Your privacy matters to us. We are committed to being transparent about what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your information.
1. Who We Are
CollegeShepherd is operated by Shepherd Ventures LLC, a Washington state limited liability company. When we say "CollegeShepherd," "we," "us," or "our," we mean Shepherd Ventures LLC and the CollegeShepherd service at collegeshepherd.com.
For privacy questions, contact us at: hello@collegeshepherd.com
2. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
When you use CollegeShepherd, you may provide:
- Assessment responses — your answers to our 50+ questionnaire questions, including academic information, interests, location preferences, and financial information (income bracket only — never specific financial account details)
- Email address — if you voluntarily provide it for updates or support
- Payment information — processed entirely by Stripe, Inc. We never see or store your credit card number, bank account, or full payment details
Information Collected Automatically
- Usage data — pages visited, time spent, features used (via analytics)
- Device information — browser type, operating system, screen size
- IP address — used for rate limiting (we allow 7 generations per IP per day) and fraud prevention
- Cookies and local storage — we use browser localStorage to save your assessment progress and results on your device. This data stays on your device and is not transmitted to our servers.
Information We Do Not Collect
- We do not collect Social Security numbers, passport numbers, or government IDs
- We do not collect specific financial account information
- We do not collect school transcripts, test scores, or official academic records
- We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Generate your personalized college list and recommendations
- Process payments and provide access to paid features
- Send product updates, college search tips, and service announcements (if you opted in)
- Improve our AI models and question architecture (using aggregated, anonymized data only)
- Prevent fraud and enforce our rate limits
- Respond to support requests
- Comply with legal obligations
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your personal information with colleges, universities, advertisers, or data brokers.
We share information only with:
- Anthropic, PBC — our AI provider processes your assessment responses to generate recommendations. Anthropic's privacy policy governs their handling of this data. Anthropic does not use your data to train their models by default.
- Stripe, Inc. — processes payments. Your payment data is governed by Stripe's privacy policy.
- Vercel, Inc. — hosts our application. Basic server logs (IP, timestamps) are processed by Vercel.
- Analytics providers — we may use anonymized, aggregated analytics. No personally identifiable information is shared.
- Law enforcement — when required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of users or the public.
5. Children's Privacy (COPPA)
CollegeShepherd is designed for students aged 13 and older. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
- We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
- Users between 13–17 should use this service with parental awareness and consent
- Parents may contact us to request deletion of their child's information
- If we discover we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly
To report a concern or request deletion: hello@collegeshepherd.com
6. Data Storage and Security
Your assessment responses and generated college lists are stored in your browser's localStorage — they remain on your device and are not uploaded to our servers. This means:
- Clearing your browser data will delete your saved results
- Your results are not accessible from other devices unless you use our share feature
- We cannot recover lost results if your browser data is cleared
Email addresses and payment records are stored securely using industry-standard encryption. We use HTTPS for all data transmission. We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, though no system is completely secure.
7. Your Rights and Choices
You have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of information we hold about you
- Deletion — request deletion of your personal information
- Correction — request correction of inaccurate information
- Opt out of emails — unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in any email we send
- Delete local data — clear your browser's localStorage at any time to remove saved assessment data from your device
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@collegeshepherd.com. We will respond within 30 days.
8. Cookies and Tracking
We use minimal tracking. We may use:
- Browser localStorage — to save your session and results on your device
- Analytics cookies — anonymized usage statistics to improve the product
We do not use advertising cookies or tracking pixels. We do not allow third-party advertisers to track you on our site.
9. Third-Party Links
Our service may contain links to college websites and external resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
10. Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion. Payment records are retained as required by tax and accounting laws (typically 7 years).
11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act. You have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, and opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at hello@collegeshepherd.com.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date above. Your continued use of the service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy:
Shepherd Ventures LLC
Email: hello@collegeshepherd.com
Website: collegeshepherd.com