Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Prof Sam ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use profsam.com and our related products and services, including the TNEA Cutoff Calculator, TNEA Cutoff Analyser & Reports, the TNEA Colleges directory, the bilingual TNEA Guide (tnea.profsam.com), ScoreLab (scorelab.profsam.com), our consultation bookings, and our blog and Concept Quick Starts.

By accessing or using our services, you agree to the collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your information as described below.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Use the TNEA Cutoff Calculator or request a TNEA Cutoff Report / Analyser output.
• Book a consultation, submit our contact form, or reach out via WhatsApp, email, or phone.
• Sign up as a sponsor or partner via the Sponsor program forms.
• Use ScoreLab and similar interactive tools or quizzes.
• Subscribe to our blog, newsletter, or Concept Quick Start updates.

The types of information we may collect include:

• Personal Identifiers: Name, parent/guardian name (where provided), email address, phone or WhatsApp number, city/district, and state.
• Academic Information: Board (state board / CBSE / ICSE), Class 12 / equivalent marks or cutoff score, community/category (where shared for TNEA cutoff prediction), preferred branches, and college preferences.
• Service-Specific Inputs: Inputs you provide to the Cutoff Calculator, Cutoff Analyser, ScoreLab, sponsor enquiries, or consultation booking forms.
• Usage Data: IP address, device and browser type, referring URL, pages visited, and interactions, collected automatically through cookies and analytics.

Form submissions are transmitted to our backend (hosted on Amazon Web Services) for processing. Editorial content such as testimonials, blog posts, FAQs, and Concept Quick Starts is served from Sanity, our content management system.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Generate your personalised TNEA Cutoff Report or analyser output and deliver it via email / WhatsApp.
• Schedule and conduct consultation calls and follow-ups.
• Respond to your enquiries about colleges, universities, branches, or sponsorship.
• Improve our tools, content, college and cutoff datasets, and overall user experience.
• Send relevant updates, counselling reminders, sponsor opportunities, and newsletters (you can opt out any time).
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or security issues.
• Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

4. Cookies, Analytics & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies, including Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager, to understand how visitors use the site and to improve our products. These tools may collect pseudonymous data such as page views, device type, approximate location, and referral source.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the site may not function correctly without them.

5. Sponsored TNEA Reports & Third-Party Sharing

Some TNEA Cutoff Reports and tools may be offered free of charge through our Sponsor program. If you receive a sponsored report, your name, contact details, and basic academic profile may be shared with the sponsoring college or institution so they can follow up with relevant admissions information. Where this applies, the sponsor's identity is clearly disclosed on the report or the form you submit.

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only with: (a) sponsors you have explicitly opted into, (b) trusted service providers (e.g. cloud hosting on AWS, email/WhatsApp delivery, analytics) acting on our instructions, and (c) authorities where required by law.

6. Communications & WhatsApp

When you submit a phone or WhatsApp number, you consent to us contacting you about your enquiry, your report, counselling timelines, and related Prof Sam services. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP on WhatsApp or emailing us.

7. Data Security & Retention

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encrypted database connections and access-controlled cloud infrastructure on AWS. No system is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We retain your information for as long as is necessary to provide our services, fulfil legitimate business purposes, resolve disputes, and comply with legal obligations. You can request deletion at any time (see Section 9).

8. Third-Party Links

Our site links to third-party properties such as scorelab.profsam.com, tnea.profsam.com, sponsor websites, and official counselling portals (e.g. Anna University / TNEA). We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices and encourage you to read their policies.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law (including India's DPDP Act, 2023), you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request deletion of your data where there is no overriding legal basis to retain it.
• Withdraw consent or unsubscribe from communications.
• Lodge a complaint with the appropriate data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@profsam.com.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are designed for higher-secondary and college-aspirant students, typically aged 16 and above, along with their parents and educators. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe a child has provided personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services or legal requirements. Updates are posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date. Material changes will be highlighted where appropriate.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or requests, please reach out: