App Academy

App Academy... is the best. I knew basically nothing about coding coming in and now I can build websites and, even better, I can learn basically anything now. I learned and created a successful project in Python in two days (which got me a second interview next week), could not have done that before App Academy taught me how to learn. The instructors are amazing, talented, geniuses who truly care about your wellbeing. You start creating projects and using what you read from day one.

a/A is committed to a safe and inclusive environment and takes infractions of the code of conduct seriously. As a woman, I wondered what it would be like going into a bootcamp/industry where women are significantly in the minority. They absolutely had my back and were always available to talk when I needed it. I am very grateful to all the staff here for that! :')

The course is a LOT of work. I think the majority of us thought we would fail out at some point (we didn't), but if you put in the hours (a lot of hours) and are committed, you will learn and accomplish so much. It's hard because you're doing a hard thing but it is worth it!!

I graduated about a month ago and am currently up to my eyeballs in interviews and coding challenges. Though I figure out most of my bugs on my own now, there is always someone around to help or ask for advice when I need it. I really love/d being at App Academy and will be kind of sad when I get hired and not at the office around everyone all the time. You get close with people when you spend every hour with them for three months :D

Please feel free to reach out to me with questions about App Academy if you are looking at bootcamps and are interested in a/A!

I had great experience with app academy. The interview process was intense but preparation was the key as I had to refresh all the concepts. 
App Academy is very rigorous bootcamp camp with an acceptance rate of less than 3%. They cover Ruby, Ruby on rails, Javascript, SQL, React and Redux in 7 weeks. The next 5 weeks are even more intensive, with 3 different projects to design and develop from scratch and job search preparation. The day starts with 2 hour lecture followed by pair programming for the rest of the day. Be prepared to spend at least 4 hrs outside classroom on homework and reading material. There is weekly assessment as well to make sure everyone is up to speed on all the concepts being taught.
App Academy is not for the faint of heart. But the journey has been good far.

I'd been learning to program on my own for 6-7 months before deciding to apply to App Academy. I didn't apply to any other bootcamps because the way I saw it, App Academy was the only one that, based on the application process and the deferred tuition, seemed like they would be truly invested in helping me become employable as an engineer. 

The pace at which we learned was staggering, and while the fear of failing two assessments and leaving the program was constantly on my mind, it also made sure that I was putting every ounce of energy and work into learning the material as well and thoroughly as I could. The TAs were all fantastic and had a wealth of knowledge at their disposal (seriously, take a look at where past TAs are working now and you can tell that they know what they're doing). Most importantly though was the quality of the students that I was learning with. The fact that App Academy relies on the students being employed in order to make their money means that I was surrounded by some incredibly smart and incredibly hard working peers, and I learned a ton from them along the way. After graduating, I had 24/7 access to some fantastic career coaches that helped and advised me at every step of the process if I ever had a question, and taking the time to work the local alumni network opened a lot of doors that I wouldn't have been able to get through otherwise. 

One thing that needs to be abundantly clear, however, is that while bootcamps might be advertised as some program that magically turns you into an engineer, that isn't close to the reality of it. You will spend three months spending virtually every moment of your time and every ounce of your brain on the program. It will fully consume your life, and you have to be prepared to put everything else on hold. If you're willing to dedicate that (I also strongly recommend trying to build up some savings beforehand to live on during the program) and are 100% sure that software engineering is the field that you want to be in, App Academy is a great way to learn the skills to find your first job. 

Going in, I was a bit skeptical of it being worth the 5-digit price tag vs learning independently, but now that I'm on the other side, I can say that it was 100% worth it.  The curriculum is laid out perfectly so that one can smoothly go from very little coding knowledge to being able to build a full-scale web app, in just 3 months.  It is definitely challenging, but the skills that you learn are completley applicable to both the Software Engineering job search/interview, as well as on the job itself.

The best part of App Academy is the people.  App Academy attracts some really smart and hard-working students, and I know that I have worked harder just so that I can make sure I'm doing my part when it comes to pair programming.  The TAs also just make my day - they are so knowledgable and helpful that I could not have learned as much as I did without them.

Don't feel relieved once you get into App Academy - the hard work is only just beginning.  They are serious about kicking you out if you fail two assessments.  So many people there are not complete beginners like I was - there are students who have C.S. degrees or who have taken additional classes before.  My advice is to study as much Ruby, Rails, Javascript, and React as you can before everything begins.

App Academy is so much work, but it has totally been worth it, and I'm glad that I chose to go to App Academy over the other boot camps out there!

The program is exactly what it states! It is a BOOTCAMP. There is a lot of information that you must be able to learn and grasp within a few days. That being said it is important that you prepare well for it. The prep work and the interviews are meant to show where you are and where you need to be in order to be successful in the course. All in all if you come into the program with the right mindset of grinding for 12 weeks(and beyond!) it is definitely worth it. The TAs are very helpful and can answer almost any question. It is a great atmosphere to learn and code programs.