App Academy

This is an excellent bootcamp. The instructors are capable and it takes little time to get help on a difficult or confusing problem. I would say the only con is that it is a tremendous time investment, and it is punishing if you fall behind. I had no time to go to the gym and even on weekends had little time to socialize. You should not enter this program with the expectation that you'll have multiple hours of free time a day over the run of the course. You will not have time for part time work while in this course.

But almost everyone acclimates to the pace and learns an enormous amount. It's a very strong course and the organization works hard to help you find a good job once you've graduated. I recommend it very highly.

I was part of the July 2017 NYC Cohort. AA attracts people from diverse backgrounds and top-schools, but one thing they all share in common is that they're sharp and driven. Coming in with programming experience will help, but don't be discouraged if that's not something you have. The TAs do a great job in teaching languages and frameworks you need to succeed in this course. Also, AA really -is- full-time. Although class ends at 6pm, many people either stay in the office to study/work on projects more, or continue at home. The material is challenging, but there's camaraderie that naturally forms in every cohort as you're struggling along others to achieve the same goal. I think the TAs really make a huge part of the experience, I hope the AA continues what they're doing and how they select staff. Stay curious, humble, and be sure to reach out for help when needed.

After accumulating six figures of debt and few hard skills at college, I had developed a cynical attitude about education as a whole. I discovered an interest in programming at work and when I realized that I'd reached a limit in my capacity for technical growth, I considered my options. Another 2-4 years in college was a big no-no (fool me twice, shame on me) and, for similar reasons, spending 15-20k upfront on a bootcamp with no guarantee of success seemed like a bad bet.

App Academy was groundbreaking. For the first time, I found a school whose tuition model aligned with my own personal goals. The better I did, the better AA did.

The rumors are all true. No amount of words can describe the rigor and the challenge of the program. An 80-90 hour weekly commitment is typical. You'll lose sleep. You'll be challenged consistently and think "I'm not sure I can finish this". You'll be surrounded (and outcompeted) by some of the most gifted people you'll ever meet. You'll fail to understand a topic on a Saturday and pass an exam on it on Monday. Once the learning curriculum concludes, you're thrust into the job search, which is filled with entirely different challenges -- personal projects, phone calls, take-home assessments, technical screenings, whiteboarding sessions, in-person interviews, salary negotiations.

And then, almost miraculously, things start working out. You get complimented on your GitHub code at interviews, you do well at whiteboarding sessions, you get offers that are almost double what you earned at your previous job. You have the confidence to choose which offers to accept and which to reject.

A single review can't do AA justice. It truly provides a life-changing experience. The TAs are phenomenal --- amazingly brilliant people who not only understand the material but have a genuine desire to help others. The in-class pair programming assignments are perfectly structured; there is enough material to ensure a good 5-6 hours a day could be spent coding. The caliber of the students is phenomenal -- lots of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The job placements team is stellar as well; all were confident career coaches that were eager to lift you up and fill you with optimism.

All in all, I have zero regrets about the program. All promises were kept. It was the most challenging educational endeavor I've ever attempted but, thanks to App Academy, I feel confident about my future as a software engineer. If you're passionate about the field and are willing to put in the hard work, there's no better place to learn web development.

The resources available are amazing. The curriculum is always changing to keep up with the latest technologies. As a result, it's not always the most polished, but it's probably the best way to learn the latest tech. This is facilitated by the amazing TA's who are always available, even outside of class hours via slack or email. My classmates were all awesome people and it was nice having a space to come in and study. (I hear they're upgrading locations again, too).

As for cons, the pacing of the curriculum was pretty bad, but they try to do their best to time assessments and projects to be as manageable as possible. Even then, because of the sheer quantity of materials to learn, it behooves you to keep up and understand where you're at as best as possible. I didn't find the curriculum to be too stressful coming from a specialized high school/ medical school background. I also had a basic understanding of a lot of programming concepts, so I was definitely at a bit of an advantage over my classmates who had to teach themselves the basics of coding a month or two before starting the course. Generally speaking, if you made it past the interview process, you've got what it takes to pass the course. The job support portion is nice, but there are a lot of students so it might be difficult to pin down subtle issues you're having with the job search. If you reach out, though, you'll get the support you need.

Some advice: SLEEP. Especially if you have an assessment the next morning. Your priority during boot camp MUST be in this order from most important to least important: Sleep, food, studying, everything else. If you do not sleep properly, you will not retain the information you're cramming, especially if it's all completely new. You will learn the most by doing what you read about the night before, and you won't be able to code the next day on no sleep and an empty stomach. Also, when you apply to jobs, apply to everything at once. You will have the best chances while all your projects are fresh. You have nothing to lose by getting in touch with hiring managers and CEO's of companies. Do what it takes and be sure to keep coding. Good luck.

If you're just starting off your research into boot camps, a/A is one of the best, especially in NYC. You will need to save up a lot of money in order to support yourself and pay a deposit. I would recommend saving around $15k to be safe, $12k bare minimum.

I believe enrolling at App Academy was the best decision I could have made when I decided to transition into software development.  If you enter this program hungry to learn and open to possibilities, you'll gain a ton of valuable technical skills as well as computer science basics that will help direct your own continued learning.  

I entered this program with no technical knowledge at all (Microsoft Excel was my limit) and came out of it having built full-stack apps and with a job offer from a startup working in a completely different stack from the one we learned at a/A.  I also have the confidence to take that job, knowing I'll be able to learn what I need quickly and well.

This was a super difficult process--don't enroll unless you're able to essentially turn off the rest of your life for the duration of the program--but I made it out and couldn't be happier with the experience.

The program is very fast paced! Prepare to work hard every day for long hours. But that being said, the course structure and curriculum are very well designed, and definitely provide a rock solid foundation for a career in software engineering.

We learned all the layers of full stack web development, with special emphasis on core computer science concepts (algorithmic complexity, data structures, OOP, security principles etc) which I think sets App Academy apart from other coding programs.

I sincerly doubt I could have become the coder that I am today without App Academy. Landed my first job as a frontend developer at a growing company in Financial District and I owe a lot to App Academy.

App Academy is definitely rigorous, curriculum wise. Be ready to live and breathe programming. The program is definitely not suited for every person, but no prior experience in programming is neccesary. 

Come with the mindset to job search for a long time. A lot of people find jobs within 1, 2 months of graduating, but that is not always the case and I came the closest to rock bottom as I've been my whole life.

This was the best career decision of my life. It was an incredible journey from start to finish. From learning basic Ruby to making full web applications to getting my first offer three months into the job search. You get out as much as you put in. 

So, coming from a background in art, everything was challenging for me since jumpstart time.  I used be academically successful but now I feel like stupid everyday here at app academy. But you know what, I made it through(barely)! and so can anyone else! I am currently in the eleventh week. I still feel challenged everyday but each time after I get through with these challenges, my feeling of achievement triples.  I guess everyone will repeat this same pattern over and over throughout the course, and each time after you do, you will realize how much more you have learned. I certainly had a very wonderful experience here working with people, including teachers,  who are motivate in a similar way.  I get a lot of help and was able to learn so many things everyday. It was fun!  

I've experienced App Academy as a prospective JumpStart student, an enrolled student, graduate, JumpStart TA, Bootcamp Prep TA, and finally as an alumnus. Needless to say, I've gotten a pretty wide breadth of App Academy exposure, and all of it has been overwhelmingly positive. 

The JumpStart or Bootcamp Prep admissions processes, while rigorous, provide a great foundation for the skills necessary to be successful at a/A. I've been both enrolled in and a TA for JumpStart, and I found the program as rewarding to teach as it was to learn under. 

The actual course is no joke. You'll get out what you put in, and be prepared to sacrifice 3 months of your life outside of learning & working. But rest assured: it is worth it. a/A imparts you with not only the technical chops to make it in the industry, but the job-searching, networking, and interviewing skills to get the job you want. After graduation, while working as both a JumpStart and BCP TA, I ended up with a total of 5 job offers, and currently have a job at a great company.

Final verdict: Amazing experience, would do it again in a heartbeat. But be prepared to work--you won't regret it.

What App Academy offers - a near-six figure salary on average within a year - sounds too good to be true. Three months after graduating, most of my classmates have accepted offers. I received my first offer two weeks after graduating. My job search lasted 2 months, during which time I received five offers in total. I am now happily working as a full stack engineer at a company I am excited about.

App Academy lives up to its promises because it has the brightest instructors and is built on top of a top-notch, stellar curriculum and an incredibly selective application process. My classmates are the most intelligent and talented group of people I have ever been a part of. Graduating from the bootcamp is only possible by setting your entire life on hold and studying and coding 11+ hours every day. Assessments are given weekly, and failing two of them leads to your dismissal from the program. You are expected to digest material very quickly and break your brain on difficult problems every day. The program is incredibly stressful and draining, but really does teach you what you need to know to get hired and grow as a developer.

A little bit about the curriculum:

The program is broken up into various sections, starting with computer science fundamentals, which focuses on problem-solving skills. Every day focuses on a project that usually involves pair programming. Pair programing helped us learn more quickly and communicate code clearly. The job search curriculum is very useful in guiding graduates in how they should use their time while job hunting