App Academy

Prior to attending App Academy, I had a pretty solid foundation in CS fundamentals from a couple minors during my undergrad. After moving to SF and researching the skillset and breadth of new technologies in order to compete in the tech industry, I needed and wanted to learn more about the recent technologies. I chose App Academy because their top-notch curriculum is always adapting to what the industry dictates.

The three month boot camp really challenged me in my skills as a software engineer. The learning curve is steep, and App Academy is transparent as to the pace of learning needed to be successful in this program. You will be spending every day including weekends working on solo projects, group projects, and mastering new skills. The program goes fast and it is very easy to fall behind if you are not committed or do not do the work. You will not have a social life and will be expected to set aside “life” as all your time and energy will be dedicated to mastering skills and completing projects on time. Do not commit to the program if you are not ready to put all of your time and focus into the program.

A highlight of the program is their focus on your career goals. A focus on industry specific lectures will be given in how to master the application process to how to land the ideal salary.  The mentors will help you in setting yourself apart from the other applicants by refining resumes, creating the perfect cover letter, and making sure your portfolio is perfect. Tuition is based off your final offer from a company aligning a/A with your goal of landing a dream job.

Overall, App Academy invests in each of their students for optimal career success. There are many avenues of support if needed. I truly enjoyed my experience in App Academy and I recommend this program to anyone who is truly ready to become a software developer

I just got through the entire coding bootcamp. A little bit about me before a/A first. I consider myself a fundementally strong coder with some experience in developing Full-Stack projects C# and ASP.NET. I consider myself mostly self-taught, with a few upper-division college classes under my belt, and have been coding since High School. That being said, I wanted to learn more recent technologies and chose this program for its rigorous curriculum in React and Ruby on Rails.

App Academy differentiates itself from other bootcamps because of the support that they provide during your learning process and, most importantly, the job search. The curriculum is very thorough, and can pave over holes in your CS knowledge even if you're like me and came from a CS background.

Kiss your social life goodbye for the next 3 months, because something to note is that you only get what you put in! If you want to do well, you have to be willing to make sacrifices that others aren't willing to make (i.e: work till you drop and repeat). Everyday there's never a shortage of things to do and projects to work on. Since these projects are a reflection of your own skill, you have to spend a lot of time making sure that they shine.

App Academy has really been a mental rollercoaster for me. There were days where I truly enjoyed my experience and there were also days where I frantically wanted to get off the ride due to overwhelming stress. However, as with all rollercoasters, the experience is different for everybody. In the end, some people might find that they enjoyed the ride, while others might be happier to get off.  With that being said, App Academy really isn't for everyone, but one thing is certain: you will leave knowing a lot more than when you started.

Before App Academy, I did not have much programming experience besides basic knowledge of SQL from my previous job.  However, within three months, I learned Ruby on Rails, postgreSQL, JavaScript, jQuery, React and Redux and can now make my own full stack applications!  

App Academy isn't a perfect program. The course load is challenging and the pacing is very fast. It's very easy to fall behind if you're not committed--and even if you are committed, it's possible to fall behind if you don't understand the topic before they move forward in the curriculum. However, they have a very dedicated and knowledgeable staff to facilitate the students' learning experiences.

My biggest gripe about the App Academy is how assessment-focused the program is. Their assessments determine your status in the program and due to fear of dismissal, many students solely focus on passing them instead of learning/understanding the material. (If this sounds confusing, it will make a lot more sense if you go through the program). 

With everything being said, I really enjoyed my experience in App Academy, minus the stress and sleep deprivation. I have met some of the most amazing, supportive, and hardworking people in the amazing App Academy community. I would not recommend this program to everyone, but if you're willing to put in the time, energy, sweat, tears, and hard work, App Academy will help you become a software developer!

I joineid App Academy with a small amount of programming experience from college.  App Academy has given me a set of skills where I feel extremely confident as a web developer. Through four weeks of prep work and 12 weeks of curriculum, they teach you absolutely everything from basic cs fundamentals all the way up to the latest and greatest javascript libraries tech companies look for for web development.  That said, there is very little hand holding or micromanagement.  You will get out exactly what you put in.  If you expect to coast, don't expect to finish the program.  Alternatively, if you go and above and beyond in the effort you put in, the results you see will match that.  

I joined App Academy with little to none software experience. What I have come away with is a range of technical knowledge, a strong understanding of the social / collaborative aspects of web development, a work ethic I did not think I could achieve, and, maybe most importantly, a capacity to efficiently learn new technical material. 
The coding portion of the curriculum is difficult, but at the same time structured, well organized, and jam packed with interesting and relevant material. Some of the material is presented in a lecture format, but the bulk of the work is done pair-programming with fellow students. From day 1, this model fosters collaboration and encourages students to solve problems independently, instead of following along with examples. This being said, the instructors are encouraging, readily available, and all-in-all wonderful. Many of the instructors have gone through the bootcamp program as well, so they are knowledgeable in both the technical and social/stress-management aspects of the curriculum. 
While there are weekly assessments, the focus of the program is for you to learn as much as possible, not to transactionally complete assigned projects / homework assignments. In this way, students come away with not only the necessary skills, but also the drive, to start their own projects. Part of the coding curriculum involves completing three large projects, all of which you effectively design and plan yourself (with the support of instructors). These three projects become the focal point of your software portfolio, and are not something that other bootcamp grads can typically claim. Aside from portfolio building, the job-search part of the curriculum is packed with mock-interviews, networking workshops, and time with a personal career coach.  Even post-graduation, App Academy leaves you with technical and networking resources, not to mention close connections to all of the other members of your cohort. 
The bottom line is this: App Academy is a serious time and energy commitment, but leaves you with a range of technical knowledge, an industry ready portfolio, strong technical interviewing skills, and a serious sense of personal pride for having made it through all of that in 13 weeks.

App Academy has given me the foundation of thinking and coding as a software developer that I never thought would be possible. 

I had been trying to figure out how to get into tech without spending another 2 years getting a CS degree, and self-learning was not really going anywhere past simple games because I spent too long getting stuck, not knowing how and where to find help. After doing a little more research, I came across this bootcamp with its deferred tuition model which put me at ease in terms of getting students jobs. That and the stringent month-long admissions process which was already stretching me from a beginner-level (I had done a few projects in MATLAB and C++) and challenging my assumptions gave me an inkling that this might be the right place for me.

Thankfully I was not proven wrong. The pace of the program is extremely fast, but with the benefit of being surrounded by students who are just as motivated as you. And when you get stuck the TAs in the room more than willing to help, which cuts down the learning time significantly of some of the more frustrating concepts (recursion was an early example for me). I did think at times though that there just weren't enough TAs around to help all of us; on some of the more difficult days we were waiting 20 minutes or more.

Overall, I am confident that the fundamentals that App Academy taught me has prepared me well for the job search ahead.

Some advice: 

-Don't be afraid to ask for help! Time is of the essence in a fast-paced course like this and there's no way anyone can 'get' everything that is taught in the 9 weeks as quickly as they would like. Some of the brightest classmates I knew did not hesitate to ask a TA within 10 minutes of being stuck.

-Live as close as you can to a/A during the 12 weeks. I consider myself one of the slower classmates when it comes to studying (when I see 30min reading it really means 1hr) and living 10 minutes away has saved me so many times from chopping the resource most essential to a bootcamper: sleep.

-Find some way you can offer value and share it! I find that a large part of my motivation to learn about something really well is to be able to talk about it with someone later on. Our class has a Slack group where people would often share about cool things they implemented/learned and I always appreciated that.

If you are willing to learn from and help others and are determined to do everything you can do deeply understand concepts, you WILL succeed.

I took this course because I want to get accepted at App Academy Bootcamp and I had no background and/or knowledge in coding at all. Today is my last class at Bootcamp Prep and I am very confident in myself that I feel like I am ready to apply.

The curreiculum is very well organized in a way that you will retain what you learn in the class. Homeworks, assessments and notes are really helpful.

The instructor and TA are awesome! They do not just teach. They work hard for you, so you really learn what they teach.

Classmates were nice too.

I really recommend Bootcamp Prep if you are new to coding and if you do not feel confident or ready to apply for actual Bootcamp.

+'s

Prepares you for the technical interview with problem sets similar to the ones that will be used at major coding camps.

Alvin & Chase are knowledgable and organized instructors and there is a lot of support if you get stuck on a problem during class.

2 mock interviews offered and insider information on the structure of the App Academy interview.

Helps familiarize you with the structure of aA's coursework.

- 's

It would be nice if there was more practice pair programming and role play as interviewer and interviewee. Sometimes the lectures were a bit long and it does not always seem necessary to go through every individual problem in class.

This course helped reinforce material that I attempted to learn on my own through texts and online interactive platforms. I felt I was able to understand the concepts better having the instructor use them in class. I especially liked how the instructor taught methodically and in a  manner that helped the students understand where common errors in programming might occur. This allowed me to feel more confident in my abilities- especially my ability to debug my programs. The instructors created a positive learning environment by always being patient and willing to help the students. 

App Academy is great for those who aren't happy with their current job and are looking for a career change. Those with zero coding experience will really benefit from attending the bootcamp prep, especially if the idea of teaching yourself seems daunting or there is a time constraint. The material is challenging and fast paced but the instructors guide you every step of the way. The instructors are your best asset and are always willing to help you, should you ask. Be prepared to dedicate a portion of your hours outside of the class to studying, otherwise you are not taking full advantage of the course. People who attend the prep course come from all different walks of life, whether it's a career change or because they prefer the fast paced learning as opposed to attending college. It's a very welcoming environment that fosters a desire to grow together as a group.