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Privacy Policy

Privacy and Cookies

2016-01-13

 

Your privacy is important to us. We value the trust you have placed in us, and are committed to protecting and safeguarding any personal data you give us. This document describes how we use and process your personal data and how we use cookies. It also tells you how you can contact us if you have questions about your personal data or about cookies.

SchoolApply offers education-related services through its own websites and mobile apps and through other online platforms such as partners’ websites and social media. The information that follows applies to all of these platforms. SchoolApply may amend the Privacy and Cookies Policy from time to time, so visit this page regularly to keep abreast of the updates. If you disagree with this Privacy and Cookies Policy, you should discontinue using our services.

Privacy

What kind of personal information does SchoolApply use?

When you create an account, you are asked for your name and email address. You might also be asked for your home address, and telephone, number. When you apply to school(s), you will be asked for additional information such as: payment information, guardian's information, academic history, employment history, admission test information, etc.

When you visit our websites, even if you do not create an account, we may collect certain information, such as your IP address, which browser you’re using, and information about your computer’s operating system, application version, language settings and pages that have been shown to you. If you are using a mobile device, we might also collect data that identifies your mobile device, device-specific settings and characteristics and latitude/longitude details. When you make an application, our system registers through which means and from which websites you have made your application.

We may also receive information about you when you use certain social media services.

 

Why does SchoolApply collect, use and share your personal data?

• Applications: First and foremost, we use your personal data to complete and administer your online application and forward your reservation details to the school you have booked.
• Customer service: We provide international customer service from our local. Sharing your details with our global customer service staff allows us to respond when you need us – including helping you to find appropriate programs and responding to any questions you might have about your applications.
• Account administration: We offer a user account facility on our website. We use the information you give us to administer this, allowing you to manage your information, applications, and manage your personal settings. Managing personal settings allows you to keep and share lists, see schools that you have searched for before, and see other information you have provided about schools and programs.
• Marketing activities: We also use your information for marketing activities, as permitted by law. For example:
• When you make a search with us or set up a user account, we may use your contact information to send you news of similar school related products and services. With your consent – if consent is required under local law – we may also send you other regular newsletters by email. You can opt out, or unsubscribe, from marketing communications at any time using the "Unsubscribe" link in each newsletter, or you can administer your subscriptions through your account (if you've created one).
• Based on the information you share with us, individualized offers may be shown to you on the SchoolApply website, in mobile apps or on third-party websites, including social media sites. These might be offers that you can book directly on the SchoolApply website, or third-party offers or products we think you might find interesting.
• If we believe that a particular offer may be of interest to you, we may decide to make contact with you by phone.
• Other communications: There may be other times when we get in touch by email, by post, by phone or by texting you, depending on the contact information you share with us. There could be a number of reasons for this:
• We may need to respond to and handle requests you have made.
• If you have not finalized an application online, we may call or email you a reminder to continue with your application.
• When you use our services, we may send you a questionnaire or invite you to provide a review about your experience with SchoolApply.
• We may also send you other material related to your application, such as how to contact SchoolApply if you need assistance while you are away, and information that we feel might be useful to you in planning your departure or getting the best out of your study time.
• Market research: We sometimes ask our customers to take part in market research. Any additional personal details that you give us as part of the market research will be used only with your consent.
• Fraud detection and prevention: We may use personal data for the detection and prevention of fraud and other illegal or unwanted activities.
• Improving our services: Finally, we use personal data for analytical purposes, to improve our services, to enhance the user experience, and to improve the functionality and quality of our services.

 

How does SchoolApply use social media?

We use social media to promote our schools and to promote, improve and facilitate our own services. For example, we have integrated social media plugins into the SchoolApply website. So when you click on one of the buttons and register with your social media account, information is shared with your social media provider, and possibly presented on your social media profile to be shared with others in your network.

In addition to implementing these buttons, SchoolApply uses social media by maintaining accounts and offering apps on several social media sites. These social media services may allow you to share information with SchoolApply. When you register with a social media app, you will be told which information will be shared with SchoolApply. The information you choose to share with us may include the basic information that’s available in your social media profile, email address, status updates and your list of friends. This information is necessary to create a unique user experience either in the app itself or on our websites. It facilitates such things as personalizing our website to suit your needs, connecting you with your friends and analysing and enhancing our services.

We may also enable you to sign in to SchoolApply services with your social media accounts. Your social media provider will be able to tell you more about how they use and process your data in such cases.

 

How does SchoolApply share your data with third parties?

In certain circumstances, we may share your personal data with third parties.

• The school(s) you applied to: In order to process your application, we need to transfer relevant details to the school you have applied to. This information may also be used by SchoolApply or schools to give you personalised offers. If you have a query about your application, we may contact the school and ask them to handle your request.
• Third-party service providers: We may use service providers (such as "data processors") to process your personal data strictly on our behalf. This processing would be for purposes such as facilitating payments, sending out marketing material or for analytical support services. These processors are bound by confidentiality clauses and are not allowed to use your personal data for their own purposes or any other purpose.
• Competent authorities: We disclose personal data to law enforcement and other governmental authorities insofar as it is required by law or is strictly necessary for the prevention, detection or prosecution of criminal acts and fraud.
• Business partners: We work with business partners around the world to distribute or advertise schools and to help our business partners distribute and advertise their education-related services. This may mean that their services are integrated into our website or they have been enabled to show a customised advertisement on our website – or we are advertising on theirs. When you create an account on one of our business partners’ websites, certain personal data that you give them may be forwarded to us. Certain business partners may receive your personal data from us if requested by you. When you create an account on a business partners’ website, please read the privacy policies on these business partners’ websites for more information.

 

How does SchoolApply make use of mobile devices?

We have free apps for a variety of mobile devices and use versions of our regular website that have been optimised for mobile. These apps and mobile websites process the personal details you give us in much the same way as our website does – and they also allow you to use location services to find accommodation nearby. With your consent, we may send you push notifications with information about your reservation.

 

 

Cookies

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small amount of data that is placed in the browser of your computer or on your mobile device. This Privacy and Cookies Policy applies to cookies and similar technologies (hereafter together referred to as “cookies”).

 

Why are cookies used?

Web pages have no memory. If you are surfing from page to page within a website, you will not be recognized as the same user across pages. Cookies allow you to be recognized as the same user across the pages of a website. Cookies also allow your choices to be remembered – choices such as the language you prefer, the currency you use and your search criteria. They will also make sure you are recognized when you return to a website.

 

Do all cookies do the same thing?

No, there are different types of cookie and different ways of using them. Cookies can be categorized according to their function, their lifespan and according to who places them on a website.

 

How are cookies used?

Our website uses the following types of cookie:

• Technical cookies: We try to give our visitors an advanced and user-friendly website that adapts automatically to their needs and wishes. To achieve this, we use technical cookies to show you our website, to make it function correctly, to create your user account, to sign you in and to manage your application. These technical cookies are absolutely necessary for our website to function properly.
• Functional cookies: We also use functional cookies to remember your preferences and to help you to use our website efficiently and effectively, for example by remembering your preferred currency and language, your searches and the schools you viewed earlier. These functional cookies are not strictly necessary for the functioning of our website, but they add functionality for you and enhance your experience.
• Analytics cookies: We use these cookies to gain insight into how our visitors use the website, to find out what works and what doesn't, to optimize and improve our website and to ensure we continue to be interesting and relevant. The data we gather includes which web pages you have viewed, which referring/exit pages you have entered and left from, which platform type you have used, date and time stamp information and details such as the number of clicks you make on a given page, your mouse movements and scrolling activity, the search words you use and the text you type while using our website. We also make use of analytics cookies as part of our online advertising campaigns to learn how users interact with our website after they have been shown an online advertisement – which may include advertisements on third-party websites. However, we will not know who you are, and will only obtain anonymous data. Our business partners may also use analytics cookies to learn if their customers make use of accommodation offers integrated into their websites.
• Commercial cookies: We use third-party cookies as well as our own to display personalized advertisements on our websites and on other websites. This is called “retargeting,” and it is based on browsing activities, such as the schools you have been searching for, the schools you have viewed and the content you have been shown. Commercial cookies may also be used by selected third parties to display their products and services through our website.

 

How long do SchoolApply cookies stay active?

The cookies we use have varying lifespans. The maximum lifespan we set on some of them is five years from your last visit to our website. You can erase all cookies from your browser any time you want to.

 

How can you recognize SchoolApply cookies?

You can find our cookies in your browser settings.

 

Does SchoolApply use third-party marketing and analytics cookies?

Yes, SchoolApply uses the services of trusted and recognized online advertising and marketing companies. SchoolApply may also use third-party providers for analytical purposes. To enable their services, these companies need to place cookies.

The providers we use are committed to building consumer awareness and establishing responsible business and data management practices and standards.

When it comes to online advertising and marketing companies, we strive to only work with companies that are members of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and/or the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Members of NAI and IAB adhere to industry standards and codes of conduct. NAI and IAB members allow you to opt out of the behavioral advertising. Visit www.networkadvertising.org andwww.youronlinechoices.com to identify the NAI members that may have placed an advertising cookie file on your computer. To opt out of an NAI or IAB member's behavioral advertising program, simply check the box that corresponds to the company from which you wish to opt out.

In order to control the collection of data for analytical purposes by Google Analytics, you may want to visit the following link: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

 

Who has access to SchoolApply cookie data?

Only SchoolApply has access to SchoolApply cookies. Cookies placed by third parties can be accessed by these third parties.

 

How can you manage your cookie preferences?

Using your browser settings in, for example, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox or Chrome, you can set which cookies to accept and which to reject. Where you find these settings depends on which browser you use. Use the "Help" function in your browser to locate the settings you need.

If you choose not to accept certain cookies, you may not be able to use some functions on our website. However, we do not otherwise support “Do Not Track” browser settings. Opting out of an online advertising network does not mean that you will no longer receive or be subject to online advertising or marketing analysis. It means that the network from which you opted out will no longer deliver ads tailored to your web preferences and browsing patterns.

 

Does SchoolApply use web beacons?

As well as using cookies, SchoolApply sometimes uses web beacons. A web beacon is a tiny graphic image of just one pixel that’s delivered to your computer either as part of a web page request or in an HTML email message. Either directly or through service providers, we use these pixels as part of our online advertisements either on our website or on third-party websites to learn whether a user who is being shown an online advertisement also creates an account; to track conversion with partner websites and to analyze the traffic patterns of users to optimize the services we bring to you.

 

Security

What security procedures does SchoolApply put in place to safeguard your personal data?

In accordance with European data protection laws, we observe reasonable procedures to prevent unauthorized access and the misuse of personal data.

We use appropriate business systems and procedures to protect and safeguard the personal data you give us. We also use security procedures and technical and physical restrictions for accessing and using the personal data on our servers. Only authorized personnel are permitted to access personal data in the course of their work.

Your credit card details will remain hashed in our system for fraud detection purposes.

 

Children

The services offered by SchoolApply are not directed at children under 18 years old. The use of any of our services is only allowed with the valid consent of a parent or a guardian. If we receive information from a child under 18 years old, we reserve the right to delete it.

Contact

How can you control the personal data you have given to SchoolApply?

You always have the right to review the personal information we keep about you. You can request an overview of your personal data by emailing us at support@schoolapply.com Please write 'Request personal information' in the subject line of your email and include a copy of your identity card to help us prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing your personal data.

If the personal information we have for you is incorrect, we will update it at your request. You can also ask us to remove your personal data from our customer database by sending an email to support@schoolapply.com with 'Request for removal of personal information' in the subject line. However, we may need to retain certain information, for example for legal or administrative purposes, such as record keeping or to detect fraudulent activities. You can delete your user account at any time by signing into your account on the SchoolApply website and choosing to remove your account.

Who is responsible for the processing of personal data on the SchoolApply website and apps?

SchoolApply AG controls the processing of personal data on its websites and mobile apps. SchoolApply AG. is a private limited liability company, incorporated under the laws of the Switzerland and has its offices at Bahnhofstrasse 7, 6300, Zug, Switzerland and registered with the trade register of Zug under registration number CHE-435.851.615

If you have any suggestions or comments about this privacy notice, please send an email to support@schoolapply.com

Terms of Service

We invite you to access of our services, but please note that your use is subject to  your review and agreement with these Terms of Service. This document describes in detail your rights and our rights relating to the provision of the Service so please review these Terms carefully.

Published 2016-01-13

 

These terms and conditions, as may be amended from time to time, apply to all our services directly or indirectly (through partners) made available online, through any mobile device, by email or by telephone. By accessing, browsing and using our website or any of our applications through whatever platform (hereafter collectively referred to as the "website") and/or by completing a school application, you acknowledge and agree to have read, understood and agreed to the terms and conditions set out below (including the privacy statement).

These pages, the content and infrastructure of these pages, and the online application service provided on these pages and through the website (the "service") are owned, operated and provided by Schoolapply AG ("SchoolApply", “SA” "us", "we" or "our") and are provided for your personal, non-commercial use only, subject to the terms and conditions set out below.

1. Scope of our Service

Through the website we (Schoolapply AG and its partners provide an online platform through which schools, collectively the "school (s)"), will be listed, and through which visitors to the website can apply. By making an application through SchoolApply, you don’t enter into a direct (legally binding) contractual relationship with the school at which you apply. From the point at which you make your application, we act solely as an intermediary between you and the school, transmitting the details of your application to the relevant school.

When rendering our services, the information that we disclose is based on the information provided to us by school websites. Although we will use reasonable skill and care in performing our services we will not verify if, and cannot guarantee that, all information is accurate, complete or correct, nor can we be held responsible for any errors, any interruptions (whether due to any (temporary and/or partial) breakdown, repair, upgrade or maintenance of our website or otherwise), inaccurate, misleading or untrue information or non-delivery of information. Our website does not constitute and should not be regarded as a recommendation or endorsement of the quality, service level, qualification or (star) rating of any school made available.

Our services are made available for personal and non-commercial use only. Therefore, you are not allowed to re-sell, deep-link, use, copy, monitor (e.g. spider, scrape), display, download or reproduce any content or information, software, products or services available on our website for any commercial or competitive activity or purpose.

2. Prices

All prices on the SchoolApply website are calculated per person per year, unless stated differently on our website or email.

Sometimes lower prices are available for a specific program at a school, however, these prices made by schools may carry special restrictions and conditions.

The currency converter is for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as accurate and real time; actual rates may vary.

Obvious errors and mistakes (including misprints) are not binding.

3. Privacy and cookies

SchoolApply respects your privacy. Please have a look at our privacy and cookies policy for further information.

4. SchoolApply fees

Our service is free except for the administration fee. The administration fee is a non-refundable fee that is charged when submitting applications.

Schools pay a commission (being a small percentage of the tuition price) to SchoolApply when the student has confirmed enrollment with the school.

Schools with premium listings pay SchoolApply for enabling such profiles.

5. Disclaimer

To the extent permitted by law, neither we nor any of our officers, directors, employees, representatives, subsidiaries, partner companies, licensees, agents or others involved in creating, sponsoring, promoting, or otherwise making available the site and its contents shall be liable for (i) any punitive, special, indirect or consequential loss or damages, any loss of production, loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of contract, loss of or damage to goodwill or reputation, loss of claim, (ii) any inaccuracy relating to the (descriptive) information (including prices, availability and ratings) of the school as made available on our website, (iii) the services rendered or the products offered by the school or other business partners, (iv) any (direct, indirect, consequential or punitive) damages, losses or costs suffered, incurred or paid by you, pursuant to, arising out of or in connection with the use, inability to use or delay of our website, or (v) any (personal) injury, death, property damage, or other (direct, indirect, special, consequential or punitive) damages, losses or costs suffered, incurred or paid by you, whether due to (legal) acts, errors, breaches, (gross) negligence, willful misconduct, omissions, non-performance, misrepresentations, tort or strict liability by or (wholly or partly) attributable to the school or any of our other business partners (including any of their employees, directors, officers, agents, representatives or partners companies) whose products or service are (directly or indirectly) made available, offered or promoted on or through the website, including any (partial) cancellation, strike, force majeure or any other event beyond our control.

Whether the school you enroll with charges you (or has charged you, or we are facilitating the payment of the school fees, you agree and acknowledge that the school is at all times responsible for the collection, withholding, remittance and payment of the applicable taxes due on the total amount of the school fees to the relevant tax authorities. SchoolApply is not liable or responsible for the remittance, collection, withholding or payment of the relevant taxes due on the school fees to the relevant tax authorities.

By uploading photos/images onto our system (for instance in addition to a review or personal account) you certify, warrant and agree that you own the copyright to the photos/images and that you agree that SchoolApply may use the uploaded photos/images on its (mobile) website and app, and in (online/offline) promotional materials and publications and as SchoolApply at its discretion sees fit. You are granting SchoolApply a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, unconditional, perpetual right and license to use, reproduce, display, have reproduced, distribute, sublicense, communicate and make available the photos/images as SchoolApply at its discretion sees fit. By uploading these photos/images the person uploading the picture(s) accepts full legal and moral responsibility of any and all legal claims that are made by any third parties (including, but not limited to, school owners) due to SchoolApply publishing and using these photos/images. SchoolApply does not own or endorse the photos/images that are uploaded. The truthfulness, validity and right to use of all photos/images is assumed by the person who uploaded the photo, and is not the responsibility of SchoolApply. SchoolApply disclaims all responsibility and liability for the pictures posted. The person who uploaded the photo warrants that the photos/images shall not contain any viruses, Trojan horses or infected files and shall not contain any pornographic, illegal, obscene, insulting, objectionable or inappropriate material and does not infringe any third party (intellectual property right, copyright or privacy) rights. Any photo/image that does not meet the aforesaid criteria will not be posted and/or can be removed/deleted by SchoolApply at any time and without prior notice.

6. Intellectual property rights

Unless stated otherwise, the software required for our services or available at or used by our website and the intellectual property rights (including the copyrights) of the contents and information of and material on our website are owned by Schoolapply AG., its suppliers or providers.

SchoolApply exclusively retains ownership of all rights, title and interest in and to (all intellectual property rights of) (the look and feel (including infrastructure) of) the website on which the service is made available (including the reviews and translated content) and you are not entitled to copy, scrape, (hyper-/deep)link to, publish, promote, market, integrate, utilize, combine or otherwise use the content (including any translations thereof and the reviews) or our brand without our express written permission. To the extent that you would (wholly or partly) use or combine our (translated) content (including guest reviews) or would otherwise own any intellectual property rights in the website or any (translated) content or reviews, you hereby assign, transfer and set over all such intellectual property rights to SchoolApply. Any unlawful use or any of the aforementioned actions or behaviour will constitute a material infringement of our intellectual property rights (including copyright and database right).

7. Miscellaneous

To the extent permitted by law, these terms and conditions and the provision of our services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Swiss law and any dispute arising out of these general terms and conditions and our services shall exclusively be submitted to the competent courts in Zug, Switzerland.

The original English version of these terms and conditions may have been translated into other languages. The translated version is a courtesy and office translation only and you cannot derive any rights from the translated version. In the event of a dispute about the contents or interpretation of these terms and conditions or inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and any other language version of these terms and conditions, the English language version to the extent permitted by law shall apply, prevail and be conclusive. The English version is available on our website (by selecting the English language) or shall be sent to you upon your written request.

If any provision of these terms and conditions is or becomes invalid, unenforceable or non-binding, you shall remain bound by all other provisions hereof. In such event, such invalid provision shall nonetheless be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and you will at least agree to accept a similar effect as the invalid, unenforceable or non-binding provision, given the contents and purpose of these terms and conditions.

8. About SchoolApply and the support companies

The online school application service is rendered by Schoolapply AG., which is a private limited liability company, incorporated under the laws of Switzerland and having its offices at Bahnhofstrasse 7, 6300, Zug, Switzerland and registered with the trade register of Zug under registration number CHE-435.851.615