ApplyScore GDPR Compliance and Cookie Policy.

Introduction

At Applyscore, we are deeply committed to safeguarding your privacy and protecting your personal data. This GDPR and Cookie Policy outlines how we collect, use, and manage your personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Dutch GDPR Execution Act, and the Dutch Telecommunications Act. This Policy applies to the personal data collected when you use our services, visit our website(s), or interact with us in any way. Please review this document carefully to understand your rights and how we handle your information.

1. Personal Data Collection

Personal Information: Name, gender, address, email, phone number, date of birth, country of birth.
Educational Information: GPA, academic transcripts, qualifications, CV, language proficiency, letters of recommendation, portfolio, and course descriptions.
Service Providers: University/employer details, professional credentials.
Agencies: Company documents and activity details.

Additionally, our platform features a marketplace where current students and professionals worldwide can offer services like consultation sessions, mentoring, and other relevant support. We collect the same personal and educational data from them, as well as details about their current university or employer.

We collect this data to match students with relevant educational opportunities, offer consultations, and collaborate with educational agencies.

2. Purpose of Data Processing

To match students with suitable degree programs across universities globally.
To provide service providers (consultants) with a platform to offer consultations, mentoring, and other services.
To allow educational agencies to collaborate with us.
To improve our services, analyze user preferences, and enhance platform functionality.
To communicate with you about your use of our platform and offer customer support.
To train and enhance our AI models to provide better services and more accurate educational recommendations.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

Consent: Where law requires, we will seek your explicit consent before processing your personal data. This includes situations where we use your data for personalized marketing or analytics. You can withdraw your consent at any time.
Contractual Necessity: We process your data to fulfil the contract between you and Applyscore. This includes the use of your information to match you with relevant degree programs, facilitate consultation services on our marketplace, and communicate with you about your inquiries and applications. Without this data, we cannot deliver the services you request.
Legitimate Interests: In certain cases, we process your data based on our legitimate interests, provided that these do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms. For example, we use your data to improve the user experience on our platform, enhance security measures, analyze usage patterns, and develop new services. We also rely on legitimate interests to prevent fraud, maintain the security of our platform, and enforce our terms and conditions.
Legal Obligations: We may process your data when we are required to comply with legal obligations, such as tax and accounting regulations, anti-money laundering laws, or responding to lawful requests from government authorities.
Public Interest: In rare cases, we may process your data if it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest, or in the exercise of official authority vested in us, subject to applicable laws.
Performance of Tasks in the Public Interest: In specific cases, such as collaborations with educational institutions or when dealing with public educational data, we may process your personal data as part of tasks carried out in the public interest.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including providing services, complying with legal obligations, and improving our platform.

However, we may retain certain data longer to support the continuous training and enhancement of our AI models, which help improve recommendations and services over time. In such cases, we will ensure that data is anonymized or pseudonymized, limiting any personally identifiable information. When data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

5. International Data Transfers and Security

As an international platform, your personal data may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), where data protection laws may differ. To safeguard your data, we implement Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and other approved mechanisms to ensure compliance with GDPR and other international data protection laws.

We take extensive technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including encryption, firewalls, and secure access controls. However, the transmission of data over the Internet is not completely secure, and while we strive to protect your data during transmission, we cannot guarantee its security. Any transmission of personal data to our website is done at your own risk. Once received, we apply strict security measures to prevent unauthorized access.

6. Your Rights

Be informed about how your personal data is collected, used, and shared.
Access the personal data we hold about you.
Correct or update inaccuracies in your personal data.
Erase your personal data (also known as the “right to be forgotten”).
Restrict the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances.
Object to the processing of your personal data, especially for direct marketing.
Request portability of your personal data, allowing you to move or reuse it across different services.
Not be subject to automated decision-making , including profiling, that may significantly affect you.
Withdraw your consent at any time if you previously provided it for data processing.
Complain with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, you can log into your account and update your information directly, or contact us to request changes, access, or deletion. We may ask for additional information to verify your identity before processing such requests.

Please note that these rights are not absolute. In certain cases, we may not be able to comply with your request if it conflicts with legal obligations or affects our ability to provide services. For example, we cannot erase data that is part of an ongoing study application or legal process.

If you have concerns or wish to file a complaint, you can reach us directly. We aim to respond within 10 business days and will inform you of any actions we are able to take in response to your request.

While we strive to ensure your data is handled in line with the law, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party service providers. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any external providers involved in your data handling, and we will communicate with them where legally permitted.

8. Third-Party Sharing

We may share your data with third-party service providers, such as universities and agencies, to offer relevant educational programs or services. Additionally, we use third-party tools like analytics and payment processing platforms, all of which adhere to GDPR requirements.

Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the functioning of the website, allowing you to navigate and use key features, such as logging into your account.
Analytical Cookies: These cookies help us understand how users interact with our platform, enabling us to improve the user experience.
Functional Cookies: These cookies allow us to personalize your experience on the platform by remembering your preferences and settings.
Advertising Cookies: These cookies track your online activity to display relevant advertisements to you based on your browsing behavior.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

When you first visit our website, a banner will appear asking you to consent to our use of cookies. You can choose to accept or reject certain types of cookies. You can also manage your cookie preferences in your browser settings at any time.

Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Policy as needed to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any updates will be communicated on our website.