App Academy Reviews
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Anonymous
Grueling Yet Rewarding
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It's very grueling, but at the end of the day, I think that it is worth it. I cannot tell about job outcomes as I am just starting my job search, nevertheless, it does seem promising. But one thing that I would investigate is whether it is a better fit for you to learn Ruby or Python for the backend, as Ruby is what is taught here. Regardless, I think that the skillset that you gain here will allow you to switch between languages and frameworks fairly easily.
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Anonymous
Overall good
Pretty intense course. You will learn a lot from App Academy. I Just want to complain that they make us come back after graduation which was not expected
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Anonymous
Unique Experience
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App Academy is often described as drinking from a fire hose in the sense that it gives more information than is possible to absorb. As a result, the curriculum is quite challenging and it is normal to feel lost and behind, but students rapidly learn an absurd amount. The TAs are extremely helpful and nice, and the projects are amazing for building your portfolio and learning. However, the current assessments could be improved since a large part of passing them is just pure memorization. Furthermore, a large part of the curriculum is Ruby which isn't as relevant in the current job market as other languages such as Python.
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Anonymous
I learned a lot
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Overall I would say I learned a lot but the assessments are rough if you come in with 0 coding experience. I had to spend over 100 hours a week studying and I feel like I barely got through the assessment material, and most students still have to spend extra time polishing their projects, doing leetcode, and learning more skills before applying for jobs. 3 months to get employed in coding starting from not knowing anything really isn't enough time to get you to employable but I would say App Academy is probably the best option for those thinking of pursuing the bootcamp option, if they can handle the stress. Our attrition rate was 16.4% which isn't too high but I felt like some of the people that got dismissed were trying their hardest and still couldn't make it through
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Anonymous
Loved my time at a/A
Excellent program that will really test your determination. All of the time estimates that you see in all of these reviews are indeed accurate. Loved working with my fellow students and teachers (TA's). Reflected with my co-workers on how far we have all come in this relatively short amount of time. Highly recommend!
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Anonymous
Full Stack
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12 week immersive bootcamp that trains for frontend and backend web development skills. With no coding background experience, It was tough for me to understand and get the materials for the daily project. I still somehow managed to survive all the assessments and App Academy was truly rewarding experience. I had to spent everyday studying on materials that was on the curriculum and had to gave up all my free time. Just work hard.
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Anonymous
Would Do This Again
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App Academy is an intense program, especially if you are doing the in-person course. Make sure you understand what you are signing up for. You can expect to spend at least 90 hours a week there and if you take your foot off the pedal during the program, it becomes really easy to fall into a vicious cycle of doom and gloom.
That being said, I enjoyed learning not only how to code in the leading languages and frameworks out there today but also how to develop a sense for different coding cultures found in industry. I also can’t thank the instructors enough for their dedication and support. They go above and beyond to teach you the tools and mindset to succeed. I genuinely feel that everyone who makes it through the curriculum comes out with a sound foundation in all aspects of software engineering, from pair programming and debugging code to whiteboarding and solving algorithms. Not to mention that this will be the best opportunity to connect with and make lifelong friends in the industry.
One thing I do have to add is that a/A probably still has a lot of room to improve on both structuring the latter parts of the curriculum and stabilizing the volatility of the staff size from month to month. Unfortunately, our cohort had the pleasure of facing the peak of a staff shortage right as the regular curriculum ended, which I think curbed a lot of the momentum going into capstone projects.
All in all, this was undoubtedly the most rewarding learning experiences I've had. If a/A suddenly introduces an advanced-level course tomorrow, I would not hesitate to do this all again.
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Anonymous
Great TAs, but not much else
Curriculum is being refactored so future cohorts may be better served, but everything from the ruby-focused curriculum to the strike system is archaeic. TAs make the program what it is, better hope the managments hiring skills continue to outweight their factory-like culture.
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Anonymous
Good Ruby curriculum but bad JavaScript counterpart
With an extensive curriculum all ready online, App Academy expects its students to finish a crazy amount of reading and project every day. Ruby curriculum was excellent and all TAs are knowledgable on most aspects of Ruby, but the quality of JavaScript curriculum was drastically worse.
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Anonymous
From no experience to building apps
App Academy changed my life. I went in with no coding experience and left with the ability to build apps and get a job in tech. Just be ready to put the work in all day every day for the entire cohort for success.
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Anonymous
Hardest thing I've ever done, but worth it.
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I was very skeptical about attending App Academy, let alone any coding boot camp for that matter. I read into it quite a bit on places like Reddit but decided to finally take the plunge. aA's policy is not for the faint of heart and they will not, for a second, take it easy on you. It is indeed a rigorous course. What makes them unique is their deferred tuition model, which may surprise a lot of people. The fact that they allow students to not pay a dollar until they land a job in software development is very impressive, and shows they are truly invested in your job search. Some tips: Make sure you make all of the life preparations needed to truly immerse yourself in the program: Let all your loved ones, significant others, friends/family know you will be committing close to 100 hours a week (trust me, it is that much) on this. Solidify housing as close to the campus as possible, preferably for the full year, but at minimum those 3 months needed. The commute from other cities is a true time-suck. Remember, you can only fail 1 of the 6 assessments. The 2nd time you fail, you will be required to pass the retake. If you fail that, you are dismissed; If you pass, you must pass the rest of the assessments to stay. I will not lie, this place is not at all perfect. Course material, daily instructions/prompts need to be updated by the curriculum staff and can be vague, so it is up to you to get help from TAs as much as possible. Don't be afraid of being annoying. -
Anonymous
Long and arduous
The course is hyper condensed. The amount of material is often times overwhelming. You could look at the material for weeks after the course is over and still have more to learn from it. The staff is exceedingly helpful and experienced. The program is designed to give back to you as much as you're willing to put in.
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Anonymous
3 Months that leads to 6 digit salary
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App Academy is one of the top coding bootcamp in SF bay area.
More than 95% of the graduates find jobs with average salary of $100k.
Above statements were good enough for me to join this bootcamp. To enroll, I had to take a technical interview and a non-technical interview. A technical interview was difficult as I did not have any background in coding. So I took the Jumpstart course that they provide for free for some of the students who applied.
When you get accepted, there is a foundation course, which is 4 week long, and it says it is a basic course, but it was not so basic for me. Starting from day 1 of 5th week (technically, this is the first week in person) we had pair-programming which helped me a lot on understanding different perspective and approaches of the peers.
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Anonymous
Unforgettable life changing experience
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I was not so sure about App Academy's curriculum and their system until I began my cohort. I heard from at least 3 different sources that it will require 80 to 100 hours a week dedication to succeed. It is absolutely true. The curriculum is designed so that students will never feel comfortable or relaxed. There will always be something to work on. Students are mostly forced to move on to the next material regardless of finishing the current project. That being said, students have to use their own time to go back to the materials that they are unclear about. This can be overwhelming and exhausting. There is no hand-holding guide through the materials. I kid you not, it will be tough, it will be hard. Be ready to learn, be ready to dedicate yourself, but it will be rewarding after all.
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Anonymous
My a/A Experience
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If I had to, I would join App Academy again. I got to learn a ton of skills needed to begin a career as a software engineer. The intense 12-week program included hands-on projects and interesting programming concepts. W used a variety of technologies and programming languages such as ruby on rails, javascript, react/redux, and the MERN stack to name a few. It's possible to go through the program without previous programming knowledge, but be prepared to put in a ton of ours and give up weekends during the program.
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Anonymous
Overall positive experience
Overall experience was positive. The pace of material is intensive, covering all topics needed to build full-stack web applications within ~3 months. The location in SF is great as well. I am still wrapping up the course and will need to wait and see how well the job search goes, but my job-ready, technical skillset has definitely improved.
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Anonymous
One of the best decisions I've ever made
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I came to a/A with a lot of apprehension and fear of failing and being failed by this bootcamp, but I have to say - it was one of the best (and spontaneous) decisions I've ever made for myself. Most things they advertise are true: you will be worked to the bone and you will have a great time. I have never worked harder in my life than in the past 12 weeks that I have been here, but more importantly I felt fulfilled while working. And even though I may have learned all this material on my own, the support network (from cohortmates, to alumns and job search coaches) is something that makes this bootcamp worth it on its own. However, I do wish that they would provide more attention to us after being switched from regular curriculum to projects/job search curriculum. We all did feel a bit abandoned when the new cohort came in.
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Anonymous
App Academy intensive bootcamp
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App academy does not kid around when they say they're an intensive program. You put in a lot of work as a student and even more after you've finished. Be prepared to give up weekends for a few months. That being said, it is an amazing experience and I learned so much. App academy places a lot of importance on pair programming and learning concepts rather than finishing homework. It amazed me that I was able to finish projects that full-time software developers couldn't even finish. I'm not a risk taker, so it took me a year to make sure that I really wanted to do this and switch fields. I highly recommend this to people who are looking for a change.
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Anonymous
May 2019 grad
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App academy has been an interesting, challenging, and enlightening experience. I don't believe there's another program right now that is more difficult and more capable of transfering large amounts of knowledge in skills in such a short period of time as App Academy has done. The curriculum, including rails may seems slightly dated, but it serves as an excellent launching pouint for the uninitiated to begin to understand MVC's. The program helped give me the tools I need to truly begin a career as a software engineer and I would recommend it to anyone who was looking to do the same.
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Anonymous
Great Experience
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If you are ready to truly immerse yourself in 12 weeks of code, this is the place for you. The program is definitely challenging but if you are committed, utilize all the resources given, and ASK QUESTIONS, you will have no problems passing the course and getting a job. While it is true that you can find cheaper bootcamps, the alumni base and network connections you will make will help get you a job sooner than later.
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Anonymous
Learned more in the program than I would by myself
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I enjoyed the program very much. It was well paced and definitely very intensive. They teach more than just the basics and structure the curriculum very well to get you to the point of being an independent learner. I think it's daunting at first to pick up web development without much coding background, but I think the program does a good job at teaching you what to focus on.
The most intensive part of the curriculum is keeping up with the schedule. The material by itself is structured to teach a student from the ground up. The challenging portion is for the student to maintain studying priorities, time management, and health. If a student can do these things well, then the student will be able to pick up everything needed to pass the program.
The job search support is very good. I feel like App Academy is set up for a student's success, giving the student constant support and material to work on post-graduation from the program. If the job seeker puts in the work and keeps routines established by a/A to find employment, it'll only be a matter of when.
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Anonymous
Challenging but rewarding
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I've had some coding experience before App Academy, but I still found myself studying 80+ hours a week. During my time here, I learned how to use the latest cutting edge technologies, I learned about the tech industry itself, I've met amazing people, and I learned a lot about myself.
From start to finish, everything that App Academy teaches you is a needed skill in the tech industry. For example something that might be overlooked is pair programming. As a pair you learn how to code but more importantly you learn how to explain your code. This is such a valuable skill because within a team environment or in an interview, we have to talk about our app/code to people who may or may not have coding experience.
The curriculum is designed in such a way where everyday is packed with new information. If you join a bootcamp, I recommend building good study habits from the start (even if it seems easy at first). I found that the people who tend to slack off are the ones that struggle or fail out because the pace tends to ramp up as the weeks go by. If you try hard, you will succeed.
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Anonymous
from AA
a challenging but rewarding experience
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Anonymous
Challenging but Rewarding Experience
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This was probably one of the toughest 12+ weeks of my life.
Everyday was a grind and a struggle. Oftentimes I felt like I was suffocating with the amount of work and hours needed to stay afloat with the program. The near-weekly assessments were constant pressures to keep going. Everyone else around you seems to have a much better grasp of concepts than you do, and just "smarter" than you in terms of coding ability.
But, despite all of that, it was an extremely rewarding experience that I would definitely recommend. The difficulty of the program helps you cope in any situation afterwards no matter the circumstances. You're working with some of the smartest people around (you included), and you're able to learn and grow accordingly. You really get what you put into this program, it's definitely not for everyone, but if it is, it will definitely be worthwhile.
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Anonymous
GREAT program!
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If you are looking for a challenge , definitely go for App Academy. The program is rigorous and fast-paced. There are assessments throughout the first nine weeks of the structured curriculum. Students will get kicked out of the program if they failed 2 assessments or unable to keep up with the pace. However, the students will be given all the supports and resources to prepare for the assessments.
I came with a non-technical background and only started to prepare 3 months before the cohort started. So, I had a hard time going through the program but it was also one of the most rewarding experience I have ever had challenging myself mentally, physically, and intellectually. I joined the program alone and came out of it with a massive network and close friends who will always be there to support me in engineering career.
The only cons I have is i wish they would teach another language other than Ruby. However, I heard that they are going to change their curriculum in the near future.
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Anonymous
Awesome but be ready!
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App academy is 13 weeks of crashing through material. You will feel everyday that your brain cannot fit any more material in it. However, after the course you will realize how far you have come. From there you should know what you need to learn and how to go about learning it. You cannot learn everything about software engineering in 13 weeks. It's up to you to round out your education and continue practicing. Overall it was an awesome experience that I would recommend to anyone who can buckle down and learn at a fast pace for an extended period of time. Great staff, awesome cohort, Mar 19!
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Anonymous
Happy Experience
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Overall I'm happy with my experience as an App Academy student! The staff are very engaged and truly focused on the success and learning of their students. The curriculum spends time covering concepts but also requires projects to rebuild the concept so that your understanding goes into what is occurring behind the scenes and not just the use behind it. A lot of effort is placed to provide students the resources required to learn the material, either staying late or volunteering their time over the weekends when students can come in to study. While I still have things to learn before I probably will be hired full time, aA provided me all the tools and skills necessary to achieve my goal of becoming a software engineer!
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Anonymous
Challenging
given the work, I needed to do over the course of 13 weeks.
I probably do not want to do it again.
However I think the amount required is a minimal amount of work when it comes to switching jobs this quickly.
app/Academy has helped me what I wanted to achieve in the shortest amount of time.
I do recommend it, for those who are considering it; however, it is a challenge
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Anonymous
Get out what you put in!
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This is really important when concerning app academy. Although, in the beginning, you may think you are doing well by passing all the exams but it goes beyond that. You must put in that extra effort during the cohort so that you may be job ready once you complete the 12-week immersive program. The only reason I gave my overall experience 4 stars instead of 5 is because I didn't think the TAs were consistent in their selection. Some TAs are amazing but some aren't
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Anonymous
App Academy
I would tell you to do this program. Best support and the course is very well structured. I would say that if you put in the effort and time, this program 100% will reward you with the job you seek!
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Anonymous
App Academy Is Awesome
Just about to graduate in a week and it's been great! The connections through cohort mates, alumni and the tas are priceless. Definitely would do it again. Already missing it and I haven't left yet!
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Anonymous
Intensive and Rewarding
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App Academy is a bootcamp in every sense of the word. You'll be dedicating 3 months of your life to learning algorithms, data structures, and various frameworks for full-stack web development. Be prepared for early morning commutes and long nights studying challenging material--it will test your limits. While curriculum may be intensive, it is not without support. App Academy has employed amazing instructors that are highly-skilled, well-prepared, and extremely patient. Beyond instructorship, you'll network with dozens of other software developers in-training with similar motivations. Awesome experience.
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Anonymous
Most intense 12 weeks...
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This was definitely one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences. It's challenging because you're learning a lot of new material every single day, dedicating your waking hours to studying the material and feeling lost and confused at many points throughout. It's not an exaggeration that it feels like you're drinking from a fire hose. It's also incredibly rewarding because at the end of the curriculum when you're building your own projects and finally seeing everything come together, you realize how far you've come. a/A has a great group of instructors that are always willing to help, and are very knowledgeable. One thing I do really appreciate is that they are always refining and working on making their program better through incorporating feedback and making sure everything we're learning is relevant and up-to-date.
I would say if you're planning to apply, please take the time now to put in as much effort as you can to study as much as you can to build up a good foundation and getting you into good studying habits. The application process is not easy and it's probably intentionally that way to weed out only people who really want to be there because once the program starts, if you're not ready you're going to fall behind. Know exactly what you're signing up for and be willing to dedicate 100% of your time and effort. The way the course is structured, if you put in the effort, time, and dedication you will be successful and you will not regret it!
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Anonymous
Challenging but Rewarding
easily the hardest thing that Ive ever done but I feel a great sense of accomplishment now that I have time to sit back and reflect on the experience as a whole. So many great teaching moments throughout the course that really prepared me for the real world job market. It wasn't really bogged down into theory which I felt was a reall big positive as well.
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Anonymous
Student
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App Academy is by far one of the hardest things I've done in my life and definitely the most exhausting. I'm writing this review after finishing week 10. Before getting accepted into a/A I had absolutely ZERO coding experience and now I've completed two full stack projects and working on a third one. You're going to be amazed at how much you can learn in the amount of time that you have. It's going to be hard like what everyone else says but if you stay committed it will be worth it.
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Anonymous
Extremely intense but so worth it.
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When I decide to learn programming and search some bootcamps, a/A stood out because of their high job placement stats and course structures. Upon getting accepted and attending, I found the staff were amazing, and will answer every question you have and also give you suggestions. Also, I was very doubtful of my abilities to pass through the entire course from day one, and that comes as no surprise because the curriculum is extremely fast-paced and difficult. The course is well structured, I feel I have a strong foundations of different programming concepts. If you want to become a software developer, app academy is the way to do it.
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Anonymous
Super hard but rewarding
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App Academy is a super intense bootcamp which the whole coding curriculum is 9 weeks long including the last two weeks is fully for your full-stack project. After that, you will enter the job search part of the rest of the curriculum. Basically, you won't any spare time left in each of every day in App Academy. You have to finish tons of homework, readings and videos to be prepared for the pair-programming in the next day. So be prepared.
Beside of the curriculum, you will meet many cool people here. The TAs and your cohort mates are super friendly, helpful and cool! You may feel like you are not qualified for the program. But hey, they chose you for a reason, so trust in yourself.
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Anonymous
Positive Atmosphere
This bootcamp is challenging - it really demands a lot of your mind, body, and time for the 3 months that it goes on. But the atmosphere is so positive, the TA's and your fellow students are all so supportive of you and want you to succeed. Definitely worthwhile!
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Anonymous
Software Developer
The curriculum is designed to accommodate all levels of learners to drive them towards a fully qualified full stack developer. The curriculum is fast paced and teaches youto pick up spped as well.
The staff were always been friendly and helpful with extensive knowledge in their assigned areas. -
Anonymous
Difficult but super rewarding
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App Academy has a very different structure compared to other bootcamps in the nation. One of the main differences is that their success comes after your success. The instructors and TAs truly devote their best energy and effort in teaching you everything to become a real software engineer by the end of the program. Throughout those 12 weeks, you will be learning new materials almost everyday and able to apply those new skills to your daily pair programming and projects. You will also be challenged on 6 assessments in order to retain your spot in the program; however, those assessments are the positive reinforcement to push you to learn. One of my favorite moments at a/A is when I completed my full-stack project with all the skills I learned from the program. That kind of satisfaction cannot be expressed in words. If you are also thinking of becoming a software engineer, I would highly recommend you to apply to a/A because there is no better place than this bootcamp.