Actualize

I never thought I would pursue a job in coding, but seeing that Actualize doesn't mind if you haven't coded much before applying was really encouraging. They are totally right that anyone can learn to code! I used to work with children and very little tech but now I am already planning post-graduation projects. The instructor Dani was amazing, and even though it is a lot of information in a short period of time there was review, time after class to get help from TAs, she answered questions well, and the assignments were so helpful to review. Highly recommend! Read less

Actualize teaching style is what brought me to this Bootcamp and I was NOT disappointed. The amount of support provided and the way the teaching was presented, made it easy to learn and FUN. I would definitely recommend this Bootcamp and if you are looking to start a new career, Actualize is the place to start!!! Read less

Great Program. If you are brand new to the world of coding this is the program to select. The team is incredibly patient, attentive, and flexible regarding the learning process. My teacher (Peter Jang) is an extremely high qualified instructor who takes a more out of the box approach with his teaching style. Most my life, regarding education, I was in the position of "a fish being told to climb a tree", this experience has been far away from the float or swim mentality. If your looking for a bootcamp, I would highly recommend this one.  Read less

I was deciding between a bunch of bootcamps and had interviews with almost every bootcamp out there. However, when I interviewed for Actualize I knew it was the one. Their staff was so friendly and warm and their curriculum really made sense. I was definitely hesitant leaving all of the other bootcamp options behind but this one was definitely the right choice. The pace was perfect, and I learned so much. The instructor (I had Peter Jang) was the greatest teacher I've ever had. He was so good at explaining complex topics in a clear and simple way and always had a good joke to tell. He was with us every step of the way and made sure we understood the material. He also always made it so fun and enjoyable and gave us good tips to deal with the stresses that come with coding as well. I not only learned the fundamentals of coding, but also how to learn new coding skills and languages and grow in the tech field in general. The job hacking was also amazing as they helped us build our resume, make connections, network, build a personal website, and do mock interviews. Overall, the bootcamp taught me more than I ever thought and made me ready and excited for my first step in the coding world! Read less

I learned fullstack: a good backend and a couple different frontends and feel very confident about the job world before the last day of school. I chose Actualize in Chicago, IL, because they were the first Software Engineering school to be fully online (also covid-19 was happening). It ended up being very fun because it was like we were at a tech company with a team of like 16. I would recommend people to take an Immersion Class at Actualize if they wanted to get job opportunities in the tech field for website stuff. 5* Actualize. Read less

I really enjoyed the experience of this coding bootcamp.  It was initially supposed to be in person but was moved online due to the pandemic.  The teacher was great, there was a good sense of community with other members and you learn a LOT. I chose Actualize because someone I know went here and landed a job after and I would love to do the same.  I think the job search portion is one of the most valuable portions of the course (hopefully I can land a job soon).  The one thing I thought might be helpful is if they taught a more common programming language for the backend like Python or Java.  A lot of the class is about teaching you how to teach yourself so this isn't a big deal, but Python is very user friendly, popular and I think it would be a good beginner language.  I loved learning Ruby, I just don't see it in the job market as much.  The teacher was very cool and everything is very professional.  Overall I would give it a 5/5.  I really enjoyed my experience.  I would recommend Actualize to whoever is serious about getting a job as a software engineer. Read less

I'm just wrapping up my bootcamp at Actualize. I chose this program because I know a few people who went through the program in the past several years and they spoke highly of the curriculum and the teachers. I would say it did not disappoint. The instructor presented the lessons in a well though out, and concise manner. We covered lots of ground very quickly, but we were given many tools to review the information down the road to help solidify the ideas. I've also appreciated the job search support. While they don't hand you a job when you graduate, they help you feel prepared and give you intentional steps to take to be effective. Read less

One of the major reasons I chose Actualize was because of the founder's involvement in the industry and his teaching background. Also I really appreciated the concentrated efforts of the teachers. My teacher made it a great learning experience and cared about the students. Read less

To whoever is reading this doing the same thing I was doing roughly a year ago, follow through with this thought and commit. I made the leap and never looked back. I came from working in another industry for 13+ years and was terrified to learn something new knowing I wouldn't be the best at it. Actualize gives you the comfort of knowing your not along in the process and you have support. Brian was our teacher and he couldn't have made the experience any better. Great company, great values, great results.  Read less

I researched a bunch of different coding bootcamps in Chicago and I didn’t feel comfortable committing to one until Is spoke with the team at Actualize.  It just seemed natural. The team was so supportive from the very beginning and the pre-work helped me feel more confident actually starting a course. The online live portion in particular, fit my lifestyle and allowed me to continue to work and support myself.  This was especially important in the middle of this pandemic!  My experience was truly amazing. While some things were extremely challenging, it was nicely balanced out by an excellent teaching style that provided help but also enough freedom to make mistakes and learn.  I would recommend Actualize to any adult that’s ready to make a major change in their career. Although the road is still ahead of me, I feel confident in the skills I’ve learned and the things that I feel empowered to teach myself as I move forward!  Read less

I chose Actualize because of their emphasis on teaching and instruction and not just on what was in their curriculum. The experience lived up to advertised. Brian did a great job of taking complex tasks and breaking them down for us to understand. He also did a good job of stretching our learning and getting us out of our comfort zone. I would recommend Actualize to anyone who is looking for a career change and wants to get into software development. Read less

This bootcamp is great for people who would like to transition into web development.  The staff here is very passionate about what they do and they ensure you have superior resources available not only for the class itself but for job-finding support.  This program has been built by people with a very strong background in education and it shows. It sets a great foundation for so many topics not only for learning how to code but for project management, communication, collaboration and more! I highly recommend Actualize! Read less

Enrolling in Actualize was the greatest decision I ever made. I needed to be pushed. Dani was an incredible lead instructor, very caring, entertaining, funny and positive. she kept me focused and motivated and gave me the personal attention & occasional ass-kicking I needed. Lisa the career counselor was a very helpful and caring and involved resource, and all the TA's were super friendly and helpful as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Actualize and would recommend it to anyone seeking to learn to code and become established in the developer world.  Read less

I chose Actualize because their program was the one that best fit my schedule. They offer classes that cater to both day and night time schedules. This led me to pick the night time cohort because this allowed me to work during the day and attend classes at night. Also the Chicago location for their school is close to the Loop and is readily accessible via public transportation which made it convenient for me to attend.

The greatest strength of Actualize is that its technical staff is composed of teachers that happen to know coding. This might seem like a minor detail but this is what distinguishes Actualize from other coding schools. A programmer might be able to repeat information to a potential student but that does not mean that they can teach. Becuase of the teacher first emphasis that the founder uses to develop the course curriculum, key concepts are not simply memorized but synthesized for later lessons.

I recommend Actualize to people who want to have fun while they learn. I never felt like the staff were administrators that assigned my coursework but rather they were more like friends and family to me. Also, while Actualize places a heavy focus on teaching Ruby don't be concerned that its not on the list of programming languages that are "hot" right now. Ruby is a solid foundation to learn the fundamentals of coding and a good springboard for a student to be able to learn future languages.

Read less

I had an amazing experience at Actualize!

The format of actual lectures immediately followed by coding exercises was very effective for me. The pace is fast, but if you show up, and follow the instructor's recommendations you will exceed your expectations.

-Diana

Read less

I choose Actualize after reviewing many other bootcamps, what stood out was their approach to teaching us. And that is the big focus actaully teaching and guiding you, by going through the material piece by piece in a way that helps understand the how and why things work. I would reccommend this school to anyone really, I would do it all over again!

Read less

I was in the online cohort ending September and now have a full time job in technology project management. Actualize was a top notch education and ones trajectory to code from scratch to application building is guaranteed with diligent participation. Actualize makes you enjoy coding and the practice provided, along with group work, is an ideal and perfect education. Brian, the instructor, and Lisa, the job coach, are amazing in their guidance and instruction. Make sure to attend post bootcamp events because it is extremely helpful in securing a job and in continuing to develop coding skills. Lisa and Actualize provided me with the greatest advice in looking for work and communicating with employers. At the end of the day, you become an adept coder and a tremendously more skilled individual. 

Read less

After spending about a year not making much progress with books and tutorials, I was in need of a real teacher and mentor who could personally guide and teach me how to code. Actualize was a bootcamp that stood out the most, because of its teaching expertise. Once the bootcamp began I was constantly surprised how everything was already prepared and laid out in every step of the way conquer any challenge that I might face. All the concerns that I had before starting the bootcamp was already thought out and solved in advance by the designer of the curriculum. Also by the help of the amazing job hacking program, I am now interviewing for jobs that I could only dream about before. I truly thank Actrualize for opening the door to an exciting career in software engineering. 

Read less

When I was deciding on a coding bootcamp to enroll in I really wanted to make sure that the online course I pick was personable and at a pace that I could handle. The reviews for Actualize really emphasized how it was a small group where there is a lot of one on one interaction with the instructor and TAs. Overall I definitely loved the pace and when I needed more clarification or help the instructor and TAs were phenomenal at making sure I grasp and understand the concept in a way that I could understand coding. I highly recommend taking this course if you are a frist time coder like me. 

Read less