with any third parties, and we will handle it with the same level of security as other sensitive documents.
• Internal Use: The academic records and sensitive documents you share with us, including any health-related information, will be accessed only by our team members and advisors who need this information to provide you with the best possible guidance. We do not share, sell, or otherwise disclose your academic records or sensitive documents to any third parties, except as required by law.
• Data Security: We store your academic records and sensitive documents on password-protected computers and utilize secure cloud storage solutions like Dropbox, which implement strong encryption and security measures. While we make every effort to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. By submitting your academic records and sensitive documents, you acknowledge and accept the inherent risks of data breaches that may occur despite our precautions.
• Data Retention: We retain your academic records and sensitive documents only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which they were collected, after which they are securely deleted or anonymized. If you would like us to delete your records sooner, please contact us at info@admissionshelpers.com. 

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights concerning your personal information:

• Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You can request that we correct any inaccuracies in your personal information.
• Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to any legal obligations we have to retain it.
• Objection: You can object to the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.
• Data Portability: You can request that we transfer your personal information to another organization or directly to you, where technically feasible.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@admissionshelpers.com

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser (if you allow) that enables the site’s systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information.

You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal information from a child under the age of 13, we will delete such information from our records.

11. International Users

Admissions Helpers is based in the United States, and our website is controlled and operated from within the United States. If you are accessing our website or using our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other jurisdictions where our servers or third-party service providers are located.

By using our website or services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States or other jurisdictions, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Privacy Notice for European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) Residents

Your GDPR Rights

If you are located in the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), you are entitled to certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These rights include:

• Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: You can request the correction of any inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal data, where applicable.
• Restriction: You have the right to restrict the processing of your data under certain conditions.
• Objection: You may object to the processing of your data based on our legitimate interests, or for direct marketing purposes.
• Portability: You can request that we provide your data to you or transfer it to another controller in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@admissionshelpers.com.

Consent and Lawful Processing

We process your personal data based on your consent, the performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, or other legitimate interests as defined under GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time, although this will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Data Transfers Outside the EU/EEA

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the EU/EEA. In such cases, we will ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect your data.

Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include access controls and secure storage solutions.

Third-Party Processors

We may use third-party service providers to process your personal data on our behalf. These providers are carefully selected to ensure they comply with GDPR and provide adequate protection for your personal data. We have entered into Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with these providers as required by GDPR.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable laws and regulations. After this period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

Complaints

If you believe that our processing of your personal data infringes GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country of residence.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on our website. Your continued use of our website and services following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at info@admissionshelpers.com