From: Mary Dailey MDailey@collegeedge.com As a company which provides its users with information and interactive tools designed to help them achieve their highest potential in education and career, it is imperative that sites like us continue to be allowed to gather pertinent information from our users. We provide users with the ability to apply to the schools of their choice online, as well as the ability to be matched with schools based on the users' and the schools' criteria. These tools rely on the user inputting their personal information which is transmitted solely to the school. We do not disclose this information to any third party, even a school, without the express permission of the user. In fact, in the tool which matches users to schools, the schools search for matches based on profiles, and are NOT given any contact information. Once the user has been notified of a match, we place it in the user's hands to decide whether to respond to the school, and only AFTER the user provides express permission to do so, do we provide the desired school with the contact information. We also provide users with the ability to pay for their applications online, via credit card and soon will allow via online check. It is imperative that we continue to be allowed to gather and process this information for our users. The online application process is allowing these users a much more convenient and reliable way to send their applications to the desired schools, and it is crucial to them that they be allowed to continue paying online versus having to do this in a separate, 'offline' step. We are a compliant member with the Trust-E Privacy Program and strongly recommend the implementation of the safe harbour concept for this ruling. We completely understand the concern for children's protection in this new world of the web, and believe that we have taken all actions possible to ensure the users of our site do not experience compromised privacy. Thank you for considering our feedback, Mary Dailey |