App Academy

TL;DR
Yes, you will learn enough at App Academy to find employment as a software engineer and earn salary at market rate, but be prepared to do a good amount of work on your own after the program.

I graduated from App Academy earlier this year. I was waiting until I found a job before I wrote this review. To be transparent, App Academy offers a free sweatshirt for writing reviews, regardless of rating, but my intention here is to share my experience and honest opinions.

Initially I applied to App Academy and Hack Reactor, as these appeared to be the top two bootcamps with the most rigorous admissions process. I ended up choosing App Academy because you learn two languages, Javascript and Ruby, and they offer tuition deferment.  

The curriculum is App Academy's best asset.  I can attest that they teach Ruby, Rails, SQL, and React very thoroughly. They lay a strong foundational basis for Javascript, jQuery, HTML/CSS, and algorithms for you to improve upon later. And you will have to study some of these topics on your own to get to a level sufficient for employment, particularly when it comes to Javascript. 

Other positive points of the program include pair programming, supportive staff, smart cohort mates, etc. The staff for the most part consists of App Academy graduates, teaching and non. This is a double edged sword; on the one hand they know the curriculum very well, having gone through it themselves, but as most of them don't have industry experience, it becomes challenging when you have question beyond the scope of the curriculum. App Academy is also deeply committed to providing a safe, inclusive environment. They take violations of their code of conduct incredibly serious and as a female of color, I very much appreciated these efforts.

The job search curriculum is not as strong as the academic portion, but it is a work in progress and constantly changing. I was expecting App Academy to have built connections with recruiters and companies over the past several years, but that was not the case. There is a small team called Talent Match that does focus on outreach to companies, but no one that I know in my cohort or previous cohorts has found work through them. You are pretty much on your own in terms of finding and securing work. App Academy provides resources and suggestions on where to look for work, how to write your resume and cover letter, how to network, what networking events are happening each week, interview practice, etc. but this information is also readily available on the internet. They do have a relatively good alumni network (that's how I ended up finding my job) but that is mostly dependent on the individual and how willing they are to help others. I'd like to see App Academy have hiring partners that recruit directly from App Academy graduates and continue building their alumni network.

In the end, it took me three months to find a job, which is about average. For me, the job search was the hardest part. I had to do CONSIDERABLE additional learning on my own, with little App Academy structure and the entire reason I wanted to attend a bootcamp in the first was place was to have everything laid out for me. Recently App Academy added a job seeker program which was somewhat helpful in organizing my time and giving me some form of structure. 

From what I've seen, it's taking each cohort longer and longer to find work. Alums I spoke to from a couple years ago often found work within weeks. The first person from my cohort to find work took almost a month. This is no surprise considering the volume of students that App Academy and other bootcamps graduate every few weeks. The best piece of advice I can give here is to be prepared for that both financially and mentally. Also recognize that it really is a numbers game, the more jobs you apply to, the better your chances of an interview, and the more interviews, the better you get at them, the more likely you are to get an offer.

To address and/or echo some of the comments/criticisms that have made here. Yes, the 13 weeks are extremely time intensive and you will probably feel burned out at the end (I know I did). You don't have much time to recover post program/pre applying to jobs, however, I did find the staff accommodating and reasonable like humans, not like corporate robots. There are rules because students perform better when there are consequences but the rules are not so rigid that App Academy will not work you if have a concern.

App Academy has probably been one of the best and most unique experiences I've had. I was admitted through their JumpStart program, which I gave me a good sense of the actual bootcamp would be like.  Even though I have no prior coding experience, App Academy has provided me the resources I needed to succeed. 

PROS:
- STAFF: App Academy has amazing staff members. They're always very willing to provide help and share their experiences with you. All the TA's have gone through the program previously, so they really understand how you feel.  Everyone is very knowledgeable and ready to tackle your next bug.
- CURRICULUM: The curriculum is constantly being updated to match the current state of the industry. They know what is hot at the moment and what employers are looking for. Every night there is always homework and readings to be completed to prepare for the next day.

CONS:
- STRICT: Because of their unique business model, they do have to hold us accountable. Assessments happen often, and you have to be prepared for them. If you fail two assessments, you will be asked to leave the program.
- WORKLOAD: Be prepared to dedicate yourself 110% to this program. It really is a commitment and determination. 

They are not kidding when they advertise a 90-100 work week. This is a difficult program but if you are like me you need the structure of a course to learn coding in a reasonable amount of time. I got from App Academy exactly what I wanted, a full development stack while learning the best programming practices. While you will need to continue to polish your skills after the program, they teach you how to pick up new technologies. 

The program teaches you valuable skills to get a job in this competitive market. A lot of the teacher assistants have personally been through the program themselves which makes it easy for them to understand our struggles. The curriculum was intense and at some points you struggle to find time to finish all the material which would come from your sleeping time. Overall its worth the time, effort and money.

App Academy was the most time-consuming and stressful experience of my life thus far, but I am amazed at how much I was able to learn in such a short amount of time. The instructors and students do a wonderful job of pushing you to continue despite tiredness and frustration. The hands-on learning style and very knowledgeable instructors/TAs make for an effective learning environment.

App Academy is one of my biggest decision in life to date. I am currently in week 10 of the program, and it has been everything that I expected but more.

The hours are not a joke. Expect to put in 80-100 hours a week on programming and do nothing else. Coming from a engineering background, I was really relaxed for the first two weeks, but the the program quickly outpaced my existing knowledge. I started learning completely new technologies every week, and got tested the following week on a decent level. The fast-paced program helped me learn a lot in a short period of time, which I definitely could not have accomplished on my own.

The people you meet here are incredible, I didn't think there would actually be graduates from Harvard MBA, Stanford, MIT, or ex-workers from Google, Pinterest.

The only thing you have to know that App Academy is still a company and it has to make profi. They try to pack a lot of materials into the job search curriculum where you build your javascript project and flex project, each in less than a week. So the last couple weeks of the program can be a little overwhelming.

Overall a great experience!

App Academy is a great bootcamp for kickstarting a career as a software developer. The curriculum is comprehensive and constantly being updated to ensure its relevance. Be prepared to focus all of your energy to the bootcamp as it will require about 80 hours a week. The one downside to App Academy is that you are required to continue to come into App Academy until you find a job.

Overall, App Academy is a great program: The curriculum is for the most part, adequately structured as well as relevant to the current web development market. The staff (especially the Teaching Assistants who all went through the same program) are excellent for the most part, and greatly benefit both struggling students as well as those who like to get ahead with extra material throughout the course. I attended this program because of its longstanding history of excellence in the job market as well as the deferred payment plan. Be forewarned, however, that in the interest of the company's business model, students under the deferred tuition plan WILL be expected to put in many hours during the job search, and will face a variety of pressures during the assessment as well as the post-program period as App Academy tries their very best to get you a job, so they can be paid in full. This may come as a surprise, but in the end benefits the student as they ALSO should want to find a job as soon as possible. Furthermore, the curriculum is only the barebones of what is expected of a constantly growing industry, and learning programs and technologies on the fly is essential to any software developer regardless of where they are at. Thus, the students attending should be aware of the fact that a job is not GUARANTEED in any way, and will need to put in EXTRA work during or after the program, no matter how intense the program itself is. 80-100 hours per week is NOT a joke, even for those who are ahead, as there are always things to be done, or learned. The more the student gets ahead while they know the material, the better their experience will be. All in All, App Academy is a great place to learn the basics of web development as well as the job search process, but like any other bootcamp, requires much more effort from the student themselves. I recommend that anyone thinking about applying also consider and prepare themselves to do nothing but eat, sleep, and code for at least 3- 6 months.

At App Academy there are an amazing staff of instructors and advisers who work hard to make sure you have the tools you need in order to change your carreer path and become a developer. You'll have to put in the hard work, they are not joking when they say ~80-90 hours a week, but if you put in the time you will see results; ask for help, stay curious, and review.

Enrolling in App Academy was everything I was looking for and easily the best descison I've made in my adult life.

App Academy is a lot of work, but it is a great program. I really appreciated all of the TAs and their guidance as well as the community of students helping each other out. Be prepared to slave your life away to get through the program. But if you are prepared and focused you are going to learn a lot to become a software engineer.

it was very tough & stressful 12weeks since I need to study more than 100 hours in a week but it was worth it. AppAcademy made me a software developer within 3 months. 
If you want to change your career to be a successful software engineer, I would recommend you here.

입학률이 5% 미만이고 99%가 미국인입니다. 네이티브 미국인들에게도 입학이 어려운 곳입니다만 입학만 하면 최고의 사람들과 최고의 환경에서 공부할 수 있습니다. 입학이 어려운데에는 그만한 이유가 있다는 것을 말씀드리고 싶고, 현지인들에게 물어도 부트캠프 중에서는 이 곳을 최고로 뽑습니다. 
미국의 명문대 출신 엘리트들에게 둘러쌓여 매일 매일 자극받으며 공부할 수 있는 좋은 기회였고, 놀라울 정도로 다양한 분야의, 놀라울 정도로 멋진 사람들을 만날 수 있습니다. 
코스 시작 직전에 한국에서 미국으로 온 처지라 언어 장벽이 커서 더 힘들었던 것 같습니다만 열심히 한다면 이해하고 따라갈 수 있습니다. 다만 하루 15시간 정도 공부해야한다는 각오가 없다면 추천드리고싶지 않습니다. 일주일에 100시간정도 공부해야만하다고 생각하시면 좋습니다. 
한국에서는 잘 다루지 않는 Ruby 및 Ruby on rails 에 대해 심도있게 배울 수 있으며, 코스 졸업 시점에는 javascript, css/scss, html5를 포함한 full stack web application 개발에 필요한 스킬을 갖게 됩니다. 
커리큘럼도 훌륭하지만 졸업 후 job support가 정말 좋습니다. 수업료가 졸업생들의 연봉으로 결정되는 형태인지라, 너의 성공이 나의 성공이라는 인식이 강해서 아주 열심히 도와줍니다.

If you want to become a software developer, and you are ready to dedicate 90+ hours a week learning and coding, then App Academy is the right program for you. If you want to learn coding in a structured and supportive environment, then App Academy is the right program for you. You will learn a lot - Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, React, just to name a few - but it won't be easy and in no means a free ride to becoming a software engineer. You will get as much out of this program as how much you invest in it. Often times, the curriculum does not teach you everything you need to know, and it is your responsibility to do research and ask questions. That last part is important. Ask questions. Understand everything deeply every step of the way. The curriculum is fast paced, culminating in personal projects and a job search curriculum consisting of algorithm lectures and job search mentoring. The program is not perfect, and I expected more. Specifically, I would have preferred to not have all lectures be conducted by TA's most of whom are past App Academy grads (they are very skilled and supportive, don't get me wrong).

TL;DR App Academy is a rigorous coding program. Expect to do nothing but code, eat, sleep, and repeat, for 13 weeks, and look for jobs afterwards.

App Academy is an intense program. It's not for someone who just wants to try out coding for a while, and it would be an even greater struggle for people who don't truly enjoy programming (so try to figure that out first). However, if you're committed to learning what they have to teach and making it into your new career, it will get you further than you would think possible in a 3 month span: you'll know how to code in several languages (all of which are relevant for the current job market), and you will have created several web applications of your own by the time you graduate. The slight downside is that they can't teach you everything in 3 months. But that's why a passion for both coding and learning is important, so that you can motivate yourself to fill in any gaps or pursue and particular interests on your own. After the foundation that you build at a/A, you'll be able to teach yourself independently whatever you might want to know about web development.

There is a reason that App Academy is considered one of the premier coding programs in the country. If you get in, and make it through this rigorous, pressure-inducing curriculum (students who don't keep up are asked to leave), you're probably pretty good at the codes. But to make it through, it takes an incredible amount of tenacity and hard work, followed by an incredible amount of tenacity and hard work (for those of you in the biz- this is indeed recursive).

For 3 months, all you will be doing is coding. Tell your friends+family you will be unavailable for 3 months. I am very nearly not kidding. 90+ hour weeks are commonplace. You will immerse yourself in the curriculum, being helped along the way by a kind staff and supportive TAs.

One of App Academy's differentiators is it does not collect tuition from students until after they get a job as a software developer, and the amount it collects varies depending on the actual salary. So, they are heavily-incentivized to teach you cutting-edge technologies and do everything they can to help you become a skilled software developer, so that you can get offers at the top of the market at the program's conclusion.

App Academy is not for people who are not 100% dedicated to succeeding. You have to put forth more effort than perhaps anything you've ever done in your life, but it is very worth it you want to be a software developer.

I had known it would be a tough program but it ended up being tougher than I thought. If you choose to attend, do your best to live as close to a/A as possible. Losing 10-15 hours of sleep/study time a week is a considerable disadvantage.

With that being said, a/A is potentially life-changing. Yes, it can be stressful and a lot of work. Yes, the curriculum does a good job but isn't flawless. At the end of the day, you can go from making $0 to six figures in less than a year. With all the stress and long hours people are subjected to, it can be easy to lose perspective of the fact that this opportunity is pretty much unheard of. Bootcamps in general may not have the best reputation but it is known that a/A and Hack Reactor have very impressive placement rates and graduate salaries.

Attending App Academy's Immersive Course was a good experience that allowed me to learn the software developer skills needed for my growth in this field. Their curriculum provides a good base, but do expect to spend 60-80 hours per week during the three-month course including some time for self study. In addition to the education received, I made many good friends and network contacts. I recommend App Academy's immersive course for anyone looking to take their career to the next level, but be mindful of the amount of work needed to realize personal success in this program.

At first I was wary of the premise of coding bootcamps - learn the fundamentals of programming in 12 weeks and get a job?! It seemed too good to be true. But after reading more reviews and talking to a close friend who went through the program, it seemed like it was legit. Once I was admitted to the program and showed up on the first day, I was reassured to find out that the education - and the support - was solid. The instructors actually care about you learning to the best of your ability and finding a job. In fact, if you don’t find a job, the company loses money due to their delayed payment model, so it’s in the best interest for both you and the company to find a position. As a result, nothing about the program felt gimmicky or padded - everything I learned here helped me to develop my skills as a software developer.

Guys, this is the real deal. But let me give a caveat: to succeed, you have to give 100% of your effort. Don’t think that this program will magically help you get a job in a few weeks. It’s not that simple. The program will help you achieve great things, but only if you put in the work and the effort. Everyone in my class had to work their asses off and many people would stay in the office until 10 PM to get their work done or prepare for the next day. But in the end, all the time spent working and hustling will be worth it.

Since I’ve graduated over a year ago, nearly everyone in my class of about 50 students found jobs and are now working for a variety of different tech companies and startups. I, myself, found a job and am currently working for a startup as a software developer, and I had only started learning how to code a couple months before the program started. 

It IS possible to switch careers and find work as a software developer, and I couldn't have gotten even close to doing so without the help of App Academy. Just have patience, tenacity, and a good work ethic, and you’ll be able to pull off amazing things.

The program definitely requires a huge commitment, in terms of time and effort. You are required to be in class every weekday and you need to be in San Francisco to attend the bootcamp. So, if you are not committed, it probably isn't the best fit.

The class itself moves super fast, so you have to constantly learn and absorb new materials. You likely will not have much time for fun during the 12 weeks bootcamp. However, the result is rewarding. You learn a lot about programming and the fundamentals. I found it easier to learn other languages and frameworks after going through the curriculum. 

Their financial model also benefits the students, so you don't have to pay until you get an offer. It helps to keep the bootcamp accountable. 

Like you, I was initially skeptical of coding bootcamps too, but I decided to take a leap with App Academy (especially since they offered a deferred tuition plan).

Prior to App Academy, I had zero coding experience. I spent about a month and a half studying to get in, then another month and a half to complete their prep work before day one. After admission, I had class from 9am - 6pm, followed by 1-3 hours of readings/homework for the rest of the evening. As other reviewers mentioned, it's quite the mentally and emotionally draining experience.

But stick with it. Their curriculum they offer is frequently updated. Their staff is accessible and passionate about what they teach. Their job support is awesome: daily whiteboarding and/or mock interviews, help with online presence (LinkedIn, AngelList, your portfolio, your GitHub, etc.), and personal career coaches help guide you through the process. 

To be honest, I also did feel like some of their initiatives in promoting diversity and welcomeness felt a bit forced -- but hey, it's the tech industry. Bottom line: the staff means well, they value team players, and they're committed to giving everyone the same opportunity to succeed.

Eight months ago, I knew absolutely zero about coding or web development. In a few weeks, I'll be starting my job as a software developer. If you're ready to take the leap, it works.