Alchemy

I attended Alchemy Code Lab from April 2018 to September 2018, taking the full course - Bootcamp Part 1, Bootcamp Part 2, and the fullstack JavaScript Career Track. We learned the basics of vanilla HTML/CSS/JavaScript, the fundamentals of component architecture, modern web application design patterns, and so much more. By the end of it, I could spin up a full-fledged web app (both frontend and backend), as well as be able to explain coding principles and what every line of code I'd written was doing.

The course itself is extremely rigorous and intense - more than fulltime, Monday thru Friday from 9am-6pm, and I often found myself doing additional work or studying after I came home. However, I can't imagine it working as well any other way, since you're learning an enormous amount of specialized and complicated skills in an extremely condensed timeframe. Knowing your own limits and taking care of yourself when you need to are key to succeeding in the program.

The people are wonderful. I was lucky enough to be in an amazing cohort and my peers were all extremely supportive of each other. Marty and Ryan were both great instructors, patient and helpful and able to explain the more difficult concepts well. Shannon, the career services director at the school, was vital in helping us stay connected to the larger tech community in town and make the connections necessary to get our foot in the door for job interviews. I was able to land a job at a software development firm roughly three months after I'd finished Alchemy, and I apply what I've learned from the program on a daily basis. I genuinely don't believe that I'd be where I am today without having attended Alchemy. The price is high (in terms of money, time, and work required) but I found it to be absolutely worth it.

This school has been amazing. The instructors know what they are doing, and they really put in 100% for each student. The school space is cozy and welcoming, the location is right in downtown, close to transportation and there are so many tech companies just within blocks of the school. The education you receive is indispensable and how fast they teach almost seems impossible, but it isn't! You learn the MERN stack as well as much more! When I talk with recruiters and hiring managers, they are so shocked at how much I have learned and know from a boot camp! They really care about the welfare of each student, and they want you to succeed. They have an amazing support system even after you graduate from the program. Megan and Shannon (school director and career services) are truly fantastic! Shannon is really connected in the area and is such a great coach/champion for you! Schedule a tour or go into their weekly open house and you will see for yourself how fantastic this program is! Marty and Ryan (CEO and lead instructors) are so talented and more than equipped to teach you what you need and more. Both of them have worked in the industry for decades so you know you are in good hands. If you are considering a school in the PDX area, you need to come here. I was able to get a job within 4 weeks of graduating and I cannot be happier with the outcome!

The curriculum is created and updated to reflect the demands of the job market. The instructional staff is carefully selected by Marty, the CEO, who himself is a seasoned developer and an exceptional teacher. The facilities are world class, with plenty of monitors, bottomless coffee, tea, quality snacks and comfy couches. Megan (my favorite person there) does a wonderful job of making the place a pleasant work environment and supports your development throughout your whole time there. You also get all the support you need to land your first job from career services with Shannon who is truly dedicated to your success.

I enrolled in ACL straight from Puerto Rico without visiting the place first, which I now know was a really risky thing to do, but I feel extremely lucky to have chosen them. Having worked as a TA on another boot camp after graduating, visiting other boot camps and meeting graduates from various coding schools, I've learned that not all schools are created equal and I can confidently say that ACL is simply the best choice

(TL;DR at bottom)

Backstory: I have a degree in business, approximately a decade of work experience in an unrelated industry, and I made a personal choice to switch to something I've always been very interested in: software development.

Prior development experience: None, really. A lifetime ago I dabbled in HTML, Adobe's creative suite, Flash, and Dreamweaver (while it was still under Macromedia, if you're old enough to remember that). I maintained a few basic web sites but it was hobby stuff at best. I should note this was long before Wordpress, CMS, YouTube, the abundance of online tutorials, etc. and while the passion was real, this prior experience didn't impact my success in the program.

How I found it: Like you, I ended up here (e.g. CourseReport, SwitchUp) among other sites reviewing different bootcamp programs. I came across Code Fellows in the Seattle market while I was actually searching for online bootcamps. That led me to Alchemy as they were once affiliated with Code Fellows (ACL is fully separate now and running it's own thing here in PDX).

The reviews were encouraging and I quickly realized that for my preferred learning style and desired timeframe, I would need to commit full-time to an in-person program. I did not tour any of the other code schools in Portland (I only reviewed their online materials and/or reviews) but I've heard plenty of great things and met awesome people that attended other schools. In the end though, Alchemy was clearly the choice for me once I was introduced to the owners and the space.

The experience: Marty and Megan (ACL owners) put their heart and soul in to this school. The right attitudes, levels of support needed, staffing, and relevance of the material is constantly evaluated when making changes to the school or curriculum. On the career and networking side of things, Shannon has been an amazing addition to ACL--she started when my cohort began last year--and she has also been instrumental in the success of grads getting hired at awesome companies around PDX, time and time again.

Like the industry in general, the program is not necessarily meant for everyone. Marty and Megan do their best in advance to ask the right questions of interested candidates and ensure the rigorous nature of 'bootcamp-style learning' is clear to all prospects. They are fair-minded in all that they do and as someone who has spent almost a year with them, I can say they value people, diversity, and student outcomes above all else; if you think about it, their success quite literally depends on your success.

The other side of things: Programming is hard. Technology moves fast. Bootcamps are not a slower-paced program like University. While candidates with 'non-traditional backgrounds' will at times struggle with the material, it is incredibly rewarding watching your ideas and code come to life. Even after the program, what you learn today will likely be going 'out of style' or become obselete tomorrow (or a few months, a few years, whatever) and you will likely need to continue learning while managing a career, a personal life, and all the other things that require your attention. That's true of most developers, regardless of how they got their start.

In terms of what you learn, how you learn it, etc. I'll just encourage you to set up a call or visit to the school. The material and methods of delivery are constantly evolving (in a positive way!) so your cohort will learn differently than mine did. Marty is an incredibly talented developer with years of experience as a software architect so he's always aiming to improve the program. Ryan, Lead Instructor has been amazing to work with and he's an amazing developer as well so you're in good hands.

TL;DR: Alchemy was exactly the program I was looking for. I went through the program and five months later had two offers, one of which was my top choice for entering the market here in PDX (title of Software Engineer).

Full disclosure: As I write this I am currently a TA at Alchemy Code Lab for the remainder of the week. I completed the program around October 2018 and spent the following months TAing the next cohort to help reinforce concepts, mentor, and keep 'close to the code' during the slow holiday season while applying for jobs. I have no doubt that you could be employed in less than 5 months with the right dedication to the job application process (Shannon can share other student success stories with you so feel free to ask her!).

If you're ready for a change and willing to give it all that you have, make the call. Good luck!

I did a lot of research before choosing my code school, comparing every factor under the sun.  I chose Alchemy Code School because of its reputation, size, and networking capabilities. After starting with Bootcamp Part 1, I followed the curricula all the way until graduating from their Career Track: Full Stack JavaScript course in July of 2018.  I happily tell everyone how they followed through on every aspect I had considered, and many more I had never thought of.

Alchemy's main assets are its co-founders, Marty and Megan, who remain incredibly dedicated to the school's mission and advancement.  Marty is constantly improving the curriculum to remain cutting edge in tech's fast-paced environment, and either personally teaches each course or has carefully vetted the instructor.  Megan helms the school's culture, constantly steering towards more inclusion, diversity, and productive professionalism, and personally helped me find extra funding to pay my tuition.  The result is a really cozy and productive environment, where you are constantly being pushed further as a developer, but equally surrounded by resources to support and encourage you.

I had the great fortune to work with Shannon, the career counselor, who works overtime spreading Alchemy's reputation and making networking connections for each student, personally.  She helped me get multiple contracting positions after graduation, and eventually my full-time position.  

But really, the reason to go to choose Alchemy Code Lab is its curriculum.  You will not find a more intensive or competitive code school in Portland.  I have been told many times since graduating how impressive my skills are, and how myself and other Alchemy grads are consistently exceptional.  I am a huge advocate for the school and my classmates, who are impressive, diverse and growing into a wonderful community in the Portland area.  I highly recommend the program to anyone invested in changing Tech culture, and who is willing to work hard.

 When I started, I knew nothing about coding, I came from a non-tech industry. This program, from fundamentals to career tract was what I needed to get a solid understanding of web development. This is a rigorous coarse that requires a dedication to learning. 

All of the Instructors at Alchemy Code Labs have years of web development experience and it shows in their passion for code and teaching. The TA's have a deep understanding of the coarse work and are dedicated to helping students. The career service staff helped me with a resume, LinkdIn account and a game plan on my job search.

The number one priority of Alchemy staff,  from school director to TA's, is your success. With that said, be prepaired to work very hard. Everything you need to become a highly developed web designer is available to you, but you have to do the work.

 If you want to get a job and willing to work for it, you will love this place.

They really push you. There was close supervision during entire program. we had 2 TAs and an experienced instructor for 11 students at the final 2 months of the program. TAs and instructors change from course to course. I had 2 instructors: Marty Nelson and Sera Joy and they were phenomenal. I would strongly recommend checking out the instructors at any school before applying there. Some of the TA's where amazing, but even if they aren't brilliant they will still be helpful and work through problems and documentation with you.

Since Graduating i met a lot of graduates from other code schools like Epicodus and The Tech Academy. Both are shorter in duration and they have much looser and less intense schedule. They also cover a lot of different Techs and languages. You'll do a a little of everything there. In contrast ACL is more specialized and indepth. Cant speak for Python course but JS track was very advanced compared to others. You will learn a lot of cutting edge tech in modern web: React, Redux, MongoDB, end to end testing and so on. You will be expected to be proficient at latest version of JS (ES6) and things like async-await. The result is that you will know these JS and especially React well enough to contribute to companies right after graduation which I think is the main point of trade schools.
Most importantly their job search support is awesome! they have two full time employees to help you search for work and introduce you to potential employers. Its also a nice community, Im still in touch from fellow students and staff from Alchemy code, and come in to the office to work with fellow graduates weekly. 

On a side note I would really recomend doing your reaserch on job placement and starting salleries before aplying to code school. Statistics can be tricky and what each code school considers employment is different. so dont be afraid to ask concrete questions. like "how much do they earn, how quickly did they find a job, do you caunt short term contracts or minimally paid internships as a "job". My reaserch lead me to ACL but do your own, you are programmer now independent reaserch is part of the job! 
P.S they have cavalier King Charles as a code school pet!!!!

Alchemy was the best decision I could have made for myself and my career. Through my time at Alchemy, I never felt like I was just another student they were trying to get through. I felt like I was seen as a whole person with a desire to become a software engineer and a life outside of bootcamp.
There is so much support available, you just have to decide who you are the most comfortable talking to - from instructors to TA's to the founders, to the career services team, there are never a shortage of people who will go out of their way to show up so that you can learn and grow as a dev and a person. This is a small business, not a massive bootcamp company!
This is definitely a path for those who want to invest in themselves - you get out what you put in, but you're never alone on that journey if don't want to be.
The alumni network is pretty extensive as well and continues to be a community even after you graduate.

A more personal note...
As a trans person, I started this journey quite skeptical of all bootcamps. Understanding the cis, white, maleness that dominates the tech industry, I wasn't sure how welcoming any portion of tech would be for me.
But when I looked at the Alchemy website,  I was initially impressed with the scholarships available. It is obvious that the goal is to diversify the tech industry and show support where they can, so I took that as a good sign. When I spoke with the co-founder, Megan, in an information session, she continued the notion of welcoming BIPOC, trans, & gnc folks at Alchemy. I figured over time, this wouldn't hold. I'm quite skeptical about how welcoming and informed a place actually is, but that never actually happened here. I was impressed repeatedly and any small bump along the road was always addressed thoughtfully and with an emphasis on equity. My experience was that ruptures are few and far between and repairs are approached with the consideration they actually warrant.

In terms of the bootcamp's first module being called Dev 102 and requiring you to be familiar with the concepts covered in Dev 101, it's potentially quite easy to be prepared for the bootcamp without taking Dev 101 - but it's still the best way to determine if Alchemy is right for you.  And if you're not already thoroughly prepared for Dev 102, while you have almost infinite ways to prepare yourself, Alchemy's Dev 101 is perhaps the best way.
Anyway, all of Alchemy's propaganda about: Taking Dev 101 to see if their teaching style is right for you; Getting up to speed for Dev 102; Asking questions in Dev 101 about the bootcamp, career outcomes, and how the "career services" part is integrated throughout the bootcamp - I don't usually trust an organization's "why we're great" verbiage, and initially I tried to get as much info as possible about coding bootcamps from third parties rather than their own websites and ads, but go ahead and read Alchemy's.  The process so far has been what they say, and everything I've seen leads me to believe the full bootcamp will be as excellent as they say.
Dev 101 lacked some of the structure and stuff I want from the bootcamp (i.e. we didn't turn in any assignments), but that would have been less appropriate for what Dev 101 is, and the bootcamp will have perhaps exactly the right structure (certainly actual assignments to submit).

Alchemy turned out to be a great experience. The instructional staff was top notch and continually demonstrated their vast  experience as coders and teachers. They approached each day with professionalism, they were dependable, invested, and considerate. They provided one-on-one time with students and engaged with the Alchemy student community at school networking events. 
Educational excellence and a superior learning experience is clearly on Alchemy's agenda, as each cohort is staffed with 1 TA per 7-9 students, plus a Lead TA. TA's are well trained Alchemy grads, and any tough debugging can be escalated to the Lead TA or even the instructor. It really did not feel like we were left alone when we hit roadblocks.
Alchemy's Career Development department digs in to provide students with crucial advice about networking, job searching, resume drafting, interview prep, and more. They really felt like they were in my corner each step of the way. On top of that, they will stay in contact after graduation to help you with the job search. The Alchemy alumni network is another great resource for job searching. I attribute Alchemy's career dev for turning my resume and interviewing skills around. 
Outside guests speak regularly at the school, lecturing and presenting on current tech topics, job searching, and career advice. 
The school's curriculum is homemade, top notch, and strategically planned out. Hitting up databases in your first weeks gets you in the swing of things quickly, and their emphasis on test driven development is huge. Alchemy's TDD is something that sets their students apart from other junior devs, and even mid-level devs.
All in all, the staff as a whole really embodies a Portland vibe, cares about their students, and brings their best to the table every week. 
What you're paying for with Alchemy is the best instructors, curriculum, career development, community, 1,000+ hours of learning, and the edge you need to get a job. It was worth it.

Alchemy is unlike anything I've ever done before. From day one, the admissions team and instructors are just so welcoming and downright excited to get you started on your code learning journey. You not only get a extensive technical education in FullStack Javascript, you learn how to learn. Alchemy promotes how to learn new things, and how to adapt and use what you know with what you don't in order to be a successful Software Developer. The staff, the students, the alumni, they are all so supportive and welcoming.  It's a challenging program, be forewarned that you need to put in a lot of effort and devote the time.  My advice to those enrolling or starting (advice I'm sure you will hear from fellow alumni should you reach out and ask): take notes, ask all the questions, and try and make friends/connections within your cohort.  I made some very dear friends in my cohort, and it really does make the program better when you can talk out problems and work through challenges together rather than tough it out alone (that's why you go to a bootcamp rather than teach yourself right?).