App Academy Reviews
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Nathan
Outstanding curriculum and community
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I recently graduated college with a background in math and computer science, so my experience may be different from others wishing to apply, though I would highly recommend App Academy to anyone wishing to transition into a career in web development and software engineering. The teaching staff has an impressively thorough grasp of the entire curriculum, and the job placements team is really concerned with getting to know your individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Occasionally alumni were invited to give guest lectures on the main curriculum, and I would love to see App Academy provide more opportunities like these for current students to see where the material they are learning exists in the real world.
I would also mention that my cohort was one of the brightest and most colorful and driven groups of peers I have had the pleasure to work with. App Academy was very successful in providing an environment in which I could flourish both intellectually and socially, allowing me to jump into the next phase of my professional career.
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Joanna
Fun couple months
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Really challenging but rewarding program! The curriculum covered a surprisingly wide range of topics, so that even with a CS degree, I always felt like I was learning something new. The fast-paced environment gave me that push to actually learn the curriculum today instead of putting it off and learning it eventually. The instructors were great at helping answer any questions I had and always felt approachable. The best part of the program though was seeing the people I've been working with, some of whom with no prior coding experience, build these gorgeous websites from scratch, and then talk about the process like they'd been doing it forever. Whatever your background, if you have the time and dedication, App Academy's a worthwhile experience.
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Anthony Kumasaka
Very challenging very fun
Having no background as a programmer, I found aA very difficult but also very rewarding. The TA's and other students were wonderful. I never thought I could learn so much in such a short period time. I strongly recommend aA to anyone who wants to learn and is willing to put in the many hours of work required to get through the program.
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Emma
App Academy is the best bootcamp!
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App Academy was an extremely challenging and rewarding bootcamp. The instructional staff was so helpful in explaining difficult concepts. Thinking back over the past three months I am blown away by how much I have learned. I came to App Academy knowing very little programming and now am a knowledgeable software engineer. I highly recommend App Academy for anyone who is looking to transition their career into software development because there is really no better place to do it!
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Jon Dominguez
Worth it!
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I've recently completed the core curriculum portion of App Academy and I can honestly say I've loved my time here. I recently graduated with a BS in Computer Science from UCR but I quickly learned I lacked the technical skills to join the workforce. I found out about the top rated coding bootcamp in the US and applied to a/A. The application process and class in general is rigorous. But by being strict and demanding, a/A is able to produce high quality engineers and ensure a short job search. I believe the things I've learned at a/A in 9 weeks are more valuable than what I learned over four years at university. As long as you but in the effort, you can be successful here at a/A!
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Jonnatan Ortiz
Great and rewarding
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Aa's immersive full-stack curriculum was definitely one of the hardest challenges I have yet encountered but at the same time it has been one of the most rewarding. From knowing little next on nothing on how to code to building full-stack web applications deployed live to the internet. It is a very fast paced course with a lot of first time challenges but if you put in the work and the time you will get out of it what you put in. You have assessments almost every week to test your knowledge and ability to quickly learn and keep up with the material. There are times when you wish you had more time to better understand the material but it is the challenge of learning fast that makes it exciting and rewarding.
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Jason Gong
Get your work on
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Definitely my most sleep deprived stretch in my life, but for good reason. The stress and pressure of weekly assessments is intense and only the truly committed will survive. I have learned so much since graduating App Academy. You get daily instruction and help from the TAs', but it is on you to learn all the material. The path is laid out nice and clear, but it is you who must walk it. You truly only get from the course as much as you put in. The best learning experience in my life.
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Sarah W
Challenging and fast paced
This program was very challenging and equally rewarding. Very unique mix of backgrounds and diverse culture.
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Scott Burdick
Hard, fun, and frontend leaning bootcamp
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I had a great experience at App Academy, however I'm just starting the job curriculum so I cannot speak to the job guarantee or the quality of the last portion of the curriculum. The course material is structured in a way that helps the students focus on learning instead of trying to discover what is worth learning. This is the main advantage of the bootcamp opposed to trying to learn the material on your own. The curriculum is good in this sense, but don't expect to learn everything or even cover everything that a junior developer should know. The curriculum is intensive, but introductory. Think of the curriculum as a spring-board for learning more on your own outside of working hours and after the conclusion of the program.
The TAs / instructors are also what make the program worth it. They are invested in helping you and making sure that you understand the material. That being said, you must study, or you will fall behind and get kicked out. This means putting in a lot of hours and letting the curriculum consume you. Even then, you must study hard & study smart. Long hours of work doesn't guarantee mastery, so learn how to study before you show up.
The people you work with will be awesome. Your peers are usually quite driven and all on the same career path as you. This being said, you will have to learn how to work with different people with different personalities. Be the kind of person you would want to work with. Since the foundation of the first 7 weeks is pair-programming, this program is not for people that cannot interact well with others.
The classroom environment is not the greatest. You sit on a crowded floor at long tables (full of mac minis) coding all day with a partner. The chairs are terrible and you will start to feel it if you don't get up often. The lecture hall consists of 50+ folding chairs that also feel terrible (especially after 3 hours of lecture). Don't fall for the nice looking banner pictures on the website that portray these hipsters drinking coffee in lounging couches while coding. That's not what this program is, that is just clever marketing. I highly suggest, that anyone interested in attending A/A come visit the work sites. It is not a deal breaker, but you should have an accurate view of the place you will be spending the next 3 months.
Lastly, if your finances permit, don't take the deferred payment option. Be motivated, do well, and pay upfront. The huge caveat is that you need to do well and not get kicked out. If you have more questions about this, then just do the math between the two plans, and ask questions. Don't just blindly sign an agreement until you understand everything.
Overall, I have been enjoying the program, however, I don't think that this program is for everyone. Make sure you do your hw before committing.
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Paul
Great if you know what you're getting into
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Let me start by saying that my experience at App Academy was overall positive. I think the curriculum and the pace at which it's taught is fantastic. If I could go back and make the decision whether to go or not knowing what I know now, I would still choose to go. You need to be willing to spend the time though; you should not have a terribly active social life or spend much time goofing off outside of class. The main goal of the bootcamp is to teach you what you need to know to get a job in the shortest time possible, and you need to be serious about that if you are signing up.
That being said, there are a few areas where I was highly disappointed. First, they say that they care about your ergonomic health, but this is not true in the slightest. They have no options for better keyboards or mice, no monitors at eye level, horrible chairs. This may get better in the future based on some of the conversations I had, but I wouldn't count on it. Cohorts are in and out of there in 9 weeks so there is little incentive to actually make the working conditions better. The other area of disappointment was the availability of the instructors. There is this "question button" you can hit to have an instructor come over to you, but I waited upwards of 45 minutes in some situations.On the other side of that though, you do need to be self-sufficient and be able to find the answer on your own sometimes. You'll need to do that in real life anyways.
So, besides some major drawbacks, I think App Academy is worth it if you know what you're getting into.
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John Huang
Become a Master Coder
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Originally I thought App Academy was going to be a medium intensity coding bootcamp where at the end of the day I'd still have enough time to have personal time. I was wrong, oh so very wrong. Even after the day ended at 6pm, in order to keep up and retain the day's materials, I had to study until 11pm every day. Weekends are no exceptions because of the incredibly face-paced nature of this program. However, despite not having a life and the stresses attached to this program, I regret nothing. I have learned so much in such a short period of time it's actually amazing. I went from knowing nothing about code to building a websites and programs. If I had the option of joining this program again, I'd do it again.
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Mike
What you should know before applying to app academy
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App Academy is an intense program. The learning environment is rigorous. The culture changes from cohort to cohort, but in my experience, people have been eager to collaborate, learn, and help each other succeed. Felt like I was back in college (a faster paced and more intense version)
Everyday, you spend time pair programming, which means that you are coding with a partner. One person explains the code, the other person types, and you switch off every 15 minutes. As a verbal processor, I found this very helpful in my understanding of different concepts.
I would estimate that in addition to the 9-6 5 days/ week that you are at App Academy, you have about 2 hours/ night of homework. That nets out to about 60 hours/ week for the first 2/3rd and this ramps up significantly when the portfolio projects start.
The projects are pretty brutal and require a lot of work.
I would recommend this program if you are serious about becoming a software developer. A good litmus test is to try out App Academy's Bootcamp Prep course or some free/ inexpensive resources on CodeAcademy, Udemy, etc. App Academy's entire curriculum is also available for free online.
Timeline: It took me about 2 months to go from 0 coding knowledge to being ready to take App Academy's technical interview. After that, there was a mandatory prep course that was fully online for 1 month. The actual program is 13 weeks. I'm currently job searching, and the average time it takes someone to find a job after graduation is between 3-6 months.
The three questions I would ask myself before doing App Academy are:
Am I serious about wanting to learn coding/ would I actually enjoy working in this field?
Do I have what it takes to learn and master the material?
Am I financially able and willing to devote the above mentioned timeline to learning to code and developing projects without pay full time?I know this was long, hope it was helpful!!
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Grace Park
App Academy was awesome!
It was such an amazing experience! I learned how to build a website within a short span of time! Incredible! Would highly recommend!
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Anthony Tam
awesome!
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Great bootcamp. Although super intensive, I can definitely say I learned a lot. What's great about the program is not only the instruction, but the daily pair programming. Being able to pair with fellow students and work through difficult daily assignments allows one to find different learning styles and implementation processes. On top of all the daily assignments and assessments, what is very rewarding is going through the numerous projects, (both solo and group), reinforcing my understanding of the materials, as well as shedding light on what I need to work on moving forward.
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Kirill Langer
Scary but awesome
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I went through the May 21st 2018 cohort of a/A. It was one of the most intimidating, challenging, and rewarding experiences of my life. I will separate the pros and cons out and then give additional thoughts.
Pros:
- I made some amazing friends that I will try to stay in contact with, we bonded deeply through the trials that we went through. This was one of the best benefits of the program
- I am now employed as a software engineer and I am making double what I was earning before, living where I want to live, working for a cause I care about
- I feel like I have a skill that makes me marketable and valuable, that gives me a greater sense of independence from the employer I will work for
- I gained confidence in my ability to learn a complex skill fast
- I can type 75 wpm, despite starting the cohort at 35ish
- My interview skills were far better than I expected after the program, I think the pressure of the assessments makes technical interview pressure pale in comparison
- I built a full-stack web app, mostly on my own that looked awesome on my portfolio
- I was able to get a job after only two months of applying after the cohort ended
- Lot's of people in my cohort got jobs at a/A after which helped them
- Strong emphasis on CSS which is boring at first but ends up being very importantCons:
- Serious lack of CS teaching
- I was horrified and unsure of whether or not I would make it through the program until I passed assessment 5
- I had to live in a place I hate to attend the program
- The assessments are scary and sometimes are significantly harder than the practice assessments, so you don't know what to expect
- Most TA's solidly taught and understood the material for our cohort, but often times the TA's are teaching you the just after completing a cohort, so they don't have mastery over it. I wish they had more experienced TA's with CS backgrounds who deeply understood the material
- Some people were far worse than others in the cohort an they sucked up lots of the instruction time, I felt TA's could have done a better job of prioritizing assistance
- They teach Ruby (which is a dying language) and JS, when they really should be teaching Python and JS
- Career coaches can come off as job application enforcers, and mine didn't help me get my foot in any door, he just tried to give me advice which was occasionally helpful
- 5/10k is a lot of money to lose if you fail the cohort, that's takes a real mental toll to try to study when you have that much money on the line
- Working 90-100 hours a week for 2.5 months was emotionally draining and I usually could only take 2 hours or so off per weekAdditional Thoughts:
After searching for jobs for 2 months, I realized that Python would have been far better to learn than Ruby. Everyone uses it basically. Other bootcamps probably teach Python and JS and that might make the job search easier. I like Ruby, but I find it hard to recommend the program because of the decision to teach Ruby and not Python.
The cost is fairly high, and so it is hard to enroll in a/A without some money in the bank. It ends up being a sort of accelerator for already privileged people, which is not what they necessarily advertise. This is just how it is unfortunately. Also the advertisements are inaccurate because most people don't get jobs at Google unless they were TA's at a/A for some time.
Another thing is that a/A is somewhat of a revolving door, I am noticing that the best instructors leave almost as soon as they become fully capable instructors. This might lead to lower quality instruction. a/A doesn't have good organization as a company and people working for them complain about things like not getting paid and constant misunderstandings.
I would never go through something like this again, but I can't deny that it worked for me and most of my cohort. About 50% of us landed jobs, and fast. However, a few of the other 50% of students were able to get through but some of them mysteriously seem like they still don't understand coding, and were able to get through by just memorizing practice assessments. I think this set of people is might struggle for a long time and maybe give up. The weeding out is not as intense as it should be.
a/A was scary and intense but it imposes immense focus on you that allows you to surpass your previous ignorance and gain serious skills that make you employable, and eventually well paid. I turned my whole life around in just 9 months (I studied a lot before the program). I have a love hate relationship with it but more love than hate overall. My life has become drastically better and I feel empowered now in a way I never felt before.
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Nathasha Surendran
Great Experience
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I would say that this is a very fast paced program and there is no time for you to take a break once the program starts.
Once you fall behind its tough to catch up.
There are Assessments every week to test your knowledge on what you have learnt last week.
They are very important and have a say on your standing in this program.
I would say that come to this program prepared to put in all your time and effort into it for the next 3 months of your life.
Its all worth it and you will learn a lot of stuff in 3 months.
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David Agustin
aA rocks!
Great Bootcamp! -
Nick E
Excellent Experience, Learned a lot
Tons of work and you're required to put in the effort and energy if you want the results. All in all it was a positive expereince and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a structured environment to learn code.
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Joe
Fast
Pros: I was forced to learn quickly.
Cons: It was stressful.
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Chris Atwood
The hardest you've ever worked
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I am now in the job search after App Academy's curriculum. The claim is that you'll work 80+ hours a week. This is 100% accurate. Everyone here is brilliant, and everyone works their absolute butt off. I have a background in elite international sports, and this is by far the hardest I've ever worked for an extended period of time.
You will learn a HUGE amount of web development in a hilariously short amount of time, and by the end of it, you'll be building a clone of a full scale web app in 10 days. I did spotify, and it is a project I am tremendously proud of, and had a great time doing it.
That said, it is hard. App Academy will challenge every part of you. It straings you mentally, emotionally, and physically, and puts a tremendous strain on any relationships you have during the program. Talk with your significant other about it before attending, because you will barely see them during the 12 week program, and when you do, your mind will be on code.
Its tough. I'm happy I did it, but there are few words to describe how challenging of a program it is. If you fail 2 tests you get kicked out. My cohort started at 72 people, and ended as 55 people, so over 20% of people failed out. These people were good, smart, hard working people who just couldn't quite do it. Its. Tough.
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Chris
Intense program but worth it in the end
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App Academy has been an intense ride. There were many highs and lows throughput the process but I do feel like I've learned so much in such a short span. a/A teaches you how to learn quick. Although recently they have published the course online, the support system here is the real value. The instructors/TAs here are super supportive and patient. The pair programming experience was both amazing and dreadful pending on the people. Everyone who was enrolled definitely have the potential but quite a few folks have been dismissed from the assessments...but doesn't mean they won't become a developer one day. This program definitely isn't for everyone because it's both fast pace and stressful. My real grip with the program is that I wish they did deep dive a bit more on topics but at the same time, you can only fit so much in a 12/13 week program.
My biggest advice for anyone who's aspiring to take this journey:
- make sure you understand the concepts well. Don't just be "oh I get it". You should be able to explain it to anyone. The material does build on top each week and some topics will be reintroduced a week or two later.
-get some sleep. to be honest, the homework does HELP you but don't lose sleep over it. they do go over the topic/concepts the next morning but I would advise not completely ditching it -
AJ Gosling
App Academy - worth the struggle
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App Academy is the most fun and rewarding thing that I will never put myself through again.
The 90+ hour workweeks are incredibly grueling and the course only picks up pace as time goes on. However, being surrounded by dozens of people in the same shoes as you who are all friendly, hard-working, and highly motivated is a blast. I met several people who I hope will become lifelong friends, and after 10 weeks of hell, I really feel like a full-stack web developer who will be able to find a job in tech. My only gripe is that parts of the curriculum, especially most of the homeworks, feel totally irrelevant and useless - wastes of my time when time is so precious and every hour of sleep counts.
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Brik
fullstack curriculum
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App Academy is incredibly difficult and fast paced, but you learn an impressive amount in such a short time. The program really trains you to be a fullstack software engineer - by the end of the course you will build fully functional applications. I am also able to have full on conversations about the different technologies and languages that we've learned and used, whereas before beginning app academy I hadn't even heard of them. The TAs and other students were always happy to help out, and career coaches are here for assistance as well. If you are trying to get into software development but don't have the traditional background, I'd highly recommend the course.
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Andre
App Academy
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App Academy is hard. It is grueling, relentless, and crazily paced. But at the end of it all, if you follow their formula, you come away with the skills they promised you will have. You definitely have to put in the work to succeed, and a/A really hammers that home with their assessments and crazy amounts of homework and projects. You really have to want it, and if you do, then App Academy will help you get there. All in all, I feel like I got what I wanted from a/A.
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Claire
App Academy Review
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App Academy has been a great experience. The past three months have been extremely stressful and rigorous but I can definitely say that I now possess a robust understanding of coding fundamentals. The one thing that I really appreciated about App Academy has been the community. From your TAs to your cohort-mates, everyone is extremely supportive and open to helping
out in any capacity. -
Jing
student
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I learned a lot from the 13 week coding program with little experience in coding. The program is very intense and time consuming. I spent over a month on the alpha course, which is the online study curriculum you're required to finish after you got in the program and i'm glad i spent at least a month cos otherwise there's a good chance you wont be able to keep up.
I'm now in the job market, 2 weeks after graduation. They have a job search system that prepares you find a job between 3-6 months on average. With the deferred the tuition program, the risk is pretty low if you can get through the program without failing out. -
Robert Farb
Intense and Rewarding
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I would definitely recommend App Academy to anyone looking to switch career paths into full stack development. The structured curriculum and pair programming definitely helped me get through the 85-90 hour weeks. It definitely takes self-drive to get through the program but I can assure you will come out with a great knowledge of Ruby on Rails, React, Redux and computer science fundamentals. The instructors are always there to help, and so are your cohort-mates!
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Nadav Noy
Challenging but extremely rewarding
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Attending App Academy for those crazy 3 months in the summer of 2018 was both one of the hardest things I've ever done, mostly from a mental perspective, but also one of the most rewarding. App Academy is definitely not for everyone; it has a rigorous schedule and they won't take it easy on you. But if you work hard in those 3 months and don't take your foot off the gas, you will come out on the other side a web-developer.
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KJ Shanks
Worth the time and effort
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Signing up for a bootcamp is inevitably going to come with questions and hesitation, but as a person who has experienced the difference before and after the a/A full-stack course, I can safely say that it is a worthy investment if you are ready to put in the work. The amount that I learned in these past few months easily surpass the my expectations in both value and workplace usability.
Highly recommended to anyone who is willing to put in the hours necessary to learn the material. Especially recommended to those unsure if programming is for them because this course is definitely one that shows that coding is for everyone.
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Matt Van Dyke
Hard Work, But Worth It
The weeks are rigorous and make you stretch out of your comfort zone, but by the end of the course, you will have some very impressive portfolio pieces to show off to recruiters. It's also amazing how some hard work and dedication can teach you so much in such a short amount of time. I'd recommend this course to anyone who wants to be a full stack web developer.
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Jackson
It changed my life
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Before App Academy, all I knew was that I wanted to be involved in coding and wanted to learn as fast as possible. The problem was where could I go that wouldn't involve student loans and 4 more years of school, but still be competitive and respected when it came time to apply to jobs. My friend told me about his experience at App Academy and at first I was intimidated by their numbers, but after more research I realized it was definitely the right choice. The application process was smooth and they provided me with all the tools I needed to succeed and get accepted into the program, from jump start to the alpha course. Once the program started it was a ton of learning, but now that it's over every moment of it was worth it. If you put in the work, it will pay off and you will be surprised by your own skills.
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Liming Kang
App Academy
I really enjoy the time that I have spent on App Academy. I have learned a lot of coding skills in two months which did change my life. The learning atmosphere here is really professional, and the intensive schedule 'forced' me to regulate myself. These two months are definitely the most productive months of my life, and I really appreciate all TA's help.
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Michelle
Well worth it.
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I heard about App Academy through a friend who said that the program had absolutely changed her life. At first this sounded like hyperbole, but after a few long chats with her, I found that she truly credited the program with turning her life around and now that I'm also an App Academy graduate, I can see why.
App Academy takes students from all walks of life and has constructed a thorough curriculum that provides all the tools that are needed to launch a career as a developer. I would recommend it to anyone who's up to the challenge. It was well worth it.
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Jonathan Ahn
Rigorous and Rewarding
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App Academy has changed my life. It was one of the best and most rigorous experiences that I've had. Before coming to App Academy, I was a complete amateur. After 3 months I now have the knowledge to go out and build a website. I would definitely recommend App Academy to anyone who is interested in joining a coding bootcamp. The environment is intense but it will only push you and make you work harder. The instructors are all great and want to help you. Be prepared to spend up to 90 hours per week as you will be thrown a lot of material at you with no time to catch up. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I am glad I chose App Academy. -
Ben P.
Fullstack course review
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I was complete rookie coming into App Academy, first as a Bootcamp Prep student and now as a Full-Stack student. From day 1 I was immediately sold with the culture of the workspace and the professionalism of the instructors. I'm now in the last 3 weeks or job search portion of the Full-Stack curriculum and, I am confident that with the support of the staff and network, I'll be able to complete this transition into a career as a Software Dev.
Some thoughts for prospective students:
1. You'll hear time and again, that the Full-Stack course is not easy. If you're not comfortable coming in early and/or staying late, working weekends and really grinding, you will not have a good time.
2. The instructors are excellent, caring, invested, patient and knowledgeable. Be proactive with using them as a resource.
3. If you're transitioning into this course from a full-time job, I would strongly recommend leaving your job with at least 2 weeks to prepare before the course starts. The pre-course curriculum estimates 1 month for completion but if you're working full-time it'll take twice that long. -
Michael Schwartz
We're not lying when we say it's hard... BUT
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When I was searching through all of these reviews myself just a few months ago, I was a little scared at what everyone was saying about App Academy. And after going through the curriculum, I now understand what they were saying about the difficulty of this course and why they were saying it. BUT I also understand why App Academy still gets all these amazing reviews.
Difficulty:
This course is HARD. On day 1, the head instructor made a joke that we should tell our friends and family that we're going on a 12 week cruise. He was joking, but at the same time... he wasn't. My personal experience of the workload at App Academy was get to class around 7//7:30am to finish up whatever homework I didn't complete the night before, 9am-6pm class time. 6pm -8:30//9pm homework and then rinse and repeat for Mon-Fri. Generally I would take Friday night off to give myself a mental break, but Saturday and Sunday you could find myself and most of the App Academy Students in the classroom Studying for the Assessments.
TLDR: This class is no joke. You cannot have a social life and succeed in this bootcamp. (At the very least don't expect to unless, you may be able to get a night out here and there if somehow you're ahead on the material)Assessments:
Yes this is one of the few BootCamps that relies on Assessments. Yes they are very stressful. Yes there is a lot of practice work given to help you pass these assessments. Yes they are hard. HOWEVER, I couldn't be happier that we had these assessments. At the end of the day, you can sit through the lectures, you can do the homeworks and finish the in class assignments, but practicing and studying for these assessments is what really drills the information into your brain. Keep in mind though, you can be removed from the program if you fail two assessments. This can make the program a lot more stressful for people who are either not good test takers or do not put the work in. These assessments are not made to trick you, but made to make sure you know the minimum amount of knowledge to continue with the program. Without that minimum knowledge, you will not succeed with the rest of the program.
TLDR: Assessments are hard, but not if you keep up with the work and study on weekends. Bad test takers, bewareInstructors:
The instructors are absolutely awesome. All instructors are extremely knowledgeable in the topics being taught, and clearly have extensive experience in teaching the material. They're all also extremely helpfulCulture:
The Culture at a/A is extremely welcoming, and I can tell that I will remain friends with many of my cohort-mates for many years to come. We've spent many many hours in class together and even more on slack.Worth it?
100%. We are just starting the job application process now, but from everyone I've talked to who is in a place to hire Software Developers, App Academy consistently trains the strongest job candidates from all the other BootCamps in NYC. No matter your background or previous experience in coding, you can succeed in this class with the right amount of work. I personally did not have any coding experience and am currently feeling super confident going into the job search process.TLDR of the entire review - If you've already made the decision to take up a bootcamp, willing to sacrifice 12 weeks of your social life, and wand the best bang for your buck, App Academy is the choice.
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Andrew Langston
Student
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If you are interested in software development and willing to devote yourself full time to the program, App Academy will give you the skills to succeed in a developer role. Be prepared to spend upwards of 90 hours per week learning the material, and be ready to do this for 12 weeks straight - as soon as you start to come to grips with one topic, lectures begin on the next. The pace is rigorous to say the least.
That said, the payoff is immeasurable and experience unquestionably positive. I've never learned so much so short a span of time, all while surrounded by diverse peers of incredible ability. I can't recomend the program enough for those willing to devote the time necessary.
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Brandon Woodruff
App Academy Review
Great school that provides a comprehensive curriculum for learning web development. This three month program is packed with industry-standard skills, and delivered at a very high pace. If you are serious about becoming a web developer, this program is an excellent choice.
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Rafael Garcia
Great experience (NY)
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If you're thinking about applying for this program, let me just tell you now that you're going to have to give up a lot of time to get the most out of this program.
Also I want to add that people with no prior experience coding can excel in this program, so long as you put in the work. Most of my cohort-mates did not know how to code before entering this program and still did well.
The program is fast-paced, so you will not have time to go back on things you may have missed and everything builds upon another so you will have to keep-up, otherwise you'll fall behind.
After week 9 I am now capable of creating a full-stack application, which is crazy considering how much I knew (or should I say how much I didn't know) 9 weeks ago.
You will need to put in work. In order to make the most out of this program, you will need to put in 80 - 100 hours a week studying, doing the readings, completing homework & projects. But trust me, it will all be worth it in the end.
At the end of the day, I can't say that this program is for everyone. You will have to want to learn to code badly enough to be successful coming out of a/A. If you're serious about it and willing to put in the time and effort then I can confidently say that App Academy is your best bet.
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Jordan Y.
13 weeks later
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Overall: if you're looking for a relatively fast track to switching career paths or accelerating your preexisting programming experience, App Academy is a great option to consider. The main caveat is the extreme time commitment required by the course. 80 hours per week of work is realistic; more if you want to excel. If you have other non-negotiable commitments such as family or volunteering responsibilities, accept that you may fall behind and have to work harder.
The App Academy curriculum is excellent. Teaching competency of instructors varies – some are excellent, some are mediocre – but honestly it's probably as good as you can expect from any coding bootcamp. Instructor support overall is very good. Everything you need for a solid foundation to begin the cohort is provided throughout the application process; what's key is setting aside enough time to properly absorb the material (at least two months prior to interviewing, a month between the first and last interview, and a month between admission and cohort start time). The provided prep material is time intensive in its own right, and most who struggle to keep up didn't spend enough time preparing. Time to catch up after beginning the cohort is almost non-existent.
What makes aA stand out:
- Rigid structure of accountability through roll calls, assignments, and assessments. Like having a good physical trainer, you may often hate the diet and the workouts in the moment, but in the long run you'll be surprised how much you progress.
- Constant pair programming and collaborative work. Especially taxing for introverts, but enormously helpful in learning how to communicate effectively. A significant advantage over solo/remote study options, and even most university curricula.
- Outstanding job search curriculum. Lots of very helpful workshops, application prep, and interview practice.Can you learn everything taught in a bootcamp on your own? Almost certainly. What you're paying for is the opportunity to learn it faster, make connections with other students/instructors, and receive solid career coaching. Most motivated individuals would still take at least two to three times longer to cover the same amount of material, if studying full time. That's worth considering in the cost-benefit analysis of money versus time.