Privacy Policy

Overview

At NXT ("we," "our," or "us"), we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our college discovery platform, mobile application, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect information you directly provide to us, including:

• Account Information: Email address, name, and authentication credentials
• Profile Information: Academic interests, GPA, test scores, location preferences, and other college preference data
• Quiz Responses: Your answers to our college matching questionnaire and personality assessments
• Communication Data: Messages, feedback, and support requests you send to us
• Preference Data: College preferences, saved schools, rankings, and filtering criteria

Information Collected Automatically

When you use our Service, we automatically collect certain information:

• Usage Data: How you interact with our Service, features used, time spent, and navigation patterns
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type, unique device identifiers
• Location Data: General location information (city/state level) for college distance calculations
• Log Data: IP addresses, access times, pages viewed, and referring URLs
• Performance Data: App crashes, response times, and technical diagnostics

Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

• Authentication Providers: When you sign in using third-party services
• Educational Data Partners: Publicly available college and university information
• Analytics Services: Aggregated usage and performance metrics

How We Use Information

We use your information to:

Provide Our Service

• Generate personalized college recommendations using AI algorithms
• Maintain and improve our matching algorithms
• Process your quiz responses and generate compatibility scores
• Enable you to save, rank, and manage your college preferences
• Provide customer support and respond to your inquiries

Improve Our Service

• Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience
• Conduct research and analytics to improve our algorithms
• Test new features and functionality
• Monitor and improve app performance and reliability

Communication

• Send you service-related notifications and updates
• Provide educational content and college guidance (with your consent)
• Respond to your questions and support requests
• Send important policy updates and security notices

Legal and Safety

• Comply with applicable laws and regulations
• Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Enforce our Terms of Service and protect our rights
• Respond to legal requests and prevent harm

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Service:

• Cloud Infrastructure: Secure data storage and processing
• Authentication Services: Secure login and account management
• Analytics Providers: Usage analytics and performance monitoring
• AI/ML Services: College matching algorithms and recommendations
• Communication Services: Email delivery and push notifications

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
• Protect and defend our rights and property
• Prevent or investigate fraud, security breaches, or technical issues
• Protect the safety of our users and the public

Business Transfers

If we are acquired by or merged with another company, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control.

Aggregated Data

We may share aggregated, de-identified data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you for research, analytics, and business purposes.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit and at rest using industry-standard protocols
• Access Controls: Strict access controls and authentication requirements
• Secure Infrastructure: Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments
• Monitoring: Continuous monitoring for security threats and anomalies

Organizational Measures

• Employee background checks and security training
• Data access on a need-to-know basis
• Regular security audits and compliance reviews
• Incident response procedures for data breaches

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you promptly of any known security breaches.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

• Active Accounts: While your account remains active and for a reasonable period thereafter
• Legal Requirements: As required by applicable laws and regulations
• Business Purposes: To resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and support business operations
• Deleted Accounts: Most personal information is deleted within 30 days of account deletion

Some information may be retained in anonymized or aggregated form for analytical and research purposes. We may also retain certain information for legal, security, or operational purposes as permitted by law.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Portability

• Request access to your personal information
• Receive a copy of your data in a portable format
• Review how your information is being used

Correction and Update

• Update your profile and preference information
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Modify your communication preferences

Deletion

• Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Remove specific pieces of personal information
• Withdraw consent for certain data processing

Restriction and Objection

• Restrict how we process your information
• Object to certain types of data processing
• Opt out of marketing communications

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section. We will respond to your request within 30 days and may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and collect usage information:

Types of Cookies

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic functionality and security
• Performance Cookies: Help us understand how you use our Service
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Analytics Cookies: Provide insights into usage patterns and performance

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

• Accept or reject cookies
• Delete existing cookies
• Set preferences for future cookies
• Receive notifications before cookies are set

Note that disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our Service.

Third-Party Services

Our Service may integrate with third-party services that have their own privacy policies:

Current Integrations

• WorkOS: Authentication and identity management
• Convex: Real-time database services
• Google AI: Machine learning and recommendation algorithms
• OpenAI: Natural language processing and AI services
• Analytics Providers: Usage analytics and performance monitoring

External Links

Our Service may contain links to external websites, including college and university websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

Children's Privacy

Our Service is designed for high school students and prospective college applicants. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age without parental consent.

For users under 18, we recommend parental guidance when using our Service. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal information may contact us to request deletion of such information.

International Users

Our Service is operated from the United States. If you are accessing our Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

By using our Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we operate. We will take appropriate steps to ensure that your personal information receives an adequate level of protection.

EU/UK Users

If you are located in the European Union or United Kingdom, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

California Residents

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know about personal information collected, sold, or disclosed, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Notify you by email (if you have provided an email address)
• Post a notice on our Service
• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Provide additional notice as required by law

Your continued use of our Service after the effective date of the updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree with the updated policy, please discontinue use of our Service.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days. For urgent privacy concerns or suspected security breaches, please include "URGENT" in your subject line.