App Academy

App academy was worth all the stress and hardwork I have put in.  Having not completed my undergraduate degree, making the decision to drop everything and sign up was difficult.  However upon day 1 I have not looked back and am excited for what is to come.  The staff was nothing short of spectacular.  They are around constantly to help you understand concepts you WILL struggle with just because of the pace you are learning information at.  My favorite part of the program would have to be the constant hands on experience of coding with a different partner everyday.  Being able to collaberate and experience how another mind solves a problem is rare and app academy implements it so well.  If you get the chance to do something really special you have to take that opportunity, and this is it!

Pros:
* Accountability through tests, peers, and assignments causes you to code a ton during the bootcamp
* Questions are answered quickly by TA's which speeds up learning process
* Pair programing with the cohort allows you to meet and see the thinking process of many smart people
* Great connections and support during job search
* Location is great in SF with a nice view
* Learn multiple languages and technologies

Cons:
* Not much freedom in the curriculum - assignments are same for everyone
* Forced to apply to X number of companies of week after applying 
* Emphasizes specific knowledge of Ruby on Rails and React over more general full stack knowledge

Overall: 
Enjoyed the program, job search took a little longer than I hoped, but ended with a job at one of my top choices =)

App Academy was crucial to me getting my start. I'd been exploring coding for awhile but App Academy put the fire under me to really get moving. Yes, the pace is fast. Yes, it is possible to fall behind. Yes, it is very stressful and difficult. However, I found that it push me forward when otherwise I would have lingered. There were plenty of topics that I wish I could have spent more time on, but I became a capable engineer within a few months and you can go back and solidify those sections whenever. Mostly, what sold me was the pricing structure. They are invested in you, which helped with my own confidence level and meant they would really help me find a job. 4/5 because I would have liked to see more daily projects to completion rather than switching contexts, as well as a broader introduction to all the materials in the prepwork given how fast we breezed by them in the curriculum. 

App Academy has been a wild ride, and I only just finished Week 9. I know the purpose of App Academy was to find a job, but I felt like I got so much more. While I am shooting for a job, and I do believe I won’t have any issues finding one, I felt that the experiences and knowledge I’ve gained from the previous “9” weeks at App Academy have been so much more valuable. There’s quotations there because there was significant prep work before starting the program.

The past nine weeks have absolutely flown by. I’ve learned Ruby on Rails, jQuery, SQL, HTML, CSS, React.js, Redux and so much more. I’ve gotten the opportunity to build a full-stack, single-page web application from scratch with as little or as much guidance as I needed, and this, in and of itself was the best part of the program.

I would highly recommend App Academy to everyone who wants to start with a new and rewarding career. And I’ll highly recommend App Academy even more when I get a job. But for the value I just received in 9 weeks, it’s worth what they charge.

Believe the hype.  I had read up a LOT on App Academy and other boot camps and ended up putting all my eggs in on basket - App Academy - it was the right basket!

I figured that out at the end of the day 1.  They really had their act together right off the bat.  From there, I would just continue to be impressed at how well designed and executed the curriculum delivery was.  It comes at you fast and furious and you pretty much have no life, but the immersion (plus very well timed concept reinforcements) starts to pay dividends quickly.  

You are moving at a very fast clip from topic to topic, first doing mostly pair programming single-day projects that focus on one or two competencies at a time, but then you're doing more comprehensive multi-day projects where if you haven't been keeping up, you're spending a lot of time in your Evernote or on Stack Overflow.  Finally, you're on your own doing full stack and it's then you realize just how much you've learned.  No more training wheels.

Ultimately you're exposed to just about the whole breadth of the field, enough to know where to start when you want to go deep and leverage a different technology.  You know how to team problem solve, pair program, and along the way get a firm grasp on algorithms, data structures, databases, and different architectural frameworks to tackle whatever comes next.

Staff is TOP NOTCH.  Culture (SF campus at least) is exceptional.  Support is fantastic.  Entry process does have a lot of wickets, interviews, tests, etc. but stick with it, it's worth it.

I have been impressed with App Academy since the moment I applied through every step of the curriculum.

The screening process was rigorous but humane, and they treat you like a valued individual (as opposed to another equivalent school that I got into where the interviewer was taking a Lyft or something while he was conducting my interview).

The curriculum itself is really really well designed, not only building on itself to facilitate learning and deep comprehension, but is constantly being updated to incorporate the most highly demanded and up to date technologies. In my cohort they trained us to be strong React and ES6 developers, while not neglecting the older technologies, like jQuery. This turned out to be invaluable in the job hunt, since a lot of companies were looking for React developers when we graduated.

I was skeptical at first about their emphasis of Ruby on Rails, since most companies seem to be moving away from that, but in retrospect, it really is the best way to learn about how a full stack application works, especially for people with less experience. And they do their best to give you a deep understanding of why things work the way they do so that those skills are transferrable.

The program also gives you a good foundation in algorithms, web and backend architecture, and interviewing skills. I was just amazed at the amount of knowledge I had gained after the 13 week program, and felt like I suddenly had superpowers to build all sorts of applications. I received 5 job offers within 3 weeks of graduating, one of which I ended up accepting, and I'm very excited to be formally starting my software engineering career.

However...there are a few caveats.

First, new students should know that you don’t magically get all these skills just because you get into the program. I found myself frustrated by a few of my peers who seemed more focused on socializing and just getting by in the assessments than studying and finishing all the projects and assignments. Because a lot of the learning happens in pairs, a weaker partner will compromise the learning opportunities of others. It also risks the reputation of the program as a whole. However, this was more the exception than the rule. Most students worked hard, demonstrated a real passion for programming, and took what a/A taught as a foundation for more self-directed learning, and in doing so became good developers that can build almost anything.

Second, just being a strong developer doesn’t guarantee you a job interview. Especially in a market weary of bootcampers. That part relies on a lot of networking and luck and doing extra side projects. So the job search is a demoralizing, grueling process to get your foot in the door. Once you get your technical or onsite, though, you’ll find that App Academy has prepared you well.  

Pros:

- well-designed curriculum that builds incrementally on learning

- teaches the most up-to-date technologies/libraries/frameworks

- good balance of lectures, hands-on projects, videos, take-home assignments

- reasonable hours for a bootcamp (9am-6pm, + 2-3 hours of homework)

- gives a good foundation in algorithms, web architecture, and other skills necessary for interviews

- based on pair programming and collaborative skills

- good job search guidance for how to craft your resume, frame your past experiences, etc.

- deferred tuition model reflects how much the program is invested in making you a good, employable developer

- progressive values and mindset, encourages diversity and inclusiveness for all backgrounds

Cons:

- bootcamps in general have a bad rap these days, so it seems to be a more challenging than before for grads get interviews

- less rigorous screening and assessments process for students may hurt reputation in the long run

- didn’t feel particularly close to my cohort or staff, but like I mentioned, that was less of a priority for me

- growing student numbers might compromise quality of training in the future

- some TA’s are less knowledgeable than others, but you’ll always get the help and guidance you need

- there’s now more structure and support during the job search process than previous cohorts, but it’s still not enough

- paying back a large percentage of salary can end up being more than other schools’ tuition if you end up getting a really good offer. (#firstworldproblems)

Pros:
* The results. They have a very high placement rate, and I was hired into one of the best companies in the world after graduating. 
* Deferred tuition model. I didn't trust any bootcamp to give me a worthwhile education except for App Academy since you only pay when you get hired.
* Job hunting support. Since they only get paid when you get hired, they are very invested in helping you get a job. 
* The people are great. Both students and teachers are wonderful people, and I made several awesome friends.
* Teachers are very helpful, most of them know a ton. 
* You will learn a lot of useful information relevant to an actual web development job. 

Cons:
* Some teachers are fresh graduates of the program so in some cases they will have to defer to a more senior member. Not a big deal, just wastes a little time. 
* It is a lot of work. If you make it in and you are able to keep up (try not to fall more than a day behind), then you will learn a lot but you can't slack off. During the week I had zero free time, but on most weekends I had some free time. I would rather have it at this pace than be less work spread over more time. 
* Pressure. Since you can get kicked out for poor performance (not hard to do if you fall behind more than a couple days), there is quite a bit of stress and pressure involved. It eases up later in the program as the chances of getting kicked out diminish significantly.
* Inconsistencies in curriculum. Since their curriculum is constantly evolving and being worked on by multiple people, some parts of it are out of date, some are redundant, and some are incorrect. 

Overall:

I give it 5 stars because I learned a lot, had fun, and got an amazing job! The cons obviously aren't a big deal, otherwise I wouldn't have rated it 5 stars, but be aware that it isn't perfect!

I am confident in saying that App Academy was the best move I have ever made career-wise. Graduating from a good college with a degree in Electrical Engineering was great, but truly did not prepare me for the real world. After having a difficult time finding a job in engineering in NYC, I eventually took a job in the financial industry. After two years at my previous job I was unhappy and needed a change, and felt pigeonholed into my current position. 

I came across the idea of coding bootcamps while browsing the internet one day. I had some experience coding in college but knew that I was not qualified to become a software engineer. After a lot of research I found that App Academy was, without a doubt, the best bootcamp around. There were definitely a lot of scams out there, but a/A was not one of them. With an extremely low acceptance rate and a tuition program in which you pay AFTER you find a job, I can honestly vouch for the hiring statistics that they boast (97% get a job within a year). They don't make money unless you find a job. 

Here I am, a month after graduation, and flooded with interviews for high paying full stack engineer positions. I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone that has an interest in becoming a software developer, because it is the best education around.

UPDATE: After exactly two months on the job search I am employed and making over double what I was before a/A.  Not only that, but I feel that I am actually making a contribution at work.  Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!  If you apply through my code we will each get $250 off of tuition! Find me on LinkedIn under Wes Robinson.

Never thought I would be a software developer, but App Academy gave me the skills needed. The curriculum teaches the most popular languages and technologies in the industry, making you a valuable asset to thousands of companies paying competitive salaries.

Gonna make this really blunt - you will sacrifice to do this program. It is extremely demanding, requiring 80+ hours each week just to keep your head above water. There is always more to learn and more to master.

Give the program 100% and you will become a great developer. There are developer jobs in every country you would want to live in, it's a great skill to have.

You will crush interviews - every company I visited was thorougly impressed with my abilities. Many grads go to very recognizable companies!

Up to you, but with a deferred tuition model, the risk is almost completely eliminated!

When I first heard about bootcamps that can help you switch careers and become a web developer, I was very hesitant to commit. After all, 3 months doesn't seem like a long enough time to learn enough to become a true professional. 

I did a lot of research, and the conclusion I came to was this: there are three bootcamps worth your investment. The three I would say are Hack Reactor, Fullstack Academy and App Academy. Hack Reactor is exclusive to SF, so I narrowed my choices to Fullstack and App Academy. I chose App Academy over Fullstack (accepted into both) for a variety of reasons. The first was that the program seemed like the most in-depth and fast-paced. The second and most important was that they have a delayed tuition. You only pay a deposit, and you pay a % of your first year's salary after graduation, meaning that App Academy puts their money where their mouth is. If you don't get paid, they don't get paid. I doubt that without such a structure I would've been willing to attend a bootcamp.

I completed the program, and I can easily say it was the hardest 3 months, at least intellectually, of my life. But It was completely worth it, as I learned new limits of how much information I could absorb in such a short amount of time. If you have the confidence and work ethic, then App Academy has the path.