Actualize

A friend of mine recommended Actualize coding bootcamp because I had mentioned that I was interested in learning how to code and he had previously taken the course. I had no prior experience with coding, so I was really nervous about the class and wasn't sure what to expect. I was very happy with my experience! Peter, my instructor, was very knowledgeable, approachable, and encouraging to all of the students and was a great teacher! It was a fast paced course, but he was very good at breaking down and explaining problems and helping students gain a firm grasp on the fundamentals and how to apply them to your code. Not only did I get this great learning experience, but they also help you with career training and make sure you are prepared when you leave the bootcamp. I would definitely recommend for anyone, whether you have next to no knowledge about coding or if you want to have a deeper understanding. I'm took the plunge and decided to join my Actualize cohort!  Read less

I chose Actualize based on the recommendation of a colleague. I was wanting to do one for well over a year, but was hesitant for various reasons. Once I was pushed into it due to a job layoff, I took to it really quickly. It is hard to quantify just how much information is pushed into your brain in a short time, but the curriculum is great. The instructors are all about reinforcing what you're learning, while also reminding you that you don't need to be an expert right away. Everyone is always learning, and they don't shame you if you're not "performing" to a certain standard, since everyone's journey is different. They also aren't afraid to be human and not put so much pressure on benchmarks of performance. Overall would highly recommend. Read less

After extensive research on many schools,  the Actualize Coding Bootcamp stood out as the best option. Initially, their online program has the best schedule for you available to keep work and still put up time to dedicate appropriately to your new journey. Having 100% or the classes online is a differential that matters and helps you keep up and steady progress on your learning curve. One of the most important things to look out for a course is the teacher. And Brian is one of the best ones for sure. I am glad to have such a high-level teacher and friendly style as my teacher. I pushed to get all the work available done, but there are so much available to do an extra class that I couldn't keep the pace. That is definitely a pro for the program. At some weeks, I wish they could have gone more in-depth and pushed a bit more. The learning shouldn't rely on the school but on yourself. With that in mind, I did a lot of work on the side, and that pays off and helping me to feel confident about the next steps. Overall I definitely recommend the school, and just at some points, I do wish to have more content.  Read less

I can't yet tell what the ultimate outcome will be career wise, as I just finished the course, but the journey has been amazing.  The instructors and TAs from pre work and on were fantastic.  Brian Rice, the evening online instructor is  an expert teacher and coder.  Education is the name of the game.  It's not as much about what languages you're taught, but how you're taught them.  The goal is to empower you to feel like you have thew ability to pick up any language, learn it, and use it.  It's easier said than done, but it is doable.  The commitment is grueling, yet satisfying.  As a full time worker and father, the schedule is difficult.  It was extremely hard to find any time outside of class to practice.  That's ok, but I do feel that the you'll get the absolute most out of the experience with some extra time outside of class.  Just something to keep in mind.  I highly recommend Actualize. Read less

I chose Actualize because of the ability to do the course online, while also still having a structured classroom schedule/setup. I knew doing an "at your own pace" class was not going to be good for me, so Actualize was a fantastic option. It was definitely immersive and interactive. I was hesitant at first to be on camera throughout, but I think it actually helped me bond with the other students and become more comfortable to ask questions (of the teacher and of others). The instructors and the TA's were all very knowledgable and approachable. I would highly recommend this course to either someone looking for a career change and has the time and passion for this type of bootcamp, or someone like myself who is still working full time, can log on in the evenings to attend, and is dedicated to learning! Read less

The focus on teaching you how to learn is what drew me to actualize and they definitely delivered. The instruction was always clear and concise and tailored to help you understand complex subjects. The instructor's jokes weren't THAT bad either... While it was digestible it was also challenging. The job hacking portion took my networking game up to another level and many excellent connections and learning experiences were gained as a result of reaching out to others in the industry which I would not have done on my own.  Read less

Actualize was recommended to me by a group of Software developers I befriended on my search for the perfect boot camp. I am not disappointed at all and it doesn't hurt that they offer scholarships. The experience was mind blowing and a little scary, but I came out the other end equipped with the skills to help me move forward in my new journey. I am very grateful to Dani Z. (lead instructor), My two TA's, Tori and Benji, My Job career coach (Lisa) who worked tirelessly to help me succeed. I'm also grateful to Jay Wengrow for Founding such a wonderful program and giving back to the community and all future developers out there. Read less

I recently finished the Actualize online web development course. I looked long and hard at all the schools. Interviewed at several different programs as well. In the end I choose actualize because I felt the live online classes with an instructor, teaching assistants and other students gave me the best of both worlds. This turned out to be exactly the case! A bonus was all of the content is recorded and documented so you can use it as reference right after a lesson or after the program is over. I felt that the program was well thought out in terms of timing spent on all necessary aspects of learning development concepts, softwares, frameworks and even the basics on command line interaction. All of the content felt on point. There were some technologies I would have liked to have gone over but the rate at which technology moves I understand you can't touch on everything. This is a great course for someone with no previous knowledge in IT or development. I only put 4 stars on the job assistance just because I am starting to get into that aspect of the job search right now. Actualize does start grooming students for how to get prepared for the job market as soon as you start the program. It was good to have a gradual introduction to job assistance right away and throughout the program. I highly recommend this course! Another big take away is they teach you how to learn new concepts and software in the development field. Read less

As a business professional (by trade I am MD, plastic surgeon, with extensive experience and involvement in RE investment industry as well) I do not make any decision lightly, without proper and diligent research on the subject.

When I decided it was time for me to get “literate” by the 21st century standards (meaning - it was time for me to learn to code), my first step was to indulge into deep, extensive search and research of all options.

Decision was placed on Actualize boot camp.  At that point I suspected they were probably good, but little did I know, that Actualize was the best. By far. And by all measures:

• Extremely well-planned curriculum;
• Founder, Jay Wengrow, not only expert in his filed, book author, educator, but also respected and thoughtful leader of his team;
• Peter Jang, my instructor, outstanding engineer, with exceptional ability to convey knowledge no matter what level of coding student might be at, super fun too;
• Lisa Tucker, patient and supportive guide for graduates on their path to get recognized by hiring companies as a signal, not a noise;
• TAs, Jennifer, Bret and Mark: knowledgeable and well mannered;
• Campus facilities modern, spacious, inviting, located at hip and convenient River North area of downtown Chicago. 

But there was one element where they impressed me, and where no competition will be able to come not even close, and that was a care for their alumni. So much sincere efforts, support and assistance for every graduate during their positioning to get a career and job of their dreams I haven't seen yet in my (long professional) career. And this human element is the final and the most critical reason why I think it will be almost impossible to beat them at the throne of being the best.

 

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At first, I fell into the trap of, "I can do this by myself" - after all, I had taught myself HTML and CSS. However, when one decides on persuing programming as a vocation, it is important to due the proper due diligence and invest in the proper process in order to ensure success. Enter Actualize. During my time as an Actualize student, I have been able to go beyond my comfort zone in regard to my programming and "soft" (interpersonal) skills related to the job search process, allowing me to master new skills and confidently move forward with my goal of attain a job as a Software Developer. If you are feeling stuck in regard to mastering your programming skills, head to Actualize - you will be amazed at what you are abile to accomplish!

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I chose Actualize because they focus one stack well, and they focus on the fundamentals, and teach us to learn other languages.
Peter the instructor really focusses on the students and really cares about them, and he makes sure that they are successful in what they do !!!    

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Starting even from before the pre-work I never felt like I was alone. From the moment you are enrolled at Actualize to the moment you graduate and beyond you have that sense that you are part of a family. I was in Peter's class during the night class and I never felt like I was being neglected or ignored when I was struggling or had a question. With being new to software engineering I learned more than I could ever imagine in the 12 weeks of being enrolled and know that I will feel the same way post-graduation and I continue my job search. The staff at Actualize is absolutely fantastic all the way from the teachers assistant all the way to the CEO who is very hands on and always willing to help out each and every student no matter the time of day. I recommend Actualize to everyone I talk to if they are between choosing bootcamps because they truly make you part of the Actualize family. 

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I participated in the evening/weekend bootcamp taught by Peter. He's an excellent instructor, extremely committed, very supportive, very helpful. I learned so much over the course of 12 weeks, and the job hacking / support is thorough, helpful, and continues well beyond the time of the bootcamp. I'm so glad I decided to make this career transition with Actualize.

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I chose Actualize because it was one of the few online courses that fit with my schedule. I did my research by reaching out to former students and combed through reviews. After much hesitation, I signed up. My biggest fear was attending a course too fast paced and end up falling behind. This course was perfectly paced. The introduction to new material, the lectures, the practice, and the questions were all very nicely layered. There were times that I felt overwhelmed, but times like that were anticipated. The instructor is very supportive of any questions, even at odd hours of the day outside of the class. Resource materials and consolidated cheat sheets are in abundance. Having a responsive instructor and access to many resources reinforced my confidence in the course when I felt overwhelmed. I would highly recommend this course to anyone shopping around for a bootcamp. Upon leaving this course, I feel very confident in my programming abilities and am eager to start looking for job opportunities. 

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I recently completed the Software Engineering bootcamp through Actualize and feel comfortable making a strong recommendation to others regarding this program. While I do not have any other software bootcamp experiences to serve as a comparison to my cohort through Actualize, nonetheless, I am comfortable stating, based on my progress and prospects (starting as an absolute beginner)  the course and program are well run and outstanding overall.

I attended the online program which utilizes live classroom meetings (utilizing video) giving me the benefit of attending a class from my home. In addition, there are significant off class support structures in place, including the availability of the lead instructor as well as teaching assistants and a robust career counseling segment that creates a well rounded matrix of opportunities.

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There are a lot of bootcamps out there, so it was hard to decide on one, but I did narrow it down eventually to Actualize and two others. I decided to go with Actualize because the classes are live, either in Chicago, or the one I attended which was done via live video online. The learning is fast-paced and they teach a lot in 12 weeks (plus 4 weeks prework), and by the end, I had built mulitple apps, all from the ground up. The instructor and TAs really care about students and do everything they can to help students grow and succeed. The job assistance is fantastic as well, ranging from technical interview prep, to resume-building, networking and how to search for jobs. They have a dedicated career counselor who meets with us on a regular basis and provides us job assistance as needed. I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone who wants to learn a new skill and possibly open the door to a new job field. I would also add that anyone can succeed in this program, so long as they are willing to put in the work. 

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This was a wonderful course and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to kickstart their programming careers.

I chose the daytime class because I knew if I wanted to become a developer, I would need to be fully committed and it would be to my benefit to have as much time as possible devoted to learning. If you have the opportunity, I can definitely recommend this timeslot. 

My lead instructor, Josh, is phenomenal and can answer most any question, or at least will problem-solve with you if it is not immediately clear to him. He is a natural teacher, so try to absorb as much of his knowledge as possible in this time. 

Good luck!

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The online bootcamp was everything I wanted in a course that would provide me with the tools I need to start a new career in web development. My instructor Dani is always high energy, enthusiastic, and ready to teach us new concepts and coding skills every day, which made learning how to code more enjoyable. She truly is a great instructor and it would be a blessing for anyone to have her as a teacher. There is a lot of material to learn but completely manageable and the pacing is great. I have no complaints and the course was perfect and it was everything I could have asked for and more. 

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