Privacy Policy
Effective Date: June 1st, 2026
Last Updated: June 15th, 2026
1. Introduction
College Counselors for International Students ("CCIS," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients, website visitors, and prospective students. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have over your data.
This Policy applies to information collected through our website internationalcollegecounseling.com (the "Site"), our email communications, and the counseling services we provide.
By using our Site or engaging our services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our Site and services.
2. Information We Collect
a. Information You Provide Directly
When you contact us, request a consultation, or engage our services, we may collect:
Full name (student and/or parent/guardian)
Email address
Phone number
Country of residence and nationality
Academic records, test scores (SAT, ACT, IELTS, TOEFL, etc.), and grade information
Information about educational goals, extracurricular activities, and personal interests
Payment and billing information (processed securely through third-party payment providers)
Any other information you voluntarily share during our counseling sessions
b. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Site (hosted on Wix.com), certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:
IP address and approximate geographic location
Browser type and version
Pages visited and time spent on each page
Referring URL
Device type and operating system
This information is collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies managed by our website platform, Wix. Please refer to the Wix Privacy Policy at wix.com/about/privacy for full details on their data practices.
c. Communications
We retain records of email and other written communications between you and CCIS counselors in connection with the provision of services.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information collected for the following purposes:
To provide personalized college counseling and coaching services
To respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form or by email
To schedule and manage counseling sessions via secure video conferencing platforms
To send you updates, reminders, and educational resources related to your college application process
To process payments for our services
To improve our website and the quality of our services
To comply with applicable legal obligations
4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR — EU/EEA Clients)
If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, we process your personal data under the following legal bases:
Contractual necessity: to perform the counseling agreement entered into with you or your family
Legitimate interests: to communicate with prospective clients and improve our services
Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws and regulations
Consent: where we have asked for your consent (e.g., sending marketing communications), which you may withdraw at any time
5. Sharing of Your Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:
Service providers: We may share data with trusted third-party tools necessary to operate our business, including our website platform (Wix), video conferencing software, and email service providers. These providers are contractually bound to protect your information.
Payment processors: Payment information is handled directly by our third-party payment provider and is not stored on our systems.
Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority.
With your consent: We will share information with third parties only when you have given us explicit permission to do so.
CCIS counselors may occasionally share anonymized, non-identifying student success stories (e.g., "a student gained admission to Sciences Po in a dual degree with UCL") on our Site or social media for illustrative purposes, without disclosing any personally identifying information.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, or as required by law. Client records related to counseling services are generally retained for [INSERT PERIOD, e.g., 3–5 years] after the conclusion of our engagement. Contact form submissions not resulting in an engagement are retained for [INSERT PERIOD, e.g., 12 months].
You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 9).
7. International Data Transfers
CCIS operates in the United States (Los Angeles, California). If you are located outside the United States — including in France, the EU, or other countries — please be aware that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. We take appropriate measures to ensure that any such transfer complies with applicable data protection laws.
8. Cookies
Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies as managed by our website platform, Wix. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how visitors use our Site.
Cookies used on our Site may include:
Essential cookies: necessary for the Site to function properly
Analytics cookies: used to understand visitor behavior and improve our Site
Marketing cookies: used to track the effectiveness of our communications (where applicable)
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Site. For more details, visit Wix's Cookie Policy at support.wix.com.
9. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Correction: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Deletion: request that we erase your personal data, subject to certain exceptions
Restriction: request that we limit how we use your data
Portability: request your data in a portable, machine-readable format (EU/EEA residents)
Objection: object to the processing of your data for certain purposes
Withdrawal of consent: withdraw any previously given consent at any time
California Residents — CCPA Rights
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to delete your personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights. CCIS does not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA.
To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.
10. Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. Our counseling sessions are conducted via secure, encrypted video conferencing platforms. However, no transmission of data over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Children's Privacy
Many of our clients are minors (under 18 years of age). We require parental or guardian involvement in the counseling process and, where a student is a minor, we obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian before collecting the student's personal information. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verified parental consent in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
12. Third-Party Links
Our Site may contain links to external websites, including university and college websites and educational resources. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the updated Policy on our Site with a revised "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of our Site or services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:
CCIS — College Counselors for International Students
Email: ccis@gmail.com
Phone: +1 (310) 529-5753
Website: www.internationalcollegecounseling.com
Los Angeles, California, USA
© 2026 CCIS. All rights reserved.