App Academy

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.

App Academy demands your full attention and it definitely requires it to make it through.  As a history of being a terrible student, being pushed through these paces was definitely challenging.  Hopeful bootcampers should always keep in mind that all bootcamps are not prepared with the same teaching knowledge and focus as can be found in most accredited schools.  And thus there are many points where you may find it uncomfortable, difficult and divergent from what you may be used to.  Bootcamps are first and foremost businesses.  That being said, App Academy is highly regarded, rigorous and demands 10-12 hours a day.  It takes some level of emotional support or mental fortitude to go the mile in tact.

The amount of material App Academy requires students to learn within 3 months is tremendous. If students don't keep up every day and manage time well, it is difficult to keep up. To put it into perspective, I took two quarters of C in college and the material I learned was roughly equivalent to the 1 month prepwork that is required after you get in before you actually start the course.

Pros: 
- The material is well thought out and the curriculum is solid. 
- You are surrounded daily by peers just as driven as you. 
- Great staff and instructors. (Just as in any educational setting you'll find some spectacular instructors vs good instructors) 
- Able to learn materials needed to get a job within a succinct amount of time

Cons: 
-The curriculum pacing in the beginning is a bit slow and suddenly week it speeds up quickly after week 4 making it difficult to catch up at times 
- You are required every day from 9 - 6pm and with the homework is usually a 12 hour work day. This could be considered a pro if you don't have other commitments such as family, or spend two hours commuting daily as I did. 
- No longer a 12 week bootcamp but a mandatory 13 week course

Overall, App Academy is a solid program, and the instructors are committed in seeing you succeed. They have a solid business model which makes them even more motivated to help the students. Would definitely recommend App Academy to anyone who has the passion and resources.

a/A was an amazing opportunity that I'm definitely happy and thankful I chose to take! a/A is a ton of work, and requires extreme dedication in order to be successful. However, I wasn't surprised at this because a/A is very clear that it is an intensive program. You will not succeed if you are not willing to make a/A your #1 priority. The more preparation you give yourself, the better. a/A provides some prep work, but if you push yourself to do more (e.g., study algorithms, javascript, oop, etc.) you'll be even more prepared. I never felt like I wouldn't be able to succeed here, as long as I was willing to put in the effort. I don't have a job yet, so I can't vouch for that aspect of it. However, the program itself was amazing and I feel very prepared. For the past couple months I have been learning at a really fast pace. I do not have a STEM background (majored in Psychology in college), so don't let it scare you off if you don't have a STEM background! From the very beginning I felt like a/A was SUPER organized. It's really impressive. They update the material with each cohort in order to stay current, and make sure that the material they are using is the best it can be. The whole program is highly organized, with homework given each night and specific projects to work on during the day (as well as lecture). I definitely felt like there were enough TAs to help us out while we're working. You spend the first several weeks of a/A pair programming on a daily basis. This was a great experience, and definitely helped me learn a lot from my peers. I definitely think a/A is a great place to be! However, we go through material extremely quickly. If you're the type of person who would want to go at a slower place a/A might not be the right place for you. There's nothing wrong with this, just differing learning styles! Most of the projects I started, I was not able to finish. This is how the program is built. It moves quickly, and you learn a ton. 

The curriculum is very fast and you get grouped with like-minded people who also want to learn and get a job. The TA's are very helpful and they are constantly available to answer your questions during the daily assignments.

There are some things to be wary about, though. If you fall behind, you will be playing catch up and be stressed for the rest of the curriculum. For that reason, I suggest people who are looking to attend to prepare by making going through free online classes on Ruby, Javascript, and some basic SQL. Know about object oriented programming. The prepwork they send you if you get in is a drastic change of pace from the coding challenges that you will be doing to get in.