App Academy

App Academy is the most rigorous program I have ever completed, but it was absolutely worth it. Starting with no coding experience, I was able to develop three full-stack projects by the end of the course. The program equips you with all the support you need from instructors, TAs, career coaches, and fellow students.

I loved the structured curriculum, as it suited my learning style perfectly. However, be prepared for a very fast-paced environment that requires your full dedication. If you want to break into tech, learn how to code from scratch, and are willing to commit all your time to become a developer, I would definitely recommend App Academy.

At the end of the day, success ultimately depends on your commitment and effort to secure your first job in the field, which is tough in this market. However, after completing the bootcamp, you will have the confidence to keep pushing forward. Read less

They fired all of the TAs while I was here and our best instructor. You don't get what you pay for. The learning experience is trash, and their courseware is way oversimplified compared to what you do in the real world. They don't teach any data structures or algorithms, this place only exists as a scam to steal your money as they are way overpriced for what you get. Go anywhere else, or better yet, teach yourself. I paid $31000 for a subpar education. Read less

Know what you are signing up for. For me it was a great course, I learned alot, got a job, even in an awful market, and did it all in less time and for less money than a typical degree. If you do this you will learn alot and a valuable skill set, but you may be unemployed for a year or more during it and the job search. Read less

I went through the in person bootcamp experience at New York City. I thought the program was definitely extremely challenging at times and know that it's definitely not for everyone. However I felt that the environment, staff, instructors, and people I was with at the time were very encouraging and it was an overall great place for education and growth. Luckily I was able to land a job with help from both my cohort mates and job placement staff after a few months but I am definitely very fortunate for that.  Read less

I was looking for a career change and this program was recommended by a friend who had gone through it. After reviewing some other bootcamps, I ultimately decided this was going to be the best for me. (I did this all online because it was COVID times).
The teaching is great with plenty of coaching available from the staff and your other cohort mates. The curriculum is very well thought out, and its apparent that they are always trying to improve on its structure. The weekly tests are high stakes, but all the tools for success are right there for you. Its not just the coding portion they help you with either. After graduating they have tons of weekly workshops for resumes, websites, practice interviews, practice tests... and they push you hard to apply for a lot of jobs and always practice and improve so you can get through interviews and stand out to employers.
AppAcademy's goal is very clearly and unapologetically: to prepare you for a job in tech. If you can't handle 50-70 hour weeks, learning at breakneck speed, or if you can't pass a job interview, then this might not be for you. But if you are ready, willing, and able to work as hard as you ever have for 6 months straight, the rewards and opportunities for you are endless.
I was literally working in a warehouse sweeping floors and running deliveries before I started the program. I was exceptionally motivated to pass, and after 6 months of school and about 500 job applications I now have a real career as a software developer at a fortune 500 company.
This program is not cheap, but it is sooooo worth it. I can't recommend AppAcademy enough. It is quite literally life-changing. (Plus you get a sweet shirt when you graduate)  Read less

App Academy taught me the skills necessary to succeed in the software industry. I heavily leveraged their partnership program to get connected with the right company and I landed a fantastic job after 3~4 months. This is absolutely true. 

However, it’s naive to think that their 24 week course will give you ultimate super powers. What they offer is teaching you how to research and learn as an independent thinker. You will become very intelligent, leading to incredible strength on and off computers. 

FYI, I had to learn TypeScript, Electron, Capacitor, Nx monorepos, Recoil, Jotai, creating my own Node.js based plugins, etc. since starting my new job, but I would have failed miserably if I tried to study on my own. Some people can achieve this as a self taught programmer, but if you like to learn best practices and bounce ideas off of the smartest people you’ve met, App Academy is for you. Read less

I took the 24 week online course and I didn't expect to learn as much as I did in this time. When you look back it is crazy to see the amount of work you did but it is all worth it. There were many long days (and nights) of coding and preparing for the next day but that was essential for understanding all of the information that you had to learn. The course itself was great. You are provided with homework to prepare, lectures in the beginning of the day and pair programming in the afternoon (sometimes timing of that varies). They provide study time to prepare for the upcoming assessment and provide a study guide. They want to see you suceed so ask as many questions as you can. You will learn a lot and won't be able to retain all of the information so going back over the content once you finish the course will really solidify your understanding. Instructors are App Academy graduates so they know what you've been through. They break down the concepts really well but be prepared to feel like you are in over your head. That's going to happen but don't let that stop you, everyone feels that way. If you have prior coding experience a lot of the info is pretty easy to understand but you learning new concepts is still a lot.

The job search was a lot of applying and rejections (especially in this market). Expect it and don't get discouraged. a/A provides you with so much support and has a team of behavioral coaches and a team of technical coaches to help with each aspect. USE THEM. That is where you will get the most out of your time. They provide workshops and mock interviews to make you think in a new way and prepare you for the interview process. They really work with you but  you have to communicate with them.

They have partnerships with companies but that doesn't mean you get the job. You have to go through the interview process like anyone else. Partnerships go in and out because they all aren't hiring all year around. Most have certain times during the year they hire. Read less

a/A is a great bootcamp for anyone looking to break into the SWE field. Their curriculum is constantly changing to stay up-to-date with the market. The entire instruction team is fantastic, and the career coaches are incredibly supportive. They give you all the resources to succeed, but it's up to you to put in the time and effort. Read less

App Academy was my top choice for enrolling in a coding bootcamp because of it's low acceptance rate and rigorous curriculum program. Anyone can code but this program really pushes you through and through. The 24 week program is very fast paced and you will spend much time outside of normal hours studying but the depth of knowledge that you gain is worth it. Compared to many other bootcamps that I know of, App Academy prepares you well enough to provide you with strong foundational skills that other bootcamps don't give to you. This program does a great job emulating real on the job coding practices like pair programming, group projects, daily standups, and more that you can speak to in job interviews. The program is tough and the instructors and TA's are also tough on you but it really does make you a strong programmer. This program is not for those who want to coast through and hope to land a six-figure job right away, you definitely have to put in the work but by the end it'll all be worth it. Read less

I had a wonderful experience throughout.

The curriculum is dense and the pace is really, really fast, which is the point of a hyper-accelerated education program.

If you remain diligent and devote all of your time to your studies, and establish strong connections with your peers, you will make it out the other side with the skills to make it in the industry and some solid new friends.

Teachers Assistants are an invaluable and at times scarce resource, I owe a lot of my success to their willingness to help see me through.

The amount / variety of Job Search support is really impressive.

This is not something that you can do passively, you need to be an active and hungry learner.

It is worth it. Read less

I loved my time at App Academy. I really value getting hands on experience and that's exactly what I got for 6 months straight. Besides just coding you learn how to work with others, how to ask questions, and how to learn things really fast. You will get to build your own projects and you will learn how to learn new technologies. By the end of the curriculum, you will have enough skills to build whatever you like. It was certainly challenging (really challenging!) but if you know this is what you want to do then it quickly becomes a lot of fun as well. 


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As someone who has worked various jobs in the service industry, retail, dog daycares and vet clinics, who has just began his new career as a software engineer, I can say that App Academy is responsible for guiding me through a rapid upshift in my life experience. The curriculum is very fast-paced, but not impossible! The instructors and my classmates were all so positive and we all helped each other to get through it, and to learn and grow. The projects we worked on provided a chance to immediately put into use the new knowledge and skills we picked up each week, in a cumulative manor, which was something I was unable to find on my own trying to teach myself online. The job hunt portion was the most difficult time for me mentally and emotionally, but the support I received from the staff during this point had an immeasurable impact. I'm incredibly grateful for this program.
Pros:The skill of picking up new information and putting it into use, quickly, is a very valuable skill to have. This program will absolutely help you hone that skill. Also, everyone there is so positive!
Cons:During group projects, not always getting to contribute an equal amount / other group members flying ahead left me feeling a little lost and unsure when it came time for solo projects. Best advice? Speak up to your group-mates! Everyone is there to help. Also, the job search portion was probably the most difficult thing I've had to do in my life. Pace yourself, and don't give up hope, IT WILL HAPPEN. Read less

Recently graduated from App Academy and accepted a 6 figures offer within three months of graduation during end of 2022. The learning style really helped and forced me to learn new tech skill in a fast paced environment, daily pair programming allowed me to make a lot new friends and be more confident when working on a new challenge. I think the way it teaches u to code is very similar to working on an actual job. You get to plan, discuss, work and debug with your teammate/partner. I honestly really enjoyed working on the projects. My teammates were awesomeeeeee!!! I really had a great time the past several months. After my graduation, I spent three months looking for job, my career coach is a tech coach, he provided a lot of advice on dsa(leetcode) during weekly meeting, also we got to do mock interview every week with a pair, and etc. other behavior coach also helped me revise my resume and cover letter, and provided a lot tips on how to outreach to companies. Read less

App Academy was the best investment in myself and my career I've made to date, outshining my four years spent at a top ranked college. The 24-week online program allowed more time to solidify fundamentals I now use on a regular basis, and had a pace that helped the material sink in. Pair programming and collaborating with peers on projects was particular helpful in putting lecture learnings into practice. The career planning prep support was instrumental in helping me secure my first job offer placement ~5 weeks after graduating. I've already recommended a/A to friends and have seen them complete the program as well with similar placement timelines. Definitely one of the strongest bootcamps available. Worth it! Read less

Coming from a tech but non-software engineering background, I personally found the course to be rather intensive. I cannot speak for others who have a non-tech background. But challenges are not without rewards, I learned a lot of different technologies in a very short span of time. Just graduating from a bootcamp won't guarantee an engineering job, BUT App Academy did improve my chances of getting hired during my interview phase. Although not every company is open to bootcamp graduates, thankfully my current company was.
Learning Javascript and React was the main reason for helping me land an engineering job. I'm glad to see that the current curriculum teaches Python as Ruby on Rails is not as widely used (although I've seen many positions ask for Ruby on Rails so don't sleep on this language!)
In summary, App Academy provided me with the foundation and habits to unlock my engineering potential. Each student will graduate with their own variation of preferences, experience, and skills. Some will grow into dedicated backend or frontend engineers, others might work as fullstack engineers or even transition to other specialized engineering fields. My favorite part of bootcamp was learning alongside a supportive cohort & network who I still communicate and share ideas with even years after graduation!

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I did App Academy during the pandemic, so I'm not sure how the in-person experience is, but the time I spent learning with App Academy was both impactful and useful. The instructors were very helpful and answered a lot of questions. You are given a lot of resources and a lot of practical work that you can add as projects on your resume. Unlike some bootcamps, you are given mentorship after graduation to help you find a career. Definitely a recommend if you choose not to do the traditional 4 years CS degree. Read less

Deciding to attend App Academy was one of the best choices I've made. I went through the 24 week online course, it covered a lot and was intense at times but was easily worth it and has been so rewarding. I've been working in the industry now for over a year and I would not be here without App Academy. They do a great job of ramping you up and teaching you enough to hit the ground running. Their training was thorough and was just what I needed! I have felt on par with my colleagues with equal experience who have CS degrees. Just like anything, you will get what you put into the program, it was a big commitment so you need to make sure you're not on the fence about it. Read less

I attended App Academy in 2021 with no prior programming experience and was placed in a job 2 months after graduation where I was making 3x what I had ever made before. I went with the 24 week online course. The instruction varied from ok to spectacular, but there was a lot of wonderful support from the teachers, TAs, and classmates, both technical and emotional. Post graduation, they provide job search support, which was such a huge help. They give you all the tools to be successful, all you have to do is commit to being a good student and you'll come out on top. This was seriously the best professional decision I could have made and I'm so happy that I went for it. Read less

I was part of one of the very first online cohorts 2 years ago. The class was difficult, which was expected. I passed all 6 exams and the course itself.

Most days were an hour or two lecture, then you typically are put in a zoom with one other student, who you then work with for 6 hours. This can be hit or miss, one of the classes for example, I had a fellow student present for the first 5 mins, and asked me to cover for them every time a teacher checked in. This no longer felt like adults learning a career, this felt like high school kids ditching class.

Overall, I was able to learn the material, but with more credit to the hours I did on my own after the class, rather than working with another student who also didn't know what they were doing for 6 hours a day. I was somewhat aware of this stuff already going in.

What I did not expect, was how little they help you get a job after the class. They advertise the heck out of it, but they did nothing.

-I had multiple staff quit throughout my time there, so I was constantly needing to reintroduce myself and explain things to new staff, at times basically restarting my job search.

-They advertise connections they have with other companies for employment, but they were all near their campuses in CA and NY. Like I said, I was in the online class, and they had 0 recommendations for Florida. Their advice would be to 'find networking events', this was during lockdown.

-The job search program as a whole, just came off as a way for them to drop you from the program and bill you the full tuition. You need to do 25-40 applications a week depending on your 'job coach' and 40 hours of job search. If you don't, you get a strike for each of those offenses. 10 strikes and you are dropped and are liable for the tuition. This did not happen to me, but it was what you were subtly threatened with, every week. It took two weeks for it to feel like I was doing job applications for app academy, rather than myself. I was stressed trying to hit a certain number or apps, rather than find a job.

-Their job coaches at the time, we're not job coaches. They were more like a/A police, doing their best to get their company money. This job search did not help me at all, and in fact, hurt me. I had to keep applying at these companies in Florida, who barley knew what a coding bootcamp was. I was broke, taking loans, and couldn't go back to my previous job field, because that would break contract and I'd again be liable for 30k.

I was very excited getting accepted into App Academy, at a time I needed some help in my life. The whole experience ended setting me back 3 years. I am worse off, from attending App Academy.

***************UPDATE 11/28/22****************
It has been 8 months since I posted this review. This post is quite long, but I assume if you are still reading, you may be a former student in a similar situation, or simply curious about the program.

This month (November 2022) I began receiving emails from App Academy, requesting help as a program graduate, to help test their current students. Not a job offer, just asking me to help. I replied asking to be removed from that email list. App Academy's response just a few days later was a demand for my financial documents. This email came on a Thursday, requesting my financial documents by Monday, or else I would owe the full $30k immediately from 2019.

The request to be removed from emails and demand for my financial documents may be coincidence, but prior to this exchange, I had not heard from them in a year.

Feeling as I had no other option, I sent them my documents. Turns out I qualify for my $500 to be refunded. App Academy agrees and creates an invoice stating I would be refunded that week. I am here now 8 days later, with no responses to phone calls. Read less

During the pandemic, I was looking for different boot camps to get into IT as an app developer. I stumbled upon an App Academy boot camp, got tested, and signed up for a 16-week course. Great instructors who explained the material in simple and accessible language. The best job coaches were very supportive, gave us 1:1 sessions to analyze and improve soft skills, and shared their experiences and tips on interviewing. A lot of different workshops that help you stay on track Read less