App Academy

App Academy is super tough -- but also super effective. I graduated in April 2016 and landed my first dev job in under a month. 

The pros: This course really goes in-depth. I had taken a lot of classes before (introductory classes to one language or another, some online tutorials to front-end, etc) but anything that dove into the real nuts and bolts of how websites and apps go together left me with more questions than answers. App Academy forces you to dig into the subject matter and come out with the tools to move forward. You'll be surrounded by people as passionate about learning as you are, and the TAs are always on-hand to get you past whatever is blocking your understanding. If you can graduate from a/A, you can get a job in development (and succeed in it!)

The cons:  This course is not a fun time. App Academy is grueling and, frankly, pretty miserable most of the time. If doing all code every day sounds like a negative, this might not be the course for you. If you aren't excited enough about code to put your life on hold for 12 weeks, you should probably look for a different bootcamp. Most people have to put in a lot of hours to keep up with the curriculum, and if you fall behind -- you're out. 

That being said: if you aren't discouraged by the workload -- go for it. The curriculum is rock-solid, the instructors are committed to helping you succeed, and the statistics are there to prove it. The fact that I only had to pay after getting hired made this bootcamp affordable for me when others weren't, and the job-hunting portion of the curriculum is thorough and effective. If you're looking to change your career path and can take 12 weeks to do nothing but write code (and I do mean nothing), this is a sure bet.

App Academy is the most rigorous program I have ever completed, but it was absolutely worth it. Starting with no coding experience, I was able to develop three full-stack projects by the end of the course. The program equips you with all the support you need from instructors, TAs, career coaches, and fellow students.

I loved the structured curriculum, as it suited my learning style perfectly. However, be prepared for a very fast-paced environment that requires your full dedication. If you want to break into tech, learn how to code from scratch, and are willing to commit all your time to become a developer, I would definitely recommend App Academy.

At the end of the day, success ultimately depends on your commitment and effort to secure your first job in the field, which is tough in this market. However, after completing the bootcamp, you will have the confidence to keep pushing forward.

I went through the in person bootcamp experience at New York City. I thought the program was definitely extremely challenging at times and know that it's definitely not for everyone. However I felt that the environment, staff, instructors, and people I was with at the time were very encouraging and it was an overall great place for education and growth. Luckily I was able to land a job with help from both my cohort mates and job placement staff after a few months but I am definitely very fortunate for that. 

I was looking for a career change and this program was recommended by a friend who had gone through it. After reviewing some other bootcamps, I ultimately decided this was going to be the best for me. (I did this all online because it was COVID times).
The teaching is great with plenty of coaching available from the staff and your other cohort mates. The curriculum is very well thought out, and its apparent that they are always trying to improve on its structure. The weekly tests are high stakes, but all the tools for success are right there for you. Its not just the coding portion they help you with either. After graduating they have tons of weekly workshops for resumes, websites, practice interviews, practice tests... and they push you hard to apply for a lot of jobs and always practice and improve so you can get through interviews and stand out to employers.
AppAcademy's goal is very clearly and unapologetically: to prepare you for a job in tech. If you can't handle 50-70 hour weeks, learning at breakneck speed, or if you can't pass a job interview, then this might not be for you. But if you are ready, willing, and able to work as hard as you ever have for 6 months straight, the rewards and opportunities for you are endless.
I was literally working in a warehouse sweeping floors and running deliveries before I started the program. I was exceptionally motivated to pass, and after 6 months of school and about 500 job applications I now have a real career as a software developer at a fortune 500 company.
This program is not cheap, but it is sooooo worth it. I can't recommend AppAcademy enough. It is quite literally life-changing. (Plus you get a sweet shirt when you graduate) 

App Academy taught me the skills necessary to succeed in the software industry. I heavily leveraged their partnership program to get connected with the right company and I landed a fantastic job after 3~4 months. This is absolutely true. 

However, it’s naive to think that their 24 week course will give you ultimate super powers. What they offer is teaching you how to research and learn as an independent thinker. You will become very intelligent, leading to incredible strength on and off computers. 

FYI, I had to learn TypeScript, Electron, Capacitor, Nx monorepos, Recoil, Jotai, creating my own Node.js based plugins, etc. since starting my new job, but I would have failed miserably if I tried to study on my own. Some people can achieve this as a self taught programmer, but if you like to learn best practices and bounce ideas off of the smartest people you’ve met, App Academy is for you.

I took the 24 week online course and I didn't expect to learn as much as I did in this time. When you look back it is crazy to see the amount of work you did but it is all worth it. There were many long days (and nights) of coding and preparing for the next day but that was essential for understanding all of the information that you had to learn. The course itself was great. You are provided with homework to prepare, lectures in the beginning of the day and pair programming in the afternoon (sometimes timing of that varies). They provide study time to prepare for the upcoming assessment and provide a study guide. They want to see you suceed so ask as many questions as you can. You will learn a lot and won't be able to retain all of the information so going back over the content once you finish the course will really solidify your understanding. Instructors are App Academy graduates so they know what you've been through. They break down the concepts really well but be prepared to feel like you are in over your head. That's going to happen but don't let that stop you, everyone feels that way. If you have prior coding experience a lot of the info is pretty easy to understand but you learning new concepts is still a lot.

The job search was a lot of applying and rejections (especially in this market). Expect it and don't get discouraged. a/A provides you with so much support and has a team of behavioral coaches and a team of technical coaches to help with each aspect. USE THEM. That is where you will get the most out of your time. They provide workshops and mock interviews to make you think in a new way and prepare you for the interview process. They really work with you but  you have to communicate with them.

They have partnerships with companies but that doesn't mean you get the job. You have to go through the interview process like anyone else. Partnerships go in and out because they all aren't hiring all year around. Most have certain times during the year they hire.

App Academy was my top choice for enrolling in a coding bootcamp because of it's low acceptance rate and rigorous curriculum program. Anyone can code but this program really pushes you through and through. The 24 week program is very fast paced and you will spend much time outside of normal hours studying but the depth of knowledge that you gain is worth it. Compared to many other bootcamps that I know of, App Academy prepares you well enough to provide you with strong foundational skills that other bootcamps don't give to you. This program does a great job emulating real on the job coding practices like pair programming, group projects, daily standups, and more that you can speak to in job interviews. The program is tough and the instructors and TA's are also tough on you but it really does make you a strong programmer. This program is not for those who want to coast through and hope to land a six-figure job right away, you definitely have to put in the work but by the end it'll all be worth it.

I had a wonderful experience throughout.

The curriculum is dense and the pace is really, really fast, which is the point of a hyper-accelerated education program.

If you remain diligent and devote all of your time to your studies, and establish strong connections with your peers, you will make it out the other side with the skills to make it in the industry and some solid new friends.

Teachers Assistants are an invaluable and at times scarce resource, I owe a lot of my success to their willingness to help see me through.

The amount / variety of Job Search support is really impressive.

This is not something that you can do passively, you need to be an active and hungry learner.

It is worth it.