App Academy Reviews
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Andrew
Fast-paced, well-curated curriculum
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The curriculum here really pushes you. There is a good blend of core CS concepts with practical applications. The daily flow involves pair programming, working on one- or two-day projects, starting off with console games and moving into web-based applications. The full-stack capstone project really pushes you to synthesize everything you have learned and present it in a visually appealing way. There is a good spirit of camaraderie among the students and the TA's are ready to help and share their experience. I sometimes thought I wouldn't be able to do it, but by the end, I found myself succeeding beyond my own expectations.
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alec
if you're stuck
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App Academy doesn't teach you anything you couldn't learn on your own, and you will come out not knowing a lot. However, if you're like me and you TRIED to learn it all on your own but found yourself struggling to deal with what to go deeper into and what to gloss over a little quicker, app academy is for you. I constantly found myself stuck in my programming journey because I would feel like my knowledge was never complete on any one thing. App academy's fast pace forces you through the lesser topics while still making sure you know enough to move on. At the end of it you may feel like you still don't know anything but if I've learned anything while I was here it's that just because something has become easy for you doesn't mean that it's easy in general.
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Sweta
Solid Program, Culture Needs Work
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App Academy undoubtedly has a solid coding curriculum, and it's clear that the staff has a finger on the pulse of the industry to keep the curriculum updated. That does result in parts of the curriculum seeming unfinished, but I think that's a tradeoff I'm happy to make. The pair programming approach to learning was actually way more enjoyable than anticipated. It also provides motivation and keeps you accountable to the work. Job Search curriculum also seems to be solid, with an Algorithms mini-course. I've yet to apply to jobs so I can't speak for how it all stacks up in the industry.
The program seems to be struggling with upkeeping the inclusive culture they advertise, however. One of my female cohortmates left due to the casual sexism and racism she faced. I've definitely felt similarly as a female. There have been more serious offences in the past year. A lot of the effort from a/A seem to be pretty superficial, with mimimial follow-up after the diversity training type lecture the first week. With this course being mainly centered around pair programming (a pretty intimate experience) your experience is pretty dependent on the relationship you build with pairs.
On the whole, I've learned way more in the last 9 weeks than I possibly could have on my own. Expect a bit of disorganization on the way, but also expect to be surrounded by some of the brightest people you've encountered. The TAs and Staff are intelligent and pationate about your success. Most cohortmates have also been aweome, with most willing to put down what they're working on to answer your question or provide debugging assistance.
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H.Bui
Do it if you get the chance!
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App academy was worth all the stress and hardwork I have put in. Having not completed my undergraduate degree, making the decision to drop everything and sign up was difficult. However upon day 1 I have not looked back and am excited for what is to come. The staff was nothing short of spectacular. They are around constantly to help you understand concepts you WILL struggle with just because of the pace you are learning information at. My favorite part of the program would have to be the constant hands on experience of coding with a different partner everyday. Being able to collaberate and experience how another mind solves a problem is rare and app academy implements it so well. If you get the chance to do something really special you have to take that opportunity, and this is it!
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Josh McMenemy
a/A - good education and even better connections
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Pros:
* Accountability through tests, peers, and assignments causes you to code a ton during the bootcamp
* Questions are answered quickly by TA's which speeds up learning process
* Pair programing with the cohort allows you to meet and see the thinking process of many smart people
* Great connections and support during job search
* Location is great in SF with a nice view
* Learn multiple languages and technologiesCons:
* Not much freedom in the curriculum - assignments are same for everyone
* Forced to apply to X number of companies of week after applying
* Emphasizes specific knowledge of Ruby on Rails and React over more general full stack knowledgeOverall:
Enjoyed the program, job search took a little longer than I hoped, but ended with a job at one of my top choices =) -
Andrea del Rio
a/A is alright
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App Academy was crucial to me getting my start. I'd been exploring coding for awhile but App Academy put the fire under me to really get moving. Yes, the pace is fast. Yes, it is possible to fall behind. Yes, it is very stressful and difficult. However, I found that it push me forward when otherwise I would have lingered. There were plenty of topics that I wish I could have spent more time on, but I became a capable engineer within a few months and you can go back and solidify those sections whenever. Mostly, what sold me was the pricing structure. They are invested in you, which helped with my own confidence level and meant they would really help me find a job. 4/5 because I would have liked to see more daily projects to completion rather than switching contexts, as well as a broader introduction to all the materials in the prepwork given how fast we breezed by them in the curriculum.
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Bao
Definitely worth it.
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App Academy has been a wild ride, and I only just finished Week 9. I know the purpose of App Academy was to find a job, but I felt like I got so much more. While I am shooting for a job, and I do believe I won’t have any issues finding one, I felt that the experiences and knowledge I’ve gained from the previous “9” weeks at App Academy have been so much more valuable. There’s quotations there because there was significant prep work before starting the program.
The past nine weeks have absolutely flown by. I’ve learned Ruby on Rails, jQuery, SQL, HTML, CSS, React.js, Redux and so much more. I’ve gotten the opportunity to build a full-stack, single-page web application from scratch with as little or as much guidance as I needed, and this, in and of itself was the best part of the program.
I would highly recommend App Academy to everyone who wants to start with a new and rewarding career. And I’ll highly recommend App Academy even more when I get a job. But for the value I just received in 9 weeks, it’s worth what they charge.
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Corey Wofford
Expectations exceeded!
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Believe the hype. I had read up a LOT on App Academy and other boot camps and ended up putting all my eggs in on basket - App Academy - it was the right basket!
I figured that out at the end of the day 1. They really had their act together right off the bat. From there, I would just continue to be impressed at how well designed and executed the curriculum delivery was. It comes at you fast and furious and you pretty much have no life, but the immersion (plus very well timed concept reinforcements) starts to pay dividends quickly.
You are moving at a very fast clip from topic to topic, first doing mostly pair programming single-day projects that focus on one or two competencies at a time, but then you're doing more comprehensive multi-day projects where if you haven't been keeping up, you're spending a lot of time in your Evernote or on Stack Overflow. Finally, you're on your own doing full stack and it's then you realize just how much you've learned. No more training wheels.
Ultimately you're exposed to just about the whole breadth of the field, enough to know where to start when you want to go deep and leverage a different technology. You know how to team problem solve, pair program, and along the way get a firm grasp on algorithms, data structures, databases, and different architectural frameworks to tackle whatever comes next.
Staff is TOP NOTCH. Culture (SF campus at least) is exceptional. Support is fantastic. Entry process does have a lot of wickets, interviews, tests, etc. but stick with it, it's worth it.
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tsr
Really well designed program to train strong developers
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I have been impressed with App Academy since the moment I applied through every step of the curriculum.
The screening process was rigorous but humane, and they treat you like a valued individual (as opposed to another equivalent school that I got into where the interviewer was taking a Lyft or something while he was conducting my interview).
The curriculum itself is really really well designed, not only building on itself to facilitate learning and deep comprehension, but is constantly being updated to incorporate the most highly demanded and up to date technologies. In my cohort they trained us to be strong React and ES6 developers, while not neglecting the older technologies, like jQuery. This turned out to be invaluable in the job hunt, since a lot of companies were looking for React developers when we graduated.
I was skeptical at first about their emphasis of Ruby on Rails, since most companies seem to be moving away from that, but in retrospect, it really is the best way to learn about how a full stack application works, especially for people with less experience. And they do their best to give you a deep understanding of why things work the way they do so that those skills are transferrable.
The program also gives you a good foundation in algorithms, web and backend architecture, and interviewing skills. I was just amazed at the amount of knowledge I had gained after the 13 week program, and felt like I suddenly had superpowers to build all sorts of applications. I received 5 job offers within 3 weeks of graduating, one of which I ended up accepting, and I'm very excited to be formally starting my software engineering career.
However...there are a few caveats.
First, new students should know that you don’t magically get all these skills just because you get into the program. I found myself frustrated by a few of my peers who seemed more focused on socializing and just getting by in the assessments than studying and finishing all the projects and assignments. Because a lot of the learning happens in pairs, a weaker partner will compromise the learning opportunities of others. It also risks the reputation of the program as a whole. However, this was more the exception than the rule. Most students worked hard, demonstrated a real passion for programming, and took what a/A taught as a foundation for more self-directed learning, and in doing so became good developers that can build almost anything.
Second, just being a strong developer doesn’t guarantee you a job interview. Especially in a market weary of bootcampers. That part relies on a lot of networking and luck and doing extra side projects. So the job search is a demoralizing, grueling process to get your foot in the door. Once you get your technical or onsite, though, you’ll find that App Academy has prepared you well.
Pros:
- well-designed curriculum that builds incrementally on learning
- teaches the most up-to-date technologies/libraries/frameworks
- good balance of lectures, hands-on projects, videos, take-home assignments
- reasonable hours for a bootcamp (9am-6pm, + 2-3 hours of homework)
- gives a good foundation in algorithms, web architecture, and other skills necessary for interviews
- based on pair programming and collaborative skills
- good job search guidance for how to craft your resume, frame your past experiences, etc.
- deferred tuition model reflects how much the program is invested in making you a good, employable developer
- progressive values and mindset, encourages diversity and inclusiveness for all backgrounds
Cons:
- bootcamps in general have a bad rap these days, so it seems to be a more challenging than before for grads get interviews
- less rigorous screening and assessments process for students may hurt reputation in the long run
- didn’t feel particularly close to my cohort or staff, but like I mentioned, that was less of a priority for me
- growing student numbers might compromise quality of training in the future
- some TA’s are less knowledgeable than others, but you’ll always get the help and guidance you need
- there’s now more structure and support during the job search process than previous cohorts, but it’s still not enough
- paying back a large percentage of salary can end up being more than other schools’ tuition if you end up getting a really good offer. (#firstworldproblems)
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Oskar Perskaas
Results speak for themselves!
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Pros:
* The results. They have a very high placement rate, and I was hired into one of the best companies in the world after graduating.
* Deferred tuition model. I didn't trust any bootcamp to give me a worthwhile education except for App Academy since you only pay when you get hired.
* Job hunting support. Since they only get paid when you get hired, they are very invested in helping you get a job.
* The people are great. Both students and teachers are wonderful people, and I made several awesome friends.
* Teachers are very helpful, most of them know a ton.
* You will learn a lot of useful information relevant to an actual web development job.Cons:
* Some teachers are fresh graduates of the program so in some cases they will have to defer to a more senior member. Not a big deal, just wastes a little time.
* It is a lot of work. If you make it in and you are able to keep up (try not to fall more than a day behind), then you will learn a lot but you can't slack off. During the week I had zero free time, but on most weekends I had some free time. I would rather have it at this pace than be less work spread over more time.
* Pressure. Since you can get kicked out for poor performance (not hard to do if you fall behind more than a couple days), there is quite a bit of stress and pressure involved. It eases up later in the program as the chances of getting kicked out diminish significantly.
* Inconsistencies in curriculum. Since their curriculum is constantly evolving and being worked on by multiple people, some parts of it are out of date, some are redundant, and some are incorrect.Overall:
I give it 5 stars because I learned a lot, had fun, and got an amazing job! The cons obviously aren't a big deal, otherwise I wouldn't have rated it 5 stars, but be aware that it isn't perfect!
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J
a/A review
a/A has great curriculum and lots of resources to learn. Reasonable policies and nice and kind staff. I have to say, YOU need to work hard. They won't make you to once you pass the basic assessments (means personal project and job searching process) They can help you to do better but it is very hard course. Be prepared to work hard and it will be worth it.
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Aaron Kim
Buyers remorse
Not bad
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Wes
Best decision EVER
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I am confident in saying that App Academy was the best move I have ever made career-wise. Graduating from a good college with a degree in Electrical Engineering was great, but truly did not prepare me for the real world. After having a difficult time finding a job in engineering in NYC, I eventually took a job in the financial industry. After two years at my previous job I was unhappy and needed a change, and felt pigeonholed into my current position.
I came across the idea of coding bootcamps while browsing the internet one day. I had some experience coding in college but knew that I was not qualified to become a software engineer. After a lot of research I found that App Academy was, without a doubt, the best bootcamp around. There were definitely a lot of scams out there, but a/A was not one of them. With an extremely low acceptance rate and a tuition program in which you pay AFTER you find a job, I can honestly vouch for the hiring statistics that they boast (97% get a job within a year). They don't make money unless you find a job.
Here I am, a month after graduation, and flooded with interviews for high paying full stack engineer positions. I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone that has an interest in becoming a software developer, because it is the best education around.UPDATE: After exactly two months on the job search I am employed and making over double what I was before a/A. Not only that, but I feel that I am actually making a contribution at work. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions! If you apply through my code we will each get $250 off of tuition! Find me on LinkedIn under Wes Robinson.
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Li
Wonderful program to launch a career
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Never thought I would be a software developer, but App Academy gave me the skills needed. The curriculum teaches the most popular languages and technologies in the industry, making you a valuable asset to thousands of companies paying competitive salaries.
Gonna make this really blunt - you will sacrifice to do this program. It is extremely demanding, requiring 80+ hours each week just to keep your head above water. There is always more to learn and more to master.
Give the program 100% and you will become a great developer. There are developer jobs in every country you would want to live in, it's a great skill to have.
You will crush interviews - every company I visited was thorougly impressed with my abilities. Many grads go to very recognizable companies!
Up to you, but with a deferred tuition model, the risk is almost completely eliminated!
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Kyle Jeon
Full-Time Software Engineering Track | 12 weeks
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When I first heard about bootcamps that can help you switch careers and become a web developer, I was very hesitant to commit. After all, 3 months doesn't seem like a long enough time to learn enough to become a true professional.
I did a lot of research, and the conclusion I came to was this: there are three bootcamps worth your investment. The three I would say are Hack Reactor, Fullstack Academy and App Academy. Hack Reactor is exclusive to SF, so I narrowed my choices to Fullstack and App Academy. I chose App Academy over Fullstack (accepted into both) for a variety of reasons. The first was that the program seemed like the most in-depth and fast-paced. The second and most important was that they have a delayed tuition. You only pay a deposit, and you pay a % of your first year's salary after graduation, meaning that App Academy puts their money where their mouth is. If you don't get paid, they don't get paid. I doubt that without such a structure I would've been willing to attend a bootcamp.
I completed the program, and I can easily say it was the hardest 3 months, at least intellectually, of my life. But It was completely worth it, as I learned new limits of how much information I could absorb in such a short amount of time. If you have the confidence and work ethic, then App Academy has the path. -
Bethany Hyland
I love App Academy
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App Academy... is the best. I knew basically nothing about coding coming in and now I can build websites and, even better, I can learn basically anything now. I learned and created a successful project in Python in two days (which got me a second interview next week), could not have done that before App Academy taught me how to learn. The instructors are amazing, talented, geniuses who truly care about your wellbeing. You start creating projects and using what you read from day one.
a/A is committed to a safe and inclusive environment and takes infractions of the code of conduct seriously. As a woman, I wondered what it would be like going into a bootcamp/industry where women are significantly in the minority. They absolutely had my back and were always available to talk when I needed it. I am very grateful to all the staff here for that! :')
The course is a LOT of work. I think the majority of us thought we would fail out at some point (we didn't), but if you put in the hours (a lot of hours) and are committed, you will learn and accomplish so much. It's hard because you're doing a hard thing but it is worth it!!
I graduated about a month ago and am currently up to my eyeballs in interviews and coding challenges. Though I figure out most of my bugs on my own now, there is always someone around to help or ask for advice when I need it. I really love/d being at App Academy and will be kind of sad when I get hired and not at the office around everyone all the time. You get close with people when you spend every hour with them for three months :DPlease feel free to reach out to me with questions about App Academy if you are looking at bootcamps and are interested in a/A!
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Logan Yu
Great way to make a career change
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App Academy was a rigorous and demanding program. Prior to attending the program, I worked as an attorney and was learning programming on my own. I learned a lot more during the App Academy program than I could have on my own. You learn a lot through the daily projects. And the assistance of TAs and pair programming really accelerates your learning. And after finishing the program, I was impressed with the amount of one on one support I received in my job search.
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Ujwala Aaduru
Learn Web Programming the better way and get a Job
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I had great experience with app academy. The interview process was intense but preparation was the key as I had to refresh all the concepts.
App Academy is very rigorous bootcamp camp with an acceptance rate of less than 3%. They cover Ruby, Ruby on rails, Javascript, SQL, React and Redux in 7 weeks. The next 5 weeks are even more intensive, with 3 different projects to design and develop from scratch and job search preparation. The day starts with 2 hour lecture followed by pair programming for the rest of the day. Be prepared to spend at least 4 hrs outside classroom on homework and reading material. There is weekly assessment as well to make sure everyone is up to speed on all the concepts being taught.
App Academy is not for the faint of heart. But the journey has been good far. -
Dong Kim
Worth the time and to change career path
It was well prepared, I wouldn't have learned all these materials within 9-12 weeks of this curriculum. The amount of the materials were heavy, but more you put in more you get out of it.
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Taylor
Great experience if you're willing to work
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I'd been learning to program on my own for 6-7 months before deciding to apply to App Academy. I didn't apply to any other bootcamps because the way I saw it, App Academy was the only one that, based on the application process and the deferred tuition, seemed like they would be truly invested in helping me become employable as an engineer.
The pace at which we learned was staggering, and while the fear of failing two assessments and leaving the program was constantly on my mind, it also made sure that I was putting every ounce of energy and work into learning the material as well and thoroughly as I could. The TAs were all fantastic and had a wealth of knowledge at their disposal (seriously, take a look at where past TAs are working now and you can tell that they know what they're doing). Most importantly though was the quality of the students that I was learning with. The fact that App Academy relies on the students being employed in order to make their money means that I was surrounded by some incredibly smart and incredibly hard working peers, and I learned a ton from them along the way. After graduating, I had 24/7 access to some fantastic career coaches that helped and advised me at every step of the process if I ever had a question, and taking the time to work the local alumni network opened a lot of doors that I wouldn't have been able to get through otherwise.
One thing that needs to be abundantly clear, however, is that while bootcamps might be advertised as some program that magically turns you into an engineer, that isn't close to the reality of it. You will spend three months spending virtually every moment of your time and every ounce of your brain on the program. It will fully consume your life, and you have to be prepared to put everything else on hold. If you're willing to dedicate that (I also strongly recommend trying to build up some savings beforehand to live on during the program) and are 100% sure that software engineering is the field that you want to be in, App Academy is a great way to learn the skills to find your first job.
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Matt
Great experience
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Going in, I was a bit skeptical of it being worth the 5-digit price tag vs learning independently, but now that I'm on the other side, I can say that it was 100% worth it. The curriculum is laid out perfectly so that one can smoothly go from very little coding knowledge to being able to build a full-scale web app, in just 3 months. It is definitely challenging, but the skills that you learn are completley applicable to both the Software Engineering job search/interview, as well as on the job itself.
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Eileen
App Academy #1
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The best part of App Academy is the people. App Academy attracts some really smart and hard-working students, and I know that I have worked harder just so that I can make sure I'm doing my part when it comes to pair programming. The TAs also just make my day - they are so knowledgable and helpful that I could not have learned as much as I did without them.
Don't feel relieved once you get into App Academy - the hard work is only just beginning. They are serious about kicking you out if you fail two assessments. So many people there are not complete beginners like I was - there are students who have C.S. degrees or who have taken additional classes before. My advice is to study as much Ruby, Rails, Javascript, and React as you can before everything begins.
App Academy is so much work, but it has totally been worth it, and I'm glad that I chose to go to App Academy over the other boot camps out there!
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Chris Towler
Life-changing
Wonderful curriculum curriculum to keep even the fastest learners from getting bored, and the disciplinary setup is structured well enough to make even the biggest procrastinators stay on top of their work. Their job-placement-assistance is unparalleled, and the deferred-tuition model makes this program a serious life-changer!
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Scott Mosher
Apply! Apply! Apply!
App Academy has been an insane couple of months, but in the best way possible. I came into the program with very high hopes and surprisingly A/a has lived up to them. Be prepared to learn a ton in a very short amount of time and put your social life on hold, except for the new friends you will make during the cohort.
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Jeffrey Fan
App Academy is a great place to learn
App Academy is a great place for learning. The environment is set up to motivate me to learn and become an independent learner. They provided me with all the tools and help needed to become a successful software developer. Their staff is great and were very willing to help me through my problems.
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Andrew
Life changing
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The program is exactly what it states! It is a BOOTCAMP. There is a lot of information that you must be able to learn and grasp within a few days. That being said it is important that you prepare well for it. The prep work and the interviews are meant to show where you are and where you need to be in order to be successful in the course. All in all if you come into the program with the right mindset of grinding for 12 weeks(and beyond!) it is definitely worth it. The TAs are very helpful and can answer almost any question. It is a great atmosphere to learn and code programs.
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Maria
great program
Learned a lot! Great program if you're looking to change careers and become a software developer. The tutiion model is awesome because you only pay if they actually get you a job.
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Alex Sherman
Thank you App Academy
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In my case (and that of many others) - App Academy creates an incredibly unique environment where one can accomplish goals that would otherwise be impossible. App Academy gave me the confidence and structure to pursue and develop my interest in programing. I am now reaching the end of my time at this school and feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn with the incredible teachers and classmates I've met here. Easily the best educational experience I've ever had and I owe this school and it's administrators a dept. of gratitude.
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Raymond Lee
Review
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I just finished the coding curriculum at App Academy and so far it has been great. The workload is intense and rigorous but if you put in the effort, it's all worth it. If you decide to attend, I really recommend preparing well for the course and be passionate about learning the material. If you are motivated enough, you will succeed because a/A prepares everything else for you. Also, if you are ever stuck on a project, a/A has great TA's who really know the material and are genuinely interested in helping you learn the material. I recommend App Academy to everyone who has interest on programming.
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Elif
An intense and amazing experience
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I have just finished the coding curriculum of App Academy. The first time I have seen this program, I didn't believe that one can become a software developer in 12 weeks. Now as being at the end of the 9th week, I can say that I was wrong. The program is scheduled day by day, for the first 9 weeks. You know exactly what to do and expect for the entire coding curriculum. Coding with pairs makes you a team player and for me, as being a person that lived out of US for an entire life, it was a great experience for me to communicate with different people everyday. I recommend App Academy to everyone who has interest on programming.
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Christopher
Difficult, but ultimately worth it.
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Over the course of two years, I taught myself basic Ruby and RoR using free MOOCs like The Odin Project. I was able to make it through App Academy's application process well enough, and I thought that I would be able to stay "ahead of the curve" pretty easily. I was wrong; everything I learned beforehand was covered in the first one or two days of the course. We cover so much material every day that you'll constantly feel behind, and you'll lose sleep pretty regularly to just barely keep up. Once you start building portfolio-level projects, your stress level will double. People were working through the night to complete them, and you'll even see people falling asleep at their desks during lunch.
However, you learn a lot of material very quickly. Looking back, it would have taken me years to learn what App Academy packed into a few months. They also have an entire department dedicated to getting you a job, and they don't get paid until you do. I'd say all in all, the experience I've had has been worth the trouble.
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Samuel
THE BEST
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I just finished my coding curriculum from App Academy. I came into App Academy knowing almost nothing about coding. Although the program was quite demanding, I learned a lot and feel more confident that I can get a job in software engineering. Their program is very well organized. People are paired up within their pods and work on coding projects together the whole day. Each day has a purpose in learning different concepts and the point is for you to absorb and master programming skills as much as you can. I really liked pair programming because my partner kept me motivated and focused the entire time. And when we were stuck, TAs were available to guide us through our problems. Overall, I highly recommend App Academy to those who have no background in computer science and wish to enter the world of software engineering.
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Anthony Chang
App Academy is very strong
"Would you like fries with that?" is what I would be saying if it weren't for App Academy.
Instead I now say things like "who wrote this smelly code" and "oh it was me" and mostly "thank god for stack overflow".
Since graduating from App Academy my quarterly steak consumption has increased by 400% and I don't even have to open the door to my own apartment building myself.
Need I say more?
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Steven D
One of the best decisions I've ever made
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Attending app academy was one of the greatest decisions of my life.
I was at a crossroads in my life: fresh out of college, with a vague idea of what I wanted to pursue in life, so I was studying for the GRE and always putting off to figure out the rest later.
After meeting a friend who attended aA, I decided to see if programming was for me. I was instantly hooked, as it resonated with my interest in puzzles, math, and problem solving.
aA itself is an amazing institution. It's pay after model makes it affordable for students like me who did not have thousands of dollars up front, but more importantly, it gives aA a vested interest in finding you not only a job upon graduation, but a high paying job. This model is vastly superior to traditional university systems, which seem to only care about billing students after graduation.
aA has their program down to a science. I felt the education I got here was better than the ones friends got at GA. Not only was the education great, but the professional network and friendships I made there were worth it all by itself.
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David Rozenberg
It worked!
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From dabbling with programming to actually working as a professional software developer is something I could not have done without App Academy. The curriculum helped me build a strong foundation in programming, build up a portfolio, and taught me the best practices and tools of the trade so I could hit the ground running in my new career. The instructors are top notch, and once you get on the job hunt, there's a lot of resources and support to help land a great job, and continue learning.
I was also really impressed by the rest of my cohort. App Academy does a great job selecting smart and talented people making it a great environment to learn. If you're serious about going into software development, this is the way to do it! -
Gary Bethea
Graduate - September '14 Cohort
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Of all the institutions I've been a part of through my education and career, App Academy is probably the one I feel the most connection to and loyalty towards.
Unlike some of the boot camps springing up that seem to springing up to capture some quick profit, App Academy is building something awesome. With its highly selective admissions process and no-tuition business model, App Academy is bringing innovation to the badly broken higher education system.
During my time at a/A, I was surrounded by some of the the smartest, most driven people I have ever known. This environment lent itself to some seriously accelerated learning: a few months before I applied, I didn't know the first thing about computer programming, and especially not about the arcana of web development. But by graduation day, I had landed a job at an awesome startup and have been impressing my superiors since (which is apparently normal for App Academy grads).
Some people took quite a bit longer to find jobs, but I don't know anywhere from my cohort who has not yet found a good web dev job. And if you have even an iota of charisma (I think I do) or have a strong STEM background (I don't), you can expect to find a job in no time.
So basically if you want to learn a ton from smart people with other smart people and then get paid money to keep doing that when you finish, do a/A.
9.9/10 Would do again. -
Esop Baek
Great Experience
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App Academy was a gamechanger. I was skeptical about how a course can give anybody a skillset to earn a high-paying job in 2-3 months. After going through the program and becoming a full-time software developer, I would recommend this program (and have) to anybody looking to gain the skills necessary to hit the ground running in this field. It works so well in so little time because 1) the market is on fire, 2) the curriculum is compact with zero fat, 3) you breathe web development with smart peers for the duration of the program. These skills are in high demand, and app academy does an amazing job of drilling this stuff in your head in a way that gets you ready to enter the workforce with a high degree of aptitude. The acceptance bar is pretty high, but you kind of want that because it ensures that the people you are learning this stuff with are as sharp and hungry as you are. Anyways, the companies where alumni work and the reputation of app academy should be indicative enough of the quality of the program. It's an intense time, but it serves its purpose extremely well.
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Sam
App Academy changed my life!
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There is a lot of skepticism around coding bootcamps, with new schools popping up every day with bold claims, but I’m here to tell you that App Academy is the real deal. I was initially won over by App Academy’s deferred tuition model because it aligned the school’s interests of getting paid with my interests of getting a coding job post-bootcamp. But the tuition model only works because App Academy actually delivers on their ambitious sales pitch. As a former high school math teacher, I was most impressed by App Academy’s curriculum and instruction. As someone who was definitely on the less experienced end of the spectrum (I had worked in an operations role at a tech startup prior, but never as a developer), App Academy continuously pushed me just outside of my intellectual comfort zone for 12 weeks straight. What’s more, App Academy’s flipped classroom approach, emphasis on building projects and pair programming ensured that I was really internalizing and absorbing the enormous amount of material. The weekly assessments were definitely stressful to say the least, but looking back, I’m thankful because I know the material that much better. In addition, NYC staff members are not only super knowledgeable and passionate about technology themselves, but they’re also genuinely nice people who really put student learning first and foremost (regardless of how novice the question). The real game-changer is your fellow students: these are some of the smartest people I’ve ever collaborated with, and we really supported each other throughout to understand the material. I’m not going to lie and say that it was a breeze — it was probably the hardest three-months of work. But after three months of insanity, I’m now a web developer — which is crazy and a testament to what someone passionate about software development can accomplish at App Academy. -
Joe
Unnecessarily harsh and stressful
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App Academy is unnecessarily stressful. Their weekly assessments don't really help you learn - they just make sure that you panic every weekend. They kick out about 10% of their students based on these assessments. About 90% is the cutoff for a passing score, so there are plenty of decent students who have been trying their best and who will become good professional programmers who get kicked out. Often times, students struggle because they panic or run out of time. This hurts group morale, and I honestly think its unethical for a school to structurally plan on about 10% of their students failing.
I don't know about you, but I thought that I was going to spend my weekends during the bootcamp making cool projects, not cramming the same algorithms or mini-projects again and again until I can rewrite them very quickly under stressful conditions.
FYI - I didn't get kicked out. I'm pretty sure that if you do, you sign some nondisclosure agreement to get your deposit back, and that's while this board isn't full of angry people.
It's not 2011. Ruby and Ruby On Rails are on the way out... and for good reasons. It simply cannot compete with Javascript and Node in terms of performance and scalability. if you are just starting out in 2017, there is no reason to specialize in a skill set that is already in decline.
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Lynn K.
Bootcamp Prep = Huge Rip Off
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I attended Bootcamp Prep course and never regretted spending such money for anything that much worthless before. The content is poorly structured and extremely expensive for what it's really worth.
They claim that "Acceptance to at least one of the top bootcamps guaranteed." and guess what neither of those bootcamps are hard to get into accept for the Hack Reactor, (and for Hack Reactor, they have their AMAZING prep course for free, so it doesn't make any sense to pay that much if you're aiming to get into HR), they even have General Assembly on the list of the bootcamps they guarantee acceptance, but seriously, General Assembly even doesn't have an actual technical interview!
I wish they hadn't feel the necessity of making such a claim, because it's pretty obvious that not getting into at least one of the bootcamps they listed is impossible. It means you'd never get your money back.
Apart from that, in terms of content and curriculum, nothing special, nothing that can justify the cost of the course.