Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account details (name, email address) via our authentication provider (Clerk, Inc.).
• Profile information you enter: grade level, interests, intended major, career goals, and location.
• Radius and format preferences from the onboarding quiz.
• Messages you send through the contact form.
• Co-pilot conversation messages (Premium users).
• Payment information, processed and stored by our payment provider (Stripe, Inc.), not by us directly.

Information we collect automatically

• Log data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time and date of visits, and referring URLs.
• Device information: device type, operating system, and browser version.
• Usage data: features used, opportunities viewed or saved, quiz answers.
• Cookies and similar technologies (see Section 5).

Information from third parties

• If you sign in with Google or another OAuth provider, we receive your name and email address from that provider.
• Our payment provider (Stripe) shares limited transaction status information with us.

2. How we use your information

• To create and manage your account and authenticate you.
• To personalize your opportunity feed, major recommendations, and match scores.
• To operate the mentor marketplace and facilitate session bookings.
• To provide and improve the AI Co-pilot (Premium).
• To process payments and manage subscriptions.
• To send you service-related emails (account confirmations, payment receipts, deadline reminders if enabled).
• To respond to your support requests and contact form messages.
• To analyze usage patterns and improve the Service.
• To enforce our Terms of Service and protect the safety of our users.
• To comply with legal obligations.

We do not use your information for targeted advertising, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Children’s privacy (COPPA)

We are committed to protecting the privacy of minors. PathAhead is designed for high school students and we take additional precautions for users under 18.

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account without consent, please contact us immediately at privacy@mypathahead.org. We will delete the account and associated information promptly.
• We do not sell, share, or disclose the personal information of users under 18 to third parties for their own marketing or advertising purposes.
• Parents and guardians may request access to, correction of, or deletion of their child’s information by contacting us at the address below.

4. Information sharing

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers. We share information with trusted third-party vendors who help us operate the Service: Clerk (authentication), Stripe (payments), Anthropic (AI Co-pilot), and Formspree (contact form). These providers are contractually prohibited from using your information for any purpose other than providing their services to us.
• Anthropic. When you use the AI Co-pilot, your question and relevant profile context are sent to Anthropic to generate a response. They are contractually prohibited from using it for any purpose other than providing that service.
• Legal compliance. We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of PathAhead, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers. If PathAhead is acquired, merged, or transfers substantially all its assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the same privacy protections.
• With your consent. We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

5. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and understand how the Service is used. We use:

• Essential cookies, required for authentication and core functionality. The Service cannot work without these.
• Analytics cookies, used to understand aggregate usage patterns. We use privacy-respecting analytics tools where possible.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies will prevent you from logging in. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

6. Data retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 90 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes such as fraud prevention.

Profile preferences stored in your browser’s local storage (such as your quiz answers and saved opportunities) are controlled by you and can be cleared through your browser settings at any time.

7. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including the right to:

• Access a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to certain exceptions).
• Opt out of certain data processing activities.
• Data portability (where technically feasible).

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@mypathahead.org. We will respond within 30 days.

You can delete your account and associated data at any time through your account settings.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure third-party authentication, and regular security reviews. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by emailing you. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact