Actualize

I found the decision as to which bootcamp to attend to be an exceedingly difficult one. After nearly signing up for a big corporate owned camp, I came across Actualize. Actualize makes you feel noticed and supported. You are with the same instructor and teaching assistants the whole through so you feel like your progress is really being tracked and you are building connections throughout the camp. A lot of camps out there feel a little scammy, with published job rates and what not. Oh so you have 98% of graduates, get job, well what defines a graduate? The truth is what you put is what you get out, and that applies to actualize, but they give you solid footing to exceed without trying disassociate with you if you aren't meeting requirements. Because they aren't wrapped up in a published job placement rate they can focus on helping the students as much as helping themselves. Actualize also provides continued support with smaller lessons and job help after you graduate.   If I had to choose a bootcamp again I would definitely make the same decision. If you are unsure of what to choose, choose actualize. Don't get caught up on languages and frameworks that are taught. You'll be better off going to a camp with a good environment and actualize has that. Peace.

I researched bootcamps extensively, and had almost decided to go with one of more well-known bootcamps.  Luckily, I came across an article by Jay Wengrow on LinkedIn which led me to Actualize.  After speaking with them, and discussing the options, I decided to register with Actualize, and there has not even been one moment since that I have regretted that decision. They are truly an exceptional bootcamp with people who personally care about your success.  In addition to the outstanding curriculum that builds upon itself everyday, the job search portion is second to none.   They prepare you for the job search by not only providing the people and the tools to succeed during the bootcamp, but continuing support and training every step of the way afterwards.  I would not hesitate to recommend Actualize to anyone looking to start a career in Software Development.

I just finished this program and I have to say it has been one of the best decisions in my life so far. I chose Actualize due to them being a Chicago based program, as I am Chicago based as well, but another huge upside was the fact that they have implemented online-based teaching since before the pandemic. That means they weren't scrambling to figure out how to put their curriculum online, or to turn it into a zoom based class, the structure was there and it always had been. That made it feel like an incredibly good pick during this time.

The online-live class setup is a fantastic way to learn coding, with immediate feedback and great class-flow between lectures and exercises. With an emphasis on learning to learn the instructors at Actualize are training your brain to think like a developer, encourage problem solving and growth mindset. I really have nothing but good things to say about Actualize, and they let you sit in on classes in progress if you're applying and want to see how the classes are structured. So if you're on the fence, setup a sit-in and see for yourself!

Deciding to learn coding through Actualize was easily one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. The course is packed with information and moves very fast, but not so much that you can't keep up. Dani Zaghian was my instructor and she is an incredible teacher. She was always very clear about what is happening in the concepts she was teaching along with what is expected of each of her students throughout the course. It was a great experience and I would encourage anyone who is considering attending a bootcamp to consider Actualize.

Having just graduated, I don't know how my job will go (or for how long) but everything related to career planning I've received during the course has been incredibly helpful. I came into this course with a pretty strong computer science understanding, but was pretty overwhelmed trying to self learn frontend and backend frameworks. I'm not sure there's any way to get better at simply coding other than putting in the time, so keep that in mind when you're thinking about any bootcamp in particular. Most of this bootcamp has been focused on using frameworks. Even though its unlikely you'll ever work solely in those frameworks in the future, I'm confident moving forward to learn new frameworks with ease and a better understanding of what challenges in development the specific features of a framework intend to address.

Actualize was the best decision I have ever made. After getting half way through a computer programming degree at a community college and never writing a single line of code, I decided to take some coding classes online. I found them lacking the structure and guidance I needed. That's when I started combing reviews for a solid bootcamp. I noticed Actualize had so many perfect ratings and now I understand why. This school teaches you how to code. But, more importantly, they teach you how to LEARN how to code. I feel confident after taking this bootcamp that I can learn any language I want. The lead instructor, Brian, is a phenomenal instructor. He anticipates and validates the difficult parts and his background in teaching AND software development really show in how he conducts the course.  You can tell he truly cares about each student's success in the course. The curriculum is relevant and useful. They teach programming logic in a way that I wish I would've learned earlier! They provide tons of career support during and after and Lisa, the job hacking instructor, is as caring and empathetic as all of the staff. She really wants to see you succeed. I left this course feeling empowered, confident and like a true developer. You will always have more to learn as a developer but now I know how to learn anything! I could not recommend this bootcamp more and I am so grateful I found them.

Actualize was easily one of the best experienced I could have hoped for. After spending hours and hours researching bootcamps and toiling over which one to choose, I had a friend recommend Actualize. After hearing what he had to say and looking into them, I jumped in head first and never looked back. This was one of the smartest things I have ever done. Everyone at Actualize has been nothing short of amazing and having graduated I can honestly say I feel confident in my abilities as a Web Developer. The instructors are world class and the career help is icing on the cake. If you're looking at bootcamps, I honestly cannot recommend Actualize enough.

Actualize has been an outstanding educational experience, challenging but rewarding in a ton of ways. Our teacher Brian, and our TA's Bart and Lauryn were knowledgeable, helpful and supportive. The course also has career oriented sessions with a career counselor who specializes in helping graduates find placement in real companies. My fellow classmates were all bright, curious, and really bonded well together. It was a joy to have a group of such cool people working on this project of self improvement in a time when people are increasingly isolated and detached (as the corona virus continues to ravage the country). Actualize gave me an outlet for my creative energy while providing a staggering amount of information in an intelligent and organized fashion. Five bags of popcorn, two sodas.

After calling several bootcamps and reviewing their curriculum, I chose Actualize because of their emphasis on job search, teaching methodology and overall support. This was probably the best experience of my life (so far) and I cannot stress enough how much I learn about coding and tech in general. The amount of support was also insane, they really care about your professional growth and I highly recommend their web development course to anyone interested in pursuing a career in coding. Kudos to everyone working at Actualize!