PathPal

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: February 23, 2026 (v1.23)

Introduction

Path Pal (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and services (collectively, the “Service”).

By using Path Pal, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you create an account and use Path Pal, we may collect the following information:

• Account Information: Email address, password (hashed), and user ID. You can change your email from Account Settings; we send a verification code to the new address and update the account after you confirm.
• Profile Information:
  • Name and grade level
  • Zip code (used to find local activities and opportunities)
  • Academic information (GPA, weighted/unweighted status)
  • Standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, PSAT)
  • AP scores and AP courses
  • Intended majors and career goals
  • Activities and interests
  • Extracurricular activities
• Profile Pictures: If you choose to upload a profile picture
• Transcript Uploads: If you choose to upload academic transcripts (images or PDF files) for automatic course extraction, we process these files to extract course information. Uploads are limited to 3 per day per user.
• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with the Service, including:
  • Saved colleges
  • Messages sent to the AI counselor
  • Chat history (stored locally on your device)
  • Essay prompts and essay content (when using the Essay Assistant feature)
  • Transcript upload history (date and timestamp only, not the transcript content itself)
  • Preferences and settings
• Subscription Information: If you subscribe to Path Pal Scholar Pro (our paid subscription), we store your subscription status and the date you subscribed. We do not store payment card details; purchases are processed by Apple. We may receive and process subscription-related data from Apple (such as signed transaction or notification payloads) to verify your subscription and grant Pro access.

Automatically Collected Information

• Device Information: Browser type, device type, operating system
• Usage Information: Pages visited, features used, time spent on the Service
• Local Storage Data: Information stored locally on your device for offline functionality

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

1. To Provide and Maintain the Service:
   • Create and manage your account
   • Calculate admission odds based on your profile
   • Provide personalized college recommendations
   • Find local activities and opportunities based on your zip code
   • Enable AI-powered counseling and guidance
   • Generate and refine college application essays using AI
   • Display relevant college news and updates
   • Process and extract course information from uploaded transcripts using AI vision technology - Verify and manage your Path Pal Scholar Pro subscription (including processing subscription notifications or signed transaction data from Apple to confirm your purchase)
2. To Improve the Service:
   • Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience
   • Develop new features and functionality
   • Fix bugs and technical issues
   • Enforce rate limits to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage
3. To Communicate with You:
   • Send important updates about the Service
   • Respond to your inquiries and support requests
   • Send email notifications (if you opt-in)
4. To Ensure Security:
   • Authenticate users and prevent unauthorized access
   • Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
   • Implement rate limiting to prevent service abuse (20 requests per minute for AI features)

Data Storage and Security

Storage Methods

• Server-Side Storage: Your account information, profile data, preferences, and subscription status are stored securely on our servers using CSV files and secure databases. Transcript upload metadata (user ID, date, and timestamp) is stored to track usage and enforce rate limits. The actual transcript images/PDFs are not stored after processing. We may store subscription-related event logs (e.g., activation or cancellation) for support and verification. Rate limiting data (request counts and timestamps) is stored temporarily in memory to enforce usage limits.
• Client-Side Storage: Some data is stored locally on your device using browser localStorage for offline functionality, including:
  • Chat history for the AI Counselor (up to 10 chats)
  • Saved colleges
  • User preferences and settings
  • Streak counter and usage statistics

Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information:

• Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text
• Data is transmitted over secure connections (HTTPS)
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel only
• Regular security assessments and updates

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Third-Party Services

OpenAI API

Path Pal uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 and GPT-4 Vision APIs to provide AI-powered features, including:

• College recommendations
• AI counseling and guidance
• Personalized advice
• Essay generation and refinement (Essay Assistant feature)
• Automatic course extraction from uploaded transcripts

When you use these features, your messages, relevant profile information (including AP scores, test scores, GPA, intended majors, activities, and academic information), essay prompts, essay content, and uploaded transcript images may be sent to OpenAI for processing. Transcript images are processed using GPT-4 Vision to extract course information (course names, grades, and course types) and are not stored by OpenAI after processing. Essay content and prompts are sent to GPT-4 for generation and refinement purposes. OpenAI’s use of your data is governed by their Privacy Policy. We recommend reviewing OpenAI’s Privacy Policy for more information.

Transcript Processing: When you upload a transcript, the image or PDF is converted to an image format, compressed to reduce file size, and sent to OpenAI’s GPT-4 Vision API for processing. The transcript image itself is not stored on our servers after processing. We only store the extracted course information (course names, grades, and course types) in your profile. We track upload metadata (user ID, date, and timestamp) to enforce rate limiting (3 uploads per day per user) and for service improvement purposes.

Essay Assistant: When you use the Essay Assistant feature to generate or refine essays, your essay prompts, essay content, and relevant profile information (such as intended majors, activities, and academic information) are sent to OpenAI’s GPT-4 API to create personalized essays. This information is used solely for essay generation and refinement purposes. Essay content is not stored on our servers after processing, though it may be temporarily stored in your browser’s localStorage for your convenience.

Apple (App Store and In-App Purchases)

Path Pal Scholar Pro is a subscription offered through the Apple App Store. When you subscribe or when we verify your subscription:

• Purchases: Payment is processed entirely by Apple. We do not receive or store your payment card details.
• Verification: We may receive subscription notifications or signed transaction data from Apple (or from our app after a purchase) so we can verify that your subscription is valid and grant you Pro access. We use Apple’s official verification methods (including Apple’s root certificate) to confirm that this data comes from Apple. We may log subscription events (e.g., activation, renewal, or cancellation) for support and compliance purposes.
• Data shared with Apple: Your use of in-app purchases is subject to Apple’s Privacy Policy and App Store terms.

Email Services

We use third-party email services to send notifications and communications (including verification codes for password reset, account deletion, and email change). These services may have access to your email address for the sole purpose of delivering messages.

News API

Path Pal uses NewsAPI.org to display relevant college news and updates on the home page. When you view the news section, we fetch general college-related news articles. We do not send any personal information to NewsAPI.org. The news articles are filtered for relevance to college admissions and education topics. NewsAPI.org’s use of data is governed by their Privacy Policy.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

1. Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service, conducting our business, or serving our users, as long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential.

2. Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

3. Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. With Your Consent: We may share your information with your explicit consent.

Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

1. Access: You can access and review your personal information through your account settings.

2. Correction: You can update or correct your information at any time through your profile page. You can change your email address from Account Settings; we will send a verification code to your new email and update the account once you confirm.

3. Deletion: You can delete your account and associated data directly through the Account Settings page, or request deletion by contacting us at the email address provided below. This includes deletion of your profile information, transcript upload history, and all associated data.

4. Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a portable format.

5. Opt-Out: You can opt-out of certain communications by adjusting your account settings or contacting us.

Children’s Privacy

Path Pal is designed for students, including those under the age of 18. We take special care to protect the privacy of minors:

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent
• Parents or guardians can review, request deletion of, or refuse further collection of their child’s information
• If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13 without proper consent, please contact us immediately

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide you with the Service
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information, except where we are required to retain it for legal purposes.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Path Pal uses localStorage and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Enable offline functionality
• Store chat history for the AI Counselor (up to 10 chats)
• Track usage statistics (such as daily streak counter)
• Improve user experience

You can control these technologies through your browser settings, though disabling them may affect the functionality of the Service. Chat history and other locally stored data can be cleared through your browser’s storage settings or by deleting your account.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the “Last Updated” date
• Sending you an email notification (if you have provided an email address)

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes are effective when posted on this page.

California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information held by businesses
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

Contact Us

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

Email: team@pathpal.us

Consent

By using Path Pal, you consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Service.

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Note: This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date listed above and will remain in effect except with respect to any changes in its provisions in the future, which will be in effect immediately after being posted on this page.