App Academy Reviews
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Elias Lee
Awesome School
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I came from a pre-medical background and went into AppAcademy with 0 coding experience until a few months before my start date. Attended from July til Oct of 2016 and received an offer from Paypal in Dec 2016. Staff is great, they're knowledgeable and very caring all the way from the curriculum into the job search period. I liked the curriculum albeit it isn't perfect, could use a slight change in pace and emphasis in certain sections. However it is very up-to-date and relevant; I feel well-prepared for when I start at PayPal. No real cons as my impression is that App Academy is the best bootcamp in the Bay Area, even better than Hack Reactor, due to the curriculum (more up-to-date and better structured in terms of emphasis and pacing).
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Nam
one of the best decisions
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I came into App Academy knowing I wanted to be in coding but not how to get into the profession. I expected to be able to breeze through the coding portion of the curriculum and get the most benefit during the job search curriculum. However, the work was a lot more challenging than expected and definitely extremely comprehensive. We learned so much during the 3 months, I was extremely surprised at what I could accomplish by the end.
It definitely was a lot of hard work. Students spend upwards of 80 to 100 hours a week to keep up. This is not an exaggeration. People do get expelled from the program if they cannot keep up. However, the exams are extremely fair and as long as you keep up, you will do fine.
I ended up getting multiple offers within a month after graduating and nearly doubled my salary from my last job. I am not working in the field I love.
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Sam J.
a/A NYC Graduate
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Recent AppAcademy graduate (August NYC cohort) and I can honestly say that I am incredibly happy that I made the decision to join. After completing my MS in Applied Physics and working as a Process Engineer (no software engineering background), I felt as though I needed to make a career change. After applying to jobs for about 5 months, I began looking into some alternatives and eventually found the coding bootcamp option. I was very hesitant at first because it is a huge time and $ investment and it almost felt as though I was giving up on my current credentials and qualifications.
But once I started, those feelings of hesitation quickly disappeared and now that I have completed the program and received multiple offers from great companies within weeks of graduating, I can safely say that I am more excited than ever to start my new career as a software engineer. Not only do I have a passion to continue learning and excelling in this field, but I am confident in what I will bring to my next job.
All in all, I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to accelerate their path to becoming a software engineer and is willing to put in the effort (some in my class were able to get away with 60hr/weeks, but I probably came closer to 80hr/weeks). All of the resources to succeed are in place and the deferred tuition model demonstrates the belief that AppAcademy places in it's curriculum, instructors, and most importantly, students.
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Mark Mullan
Just do it!
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I assume you're reading these reviews because you're on the fence about joining App Academy. tl;dr, just do it!! I'll leave more details below about my personal experience:
-Completed the program in late July 2016
-Job hunted for ~1.5 months (I underestimated how difficult this would be, not only from an X's and O's execution perspective, but also from a psychological perspective going from employed to not-employed, etc.)
-Received multiple offers
-I've both spoken with grads from other bootcamps conversationally, as well interviewed them formally. In both cases, it's amazing how much App Academy teaches you compared to other bootcamps. It comes as no surprise their graduates command the highest salaries fresh out of school.
-Quality control is serious business at App Academy. Dismissal of students based on performance and/or attendance is a real thing. That being said, keep in mind that dismissing students for performance is against App Academy's financial interest (they'll refund your $$ and not charge you). As such, know that assessments are not there to "trick you," and leverage the resources they offer accordingly. Deal with it, and learn to love it. It's the only way they can maintain the brand mentioned in the previous bullet point.The amount you'll learn at App Academy truly is incredible, and your classmates will be your network in tech as the job offers start rolling in. In most cases, you always have the option of going back to your previous career if you don't like what you see, and you'll receive a free education along the way. In that way, App Academy was one of the lowest-risk, highest-reward investments I've ever made in myself. Just.... do it!
I love to connect and learn about the individuals making similar career changes. Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn (Mark Mullan @ Clover Network) and we can grab a coffee.
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Valerie
One of the best decisions in my life!
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App Academy is truly a great bootcamp. First off the bat, they are very selective so you can be sure that you are learning with people equally as motivated as you are.
The curriculum is great, and it gives you plenty of opportunities to build individual projects to beef up your skill and resume.
I have to say that the job search support was a bit lacking for me because there are so few people on their job search team, but we had a lot of lectures and alums coming to share information that was all very useful during my job search process.
All the staff there are really nice and genuinely want you to do well - it's not just about getting you a job so you can start paying them back!
I miss the rigorous schedule and the fun-filled coding days already! -
Nick Stuckey
Very difficult, very worth it
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Before:
When I was first considering joining a coding boot camp I was fairly skeptical. 3 months to change careers and make the kind of money a/A advertised seemed too good to be true. Especially since going in I had no college degree and no related professional experience. I did a lot of research and applied to many of the major boot camps offering 'similar' curriculums. I was accepted to a few including Dev Bootcamp and Flatiron School.
All of the boot camps say that their curriculum is geared towards people with "no experience", so anyone can do it. That's a bit misleading as they all will expect you to demonstrate some logical competency and a basic understanding of how to problem solve programmatically in the interview. I spent about 6 months practicing on sites like codeschool.com and codewars.com before I began applying. In the end, I selected a/A for two reasons: their tuition structure (pay after you get a job), and because I found their application process to be the most difficult. I applied 3 times before I was accepted to a/A, vs. my first try at the other schools.
During:
My brother is a Marine and had a great time ribbing me about going to a 'boot camp' for obvious reasons. But I have to say, although there are not pushups, calling it a boot camp isn't far off. It is very, very hard, and the hours are long. Again, I never graduated college, so my basis for comparison might be skewed, but even people in my cohort with degrees ranging from BAs to PhDs acknowledged that it was a difficult program. The style of teaching at a/A is to show you a thing once, then give you instructions and a day to replicate it with a partner, with the TAs on hand to assist. They will not give you direct answers (for the most part) but rather guide you through the all-important process of debugging and figuring out problems on your own. It's challenging, and at times very frustrating, but ultimately the system teaches you how to be a self-reliant developer.
After:
In 5 months I went from being a bartender with no college degree to a well-paid full-stack (actual job title, not just a buzz word) web developer at a company that I'm very excited about. Most graduates (so far, from my class) landed an initial salary between 90 and 100k. Another concern I had going in was that a/A teaches Ruby on Rails, which some developers will tell you isn't the most relevant language these days. That's BS. Developers love to be opinionated about the tech that they work with, and you will be too eventually. I love Rails, but I can say objectively that it's more about learning how a server is structured than the specific syntax you are using. The knowledge that I got from a/A felt tech agnostic by the time I reached the job hunt; launguage is a nonissue. Anyways, there are definitely a lot of Rails specific developer positions out there if that's the route you decide to go. The job hunt is a bit intense, but there are designated a/A staff members to help you along the way. If you follow their road map, keep studying after graduation, and utilize your peer support network, you will find a job in under 3 months.
Tl;dr
It's hard to get in, very hard to keep up, and reasonably difficult to find a job afterward. But if you are expecting any part of it to be easy it's not for you. The program works, sorry for the platitude but it's the best decision I've ever made.
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Trevor Scandalios
Challenging but rewarding program
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As a recent App Academy graduate, I'm very happy with my decision to enroll. The course is definitely intense, however, it is as difficult as it needs to be to ensure that you graduate the program with the skills and knowledge necessary to get a job in the tech industry. All of the instructors are great at what they do, and the curriculum is really well thought out. Each week's material builds on itself to incrementally teach you everything you need to know. I would recommend App Academy to anyone who is looking to transition into the tech industry, and is ready to put in the work to do so.
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Alex Doundakov
Great Program / Great People
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I just finished the curriculum at App Academy and have learned more in the last two months than the last year of self studying. The program is high-intensity, they really mean it when they say 80 hours / week, but along with the program you get a fantastic support system that really cares about you instead of what paycheck you'd be bringing them.
I really feel prepared to go out into the workforce and have something concrete to show for my efforts. You really can't go wrong with App Academy if you put in the effort and are serious about your work. Can't recommend it enough if you are considering a transition.
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Eric
You'll drink from the firehose, but you'll get what you put into it
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THE GOODS:
I joined a/A because I wanted to make a switch to a dev career, coming from 3 years in Marketing, but with some programming experience. Still, there are some pretty brilliant students in my cohort with varied backgrounds, sometimes with 0 coding experience, and they're doing very well. Which, in summary, means: no matter your background, a/A will give you the tools to be successful, but it will be up to you and how well you adapt to the intense curriculum.This is not the regular college pace. It's much more intensive than that. If you fail 2 of the weekly assessments, you're out. Some of the people from my cohort who got kicked out weren't putting enough effort into it and were still in the college inertia, which isn't enough. Again: you get what you put into it.
You will get support from TAs on the floor every day. A lot of the times, they will not directly answer your questions but guide you to the answer by showing you the pieces, making you think it through. I really liked this approach as it made me realize that I had the answer most of the times, but was looking at it through the wrong perspective.
When I joined, I expected to learn the basis that would allowed me to learn a lot more of the things I wanted, but it ended up exceeding my expectations. They not only teach you how to develop a full-stack webapp and the technologies behind one, but they go through a lot of CS concepts too, which was beyond what I expected.
The tech curriculum is proprietary, very well written and structured. It explains a lot of things in details, which means you can expect countless hours of lectures and readings.
You will walk out with a lot of small projects that you'll develop throughout the curriculum, plus three bigger ones for your résumé. Most importantly: you'll finish wanting to do more, so you'll most likely develop some projects on your own afterwards.
Their system for tracking progress is really impressive and well designed, which makes you feel more confident in the structure they offer.
THE BADS:
The job search curriculum is less structured than the tech one. The content is there, but it's not centralized, so you often have to remember where to go if you want to check presos, homework material or schedule.There are few job search coaches for the full cohort, so it gets a bit hard to get some good feedback from them.
All in all, 11 weeks into the program, I feel confident about getting where I want, so I can't recommend it enough. -
Ethan
If you have been learning how to code on your own and want to become job-ready, a/A is for you
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I was learning the MEAN stack before and felt like I needed the extra push to become job-ready. App Academy stood out for two reasons.
1) It is the top bootcamp and you get to work with smart people. Pair programming is common across many high quality bootcamp. Some people doubt the value of it. But when you work with programmers who are better than you, you will become a better programmer. At a/A, some students have CS background and some are just bright students who can digest concepts quickly. I was able to discuss different ways of solving problems and learned a lot from my peers. You will miss your days of pair programming when you are in project phase.
2) It focuses on job preparation. While other bootcamps focus on projects exclusively during the second half of the program, a/A makes you learn algorithms and prepare for interviews. IMO, you can always fix your projects on weekends or after the program. But having career support is the key to getting a job. Also, sharing interview tips with other students who are going through the same process gives you a unique advantage.
The number of TA was not enough for my cohort. It didn't cause any problem until the project phase. But they realized the problem and hired more TA for the next cohort. Thumbs up for really responding to our feedback and trying to make the program better.
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Mike
Fantastic professional experience
I've learned more in the last two months than the last two years combined. Excellent well-rounded curriculum with fantastic peers. The program is extremely selective and it shows; almost everyone I've worked with has been exceptionally bright and personable. Highly recommend this program if you're considering a transition.
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Brian Lee
Life Changing Experience
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I wanted to change careers from being a travel agent to software developer. I made the decision to apply for App Academy after researching about available courses that will get me ready in the work field. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into at first, but I am very glad I was able to attend App Academy. App Academy not only taught me modern coding languages and conventions that is relevant in today's job market. More importantly, App Academy taught me how to learn and how to push myself to work hard every single day. I have confidence in my skills and confidence in that I will be able to adept into any environment. I have never worked so hard as I have during my time in App Academy, and I am very thankful for such an experience. I would highly recommend anyone looking into getting into the web application development field to take a look at what App Academy has to offer. The staffs of App Academy are amazing and super friendly. Robert, Jenn, and Shamayel were particularly helpful during my time at App Academy. Maybe you will be fortunate to get to know them too.
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Victor Aw
A great program for learning programming
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The program covered Ruby and database back-end extensively and gave me all the tools I needed to build a full-stack application. The React/Redux curriculum was effective and very helpful. Everyone in the program was passionate about succeeding, and there were many cool projects made during the program. The intense pacing means that you're constantly learning and you really understand the material by the end of the program.
The job seeker curriculum has plenty of helpful materials and has been very helpful in refining my application materials.
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Melissa
Amazing experience
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After going through App Academy, I am so glad that I made the decision to quit my job to enroll. Yes, it is an intense experience, and there are some stressful moments, but if you're serious about learning how to program and build full-stack websites, I wouldn't recommend anything else.
The program is very structured for the first 9 weeks, and everything is fully laid out for you - you know exactly what you're supposed to do every day of every week, and how long it's expected to take. The structure was really helpful for me so I knew whether or not I was falling behind, and I knew what was expected of me. There are assessments to test your knowledge, which are probably the most stressful part of the program, but you'll be fine if you study the material and do the practice tests. App Academy doesn't want you to fail, they do what they can to let you know what type of material they're going to test on.
In all, it's incredible to look back on my experience and remember how little I knew before I started and how far I've come since then. I had zero quantitative/technical background and was working in Sales beforehand, but I've been able to learn super technical concepts and apply them in my projects. I've learned much more than I have ever learned in my life, and it feels awesome. Go to App Academy!
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Cindy
Cool place to come and learn
Pros:
- everyone is super helpful. The staff love to help and your peers all come in at different levels so there's always plenty of people to ask for help
- the course is project based so everything you learn is practical
Cons:
- it's a marathon so don't fall behind. There's no time to play catch up
- the assessment structure is very stressful if you fail one so study hard
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Humza Baig
Everything you need
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As someone who hasn't yet graduated college, I was afraid a coding bootcamp wouldn't be as good as going to a university. Boy, was I wrong. It was everything, but easy. On day 1, we hit the ground running! You're always motivated to work really hard because the material is fun. All of the instructors and TAs genuinely care, and will sit with you for hours to solve even the tiniest bug. The curriculum is very complete and you are able to create complete web applications by the end of the course. If you are considering coding bootcamps, or want to transition into the industry, I highly recommend App Academy.
If you have any specific questions about the program, feel free to contact me!email: humza.baig2009@gmail.com
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Jay
Great place to learn web development
If you're looking to start a web development career, look no further! App Academy is one of the top software engineering schools in the Bay Area, with a < 3% acceptance rate. It is extremely intense, so be prepared to go into a cave during your time at App Academy, but it is definitely worth it!
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Pak
Difficult? Check. Enjoyable? Check. Do it again? Check.
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App Academy promises a lot: 12 Weeks, Software Developer, $110K Average Salary.
It sounds unbelievable, and it kind of is. It's unbelievable that after 12 weeks, you can have a mediocre knowledge of programming and actually create functional websites. It's also unbelievable that you'll be immersed in programming for 70-90 hours a week.
You'll be surrounded by intelligent peers that want the same things you do, along with an incredible support staff that matches instructors at the top-level of education.
The scale of everything is unbelievable, but if you're willing to take the plunge, you'll wonder why you didn't commit earlier.
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Connor Murphy
Tough, but worth it
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Background: A former teacher/political science graduate who decided to become a programmer last year.
Application: I applied to App Academy in December 2015, and started attending in August of 2016. I was invited to do the Jumpstart program, which is a two week instensive where they try to help you get into the program, while teaching you fundamentals of programming (Jumpstart has its own mini curriculum).
Thoughts on the program: App Academy doesn't have a lot of flair, the facilities are fairly bair bone, which for me is a plus. Attending a bootcamp with a beer tap, or 7 ply toilet paper, means that someone (you) has to pay for it.
The instructional staff are all former students who aced the course (there are 6 assessments) and were rated well by their peers. This means they tend to be very helpful, but they aren't perfect. That overall adds positively to the ambiance, since working with someone who may not know exactly how to solve your problems means you can follow their debugging process while they solve your problem.
Overall, the program is really intense. I haven't spoken with most of my friends for over an hour during the course of the program, and I have killed all of my hobbies. I was not a programmer before, and this meant I had to push myself much harder than those who had backgrounds which lends them more to programming. The program is not perfect, but honestly, what is? The program is free, except for the 5,000 debosit you need to pay upfront. There is a strike system, and an assessment system so it is possible to fail out(semi-common) or strike out(extremely uncommon-unless you suck as a human).
If you can push yourself this hard, and you enjoy programming, then this is the program for you. It's no frills, the people and instructors are awesome, and overall it is enjoyable, if a bit intense. -
Gabriel Lewis
Rigorous program that will change your life.
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App Academy is an incredible way to jump into technology industry. If you have the ability to get in and want to become a developer, you should apply.
After two months of hard work I can say I am a Web Developer. I’m proud of the work that me and my classmates have done. If you are considering going to App Academy be prepared to work hard. There are time that you will wonder whether you are qualified, or capable enough. If you get through the admission process you are capable enough to get through the course. Work harder than you ever have, but remember to have fun with your peers.
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Andrew Tae
Way Better Than Self-Learning
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App Academy is a rigorous course that will push you to your mental limits, especially if you have less than a year of experience in coding. I was able to learn about programming topics that I didn't even know that I didn't know, which was a huge problem I had when I was studying by myself. Due to the selective interviewing process, everyone in the cohort is passionate and motivated to get to the end of the course. As a result, everyone is enthusiastic and eager to help each other out. If you're serious about getting into web development in as little time as possible, I cannot imagine a better method than App Academy and I strongly recommend this course.
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Yue Gu
It works but you have to be serious about it
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Currently almost done with the program. Didn't really hava a technical background before doing this. Yes, its possible to make web apps within three months, technically even shorter than that. However, I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't dedicated to it. Your days will consist a lot of going in, coding, going home and doing a bit more. You really need to give it your all for these 12 weeks. The end result is definitely worth it though. I'm amazed at what I am capable of creating after only a few months. The projects I'm working on now, is mostly soley my own work. No more TA's needed to help me through everything, which speaks volumes about the curriculum if you have the right mindset.
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Eric
Very hard, Incredibly rewarding
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I've found that App Academy lives up to the hype, both in terms of hard work and how fast paced it is. The course really pushes students to achieve and learn as much as possible. It is pretty stressful at times, but very rewarding. Fortunately, the coursework is excellently organized - the coursework lists daily homework/readings/videos - which helps keep students on top of their studies. There are plenty of extra resources, including the superb TA's themselves. Every TA at App Academy is knowledgable, patient, and willing to help.
App Academy focuses on pair programming every day, which is a great way to learn what your weaknesses are, to learn through teaching, and sharpen your interpersonal skills (what future employers care about!). The course also slowly progresses from from holding your hand to a hands off approach so that you learn to teach yourself anything you want or need to know, another necessary skill in the workplace. Speaking of the workplace, App Academy's job search curriculum is incredibly involved. They really help you polish your resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills. I don't know of other coding bootcamps with this much post-curriculum support.
If you are passionate about programming (and you have to be to make it through the program) and want to change your life, App Academy can help you do it!
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Tyler
I couldn't imagine choosing a different bootcamp!
App Academy is amazing! I had less than 6 months experience in coding before coming to a/A and I learned so much over the course of the curriculum! All the staff is so great and goes above and beyond to help you succeed! It's a insanely intense 3 months, but it's so worth it! App Academy has given me the tools to be the best developer I can be and I can't thank them enough for that!
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Can Lekili
Wonderful place!
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Everyone is very supportive and helpful. The curriculum itself is definitely not easy but it's a lot of fun and it's definitely worth it! Alongside teaching how to make sublime apps and best programming practices, they also teach how to collaborate efficiently with your colleagues in a professional working environment. Overall they forge you to be a rock solid, ready to hit the ground on day 1 of your job developer!
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Tony X
Great Learning Experience
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I'm currently in Week 10 of the 12 week program and so far I have few complaints. The curriculum is jam-packed with useful material that is identical to the kind of work that real software developers do; you will learn Rails authentication, React and Redux cycles, and much more. On top of that, the staff is incredibly friendly and if one thing, a/A can guarantee that you won't be bored for a single second for at least 12 weeks.
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Andy Giang
Scam
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If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. App academy is no exception.
Getting into app academy is not as hard as they make it seem. A few basic ruby programming problems and you are in.
Their curriculum is nothing special. It's all open source which you can find online for free or low cost.
After quitting my job and investing a ton of time and energy, I was "asked" to leave after 9 days into the program.
App academy's PC culture of diversity, inclusiveness, ass kissing, and bureaucracy did not click with me. They are big on pair programming which is a complete waste of time and a hindrance to learning. Facilities are filthy and men can't even get their own restroom. Every day there was some diversity, women in tech, gay pride, sensitive training type thing going on. That crap doesn't belong in the workplace.
App academy's claim to fame is "no tuition until hired". This is complete bullshit. I paid a $5000 deposit which was inconvenient but I didn't think too hard about. I thought it would be similar to a security deposit on rent. When I was asked to leave they only gave me back $2300 when I expected my full refund.
Based on their model, they are incentivized to take as many students as they can, cull the ones that don't work and make a ton of money. I like most people would think "no tuition until hired" means they do everything they can to get you hirable. Turns out they don't give a shit because they keep your money.
I don't mind being "asked" to leave. What I have an issue with is claiming "no tuition until hired" and then turning around and keeping my money.
If they had refunded my amount completely they would have kept their promise and I would have been fine with that.
This is false and deceptive adverting. This is fraud. This is coercion.
The reason why they have perfect reviews on yelp is because they stick a non-disbarment clause to students who are asked to leave.
This is illegal in California. Shows the length of what these scam artists do for money. Suppression of free speech. This review will probably get down voted until no one sees it.
I talked to a lawyer and he said since I signed the termination contract I have accepted their "refund" and there's nothing I can do. I was coerced into signing it because I would get nothing if I didn't. -
Yale
App Academy is exactly what I was looking for. Super intensive, super fun, and super awesome!!
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App Academy has got to be the best coding bootcamp around, and I would say the best coding education period.
First of all, the TAs are some of the smartest people I've ever met and they go the extra mile to make sure you understand the material.
Second of all, the course goes at lightning speed. You're always motivated to work as hard as humanly possible because the material is fun, the supplementary videos and homework are awesome, and because of the pair programming aspect.
Third, by the end of the course you not only know how to create web apps, you know how to teach yourself practically anything. A big part of the time spent at App Academy is spent figuring out how to accomplish things, and that's one of the most important skills as a programmer.
Thanks to App Academy, I'm now doing what I love to do! -
Cass
Awesome Experience
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For anyone determined to make a career change to software development, I cannot recommend App Academy enough. It was incredibly strenuous, but it was totally worth the effort. You will legitimately spend about 70-80 hours a week working for three months, but you learn so much. I had around two years of intermittent experience in software development prior to the course. Most of what I learned was through Ruby on Rails tutorials and some personal Rails applications, all self-taught. App Academy had a perfect mix of CS theory and practical development to enrich my understanding of building software. This mix also provided an excellent foundation for branching-out and learning other tools than what are taught in the curriculum. I still look back at the curriculum material for reference because it is so good. My classmates were some of the smartest and nicest people that I have ever met, and the staff were extremely professional and seemed to genuinely care about our progress.
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Tony
Amazin
I can't recommend this program enough to anyone considering it! I went from knowing next to nothing about programming and barely making money to having a full time job as a software engineer making six figures and building cool stuff. Honestly, attending App Academy was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
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Kab Nigam
I got a job
Title says it all.
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Safarali
Best Preparation Course
I was accepted to 5 bootcamps. -
Vincent
Full Stack Web Development
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Excellent program.
I feel like I put myself through hell to get into the program and to get through the program, but it was absolutely worth it. I work at one of the best companies in the world and have an amazing salary.
They basically have all the resources you need to learn web development from scratch and find a great job. The biggest variable is not the school itself but how hard you work to take advantage of those resources and make the best of it.
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Timur
Solid prep
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I went to App Academy in the Cohort that graduated in March 2015. Overall, I think they did a really solid job covering the fundementals of each technology such as Ruby, Rails, SQL, JavaScript & Backbone. When I began interviewing, I did have to spend more time to learn each of these topics in greater depth, because some of the interview questions were specific to HTML, CSS, JavaScript and you just had to memorize that trivia.
One things that is great about AA that a lot of other bootcamps do not cover is their Algorithm and Data Structures carriculum during the job search. It was super useful to learn about performance, time and space complexity.
I ended up finding a software engineering job after gradaution so I definitely think their formula works.
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Andrew Kayvanfar
Great experience
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I attended App Academy back in the Spring of 2014 in New York with Jonathan Tamboer as my instructor and about 20 - 25 other student in my cohort. I attended with the hopes of just learning more about software development and become proficient in a web language, such as Ruby. App Academy delivered all that and more.
Both our instructor and TA were very helpful and attentive. Jonathan was very aware of how everyone was receiving the material and focused his attention where appropriate to ensure everyone was on the same page. I will say that the pace of course is not for everyone. It is intense and you can easily fall too far behind if you are not careful.
I ended up deciding to immediately pursue a job as a software engineer and it didn't take long to find the perfect fit. I felt App Academy prepared me well as a junior developer and also prepared me well for the job search process. I'd recommend this course to anyone looking to learn web development.
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Aaron Foster Bresley
Amazing
Truly life changing. Went from working at Starbucks to working in NYC as a full stack developer in 3 months.
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Abraham Schonfeld
App Academy's supperior tution model
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TL;DR: No exaggeration, App Academy was a life changing experience for me, and if you are willing to work hard it can be life changing for you as well.
I started out with a little experience programming and the idea that I might like to do it professionally and app academy tough me the skills I needed to do just that. The application process requires you to work hard but is also highly rewarding. The prep materials they provide give you a clear path toward what you will need to learn to get accepted. I became a better programmer just by learning the material required to get accepted.
The program its self is nothing short of amazing, in my opinion its the ideal model for education. Expert teachers, helpful TAs, and a well rounded and diverse group of smart and enthusiastic peers who are just as eager to learn as you are. The peer interaction is one of the best parts of the program, you can easily learn as much if not more from your peers as you will from the lectures and reading.
The BEST and most unique part of app academy is the tuition model (no tuition until you find a job, at which you pay a % of your first year salary over time) . This is crucial and something you can not find in any other boot camp that I have ever come across. The fact that they do not get paid until you find a job means that your incentives are aligned with theirs. They have every reason to make the curriculum the best that it can be, and they will support and advise you until you find a job. This also means that you dont have to shell up $10K or more up front like you would with other boot camps and there is no risk if thing don't work out.
I learned a tremendous amount and made a lot of friends during the program, many of which I am still in touch with today. I attended app academy in October of 2013 and I now work for groupon making 2.5x as much as I made before I was a software dev. Fellow graduates of my cohort are have jobs ranging from big name companies like Tumblr to cool start ups and all to my knowledge found jobs after finishing the program.
App Academy is a sure path to a software dev job for those who enjoy programming and are willing to work hard at it. -
Lora
Bootcamp Prep Course
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I took the A/a 4-week bootcamp prep course at their SF location. You can get a weekly rundown via my blog posts from that experience on my blog. If you're a woman, I suggest you take that jump and get in the reads about my experiences from that position.
As an aside: I've gone on to Hackbright Academy and am beyond thrilled with my experiences. My foray into A/a was supportive in some unusual ways. One of those ways was to highlight many of the masculinist and patriarchical cultural values in which the tech community and the App Academy bootcamp are rooted. I was genuinely sad to see so much sexism present in their cohort. I would often arrive early and be in earshot of the full-stack bootcampers and instructors for hours. There were some dicey moments, and a few that made me want to throw my computer out of the window.
Considering the prep course OR bootcamp?
Here are a few highlights from my experience:- It's worth taking the time and spending the money to take a prep course if you are on the fence about diving into a coding camp, or you simply want to get some support jump starting into one. I am not entirely sure I would suggest paying the A/a price if it gives you pause, but if it’s totally manageable and the support will be of assistance: go for it! In many ways I’m thankful for spending my time there.
- I spent time with one of their tutors: that was extremely helpful, reviewing the problems that I struggled to break down into bite sized chunks. I recommend their services if you have the expendable cash, though it would be a LOT cheaper to find
- The instructors were supportive but I think it was painfully obvious they were coders teaching, and not teachers coding. I have mostly great things to say about their individual styles to teaching. However, their structure seems a bit hap-hazard and thrown together. I would venture a guess that they have filled in most of the curriculum on the fly — and if not, I suggest they take a step back and get organized.
- I know pair programming is a large part of the coding puzzle, yet this program is extremely individualized in a polarizing way. I had expected to be encouraged to work alongside one another, review code together, etc. Nada. If anything, I feel we were discouraged from doing so. I’m unsure whether this is indicative of the A/a culture, the bootcamp culture, or this particular instructor & student environment…
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Ellie
App Academy Bootcamp Prep
Great kickstart to JavaScript. Fast paced, but easy to follow. Helped tremendously while applying to bootcamps. Highly recommend!
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Joe B.
Do it!
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I would highly recommend App Academy. If you're interested in becoming a software developer and are willing to work hard, this is the best way to do it. In just three months, I went from knowing only a little about coding to being employed as a full-time software engineer at a major Bay Area tech company. The results from App Academy wildly exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait to pursue a career in software. None of it would have been possible without App Academy.
Without going into too much detail, I'd say "believe the hype." Right now there is a huge imbalance in the software market -- demand for software developers is massively outstripping supply, and App Academy's training will put you in position to get one of those highly coveted software jobs.
If you'd like to learn more about App Academy, check out the other reviews and navigate to the App Academy website to see some of the existing students' blogs. Learning how to program at App Academy is an incredible experience, and if you're on the fence about, remember this... leaving your current career may feel risky, but if you think you'd love programming then App Academy is totally worth it.