App Academy

Coming into the course I knew I had an interest in programming, but was unsure if I would be able to keep up knowing that I had zero coding experience prior to starting the course. These concerns dissapeared soon after beginning the Bootcamp Prep course. Our instructor, Alvin, did an excellent job of making sure each concept was fully understood before moving on to the next topic. It is extremely important that you understand why a certain solution works, and they did a great job of breaking down problems and solutions line by line. I had no idea that I would be able to learn so much in such a short period of time, and I can honestly say I am leaving the course confident in my ability to get into a top programming bootcamp. The course was challenging and rewarding. They are not lying when they say you are going to have to dedicate a lot more time than the two hours per day in class in order to get the most from the course, but if you take this on as a challenge you should have no problem spending time outside of class improving your skills. I would definitely recommend App Academy Bootcamp Prep to anyone considering a career in programming.

When I started looking at different boot camps I was already taking online open courseware classes. There were three main things I was looking for that I could not get self-teaching. The first was coding with other people - App Academy focuses heavily on pairing and you will pair for the majority of the day every single day for the first seven weeks. The second factor was having people actually look at and critique my code, as online code checkers really tell you nothing about code quality, only code correctness at best. This was addressed with pairing, TA code reviews, lectures on best practices, and studying the provided daily solutions. Lastly, I knew that I would seriously need help in the job search. This was the real kicker, as App Academy's tuition model of paying a percentage of your first year's salary really gave me confidence that I would be supported and pushed throughout the job search process. I'm happy to say that really was exactly my experience. On my own, I never would have pushed myself to apply so quickly and to so many places, but with App Academy's support I ended up nabbing a Software Engineer position I am super excited about in almost exactly three months after starting to apply, which is the average time. The stats are real! (Salary stats, too)

Overall I was very impressed with the structure of the program, so much is really thought through in advance. The admission process mirrors job search, and the tests serve not only to ensure you keep up with the pace but also are great preparation for timed coding challenges in interviews. I would definitely suggest studying a lot in advance and making sure you are strong in your fundamentals. The provided a/A material is really the bare minimum, I took CS50x and MIT 6.001x and would highly recommend them. If you are not prepared for the first weeks it is nearly impossible to catch up and I would say most people who fail out do so because they were not sufficiently prepared. Also, if you have sufficient time, I would recommend spending some time to learn algorithms in advance as you will have a ton of things on your plate during job search.

Truthfully, App Academy was one of the best decisions I personally have ever made - I feel very lucky to have attended. I am writing this days after having just accepted a job offer - the program really helped launch me and get me to this point, without a doubt. I attended a San Francisco cohort in 2016; I chose the program because I got the gut feeling it would be quite challenging and super high-quality, and this proved to be true. It is very hard work, and requires continuous persistence. Simultaneously, though, it was some of the most fun I ever had - you not only create a network, but more importantly you are simply taking a plunge into something new with a lot of bright people who are also starting this journey with you. I don't think I met one person who was really "cutthroat", everyone is eager and willing to help one another; this says a lot about a/A's screening process. 
If you are reading this, a big concern you may need addressed is the tuition model and if this is "too good to be true". It is not. I paid my $5000 deposit, then App Academy invested a ton of time, energy, and resources into me until I found my job, several months after the program ended. They mean it when they say they are invested in you for the long haul. I feel like they believed in me and stuck with me, honestly. They were more than willing to work with me on my re-payment structure, because frankly after several months of searching your finances inevitably dwindle. BOTTOM-LINE: App Academy just doesn't want to get screwed, and you don't want to screw App Academy. They are a business and need to get paid, but they have mercy and understand your situation. Again, I just ended my job search so this is all fresh in my mind - trust me when I say a/A is a wise decision.

A fantastic way to break into learning how to code. I had a great experience in this program. You aren't simply fed material to memorize to pass a test or interview. The curriculum and classroom environment are very much centered around making sure you understand the material. 

One of the best things about the bootcamp was the instructors. The instructors were clearly knowledgable and passionate about programming. Also lectures were engaging, which is very important when trying to learn some of the more complicated material. The course not only provides a massive amount of practice problems, but also many resources to study to continue learning long after you have graduated.

Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. I grew very much as a person and as a student programmer. I am also proud to say that this program assisted me in being accepted into App Academy! 

For anyone who is trying to become a programmer, I can't recommend this course enough.

I chose to attend App Academy because they have one of most competitive admission processes in Bay Area and they help with the job search. The whole process took me almost a year (study for getting into, curriculum part, find a job).

I think the curriculum is structured very well, so you are learning new concepts step by step. Every day you are paired with different students for building new projects. Pair programming helps you to get a sense of working environment and get feedback on how you're doing.

I would recommend being overprepared during each and every step of App Academy - prep work, curriculum, assessments, algorithms, job search - overkill everything.

I just finished my job search and I'm pretty happy with results. App Academy worked out 100% for me.

App Academy was definitely a life changing experience. And I'm glad it was my first real exposure to code. But honestly having gone through several Udacity courses and Flatiron's immersive, it was the least helpful in me acquiring my position. 

The curriculum seemed oversimplified in comparison to the learning platforms I approached (including the other boot camp). But in all fairness. App academy will work for you if you've really struggled with programming before. The resources are all there to help you succeed. As long as you use them. 

My only complaint is with job placement. Although you do get an opportunity to attend the job fair, if you're not perfectly prepared to deal with the pressures of technical interviewing right away, it seems like nobody believes in you afterwards. 

Program was first intimidating but it helped me building up my tolerance for working longer hours. My turn-around point for me was after the 3rd week. That was when I realized keeping a schedule is a MUST. If possible, put your personal life on hold and put aA as your #1 priority. The amount of material to be learned demands such a schedule. As far as the subjects covered, they are some of the most marketable programming skills nowadays. I learned Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, and etc (just to name a few).

Again, it is hard but it is also very rewarding. If you dedicate your best effort into this program, you should not fail.

I signed up in July 2016 for the online bootcamp. The initial lessons were easy to grasp but as the course progressed I could not keep up. 

The latter lessons were confusing and too fast-paced. I have a biology degree and could barely understand what the instructors were talking about. 

I tried the online tutoring, but in the time alloted, only got 1 or 2 questons answered. In addition to having the tutor flirting with me.

By November 2016, I had tried the mock interview twice, and failed miserably. I reached out to them in December 2016, in regards to retaking the course in person. I was even willing to pay another $2000. They said they would reach back to me, and to this day I have never received a reply....

I am dissapointed I spent $2000, in good faith, and did not even get a response. They took my money and left me to my own devices, essentially.

I would not recommend the bootcamp to anyone. It was a very negative experience overall, and one of the most unprofessional situations I have encountered in my adult life. 

I have since given up becoming a software engineer, due to feeling duped and mislead, and will likely never pursue it again. I am now leery of anything promising such and such, but then asking for thousands of dollars upfront.

Anyone not already in Computer Programing, save your time and money and learn on your own or go to an actual university!

App academy creates a pretty miserable culture in which all of the students are afraid of getting kicked out. I was substantially anxious every single day of this program, and it honestly did not make me more productive. In addition to high pressure assessments, they have an absurd and unnecessary strike system that just adds a little extra daily misery to your life. The physical space of their New York location is overcrowded, and they seem to have not adjusted their teaching style while recently doubling their cohort size. When you are in the project phase of the curriculum, a new cohort will have started, and almost all of the instructors' attention will be on the new cohort, so plenty of students finish the exhausting curriculum only to find that they aren't even satisfied with the portfolio projects that will be central to their job hunt.

I learned a lot, but as someone who has taught at the college level before, I know that there is no justification for treating students in this manner. It doesn't improve results. It brings out bad student behavior, and when combined with all of the social forces already shaping the tech industry, contributes to creating a hostile environment for women and minorities.

I think that their tuition model helps them justify treating their students poorly. Everyone thinks at first "App Academy isn't charging me tuition, so I'm lucky to be here no matter what!" But then you rememer that you paid a $5k deposit, and you will eventually pay many thousands more, and that maybe, just maybe, we should expect to be treated like humans by educational institutions.

The curriculum here really pushes you. There is a good blend of core CS concepts with practical applications. The daily flow involves pair programming, working on one- or two-day projects, starting off with console games and moving into web-based applications. The full-stack capstone project really pushes you to synthesize everything you have learned and present it in a visually appealing way. There is a good spirit of camaraderie among the students and the TA's are ready to help and share their experience. I sometimes thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but by the end, I found myself succeeding beyond my own expectations.  

App Academy doesn't teach you anything you couldn't learn on your own, and you will come out not knowing a lot. However, if you're like me and you TRIED to learn it all on your own but found yourself struggling to deal with what to go deeper into and what to gloss over a little quicker, app academy is for you. I constantly found myself stuck in my programming journey because I would feel like my knowledge was never complete on any one thing. App academy's fast pace forces you through the lesser topics while still making sure you know enough to move on. At the end of it you may feel like you still don't know anything but if I've learned anything while I was here it's that just because something has become easy for you doesn't mean that it's easy in general.

App Academy undoubtedly has a solid coding curriculum, and it's clear that the staff has a finger on the pulse of the industry to keep the curriculum updated. That does result in parts of the curriculum seeming unfinished, but I think that's a tradeoff I'm happy to make. The pair programming approach to learning was actually way more enjoyable than anticipated. It also provides motivation and keeps you accountable to the work. Job Search curriculum also seems to be solid, with an Algorithms mini-course. I've yet to apply to jobs so I can't speak for how it all stacks up in the industry. 

The program seems to be struggling with upkeeping the inclusive culture they advertise, however. One of my female cohortmates left due to the casual sexism and racism she faced. I've definitely felt similarly as a female. There have been more serious offences in the past year. A lot of the effort from a/A seem to be pretty superficial, with mimimial follow-up after the diversity training type lecture the first week. With this course being mainly centered around pair programming (a pretty intimate experience) your experience is pretty dependent on the relationship you build with pairs.

On the whole, I've learned way more in the last 9 weeks than I possibly could have on my own. Expect a bit of disorganization on the way, but also expect to be surrounded by some of the brightest people you've encountered. The TAs and Staff are intelligent and pationate about your success. Most cohortmates have also been aweome, with most willing to put down what they're working on to answer your question or provide debugging assistance.