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Privacy Policy
The Admissions Guide Effective Date: September 8, 2026 Last Updated: September 8, 2026
The Admissions Guide ("we," "us," or "our") provides college counseling services and operates this website (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information from visitors, clients, students, and parents/guardians ("you") who use our Site or services.
By using our Site or services, you agree to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Site or services.
1. Who We Are
The Admissions Guide is a college counseling practice based in California. For any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact:
Email: joebertocchini@sandiego.edu
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following categories of information, depending on how you interact with us:

  • Contact information: name, email address, phone number, mailing address

  • Payment information: billing details processed through Venmo (see Section 5)

  • Academic records: transcripts, grades, test scores (e.g., SAT/ACT), coursework history

  • Application materials: college essays, personal statements, and related drafts or feedback

  • Health and disability information: where relevant to accommodations, IEP/504 plans, or college applications

  • Parent/guardian information: name, contact details, and relationship to the student (for clients under 18)

  • Scheduling information: appointment times and details via our scheduling tools

  • Communications: records of emails, phone calls, intake forms, and messages you send us

  • Uploaded documents: any files you submit to us (e.g., transcripts, essays, forms)

  • Technical/usage information: collected automatically via cookies and similar technologies when you browse the Site (see Section 4)

How We Collect It
We collect information through:

  • Contact forms and intake forms on our Site

  • Scheduling tools (Calendly)

  • Email correspondence

  • Phone calls

  • Video sessions (Zoom)

  • Uploaded documents you send us directly

3. Information from Minors
We work with students under the age of 18. In these cases:

  • A parent or guardian, or the student, may initially sign up for our services.

  • Once engaged, students typically interact with the Site and communicate with us directly (e.g., scheduling sessions, submitting essays, corresponding by email).

  • We collect parent/guardian contact information primarily for billing, scheduling coordination, and communication about the student's progress.

  • We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the Site without parental involvement. Our services are designed for high-school-aged students working toward college admissions, generally ages 13–18.

  • Parents/guardians may contact us at the email above to review, correct, or request deletion of their student's information, subject to the retention practices described in Section 8.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the Site and understand how visitors use it. These may include:

  • Essential cookies needed for basic Site functionality

  • Analytics cookies to help us understand visitor behavior and improve the Site

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some Site functionality.
(Note: please tell me the specific analytics/tracking tools you use — e.g., Google Analytics, Meta/Facebook Pixel — so this section can name them specifically and link to their respective privacy policies, which is standard practice and expected by CA law.)
5. Third-Party Service Providers
We use the following third-party services to operate our business. These providers may process your information on our behalf, subject to their own privacy policies:
ServicePurpose
CalendlyAppointment scheduling
ZoomVideo counseling sessions
Claude (Anthropic)AI-assisted tools that may support drafting, research, or administrative tasks
VenmoPayment processing
Google WorkspaceEmail, document storage, and communication
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not share your information with schools, colleges, testing agencies, or other counselors.
We only share information with the above service providers as necessary to operate our business, and require that they handle your information consistently with this Policy and applicable law.
6. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide college counseling services, including reviewing academic records, essays, and application materials

  • Schedule and conduct sessions

  • Process payments

  • Communicate with you and, where applicable, your parent/guardian

  • Maintain records of our work together

  • Send you newsletters or marketing communications (with the ability to opt out — see Section 7)

  • Comply with legal obligations

7. Marketing Communications and Your Choices
We may send newsletters or marketing emails about our services. You may opt out at any time by:

Opting out of marketing emails will not affect service-related communications (e.g., appointment confirmations, billing notices).
8. Data Retention
We retain client records, including academic records, essays, and communications, for five (5) years following the end of our engagement with you, after which records are securely deleted or destroyed, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
9. Your Privacy Rights (California Residents)
Depending on the nature and scale of our business, California law (including the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act) may give you the right to:

  • Know what personal information we have collected about you

  • Request deletion of your personal information

  • Correct inaccurate personal information

  • Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (note: we do not sell or share your information)

  • Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at joebertocchini@sandiego.edu. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request.
(Note: CCPA/CPRA obligations formally apply once a business meets certain revenue or data-volume thresholds. I've included these rights as good practice regardless, but you may want to confirm applicability with an attorney.)
10. Data Security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Health and Sensitive Information
Where you share health or disability-related information with us (e.g., for accommodations or IEP/504 documentation relevant to college applications), we use this information solely for the purpose of supporting your application process and do not share it except as needed to provide our services.
(Note: we are not a HIPAA-covered entity, since we are not a healthcare provider. If you'd like, I can add clarifying language to that effect.)
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent changes. Continued use of our Site or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact:
The Admissions Guide Email: joebertocchini@sandiego.edu

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