App Academy Reviews
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Kevin
AA Review
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App Academy as a 3 month boot camp intensive is without a doubt one of the most difficult curriculums I've gone through. You will continuously learn new material and review previous material so be prepared to plan your time for this camp. The staff here is incredibly helpful with questions, kind, do try their best to accomodate. The material provided constantly updates to try and be up to date with the latest technologies to provide the edge to students competing with CS graduates. In regards to the curriculum, most of it can be self taught, albeit nowhere near as fast and instructional help and networking is a plus.
Some things to note:
While the TAs are a great resource for questions, it is important to know many are App Academy graduates, so some deepter questions regarding the material may not always be provided. I believe the instructional curriculum is thorough, but there is a drop in instruction during the job search curriculum.
Overall, App Academy has been a constructive experience for me and I would recommend this bootcamp.
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Nicholas Matison
A Great Experience
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Let me preface this by saying that this will probably be the hardest 13 weeks of your life. That being said, I loved every part of it. Most of your time for the first 9 weeks is spent between pair programming and attending lectures. The majority of the people enrolled are fun to work with, and the TA's are always there to assist you both in person and on Slack. The entire atmosphere is quite casual yet serious. Everyone is here to get a job and everyone is aware of that. I made it in and made it all the way through with absolutely no prior coding experience (I worked in Real Estate before this).
After the first 9 week program, there is a 3-4 week job search program that focuses on algorithms as well as job search material (cover letters, resumes, negotiations, interview skills, etc).
You will not have a lot of free time. People in my corhort spent about 80-100 hours a week studying and completing homework/projects. However, you learn a ton from it, and it is an incredible experience.
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Travis Tillotson
Most Fun I Never Want To Have Again
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App Academy is an incredibly fast-paced environment where concepts are thrown at you very quickly in a sink-or-swim environment. That said, the culture inherent within the program as well as the assistance provided by the TAs and practice assessments give you the tools to succeed. I commuted from Concord for the entire cohort, my average week looked like:
M-F
7:30am - Leave for school
9AM - Start the day
6PM - End of Instruction
8:30PM Leave school after studying/watching videos of material, study on BART as much as possible
10PM Get Home, review everything, maybe have a beer
11PM SleepSat - Study 10am - 3pm
Sun - Study 11am - 10pmI did fairly well through the course by sticking to this schedule and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge presented by the course. That is not at all to say this is easy and that if you put in the hours you're fine; you need to be productive during that time and make sure you are maximizing your time.
For those interested in attending go ahead and apply. They will send you some material to help prepare you for the course, work through that and see how you feel. If you have fun and are hungry for more then continue with applying, if not leave it at that; software is not for everyone and thats ok.
If you're looking for resources to practice, I recommend CodeCademy's Ruby course for a crash course on the language, then working through Project Euler, Code Wars, Code Fights, and if you're comfortable enough, LeetCode for practice problems to get you in the right mode.
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Alicia U
Highly Recommend If You're Determined
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I was a part of the NYC March cohort (Mar - Jun 2018) and purposely waited to write my review until I accepted a job after completing the program.
App Academy has changed my life; within 8 months, I quit my old non-technical job, took the course, went through interviewing and accepted a job as a software engineer (have been working for 1 month now). I think very favorably of the program overall, but want to provide some quick bullets to answer questions that I know I had when considering if App Academy was right for me:
1. How long does it take to get a job after finishing the program?
- I feel very fortunate in that I was connected with a company with an App Academy alum at my graduation night (the final week of the program) and wrapped up my interview cycle with them in 2 weeks. This is not the norm, though. Expect your search on average to take anywhere from 4-9 months.2. What is the average starting salary?
- My offer was just shy of $100k at a company in New York City. Friends of mine from App Academy who have gotten jobs in the past few weeks have all been offered slightly more than me, but I hear the average range is closer to $85-90k for App Academy graduates in the New York area.3. What are the payment plan options?
- There are 3 choices: (1 - upfront) $17k all up front, (2 - hybrid) $9k up front and $14k in scheduled payments after accepting a job, and (3 - deferred) $5k upfront and $23k in payments after accepting a job. For #s 2 and 3, how you pay off the larger second amount depends on your starting salary; if you sign the alumni engagement agreement (you agree to mentor future students and show up at a/A events), your tuition will be capped at either 23% (hybrid) or 28% (deferred) of your starting salary and you'll pay the lower of that amount or the written amount that you owe. For example, if you accept a starting salary of $85k and you have chosen the hybrid plan, you'd only have to pay $10.55k back instead of the full $14k. Your payment schedule depends on your starting salary as well, but expect to pay between $1500 and $2000 monthly until you've paid back what you owe. If you don't accept a job after a year from when the program ends and you've been looking with a good faith effort, you get your money back.4. Does App Academy force me to take the first job I get?
- No. You can choose to turn down offers that don't make sense for you, but I'm pretty sure if you do that and don't accept a job by the time the year after your program ends, you're still on the hook for tuition since you technically did get a job offer.5. Will I feel prepared to join the workforce as a software engineer when the program is up?
- Imposter syndrome will tell you no, and that's not totally wrong. There is still so much that I want to learn about software development where I feel like I'm currently just scratching the surface. But, I do feel qualified for my current job. App Academy did a great job of teaching me both the fundamentals and how to learn things quickly that I don't know (Google is your friend! All developers, bootcamp or not, use it daily!). There's been nothing I've encountered at my job so far that I've had no idea how to handle.6. Who are the instructors?
- The instructors are former App Academy students that most times are hired while they are still students, so they know the material very well but have not yet worked as developers outside of App Academy. The curriculum is developed by lead TAs who take the job very seriously and travel to conferences/attend meetups to make sure it is up-to-date and relevant.7. Who will my classmates be?
- Students seem to vary in their backgrounds. Expect a cohort in NYC to be around 40 people though, and maybe 5 of them will have a CS degree. Closer to 1/3 might have previous light coding experience (SQL, basic JavaScript) from another job.8. What languages will I learn and are they useful in the job market?
- App Academy will teach you Ruby, JavaScript, SQL, HTML and CSS as languages. More specifically, you'll learn Rails as a backend framework and React/Redux as frontend libraries to help you render web pages. Ruby is not used heavily anymore but is a great semantic starter language to help teach you how to code. React, from what I've seen, is where job demand is right now. My current team uses React.9. Is it really possible to be successful in this program with no coding background?
- Yes. I had no coding background. That being said though, it takes a lot of work and determination to get up to speed. I did the JumpStart program through a/A which taught me coding basics for free after work over 4 weeks. Then once I was accepted, I meticulously when through the pre-cohort prep course (alpha course) before beginning classes. Take alpha seriously and make sure you understand it thoroughly; there's office hours for your questions.10. Cons?
- It's a stressful environment where you can fail out if you don't pass 2 of the weekly exams. There are only 6 exams total so they don't last for your whole time in the program, but they are very high stress and require a strong ability to focus and mitigate any anxiety that this may induce for you. The prep resources are there to help you (there are always practice exams for you to take and TAs will occasionally have test walk-throughs to attend before the assessments) but you need to put the work in to succeed. My one complaint about App Academy is there is still room for improvement for how TA's provide emotional support to students who do not handle stress well. If that is you, you can still do this program - don't be discouraged! But you will have to go out of your way to ask for emotional support and feedback from your TAs and peers. -
Nigel
Learned a lot
This is the best place to go to if you need to learn a lot about coding in a short amount of time. It is definitely challenging but also rewarding when you get to full stack projects. The more I learn, the more I figure out that there is a lot I don't know about. But App Academy will teach you the fundamentals to learn other aspects of coding much quicker.
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Adrian Horning
Save money, just do tutorials
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I thought the curriculum was good, and the program was intense, but not worth paying 28k for.
I paid 5k upfront, then paid 23k after I got a job (paid over a year).
A little about me — I moved to San Francisco with no job and $1,500, so I had to deliver food in the evenings to make ends meet (and pay for App Academy). I attended App Academy from 12/17–3/18.
It took me 6 months to get a job, and the salary was only 67k, which is very low for graduates of the program.
I would say, if you can pay for it upfront (which would only cost you 17k), then you should do it.
If you can’t afford it, just do tutorials from these individuals: Wes Bos, Scott Tolinski, and Stephen Grider. Stephen Grider’s videos are here: https://www.rallycoding.com/. (2/3 of my projects were built with tutorials). Also check out watchandcode.com from Gordon Zhu, which is also fantastic.
The reason I say just do tutorials is because I spent a lot of time just saving up enough money to go to the bootcamp, when I could’ve used all that time to just code and build projects.
Another couple of reasons you should consider just doing tutorials are: the alumni network isn’t as helpful as you think, and being self-taught is much more impressive going to a bootcamp.
I was surprised that doing only 3 projects in your portfolio is enough to get a job, but it is. Obviously doing more would just improve your chances.
If you are struggling with interviews, check out https://www.outco.io/. What might even be a good plan would be to do several projects with tutorials, then go to Outco. Or check out Haseeb’s blog: https://haseebq.com/how-to-break-into-tech-job-hunting-and-interviews/.
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Simcha Cohen
App Academy
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Quick disclaimer- I just finished the course, so I don't have a job yet. I'll just talk about the experience I have to this point.
The way the curriculum works is that you have 9 weeks of the learning curriculum. You learn Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, React, Redux, SQL, and more. You also create your full-stack project.
The next 3 weeks is the career curriculum. Here they teach you what you need to do to get a job, and what you should expect. During this time, you create a javascript project.First off let me say, it is a difficult program. When they say 100 hours/week, it's literally 100 hours per week. It is a pretty hard thing to get used to. Also, during the first 9 weeks, there are 6 assessments that you have to pass. If you don't pass 2, your out. So kind of harsh. However, at the end of it, it's a really accomplished feeling.
I would recommend planning on not having a life for the 3 months you are in the program.We had really great TA's to teach us the curriculum and help us with all our questions. The support that they give is really great! It's crazy how much you can learn in just 12 weeks!
At the end of the 12 weeks, you have 2-3 projects, a personal website, a resume, linkedin profile etc etc. They make sure you have everything in order for you to get a job.
I just graduated so I don't know if how prepared we are, but all in all, it was a great experience. -
Christine Ma
my review
App Academy is definitely the most challenging thing I've ever done. You will learn alot in 12 weeks, but be prepared to put everything(social life) aside for 12 weeks. The program is very stressful and fast paced. All my classmates were super smart. This program drains you mentally, physically, and emotionally, but if you put in the work, it will be worth it in the end.
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Alejandro E. Marquez
Worthwhile
You get what you put in. You have to study super hard for the assessments (15% of my cohort was dismissed for failing them). You should apply if you like writing code! The program is really hard though, and they are not exaggerating when they say 80 hours a week.
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Ethan Flood
An Intense but Rewarding Experience
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One of the most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life! App Academy will introduce you to difficult and extremely interesting materials at a pace you didn't know you were capable of learning at. I knew only a little bit of ruby going in and am now well versed in Ruby, JavaScript and more and am capable of developing single-page web apps. App academy has been one of the most rewarding educational experiences of my life.
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Alan
Hard work, good pay off
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App Academy is really hard. I repeat. It is really hard. There is a lot of work. You will not be able to complete everything, but that is not that goal. The goal is to understand and be able to integrate a lot of what you learned into a full-stack and then eventually be a strong candidate enough to get a job. You will learn algorithms, recursion, Ruby, Rails, SQL, React and more. You learn mainly applicable skills, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of theory being taught too. Overall, a good experience. But, it is really hard, so be ready. You will inadequate a lot. But you are not. You will surprsie yourself how much you know. It just happens, But only if you put in the work to understand.
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Alex
Great school to help you become a Software Developer
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App Academy was a great experience for me to transition into software development from an engineering background. The curriculum is rigorous and more immersive than attempting to learn on your own because you will spend a minimum of 70+ hours a week on the material. Many of the TAs are great educators and are invested in your success. If you are willing to have no life for three months but come out as a real software developer then this course is for you.
Pro-tip: Study some programming such as algorithmic problems on Project Euler and Codewars beforehand, it'll help a lot.
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Ed Ho
Glad I chose this path
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I'm really glad I made this decision to change careers and to attend App Academy. The whole entire journey has so far been very challenging, yet extremely rewarding. From studying throughout the application process, to the nerves of interviewing, to getting accepted, to studying some more during the pre-course work, and to non-stop studying throughout the curriculum. The structure during the technical curriculum (weeks 1-10) can be taken for granted easily, because a completely new, but equally (if not more) stressful challenge arose once we moved over to the less structured job search curriculum.
Much of going through this program is self-directed and self-taught, with guidance from the readings, lectures, projects, and homework. The instructors are not as hands-on with the students as some may expect, but they are available for questions at all times. This should be taken advantage of to the fullest. The assessments are extremely challenging and stressful, as if you fail to pass two of them, you are dismissed from the program. Be ready to feel behind, feel stressed, question multiple times your decision of choosing this path, but be ready to also enjoy coming in everyday, and feeling like this was the best decision you've made for your career so far. I would absolutely recommend App Academy to anyone trying to decide if they want to pursue this career path.
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Ryan
Worth it
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AppAcademy's program is rigorous and intense, anyone thinking of attending the program should be ready for the fast paced nature of this course. The experience at App Academy was definitely worth it though. There is a strong sense of community that is fostered by the caring TA's who go above and beyond to make sure students are ready for whatever faces them throughout the curriculum. Students form a sense of camaraderie throughout the coursework which is rewarding in itself. All of that aside, the program allows for someone with practically no knowledge of coding to being ready to create full stack websites on their own. The availability of resources is great, so an individual will always be able to get closer to a solution provided they are willing to try. Going through the program, I felt as if all the staff wanted the students to be ready for whatever faces them in any job opportunity and that they are ready for what comes next. The only downside I experienced is that the curriculum itself does not cater to platforms other than MAC OSX. Being one of the few with a windows laptop, I had to set up Ubuntu on my laptop before the program started by myself. Other people who did not have MAC systems eventually caved into buying a macbook during the program to make life easier.
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Travis Nguyen
Worthwhile and rewarding experience
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To start, I want to say that App Academy is as challenging as everyone makes it out to be. Be prepared to spend 10-12 hours a day studying, 7 days a week for the first 9 weeks. Although there were many stressful days and sleepless nights, the amount of knowledge you accrue throughout the curriculum period is crazy. One of the aspects that I really liked at app academy was just being able to surround yourself around incredibly talented individuals, who are all working towards the same goal as you. It really fosters an environment that allows you to push yourself further.
A typical day at App Academy during the curriculum period consists of checking in at 9am, lecture, pair programming, and flex time, which is pretty much a circle time where you discuss with your designated group about what you learned that day. Some of the TAs were previous students and were very approachable, though at times during pair programming, none are on the floor/available. There are lecture videos and homework you are tasked to watch and complete every night, which usually take a few hours to complete. Assessments are given almost every week during the curriculum period and they require tons of studying. Be prepared to simply eat, sleep, code, repeat. I will definitely miss struggling with the friends I have made here - it's like graduating college all over again.
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Daniel
Glad I went
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If you are serious about a career change to software development, then I would recommend you go to App Academy. Before the course, I did not know too much about coding coming from a background in science and doing some self learning. In the short amount of time, I probably learned more than a year's worth of self studying.
For the first 8 weeks, you are going to be going to a/A and getting a lecture in the morning and then coding until 5:30PM with some exceptions. After that, you will have homework, which includes assignments, readings, videos, which generally take about 1-3 hours in the earlier weeks and going up to 5 hours as you progress through the course.
You spend your first 2-3 weeks, going over Ruby to practice/learn coding fundamentals. The next 3 weeks are spent learning SQL and Ruby on Rails, where you can create your first website! After creating your website, you learn JavaScript for about a week and then React/Redux to learn how to improve your website. I honestly wish more time was spent on the JavaScript portion of the curriculum, but at this point everything is moving along even faster. You spend weeks 8-9 creating a clone of a website like Instagram, SoundCloud, Facebook ect. This is probably the first time where you are actually building a project from scratch to finish and its great once you accomplished it! However up until you finish, it will most likely be a struggle and a big learning experience.
After that is done, you get to move to the job search portion, where you build another solo project and a group project of your choice, which was also pretty fun/struggle! During this time you also learn and work on skills not related to coding such as resumes, cover letters, salary negotiations. After that you have around two weeks to work on learning algorithms, which are key to getting a job. You pretty much self learn/have limited help during this time and you basically set your own schedule more or less.
Overall App Academy is great for getting introducing you to being a software developer. You should be fine if you put in the work. The assessments you take are similar to the practice ones they give you. Depending on how fast you learn/study, you might have some time off on Fridays and maybe a couple hours on the weekend to relax and do whatever you want. Good luck with the grind!
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Henry
It's intense
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Before I attended App Academy, I read all these reviews and thought everyone was being dramatic about the intensity. I have a degree in engineering and thought that was pretty difficult to obtain. My degree did not aid in any kind of way with getting through this program. It was actually more intense than my engineering degree. You are so limited on time that you must push through no matter what. There is no time to procrastinate and catch up later (college).
My daily schedule consisted of starting class at 9 AM and go to sleep at 1 AM/2 AM. There are homework and readings every night. Rinse and repeat. Don't be scared though. Anyone can get through this program if you work hard. Don't give up! Ask yourself at the end of each day if you did everything absolutely possible to understand it. We all learn at different rates, do what you need to. Oh yeah, try to get some sleep...haha -
Maxim G
To people that want to apply
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So I am writing this review while still in Job search curriculum at App Academy and I just wanted to give some advice to people that think to apply. First, LEARN TO CODE before you apply. I spent two years learning Java and CS topics like data structures and algorithms in Foothill college. That helped me to understand concepts of programming while preparing for coding challenge and later in the program. This doesn't mean you have to spend two years, but few months of intense learning will help a lot, and I would also strongly recommend to take Ruby course on Codecademy or similar website. Second thing, if you get accepted to JumpStart, don't just do homework problems and think this is enough. This is huge mistake. You should do a t least three times more than homework. Many people that relied only on homework failed to pass JumpStart assessments. Third thing, WORK HARD. The curriculum in A/a is designed the way that you WILL NOT have free weekend. Every weekend you will have stuff to work on. It's very easy to fall behind. Overall the school is great and gives you practical knowledge to be a junior dev. Course also covers general CS concepts like data structures and teaches you algorithms towards the end of the course. Every day you are required to leave you feedback about instructors, and they read those reviews and take steps to improve program.
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Patrick
Ditto
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Getting accepted to appAcademy was hard, and completing the course was even harder. I came from a Theater background with ZERO software development experience. I studied for the first admittance exam, and was conditionally excepted. I went to jump start and failed both assessments. I had to take another admittance test—which at first they forgot to process—and then was finally accepted into a cohort the following fall. And then the real work started. I’ll second anyone who says they didn’t sleep much. It’s mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. I failed my third assessment by 1 Point so I spent the second half of my cohort terrified that if I failed again my time at appAcademy would be over. But I did it. I made it through to the end. I made full stack web applications. I made a game in javascript. I learned new technologies like React. I got a job in a field I had ZERO experience in a year ago. In addition to all the technical assets I learned at appAcademy, I also became better at believing in myself. You’ll learn a lot here. If you’ve got the time, and tenacity I’d absolutely recommend it. Absorb everything you can, but don’t lose yourself along the way.
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Shiina Okafor Watanabe
Alvin Zalblan is a MORTAL GOD
This is old news, but just in case anyone forgot; it should be known that a/A's Alvin Zablan is a mortal god (for reasons everyone is probably very much already aware of).
Best,
Sheep
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Eric
Worthwhile bootcamp prep
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I attended App Academy's bootcamp prep course about two months ago. I had pretty much no experience coding and decided that the prep program would be a good way to get my feet wet and see if this career path suited me without too much of a commitment. The program was well organized and the teachers were great. Shout out to my teacher Alvin. He did a great job. At App Academy, I learned everything I needed to know to feel comfortable moving forward with a coding bootcamp. You will need to study on your own a little to make sure you are ready for technical interviews at bootcamps, but the program reviews all the material that is expected of you.
I have now applied to several of the top bootcamps in NYC and have been accepted to all of them. The prep program is a pricey when compared to others, but the program lived up to its promises and I have no regrets about going.
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John Baek
Hard but worth the struggle
The course was intense and helped me learn a massive amount in a short time. My fellow classmates were top notch, and the instructors had very high standards. If someone couldn't learn (or put in the time to learn) to accomplish the course goals, they were asked to leave. This kept quality very high, which I appreciate.
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Luke C
Trust yourself you can make it.
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If you are looking this review, I can tell all the information on a/A website are true.
You need to spent AT LEAST 100 hours per week.
The curriculum are intense and tough.
You basically learn new stuff EVERYDAY.
The assessments are really thing, you will be kick out if you failed twice.
But if you really want to be there, here are some good news.All instructors at a/A are excellent, not only knowledgeable but also extremely supportive of students.
The curriculums are well structured, and have clear instruction to follow.
Your classmate are awesome, will give you any help you need.
Trust yourself you can make it. -
Josh Leslie
I am root I am root I am root
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Tldr; this program will push you to your limits and expand what you thought you were capable of. If you can't make it here, you're no less capable of doing this work, this is just a super intense environment that's not meant for every learning style.
Long: AppAcademy has been a whirlwind of a learning experience. I came in with some prior experience coding, but not enough to do anything with. Before I got accepted into the actual program I spent about 2 months preparing by learning ruby, in part with their JumpStart program, which I strongly suggest if they ask you to join - it's free compared to the Bootcamp Prep, but isn't as in-depth from what I hear. Take the AlphaCourse really seriously - don't approach it with the attitude of "it only takes x hours to finish, I'll wait until x hours before it's due!" because that's the mentality that gets you failing out of the program.
The curriculum has been worked over by a lot of people and on the whole is very solid and thorough, but at times can be hard to follow if you don't understand the style it is being conveyed to you in. That said, after 9 weeks of the curriculum, I made a fully functioning, albeit slightly bare-bones, website which completely blew my mind to see the progress I made. This accomplishment is just as much due to my own abilities as it is to the curriculum, institution, and the teachers they employe here.
10/10 would suggest, but I need at least a solid week of rest following this. Be ready to put in a minimum of 10 hour days and 60 hour weeks - anything less is a fleeting luxury. When you get to the cap-stone project you get 10 days, expect to work those 10 days straight and put a minimum of 100 hours into your project.
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Chiao Wu
student
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Just finished the curriculum part of App Academy. It was intense, grueling, and sleep-deprived, but I would do it all over again. I have learned so much and went from being an absolute beginner with no coding experience whatsoever to where I can call myself an software engineer (still have so much to learn though lol). They have a great and intense curriculum (it has to be that way for you to go from 0-100 real quick), and they have a great and talented staff of teachers that will lead, mold, consult, and be there with you every step of the way. They are smart people, people. You in good hands.
If you are someone who wants to change the direction of your life or want to get into programming for whatever reason, AND above all else is willing to put in the hours to do it, do not hesitate and go for it. You won't regret it.
You will learn ruby, rails, JavaScript, react, css -
David
Great leap into software development
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App Academy's curriculum is absolutely fantastic. It is rigorous and often stressful, but you learn at such an accelerated rate (relative to self learning or the like) that I think it's definitely worth the time if you can afford it. A lot of that is due to the excellent instructional readings and videos provided to you, as well as the amazing help from your instructors. You learn full stack web development with a back-end in Ruby on Rails, which may not be the hottest thing out there right now, but by the end of the course you will be skilled enough to be able to transition to any other back-end framework of you or your future employer's choosing. The instructors teach you not only about the frameworks, such as Rails, but also about how they work under the hood, which is great to really cement your understanding of core concepts and build your foundation. I'm also a fan of their weekly assessments, which are a great way to gauge how well you're doing in the course up to that point. The material on these is extremely fair relative to what you learn in class on a daily basis, and they are a great way to sharpen your test taking and pressure handling ability.
The people of App Academy, in my experience, are all really great. At least in my cohort, everyone got along beautifully. I can't say this is always going to be true, but I trust in App Academy's hiring process enough to think it should be true for future cohorts as well.
Although the curriculum is very rewarding, it is also very demanding. If you want to excel, you will most likely need to dedicate most, if not all of your time to this course. Though the assessments are fair, you will need to spend a lot time studying for them. Don't be afraid to ask for help! You will get what you put in. Good luck!
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jk
WYSIWYG
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The curriculum seemed like a compilation of tutorials and books already available online. The value of the program is in being instructed to do it with a sense of direction with a room full of other people buying in. Having yet been hired I cannot attest to the primary goal of the program which is their ability to get you a job, however I will say that I'm confident of doing so. If you're a self-starter and have people in your network that can help you land that first job, you might be able to succeed without the program. If programming is a fresh start for you, this is a good launch pad.
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Kleefield Georges
A REAL Bootcamp Prep
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You get what you pay for. If you went to another prep course and was worried that maybe youre not cut out for this, go to app academy. This is real instruction. It's not study hall with someone who gets it but isn't a real teacher and can't make you get it. App academy is a real program with real help real structure which leads to real results. You don't have to know anything to go here. Don't give up until you try here. Trust me. -
Todd
Intense, but Worth It!
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App academy is an 8-week long intensive coding bootcamp that teaches everything you need to know to start your new career in Software Development. Prepare to dedicate yourself completely for the duration of the program. It will require your full attention. The skills and technologies that you will learn are current and in high demand! The staff is friendly and supportive throughout the whole process. It was an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone who is serious about making the career change to Software Development.
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Tyler Chi
Life Changing
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I just received and accepted a 6 figure job offer, 3 months after graduating from App Academy's program. a/A is an extremely rewarding program, where you will learn the fundamentals of coding and full stack web development.
I would not recommend this course if you are only looking for a pay check. The course is extremely rigorous, easily 80 hours a week, sometimes over 100. Even after this, you will always need to keep improving your skills.
Those who fall behind too far are removed from the program. While this seems harsh, this is integral to ensuring the quality of the a/A name. Employees look to a/A to find skilled and driven software engineers.
I met so many cool people at a/A, and I wish the best for a/A and all of its students in the years to come!
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Isis Moran
Fasten your Seatbelts
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After graduating college (2 years ago), I decided to pursue software engineering and taught myself through MOOCs, meetups, and attending small introductory workshops for people with a non-traditional tech background. It's safe to say that App Academy was by far the hardest yet most rewarding experience that I've had. I learned more in 3 weeks at aA than what I did in TWO YEARS of teaching myself.
The thing that I admire most about aA is that they push your limits, they prove to you what your true capabilities are.. and the TAs are there to support you every step of the way. I remember looking weeks ahead during instructional, thinking, "there's no way I could do that!!" yet when that week's assignment flew by, I realized how quickly I adapted to the pace of the curriculum and managed to complete what I initially thought was impossible.Some tips: Follow the allotted time that they recommend for the homeworks and nightly assignments. If they give you a coding challenge and it says on the curriculum to take 45 minutes to complete it, STOP at the 45 minute mark! I know it can be easy to go over the time limit they suggest, and it might stress you out, but sacrificing your sleep IS NOT WORTH IT! You will struggle the day after, and it's crucial to be at the top of your game everyday.
This program isn't for everyone.. but if you know for a fact that this is something that you'd like to do and you're willing to devote yourself 100% for 3 months, then go for it! I absolutely loved it and would totally do it again! -
Danny Peng
The waves will never stop coming, but it'll be a good thing
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As the title reaffirms, App Academy is a bootcamp and will live up to the word's definition. You will be challenged day-in, day-out, and will frequently need to step out of your comfort zone - especially if you are like me and coming in from a non-CS/technical background. But you will also learn to embrace the structure and come to appreciate the way the curriculum is designed to optimize the amount you learn in such a short timeframe. While you'll mostly never feel entirely comfortable with any topic introduced before you're required to move on, the way everything compounds will eventually help you fill in these gaps and paint the bigger picture. And no matter what you do, you must NOT neglect sleep for any reason - you will not have time to make it up and it will deter your ability to learn and you will quickly dig yourself a hole you'll find hard to climb out of.
App Academy's rigorous and challenging curriculum will probably be nothing like any other educational experiences you've had, and it's certainly not for everyone. But it will also be one of the most rewarding experiences you'll attain in terms of personal and professional (98% placed!) growth. They've also employed a team of passionate teaching assistants that are fully invested in seeing every student emerge successful. I know they certainly were instrumental in mine.
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Hsuanchen Wan
The best learning experience I had
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I have some programming experience before I went to App Academy. And I thought I can pretty much finish all of the assignments and projects with ease. App Academy showed me how wrong I was after the second week. They gave you so much to learn it is simply not possible to learn it all unless you are really really smart. And they have a way of pushing your ability beyond what you think you can accomplish. The program is definitely not for everyone because of of the pressure they put on you and the amount of time you have to commit in order to finish
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Steven
Learning to fail and other important skills
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It's reputation for a demanding schedule yet quality curriculum might even be understated. The most valuable lessons I've learned were time management, keeping calm under pressure, and, most of all, learning how to fail. There have been many times when I've been disappointed in myself for not completing a daily project, and even a larger one, but the TAs have been so supportive and encouraging that I've learned to leave regrets behind for greater things ahead.
The TAs they've gotten are extremely helpful and understanding; most of them have gone through the program themselves, so they help you prioritize and manage the workload, as well as give very helpful tips without giving away the answers. Plus they're good people in general too.
One thing to consider: the curriculum is constantly changing and improving, so there will be some inconsistencies and confusion, especially because the NY and SF offices have to share the curriculum. But then again, that's like a real company, isn't it? Don't expect smooth-sailing; expect to be blocked and forced to find solutions to problems you don't expect to happen. That being said, though the frustrations mount, if you can learn to handle it all with grace, you'll come out from it all a very competent web developer and a very competent employee.
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Carolyn
App Academy is the way to go.
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I just completed the curriculum and I feel great about what I’ve learned and what I can accomplish in the future. The TAs really care about your learning. They are supportive and easy-going, which makes all the difference when you experience bootcamp levels of stress. The lectures are interesting and the projects are by and large fun. Your classmates are also great because everyone is motivated to be there and works hard.
When I started at App Academy, I did have some prior coding experience from college, but those classes had never gone well and I was not at all confident in my abilities. With the App Academy curriculum, I learned a bunch of languages and with the culminating full-stack project, I feel like I’m ready to start a career as a software developer.
However, the curriculum is super intense and you always feel like you never have enough time in the day. That being said, it’s very important to get adequate sleep and take breaks. Even if you don’t feel like you can take a break. Do it, and do App Academy!
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Stella
Great experience
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I just finished week 9. It has been really fun and rewarding, especially when you learn new stuff and build programs/games/projects right away. You have no idea what is going on (for a while), but somehow it always works out just fine. Being able to code full-time is amazing on its own, and having a supportive environment is way better than fighting alone.
Some tips for future students:
- About your peers: Most of my classmates have some coding background or self-studied some languages, while others didn't code before attending aA. There are CS graduates, and people with non-tech background. It is a diverse group, but one thing is in common: everyone is pretty passionate about coding and wants to make it.
- About prior experience: Some people have asked me if they can attend without coding experience. In my opinion, having prior experience or not is not the deciding factor. The most important thing is making sure that you really want this. People have different learning styles, so think about whether you like a fast-paced environment.
- That being said, do consider the potential risk of being dismissed after two failures in assessments. We have 6 assessments in total. In our cohort and previous cohort, the dismiss rate is about 20%.
- If you can, try to learn data structures and algorithms before you start aA. In aA, recursion is taught in one day. It is helpful to know basics such as Big O time complexity, sorting algorithms, etc. before you start this program. Two of the assessments are about algorithms (in Ruby and JavaScript).
- I also hope I had known more CSS before I came in. CSS is relatively easy to learn on one's own, but there are so many details. In aA we don't learn a lot about CSS in the curriculum, just because it is not the focus of the curriculum. Core curriculum includes Ruby, Rails, SQL, JavaScript, React/Redux. But you do need to write HTML/CSS in your final projects.
- Pair programming: At first I was skeptical, but it turned out to be the best thing about aA. I learned so much from my coding pairs.The job search curriculum starts next week. So I don't know yet.
Personal story: I considered switching my career path to coding in 2013. But I thought it's impossible with my liberal arts background. So I didn't give it too much thought and pursued another path. But inevitably I came back to coding. I started to code more in 2016 but still hesitated about whether to apply for developer jobs. When I finally made up my mind it was kind of late. But better late than never... I am grateful for being able to make that decision. No matter the results, had to try. I think you don't have to attend a bootcamp. Just don't give up easily. Try to learn programming for several months and see if you enjoy it. If not, that's fine. Even if you really want to be in the tech industry, there are options: many other roles like marketing/design are fun rewarding jobs too.
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Jack Zheng
Amazing and Intense
One of the most intense 12 Weeks of my life. App Academy pushed me to my limit every day and I enjoyed every bit of it. Having a fast pace program kept me on my toes and constantly wanting to learn more. If you're willing to put in the work and love programming this boot camp is for you. The assessments may seem scary, but you will be fine if you put in the work. -
Misun Son
Highly recommend!!
The course is quite tough, but I've learned a lot through the course!
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Harry
Tough, but fair
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App Academy is not for everyone, there's no way around that central truth. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting to cover the amount of material at the pace that the course demands, and the stress only grows week after week. During my time in the course, the only times I wasn't at the office working were when I was commuting there, or asleep (this isn't an exaggeration). But if you can handle that, then the course is very rewarding. If you want to work at a high level for 12 weeks to get into a competitive, growth field, App Academy is certainly worth it. If the idea of not seeing your friends for 12 weeks while you're sitting in front of a computer for 12+ hours a day sounds like torture, the program might not be for you.
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Michael Ruan
Rigorous yet Rewarding Experience
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App Academy was probably one of the more challenging academic experience in my life. The pace of the course was no joke. Students were expected to learn and be able to understand that day's material. Be prepared to quickly absorb the materials since the next day will be something completely new. I would advise anyone who is not able to keep up with this pace to reconsider applying to App Academy. However, if you love coding and have aspiration to become a software developer, App Academy's rigorous course should be your number one bootcamp options as they push you to your limit and allow you grow independently as a developer.
A roadmap advice for fellow future developers applying to App Academy: one, study up. The bootcamp says they will accept students even if they have not never code before. However, the coding challenges to get accepted in the bootcamp are not trivial. They will require some basic knowledge of a programming language. App Academy also offers a free JumpStart program or a Bootcamp Prep course that will prepare you for these coding challenges. If you have never coded before, I highly advise doing either of the programs I mentioned before. They are extremely helpful and you also get a taste of the App Academy's culture before joining.
Great! You passed the coding challenges and the non-technical interview and are accepted into App Academy. Now what? It is very important to do and complete the Alpha Course before the start of the curriculum. Ninja advice, the Alpha Course will prep you well for the first two weeks, but you have to keep learning at a fast pace. You will not be doing just Ruby (the first language taught in App Academy) . If you have extra time before starting App Academy, my advice is to read up and look at some code for SQL and Ruby on Rails. This will smooth your transition from simple object oriented programming in the first two weeks to the first real web development process, backend development and database management.
You are about to make an exciting decision in your life. Prepare for 80 to 90 hours a week of hard work. You will be living and breathing code. You will have no life, but you will form close bonds with your cohort. Mostly important, you will be having fun because this is what you have always dreamed of doing, so go out there and apply!