DIRECTADMIT’S COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY
Effective Date: 7/24/2024
Who Is DIRECTADMIT?
DIRECTADMIT. (“DIRECTADMIT”, “us,” “we,” and “our”), operates www.directadmit.org, a platform to make the admissions process more transparent and seamless for prospective college students.
DIRECTADMIT’s Commitment to Privacy
We are deeply committed to maintaining the privacy and security of personal information we collect.
Scope of this Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice governs our processing of personal information in connection with our DIRECTADMIT service. It does not relate to anonymized, aggregated, or de-identified data, or any other information that does not allow us to identify you.
Data Controller
DIRECTADMIT is the data controller in relation to the data processing activities described in this Privacy Notice.
Updates to this Privacy Notice
From time to time, this Privacy Notice may be updated to reflect changes to our products and services, the way we operate, or to meet new legal and regulatory requirements. The latest version of this Privacy Notice can be found here.
Personal Information That We Collect
The type of personal information we collect about you depends upon your relationship with us. The other sections in our Privacy Notice apply to all our activities.
We collect personal information about prospective students and other users who use the DIRECTADMIT platform:
Directly from you: When you register for the DIRECTADMIT platform, we collect personal information including your name, date of birth, email address, telephone number, GPA and test scores, your academic and career preferences, and information relating to financial aid. You may also provide personal information in connection with your use of the DIRECTADMIT services, for example, when completing surveys or polls or communicating with educational institutions.
Indirectly from you: Information about the pages you visit and how you access and use our services is collected using cookies and third-party analytics tools. This includes device information, IP address, operating system, browser, internet service provider, referring/exit pages, clickstream data, and cookies. Depending on your device settings, we may also collect information about your geographical location.
Sensitive Information: Where permitted by law or with your consent, we may obtain information relating to your ethnicity, gender or gender identity, religion, and health, such as any disabilities.
Information from Other Sources: We may also obtain information about you from other sources and combine that with information we collect about you. To the extent we combine such third-party-sourced information with Personal Information we collect directly from you on the Service, we will treat the combined information as Personal Information under this Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided by third parties or third-party practices.
Third Party Integrations, Links, and Features: You may connect third-party integrations to your DIRECTADMIT account(s) (e.g., Google SSO), which may ask for certain permissions to send information to your DIRECTADMIT account. DIRECTADMIT’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy. Additionally, DIRECTADMIT provides links to third parties offering scholarships. These third-party features operate independently from us. We suggest reviewing the privacy practices of these third parties.
How We Use the Personal Information That We Collect
We collect, retain, process, use, and transfer your personal information for the following purposes:
Providing DIRECTADMIT Services: To verify user identity, provide requested services, communicate with users, customize your experience, manage relationships, provide support and troubleshooting, and improve our services.
Analytics: To analyze service usage, enhance services, develop new products or services, and perform market, trend, and statistical research and analysis.
Record Keeping: For internal record keeping, accounting, audit, and other internal functions.
Marketing: With your consent, we may contact you to provide marketing materials about DIRECTADMIT services or third-party products or services.
Interest-Based or Targeted Advertising: We may obtain information about your online activities to provide tailored advertising. Learn how to opt out of interest-based or targeted advertising at www.aboutads.info/choices, www.networkadvertising.org/choices/, and http://preferences-mgr.truste.com/.
Compliance with Law and Internal Policies: To comply with legal requirements, internal policies and procedures, conduct internal investigations, or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
How We Share the Personal Information That We Collect
We may share your personal information with:
- Colleges, universities, scholarship providers, and other parties related to the college admissions, financial aid, education, and career opportunities that you demonstrate interest in, intentionally identify or approve on the DIRECTADMIT platform.
- Service providers performing services on our behalf.
- Third-party web analytics services.
- Educational institutions, scholarship providers, other parties related to the college admissions, financial aid, education, and career opportunities that are interested in promoting their institutions and/or services to your unique demographic in exchange for fees or other consideration.
- Advertisers and marketing partners interested in marketing to your unique demographic in exchange for fees or other consideration.
We may also disclose personal information if required or permitted by law, to prevent harm or financial loss, in connection with suspected or actual illegal activity, or in the event we sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or assets.
Children’s Privacy
DIRECTADMIT’s products and services are not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect any information from children. If we learn that we have collected or received personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information upon request. Contact us at compliance@DIRECTADMIT.com if you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13.
Your Rights and Choices
Residents of certain states may have specific rights regarding their personal information. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please submit a request to us by clicking here. Prior to fulfilling your request, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity.
Accessing and Changing Information
You may access, review, correct, and update certain profile and account information you have submitted to us by contacting us here. We will make a good faith effort to make the changes in DIRECTADMIT then-active databases as soon as practicable, but it may not be possible to completely change your information. We reserve the right to retain data as required by applicable law; and for so long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the data is retained as permitted by applicable law (e.g., business records).
Additional Privacy Rights for California Residents
California’s “Shine the Light” law permits customers in California to request certain details about how certain types of their information are shared with third parties and, in some cases, affiliates, for those third parties’ and affiliates’ own direct marketing purposes. Under the law, a business should either provide California customers certain information upon request or permit California customers to opt in to, or opt out of, this type of sharing.
DIRECTADMIT provides California residents with the option to opt-out of sharing “personal information” as defined by California’s “Shine the Light” law with third parties for such third parties own direct marketing purposes. California residents may exercise that opt-out, and/or request information about DIRECTADMIT compliance with the “Shine the Light” law, by contacting DIRECTADMIT here, or by sending a written request to:
DIRECTADMIT
Attention: Compliance Division
14622 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 2022
Sherman Oaks, California 91403
contact@directadmit.org
Requests must include “California Privacy Rights Request” in the subject line of your request and include your name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Please note that DIRECTADMIT is not required to respond to requests made by means other than through the provided email address or mailing address.
Any California residents under the age of eighteen (18) who have registered to use the Service, and who have posted content or information on the Service, can request removal by contacting us here, or by sending a written request to:
DIRECTADMIT
Attention: Compliance Division
14622 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 2022
Sherman Oaks, California 91403
contact@directadmit.org
Your written request should detail where the content or information is posted and attesting that you posted it. We will then make reasonable good faith efforts to remove the post from prospective public view or anonymize it so the minor cannot be individually identified to the extent required by applicable law. Please note that the removal process cannot ensure complete or comprehensive removal. For instance, third-parties may have republished or archived content by search engines and others that we do not control.
You have rights regarding the personal information DIRECTADMIT collects and shares about you. The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) gives California residents the right to opt-out of the sale of their personal information – as CCPA defines “sale” – and you can do that by clicking here and completing the opt-out form.
From time to time, DIRECTADMIT may provide your personal information to third parties or DIRECTADMIT affiliates who are interested in surveying students that meet certain unique characteristics, in exchange for fees or other consideration. If you do not want us to sell your information as defined by CCPA, we encourage you to opt-out of such sale of your information by completing the form below. Also, if you are a California resident under 16 years of age, we will not sell your information as defined by CCPA unless you opt-in at the time you create a DIRECTADMIT account or at the time you choose to allow us to sell your information.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights or our Privacy Policy, you may email contact@directadmit.org or call 424-252-2000.
Your Rights as a European Union Resident Under GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) sets forth certain rights for residents of the European Union countries. These rights are:
- The right to be informed – this means we must inform you how we are going to use your personal data. We do this through this privacy policy and by informing you how your data will be used each time we collect it.
- The right of access – you have the right to access your personal data (e.g. data that is about you) that we hold. This is called a subject access request. We must respond to your request within one month. To request access to your data, please emailoontact@directadmit.org. It is very helpful if you tell us what of your personal data you are seeking when you inquire.
- The right to rectification – if you think the data we hold on you is incorrect, tell us so we can put it right. You can do this by logging into your DIRECTADMIT account or emailing us at contact@directadmit.org.
- The right to erasure – you have the right to request that we delete your data. We will do so, provided that we do not have a compelling reason for keeping it. To request this, please emailoontact@directadmit.org.
- The right to restrict processing – you can change your communication preferences (therefore restricting how we communicate with you) by logging into DIRECTADMIT. There are also certain other circumstances in which you can suppress the processing of your personal data. To request this, please emailoontact@directadmit.org.
- The right to data portability – As applicable, you can obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes across different services. To request this, please emailoontact@directadmit.org.
- The right to object – you have the right to object to a) Direct marketing from DIRECTADMIT or from third parties we have shared your data with for direct marketing purposes. You can opt out of direct marketing any time by logging into DIRECTADMIT or visiting our Opt-Out Form here. There will also be instructions on how to unsubscribe included in any direct marketing message that we send to you; b) Any processing where our lawful basis is legitimate interest. If you would like to formally object to any of our legitimate interest processing, please emailoontact@directadmit.org.
- Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling – this is not something we do at DIRECTADMIT at this time. If that ever changes, this policy will be updated accordingly.
At DIRECTADMIT, we are committed to upholding your rights as an EU resident. If you think we have not done so, please contact@directadmit.org.
Security
We employ various safeguards to protect personal information against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access or disclosure.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to revise and reissue this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised Privacy Policy. Subject to applicable law, your continued use of our Service indicates your consent to the privacy policy posted. Your continued use of the Service indicates your consent to the Privacy Policy then posted. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Service, and uninstall Service downloads and applications.
Applicable Law
The Service is the property of DIRECTADMIT of Sherman Oaks, California. As such, the laws of the State of California, U.S.A. shall exclusively govern these legal notices and any dispute arising, directly or indirectly, from Your use of this site or the DIRECTADMIT digital platform, without regard to conflicts of law principles. By using the Service, you and DIRECTADMIT agree that the laws of the State of California, U.S.A. shall exclusively govern any claims and disputes between you and DIRECTADMIT; including but not limited to any claims or disputes that arise as it relates to this Privacy Policy.
Dispute Resolution
You and DIRECTADMIT agree to not commence any action, litigation, or proceeding of any kind whatsoever against the other or any other party in any way arising from or relating to any claims of disputes that relate to your use of the Service or this Privacy Policy, including, but not limited to, contract, equity, tort, fraud, and statutory claims, in any forum other than the United States District Court for the Northern District of California or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the courts of the State of California sitting in Contra Costa County only and any appellate court from any thereof. You and DIRECTADMIT irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and agrees to bring any such action, litigation, or proceeding only in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the courts of the State of California sitting in Contra Costa County only. You and DIRECTADMIT agree that a final judgment in any such action, litigation, or proceeding is conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.
Contact Us
For any questions or concerns about our Privacy Notice or data privacy practices, contact us at contact@directadmit.org or write to us at the following address:
DIRECTADMIT
Attention: Compliance Division
14622 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 2022
Sherman Oaks, California 91403
(424) 252-2000