App Academy

This program is great for people who are looking to do a career switch into tech with no prior professional tech experience. However, I highly recommend those who are interested to self-study Javascript/HTML/CSS prior to applying, as they have a rigorous curriculum and application process. The learning curve may be difficult for many (trust me, a lot of people do not come in as prepared as they should be) but as long as you come prepared and do your homework, you'll find yourself in a much rewarding place at the end of the experience!

Prior to applying to App Academy, I actually went on this exact website to read reviews of App Academy. Now that I have graduated and having been through the entire curriculum, this is honestly THE boot camp to go to. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, but it all depends on the amount of effort and energy you put in. I did have any prior coding experience other than freeCodeCamp, some online resources, and eBooks. The curriculum is fast-paced, but doable. I found myself clocking in over 80 hours of work per week. It would be less if you're just trying to pass the weekly assessments. All instructional staff were a pleasure to learn from and work with, as they are all there to help you grow, so definitely take advantage of them and ask for help whenever you get stuck! App Academy definitely prepares you well for jobs and I always felt like I was in good hands. The downsides to App Academy would be the number of typos in their curriculum, but it's not that big of a deal. Another downside would be the transition between each module. When you get near the end of a module, you start to get used to your instructor, and right when you get comfortable, you move on to a new module with a brand new instructor, and you get right into work. Nonetheless, I would most definitely recommend a/A to anyone reading this, as I have been in your shoes! APPLY!!!!!!

App Academy has great curriculum rigor and structure if you are looking for the all-round bootcamp to build your skillsets. The instructional team is knowledgable, helpful, and is a good resource if you have any questions. These aspects made the journey enjoyable and motivating. The material was taught at a good pace even though you might feel overwhelmed at first, but it slowly sinks in; just gotta trust the process. All in all, App Academy is a great kick-start if you want to emerge into the tech industry!

Pros: 
Variety of projects - you come out with 3 fully fledged resume ready projects in a variety of technologies. You have two fullstack projects which utilize MERN and Ruby on Rails and a final frontend project using Javascript.
Language agnostic skills - You start off with ruby and once you learn the fundamentals of computer science you learn javascript in a very short amount of time. Through this process you learn how to take skills in one language and apply it to another. This helps you pick up new concepts even faster and its one of the most useful skills I got from this bootcamp

Cons:
Staffing issues sometimes - the students find jobs so quickly that not enough return as instructors so sometimes there aren't enough teachers. However the curriculum is written well enough to learn with minimal assistance.

I had a great experience with App Academy.  The curriculum was excellent, and I think a huge part of the value is the assistance with the job search after you complete the program, for up to a year.  I would recommend a/A to anyone looking for a serious web development bootcamp.  It is, however, very difficult. I attended the full-time online program lasting 6 months.  The majority of the students that started in my cohort were deferred (meaning you did not pass an assessment and are rolled back to the previous cohort to retake the last month's material - you get 3 deferrals and are dismissed on the 4th).  The advertised 60-80 hours of work a week is no joke.  The program is certainly not for everyone - you will get out of this program what you put into it.  They are constantly updating the curriculum as technologies change, which can be frustrating, but this is a real-life part of being a developer.  The emphasis on pair programming also turns some folks off, but once I got used to it I came to really appreciate the approach.  

Bottom line: If you are not planning to dedicate yourself fully to this bootcamp for 6 months, do not attend.  But if you are willing to live breathe and sleep code and comp sci for 6 months to facilitate a career start or a career change, I can't think of a better option than a/A.

When I was looking over various bootcamps, the one con that I saw with App Academy was how long it was. Going through the program I definitely understood why it was longer than the others. With how the program is set up, I feel like you actually get to learn the material with pair programming and figuring things out yourself. Going through some weeks I was very lost early in the week, but because of the structure by Thursday or Friday I felt very comfortable with the material. There were few weeks were I was stressing over the weekend because the homework and practices helped to iron out anywhere I was struggling during the week. There are TAs available along the way, but the cohort mates are your best resource as you're all in the same stage. I enjoyed the course and made some invaluable connections through the program.

Going into App Academy I had minimal knowledge of software development. I had done some self-studying but never with the intensity or schedule that App Academy provides. I had wanted to do a career switch for a while back then and after reviewing several coding boot camps I decided to go with App Academy. To me what was very attractive about the program was the schedule and the rigor of the course. I feel like deep diving like App Academy does, in a short time frame, but allowing you to fully take in the information, is the most efficient way of learning. I truly do believe I have learned more in these 6 months than in my 4 years in college. Also, the connections you make with your peers will only lead to potential future opportunities which is a win-win for all parties involved! Would definitely recommend this Bootcamp to anyone interested in efficiently learning about the fascinating world of software development.

I joined the 24-week Immersive Full Stack Online Program in December 2021 and graduated in June 2022. As someone who was looking to make a career change, I recommend App Academy as it provided me with the best way to learn coding starting with my level. I had taken some computer science classes back in college, but was overwhelmed because I didn't have prior knowledge in the field in order to learn the hard concepts. App Academy's materials assumed that students wouldn't have any prior knowledge, so they were the right kind of teaching materials that I needed to finally learn and master the skills. The staff at App Academy was really supportive as most of them came from a background of graduating from a coding bootcamp. Fellow students of my cohort were amazing, helping one another learn and succeed throughout the journey. After graduation, there's a job placement team that's dedicated to help you succeed in the job search process.

As someone who wanted to leave the business world and start a career as a software engineer, App Academy provided the structure and resources I needed to take that step. Over the course of 16 weeks, I learned all of the skills needed to land my first job as a software engineer and more importantly built my confidence as a developer. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to break into tech and to become a software engineer in a collaborative, challenging, and rewarding environment.