Privacy Notice for Applicants

The University of San Francisco is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information collected from individuals who are considering applying to the university, applying directly, inquiring or requesting information about our education programs and services, or attending in-person informational events. The purpose of this Privacy Notice is to explain how we collect, process, and share that information. 

This Privacy Notice pertains only to the www.usfca.edu website and its related digital properties (“Site”) as well as information collected at in-person events. It does not apply to other websites operated on our behalf or by third-parties. You should review the privacy statements on those other websites when you visit or submit information to them. Because we may update this Privacy Notice at any time and for any reason, we encourage you to review this Privacy Notice each time you visit the Site.

What data we collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you apply directly on the Site, complete the Common Application, apply via The Law School Admission Council, request information or use a service, or attend an in-person event. Depending on the purpose, that information may include "personally identifiable information". For example, to process your application that includes collecting your contact details, education plans, demographic information, family information, education history, academic achievements, and information on extracurricular activities and work experience. We may also collect data about your examination subjects and test scores from testing organizations and credential services. You may voluntarily provide health and disability information and, depending on your citizenship, will be required to provide your immigration and visa status. If you request information we collect your contact information, education interests, and demographic information, for example, to allow us to respond to your inquiry.

When you use the Site we also collect non-personally identifiable information to better understand how you interact with and use the Site. How this information is collected, processed and used, and your choices around this, are described in the Website Privacy Statement.

The Site contains links to third-party sites. Those links are provided for convenience only and the linked sites are not under our operation or control. We are not responsible for practices employed by those sites nor for the information or content they contain. Please remember that when you use a link to leave our Site, this Privacy Notice will not apply to the sites you visit. Your browsing and interaction on any other site, including those that have a link on our Site, are subject to those sites' own rules and policies. We encourage you to review their privacy policies to understand how they collect and use your personal information.  

How we use your data

Our use of your personally identifiable information can depend on the purpose for which it is provided, and on what service or resource you request, including our use of that information to, for example, make a decision on your admission, provide you with information about our education programs, support our marketing and advertizing program, comply with State and Federal reporting obligations, and otherwise communicate with you as necessary or in any other way we may describe when you provide the information during your use of the Site or from attending an in-person event. We also use your information for administrative purposes, such performing internal reviews to help ensure the information and education programs we provide are relevant to you. 

Only information required for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice is collected and processed. Without that information you may not be able to access or use the features of the Site and we may not be able to provide our admission and other web-based services to you.

Who we share your data with

We share your personal information internally to provide you with our services and the information that you request. We also share it with third-parties that assist with the delivery of these. For example, third-parties provide data and web-hosting services, data analytics services, processing admission applications, processing financial aid, processing payments, event planning services, and marketing, communications and advertizing services. We may also share your personal information with government and law enforcement agencies to comply with a legal process (such as a subpoena), or other legal or regulatory requirement applicable to us, or to pursue or defend against legal claims. 

Other than as described in this Privacy Notice, your personal information will not be shared by us.  We will not, for example, sell your personal information or otherwise disclose it to third parties (other than for the limited purposes described above).

How we protect your data

We use reasonable technical, physical, and organizational measures to protect and safeguard your personal information against unauthorized access and illegal use or disclosure.  For example, we store the information in secure locations and limit access to authorized trained staff whose work requires such access. We require third-parties to maintain acceptable privacy and information security practices and only provide them with the data and information they need to perform their contracted services. 

We retain your information for as long as necessary to process your admission, provide you with our services, provide information about our education programs, conform to our retention schedule, and meet State and Federal reporting obligations. 

Although the security of your personal information is very important to us, we cannot guarantee that security given the nature of electronic transmissions and data storage. Please keep that in mind when you use this Site.

Your access and choice

When considering or directly applying to attend the university, requesting information or attending an in-person event, your information is collected and processed primarily as being necessary for the performance of a contract under which we provide pre-admissions and admissions related services to you. We have a legal obligation to collect certain immigration related information to comply with State and Federal reporting obligations. You may also consent to optionally provide your religious preference, ethnicity and race. 

We may, if you consented in Common Application, correspond with you about your application. We will also correspond with you if you provided your contact details on the Site or at an in-person event. You may withdraw your consent to receive correspondence from us at any time by unsubscribing to our email or by writing to us at the address in the ‘How to contact USF’ section below.

We comply with all applicable regulations regarding data retention and deletion of personal data and retain personal information only for as long as necessary to, for example, fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, for strategic planning, and to comply with applicable laws and retention requirements. You can ask to review, update, or make changes to the personal information we maintain about you, or exercise your option of having your personal information discarded without reuse or distribution, by sending a written request to the address in the ‘How to contact USF’ section below. We will respond within a reasonable period of time. If you request the deactivation or change of information stored on our systems, such information may be retained in our backup systems for a period of time subject to technology restrictions, or as a precaution against systems failures before being deactivated or changed.  Some information may be retained for longer periods as required by law, contract, or auditing requirements. 

EEA Data Rights

If you are an individual located in the European Economic Area ("EEA") you have certain rights with regard to your personal data collected while you are in the EEA. These rights may include right of access, right of correction, right to be forgotten, right to restrict processing of your identifiable personal information, right to notice related to changes/deletion/processing limits, right to data portability, right to objection, right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, and right to withdraw consent. Some of these rights are restricted by law to information that was collected on the basis of explicit consent, or are restricted by other conditions (such as necessity for the performance of a contract, or to comply with the law). You have the right to contact us in connection with the exercise of your rights under applicable EEA law, which you can do by writing to us at the address in the ‘How to contact USF’ section below. We will respond to your written request within one month, but if your request is complex, or we receive multiple requests from you, our response may be extended by an additional two months (or sooner if required by law). Unless we notify you at the time of your request, we will not charge you any fee in connection with the exercise of your rights. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to or seek advice from a supervisory authority and/or bring a claim against us in any court of competent jurisdiction. 

How to contact USF

For any comments or concerns you may have about this Privacy Notice or your rights please contact the University of San Francisco Pre-College Summer Program by emailing precollege@usfca.edu or by writing to University of San Francisco, Attention: University of San Francisco Pre-College Summer Program 2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-1080, United States of America.