App Academy is closed
This school is now closed. Although App Academy is no longer accepting students or running its program, you can still see historical information and App Academy alumni reviews on the school page.
Read more Read less : About App Academy
Founded in 2012, App Academy is a global online coding bootcamp with a focus on software engineering. App Academy offers both full-time (24 weeks) and part-time (48 weeks) online options. Alumni have found Software Engineering roles at a range of start-ups and top tech companies.
App Academy's curriculum covers AI, SQL, JavaScript, Python, HTML, and CSS, in addition to state-of-the-art tools and web frameworks like ReactJS, Express, Flask, and SQL Alchemy. Working in a dynamic team environment, students will build complex web applications that will form the foundation of their portfolio.
App Academy’s goal is to ensure students not only land a full-time Software Engineering role, but also advance in their careers for years to come. Dedicated career coaches offer job search support ranging from mock technical/non-technical interviews and resume reviews, to connecting grads with App Academy's vast employer network. From there, App Academy's partnerships team connects graduates with some of the most prestigious tech companies in the industry.
1,153 reviews of App Academy
-
Alec Keeler Verified via LinkedIn
App Academy is great for those with dedication to bettering themselves
I started with App Academy's boot camp prep, and it was WELL worth the money as someone who had no coding experience. The boot camp itself was tough and stressful, but the instructional staff are amazing and supportive. I always felt like I had the help I needed to succeed, and I feel confident about entering the industry, despite an unrelated background. Highly recommend it! -
Jamie Verified via GitHub
Tough but worth it
Read more Read less of Jamie's review
If you're looking for a structured program that pushes you harder than you could ever push yourself, this is it.
Pros:
- Daily projects to practice the concepts you learn
- TAs to help you along the way
- Three major projects for your portfolio towards the end of the course
- Your cohort-mates are just as motivated as you so it's a really good environment to be in
Cons:
- They move through the material really fast and it always feels like you never completely learn everything (which is expected I guess, given the amount of info taught in such a short amount of time
- There are weekly assessments - two fails result in a dismissal, which adds a lot of stress in addition to the course load
- They mean it when they say 'expect to work 80-90+ hours a week'. -
Tarik Gul Verified via LinkedIn
Review
Read more Read less of Tarik Gul's review
Overall, i really loved my time at a/A. The TA's are amazing, and really are there to see you succeed. But keep in mind they are app academy graduates (they are all very intelligent) so if you're going to ask a question outside of the scope of the curriculum don't always expect an answer, but i promise you if they don't know they will do there best to get back to you with an answer. This is not bad though because as a software engineer you'll always have to figure stuff out on your own and thats totally ok. My only real criticism of App Academy is not allowing you to use laptops in lecture. Honestly it bothered me more than it should but it definitely took me and my attention away from lectures, as i suck at taking notes. Just imagine trying to follow along to dry code while watching someone give you a lecture Redux. The days i got away with having my laptop in lecture, i was completely focused took incredible notes in notion, and learned a bunch. The days i didn't which was most, i didn't pay attention, i slacked off, and made up for it during pair programming and at night, which was super annoying. If you cant tell already it really bothered me.
When it comes to the curriculum, there are parts I definitely disagree with but overall they jam pack you with more than you'll ever be able to grasp all at once. Which is excellent. From high level algorithms to LRU Cache, and hashing functions, to understanding the foundations of a MVC framework. They definitely need to teach hooks in React though, and get away from only teaching class Components. It's out of date, compile rate is way slower and the industry is staying away from class Components, unless its dealing with error handling. They need to teach less ruby and more React. Ruby is a really beautiful but also a really easy language. The amount of time they focus on it is probably better spent elsewhere.
Job Support so far is alright, everything seems to out of order though. Not sure where to go or what to do most times. The lectures are way too long and could be shortened by 2/3, or a simple email.
Im being very critical right now, but thats because these were the things i wish i knew before i went into App Academy. Do i regret joining? Hell No!!
Did i meet some amazing people that ill be friends with forever? Yes!!!! Did i learn a lot? YES!! Can they improve? Yes! are they the best bootcamp youll get. Also YES!
-
Spencer Iascone Verified via GitHub
a/A is tough, but you've got this!
Read more Read less of Spencer Iascone's review
They call it a bootcamp for a reason: App Academy is tough, but you've got this.
I started a/A with a background in the arts. My experience in coding was pretty much limited to a few Arduino loops and some sine wave generation I had learned once, in a class in college, 10 years ago. 16 weeks later, just as they said I would, I have the skills to build fully functional and stylish web applications, with knowledge of roughly a dozen or so languages and APIs. It was great! That said, as I've mentioned, it was tough; mentally, physically and emotionally, just all around exhausting.
If you are considering a/A, definitely think it over, don't just jump into it. If you have family who will be around/helping during your time in the program, talk it through with them as well because it can be hard for them too. You might not get to see them as much as you'd think because the days run long. And you will most likely have a few bad days and it's good to let them know that's a possibility. Keep your communication open.
Despite the toughness and frustrations that come with a program like this it is worth it. And a/A has a fabulous staff who really does have your back. They encourage and prop you up when you are down from day one to the end. 15 weeks in I had a major breakthrough and I sent a message to one of my main counselors saying "It's the first time in 15 weeks that I've felt like I've got this". Their response was "regardless of how you felt in the past 14 weeks, you've always got it!" I can't thank them enough, the technical help they provided was great, the compassion was priceless.
If you are interested in coding and you need a place to start App Academy is a great place for it. -
Neil Desai Verified via LinkedIn
Challenging
Read more Read less of Neil Desai's review
What you get is what you put into it. I definitely learned a lot at App Academy, and going in with a month of programming knowledge, over the 16 weeks of this course I've learned much more than I ever imagined. However, the experience is extremely draining - mentally, physically, and emotionally. Be prepared to spend 10-12 hour days studying/working/commuting because that is what a coding bootcamp is.
Pros: I learned a lot from the curriculum and the daily pair programming. TAs were very friendly, understanding, and willing to help. My classmates were warm, hard-working, and bright and I am happy to call many of them friends. You will come out of the program with 3 projects, a good understanding of the job market at an entry level but most importantly you will learn HOW to learn to code and find resources and work through problems on your own because there is so much to learn, especially starting from scratch.
Cons: Lectures seemed very shallow and time-consuming and not the most helpful beyond a surface level overview. TA to student ratio was not the best and so at times it took a while for a question to be answered. Job search curriculum is generic and arbitrary deadlines are annoying to deal with when working on several other projects at the same time. Struggling through projects is difficult as you are not taught everything you need to know but also rewarding when you are able to learn and solve problems on the fly. -
Joseph Johnston Verified via LinkedIn
A great experience
I had a wonderful experience at App Academy. TA's were very knowledgable and supportive. I highly recommend. The curriculum was quite rigorous and has definitely been the most challenging yet rewarding experience of my life. Anyone looking to join a bootcamp should apply here. -
James Berke Verified via LinkedIn
Learning Environment
Read more Read less of James Berke's review
App Academy was a great experience for me. The teaching staff were very knowledgable and were quick to answer questions. The program really does take 60 - 80 hours a week to get the full experience, it is very hard work but well worth it in the end. The support they provide to help you as you learn new languages and frameworks to building new projects to showcase abilities and eventually guide you through the job search has been very solid. Overall a positive experience, but if you can't handle stressful deadlines and costly tests I would opt for a more relaxed and fleshed out program. -
Naveen Verified via LinkedIn
Learning Experience
Read more Read less of Naveen's review
Make no doubt of it, going through App Academy does actually require the rigor and work they warn you about. I had no idea I was capable of handling the amount of work and material taught, and as we got deeper into the program, I absolutely felt the stress that came with it. However, if you go through with the program, keep your head up and do the work you should, App Academy teaches you a lot, and tries their best to keep you job ready.
PROS:
Tons of information, some explained very indepth, some not so much.
Help from TAs.
Interesting projects, helped apply the technologies we'd learnt.
CONS:
Not allowed to use laptops to take notes... for a coding bootcamp...
Not nearly enough TAs to student ratio, especially when that help is a big part of their program
Personally feel like the Javascript portion should've been longer, and Ruby could have been shortened - even an extra week or two for JS would've worked great
-
Vincent Tsui Verified via LinkedIn
Invaluable connections
Read more Read less of Vincent Tsui's review
It is an intense bootcamp, and you do learn a lot in 16 weeks, especially if you come into the bootcamp without prior programming experience. There are minimal breaks and you are expected to work over the weekend, and many do get burnt out towards the end, so the schedule could use a little restructuring. If you are an extremely self-motivated person, you may be able to learn the course material online by yourself, but the main benefit of the course is the wonderful team of TAs fostering a positive team environment, the constant collaboration with pair programming, and the invaluable friendships and connections you build along the way. -
Tony Ye Verified via LinkedIn
A rewarding experience
Read more Read less of Tony Ye's review
I attended aA from December 2019 through March 2020, doing the full stack curriculum. This curriculum teaches you how to program from scratch starting with Ruby, then SQL, Ruby on Rails, Javascript and finally React & Redux. I came into this program with prior programming experience, so the first month of so was basically review to me while most of my peers were learning the basics of programming.
I can say that I came away from this course as a better programmer, and fully equipped with the tools necessary to find a job as a software developer. The pace is very fast - you're learning something new every day. It ramps up in speed - we spent the first month working with Ruby, and at the end we went through the Javascript curriculum in only a week. The pair programming experience is great - 95% of my classmates were there to learn and were motivated. You'll be doing pair programming for 10 weeks with a new person everyday, so at the end of it you make some pretty good friends and networking connections out of it. 95% of the stuff you learn is useful; you end up using most of it for the 3 projects at the end that you are required to do. The instructors are great and all of them are there to help you succeed and do better.
I am currently in the job search curriculum portion, where I get lectures on topics such as networking, writing cover letters and resumes, and interviewing. After I graduate, I will be working with a career coach from App Academy for upwards of a year until I find a job. Once you graduate, it doesn't stop - they expect you to spend 8 hours a day, 40 hours of week working on finding a job. If you work better with imposed deadlines, then this is immensely helpful as it prevents you from procrastinating.
Overall - I think that the program is worth the value in tuition. I would recommend payment upfront rather than the deferred model, since you pay less and there's less pressure to find a job after you graduate. But if you like that sort of pressure, then maybe the second option is better for you after all. If I could do it over, I'd definitely attend App Academy again.
-
Nic Kruger Verified via LinkedIn
An Amazing Experience
Read more Read less of Nic Kruger's review
There's certainly a reason they call it a bootcamp. App Academy is intense. It will consume your every waking moment for a full sixteen weeks. But that's a small price to pay for the incredible gains you'll make along the way. In sixteen weeks, I went from knowing almost nothing about coding to building two full stack projects and a JavaScript project that would have seemed impossible at the beginning of the course. My career coach also helped me craft a social media presence and resume that reflect my new skills, and I formed enduring friendships with my classmates that I hope will last a lifetime. -
Bino Nguyen Verified via LinkedIn
App Academy
Read more Read less of Bino Nguyen's review
My experience at App Academy was great! I had so much fun learning how to code and am grateful for this life-changing experience! Like many of the online sources say, it IS really challenging. In the 3 months that you dedicate to App Academy, it is essentially the only thing that you can focus on. However, it is very rewarding in the end and you gain so much knowledge in such a short amount of time. Here are some personal tips and key points that I picked up from my experience at App Academy (Please note that this is from MY experience, and people accomplish/approach things in different ways):
1. App Academy is challenging, but not INSANELY challenging. In my experience, I was able to keep up with App Academy's curriculum while maintaining some social/personal life. Other people say that they dedicate every day, every hour, every minute to App Academy (which is fine), but I felt that there was more free time than initially expected. I would be able to spend my Saturdays and sometimes Sundays doing social/personal stuff, and I honestly felt that this was needed.
2. SLEEP is important. The instructors at App Academy can't stress this enough either. I think the thing that kept my stress level low and made my experience enjoyable was the fact that I forced myself to sleep with my regular schedule (I slept at 10:30pm and woke up at 7:30am everyday). I never felt tired during the working hours and I was still able to keep up with the curriculum.
3. You have to put in the effort to maintain this healthy lifestyle. The only reason why I was able to have fun on the weekends and get 8-9 hours of sleep everyday was the fact that I worked hard during the working hours. It's just as they say - work hard, play hard. If you actually pay attention during the lectures and actually put in your effort during the projects, you'll be able to absorb the information better, especially if you're not tired or stressed. My previous advice isn't to show that App Academy is easy, it's to show that there is a way to maintain good health and a happy lifestyle while going through the rigorous curriculum.
-
Danny Verified via LinkedIn
Challenge yourself for a better life
Read more Read less of Danny's review
App Academy stands out from the other NYC area bootcamps because of its tuition guarantee: your costs are forgiven if you don't secure a full time job in one year. To me, that level of confidence in the program convinced me to give them a chance, and it was well worth it.
Prepare to enter a demanding, yet nurturing environment composed of students and instructors who train you to overcome your personal hurdles and transform yourself into a competitive software engineer. There is no hand-holding here: you will be dismissed if you fail more than two assessments, and you'll need the self-discipline to keep up with the curriculum. However, your classmates will be there to cheer you on, and you'll experience the pride and joy of completing a full-stack project and a JavaScript project all by yourself.
I do wish that the curriculum had taught a different tech stack when I attended (Ruby on Rails isn't very hip these days), and the school's connections to the tech industry could be a little better. The school is improving itself though, and I credit it for helping me land a very good software engineering job. -
Eugene chung Verified via LinkedIn
Sounds too good to be true but it is true
It’s extremely challenging but rewarding. Heavily recommend if you are looking for a career pivot but make sure you are financially stable before taking the leap. -
Herman Xie Verified via LinkedIn
App Academy
Sounds too good to be true when you first hear about the program, but I was desperate when I popped in. The definition of a hole-in-the-wall. I got the software in-track course and wow... it was good. A classic boot camp done right. Crisp Rails, juicy Ruby, stuffed with the essentials (job coach, TA's, and etc.). Just do it! -
Woojin Verified via LinkedIn
I/O
Read more Read less of Woojin's review
What I respect the most about AppAcademy is that the curriculum is continuously being developed, and it is teaching me new materials even after graduation. The instructions are easy to read, and the projects are aimed to teach. It is a hard program where everyone was sleep-deprived and pushed to do better all the time. But by the end of the course, we were eating and breathing codes. Now when you graduate, don't expect the companies to come to your door with offers. You will need to write and keep updating your cover letter and work on your website and projects. Send many many applications every day and embrace the rejections. There will be back to back interviews that bear no fruit. But just like the course, you will be able to get through with the support from your cohort and App Academy career coaches. Good luck!
-
Justin Fernandez Verified via LinkedIn
Rewarding Experience
App Academy gave me the foundation and programming skills to creatively build applications. I have come a long way in just 16 weeks as a software developer. Not only, does App Academy prepare you to become a full fledged software developer, the rigorous course and project based learning heightens your confidence as a transitioning individual into the tech world. -
Jared Verified via LinkedIn
Getting a job was relatively easy after finishing the bootcamp.
Read more Read less of Jared's review
App Academy is known as one of the top coding bootcamps in the country and for good reason. The curriculum is stringent and top-notch. It is a very selective process to even get into the program and when you do the intensity only increases from there. It is a bootcamp after all. This bootcamp is probably the equivalent of the Navy Seals or Green Berets bootcamp but for your programming skills (and your mental capacity).
Most of the stress comes from having to pass 6 assessments in order to stay in the program. They range from topics like basic sort and search algos in Ruby and JS to SQL queries and Rails backend basics. I liked the intensity and learned a lot from the weekend study sessions and nightly homework. I cannot imagine another bootcamp having better, more informed, and brilliant Technical Assistants (teachers) than AA.
Finally, once you struggle through your final projects (building a full-stack application) and learn a ton from this process, you enter the job search curriculum. App Academy is just as stocked with good strategies for landing a well-paying job. Despite me not having the best projects and it being the Christmas / New year holidays, I managed to get some good traction with recruiters and hiring managers to land some interviews and ultimately get a job offer early in the new year. If you can make it through the 3 months of intense technical curriculum, then getting a job is relatively easy, especially in a market like NYC. If you don't mind being uncomfortable in order to grow and be pushed to your limits, this is the place for you.
I would highly suggest this bootcamp for anyone thinking of doing this type of thing. -
Margaret Cavenagh Verified via LinkedIn
Rewarding experience
Read more Read less of Margaret Cavenagh's review
I am incredibly grateful to have gone through App Academy. I went from almost no knowledge of coding to being able to build a full web app within a matter of months. Here are some key takeaways:
- The 40 hours per week of class-time can seem daunting at first, but they do a good job of splitting the time between lecture and pair programming. You usually see people saying it takes 80-100 hours commitment per week, but I'd say 70 hours per week is more accurate if you are good at managing your time and staying focused
- I think a lot of students have mixed feelings about the amount of pair programming we do. Although it is definitely not the most efficient way to code, it really teaches you how to communicate your thought process well and learn to be open to others' ideas
- The student to TA ratio is fantastic. If you aren't too proud to ask for help, you have all the resources you need to succeed
- My main criticism is the breakdown of time spent learning different languages. We spent 4 weeks learning Ruby, but had only 1-2 weeks of instruction on any other language or framework. During our final projects we were expected to learn a new framework over the course of a weekend with minimal to no guidance from the instructors. Of course, you can't learn everything there is to know about coding in only 4 months, so they tend to focus more on practical application rather than theoretical knowledge or deeper understanding of the material -
Aya Shirai Verified via LinkedIn
Seems to be experiencing growing pains
Read more Read less of Aya Shirai's review
The good :
There is an established culture of cooperation, empathy, and inclusion. The curriculum includes materials on issues such as discrimination and monoculture, which was unexpected and welcome.
You will meet interesting people from a variety of backgrounds and the pair coding establishes genuine connections quickly.
Curriculum feedback is listened to and I found the instructors truly care and try to adjust their teaching styles to accommodate different students.
The bad :
Assessments require a lot of memorization, so you have to choose whether to study to understand or to burn all the time you have doing repetitions.
A lot of lectures are done via project coding demo in a lecture hall, but devices aren't allowed so you cannot code along or put notes where you don't understand something. Once you're lost it's all a blur.
When the formal instruction curriculum is finished, you're pretty much on your own. The instructors do their best, but they are vastly outnumbered. The size of the classes has exploded since we got here. There are several of them for 150+ students, it can take ~4 hours to get a question answered.
The handoff from formal instruction to career search and projects felt discombobulated- weeks in limbo without knowing when coaches would be assigned, confusion about who to talk to for scheduling medical appointments, etc. It may be they are short-staffed, as well.
Individual experience notes :
Ask for monitor risers or ergonomic equipment when you need it. It's many many long days and your neck and shoulders and wrists are important. Monitor yourself for burnout, especially when you start coding 70+ hours a week. -
Chris Parfitt Verified via LinkedIn
Absolutely worth it, if you can push yourself
Read more Read less of Chris Parfitt's review
The curriculum is challenging and fast-paced, but absolutely worth it for the experience you get that truly makes you competitive in the job market. After graduation you will have the skills to build full-stack applications and websites, and just as importantly, you will have the knowledge and confidence to learn any new technology that you're interested in that wasn't covered in the course. Most of the work is done via pair programming, which can be uncomfortable in the beginning, but it grows on you and is a really useful skill to have. TA support during the class portion is also really good.
In terms of job support after graduation, I don't find it nearly as successful as the scholastic curriculum. I don't I think App Academy is necessarily at fault, I think it's just really difficult to land your first professional job in general. I think the school is doing most of what they can, access to alumni boards, interview and job searching tips, weekly meetings with advisors, etc., but as a student you should understand that most the weight will be on you to find a job. -
David Verified via GitHub
A learning environment with like-minded individuals
Read more Read less of David's review
I have finished the instructional portion of App Academy and am currently transitioning into the job search portion of App Academy.
If you are comparing App Academy against other bootcamps, I think App Academy is the better option as of this writing. I have a roommate attending Hack Reactor (HR) and my understanding is that HR is equivalent to the second half of App Academy. In practice, this means you lose out on learning a second language (Some companies, such as Google, care about how many languages you learn) and do not learn databases or CSS as deeply.
If you are wondering whether you are a good fit for App Academy, I would follow the advice of those before me and go through Harvard's computer science Edx program before attending. It is not imperative that you fully understand everything from that course, but a general idea of the concepts helped me excel at App Academy. I came from a political science background, but I understood programming concepts thanks to predicate logic, the Harvard Edx course, and from video games. So, you do not need extensive knowledge of coding, but attending App Academy without some exposure is a mistake.
The program itself is rather rigorous and you will find that you live under a rock for the duration of it. Our cohort had the easiest time because our program aligned with several holidays. Nevertheless, I found myself skipping my normal gym routine in favor of late-night studying. The most telling part of the workload was when I caught the flu and missed an entire week at App Academy. During that time, I still did the work, on my own, and turned it in to avoid strikes (Yes, you get strikes while sick). I often thought I could rest and make up for lost time later that night, but when I compared my pace to my classmates, I found that not only were they working while I was resting, but even during the hours I felt I could pull ahead. Simply put, there is no escaping the time-sink involved in this type of program. When we finished the material and began personal projects, I found myself running on four hours of sleep per night.
How enjoyable the experience is will largely depend on your fellow students. I felt as if I shared a lot of experiences with my cohort and that they made the experience enjoyable. It is impossible for me to say whether other cohorts will be as exceptional. You will find yourself interacting with at least half the cohort due to paired programming and your breaks will be spent discussing the material. Personally, I enjoyed pair programming since I value the time I spend with my cohort, but some people felt it was not as enjoyable -- it really depends on your preferences.
My biggest criticisms of this program are its strike policy and location. As previously mentioned, you accrue strikes while sick and that inclined people to attend class, with the flu, during my time at App Academy. My other criticism is that it is located in rather expensive places. It might not be feasible to relocate, but New York and San Francisco are infamously expensive locations and are not necessarily the nicest places (In terms of cleanliness). Be prepared to budget if you attend. I know some people mitigate this cost by traveling from afar, but given the tedium of the program, I would highly advice against it.
Overall, I think the program pushes acquainted individuals to become great software engineers.I wouldn't recommend it to people with zero exposure to coding, but a little preparation will alleviate that concern. I was surprised to read that professional developers are paying to learn material App Academy teaches such as React and Redux. I often impressed my software engineer friends when I told them what we learned/were learning, so I believe the curriculum is rather exceptional.
-
Lisa Verified via LinkedIn
Intense, fast paced, stressful but rewarding program
Read more Read less of Lisa's review
App Academy is a fast-paced and rigorous program. If you are willing to learn, they will give you more than enough to learn in the span of 3 months. That being said, if you don't thrive during times of stress the style of this program might not be for you. If stress motivates you, this is a really rewarding program as most students will go the extra mile to make sure they're getting the most of the experience. App Academy won't teach you everything - that's not their goal but they provide a good foundation to take the first step towards a career in software engineering. -
Xiaowen Ling Verified via GitHub
as student
I like the style of this school, It push me so hard to learn lot stuff in short time, it is worth my life! and i like these teaching video. it is really good also. environment it is really important for study , and the school does give you pretty good environment to study and do you project. -
Andres K Verified via LinkedIn
“Pressure Builds Diamonds Or Bursts Pipes”
Read more Read less of Andres K's review
App Academy is not for the faint of heart. I attended their cohort in August 2019 and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Transitioning to software engineer seemed like a meteoric task but thankfully the high level overview that App Academy provided, gave me a strong grasp in the foundations of web development. Don't get me wrong, 3 months is definitely not an adequate time frame to feel ready as you venture to become a full fledged software engineer. What App Academy does teach you is how to learn and quickly pick up new technologies. Do note, the curriculum is extremely difficult. They state this program is not for everyone and it may not be for you. If you deteriorate under pressure this is not the program for you. If you aren't willing to put in at least 100 hours a week, this program isn't for you. -
Han Kim Verified via LinkedIn
Great program
This program teaches you all the stuff you need to become a web developer. If you have passion to put yourself to study and work hard to become a software developer, this is a good place to begin. If you are stuck for interviews and job search, they help you out with great resources. -
Oliver Verified via GitHub
Rewarding
Read more Read less of Oliver's review
Overall definitely a rewarding and enjoyable experience. The instructors are amazing and really put in time and effort to facilitate your learning. However, you still need to put in your own time to keep up and master the material.
I've seen some students spend 80+ hours a week, but I've also seen some spend around 60 hours and do fine. There is a lot of variation in how fast the content is picked up, but don't expect a walk in the park.
Instructors are amazing, curriculum is pretty good, and some people are great.
-
Joseph Verified via LinkedIn
Fantastic experience (so far)
Read more Read less of Joseph's review
DISCLAIMER: I'm at the last week of the course, and job search hasn't quite started yet, so I can't give proper rating/review of Job Assistance yet.
Strong curriculum, AA tries to keep up with newer/updated technologies. Hooks haven't been added to their curriculum yet, so you'll need to learn that on your own. Another thing: the curriculum really doesn't highlight CSS. There will be a portion of the curriculum where you learn CSS for ~30 minutes a day - while they are boring, DO NOT NEGLECT CSS if you're new to it! You'll lose a lot of time on your final projects figuring out styling.
Assessments can be very stressful, you may find yourself skipping homework and/or losing sleep to be ready for them. While they're not tricky and cover only the basics, there can be a lot to take in and forgetting something might cost you the entire assessment (you either pass or you fail, basically). Ultimately, the assessments matter little to none for your job search, so just do what you can to pass them and move on.
There's a lot in the curriculum. Don't worry about not being able to complete the classwork or homework. Don't worry about not finding time to go back to them (unless you really like the project, or they're very relevant to the assessment).
Then come the projects! Working on your own projects is probably the most enjoyable part of the curriculum. However, unless you're a top student, you're not going to finish any of your projects before graduation, and will have to continue working on them afterward. Speaking of...
As of current, I am a few days away from graduating, and we've crammed in a bunch of career-related lectures and assignments in the last two weeks. At this point, you really don't get any sort of idea how you stack up as a (junior) software developer, so unfortunately, I can't provide much input in terms of the job search portion (arguably one of the most important things you'd want to know out of a review). Personally, this is actually a big pain point for me, and I feel very unprepared heading into the job search ("I barely have working projects for my portfolio," "I haven't touched algorithms in months" and "I need to network and follow up with leads" are just a few thoughts plaguing me in the "last week" of school. A part of me hopes that I'll find a job relatively quick, and look back at this review and laugh about it.
tl;dr: I want to say it's worth it, but I need to wait to graduate (this week) and figure out just how bad (or good) the job search is.
If it helps, I DID have a great time here at App Academy. You make a lot of connections/friends here (and if you're an introvert like me, feel better knowing that you won't have a choice), and the TAs here really care for your learning and well being (they're your friends, too!). -
Macallan Verified via LinkedIn
Experience at App Academy!
Read more Read less of Macallan's review
App Academy has given me a solid foundation of the topics it covers. I went from not being able to discuss web development to carry an in-depth conversation. In addition to learning the skill sets to land me a job that I find engaging, it also allowed me to see the fantastic backgrounds which make up Software Engineers.
I would highly recommend App Academy to anyone, I would caveat that it is hard work but is doable.
-
JP Tucci Verified via LinkedIn
Stressful and time intensive, but worth it.
Read more Read less of JP Tucci's review
As someone who had little coding background, I learned a lot and I learned it quick. Thankfully, the TA's are amazing and really care about you doing well. So while even though the curriculum can be rough, you can always get some clarity from them. It is definitely stressful and quite time consuming. Plan to be solely dedicated to this as it is not a program you can do while also maintaining a job or anything else for that matter. Definitely glad I did it! -
Jon Verified via LinkedIn
Great Learning Experience
Read more Read less of Jon's review
Pros:
- You really are able to create a fully web app by the end of the program
- You meet a lot of very supportive, awesome people in the class that come from various backgrounds
Cons:
- You have to be able to know how to learn on your own, it is impossible to pass the bootcamp expecting someone to hold your hand along the way
If you think App Academy alone will get you a job, then it might not be the right place for you. What they do do is provide an excellent foundation for people new to the software engineering field, and that foundation should prove useful in picking up new topics as you progress into the field. -
Sarah Verified via LinkedIn
Get what you put in
Read more Read less of Sarah's review
Going to echo some others' comments here around getting what you put in. Personally, this has been one of the most rewarding educational experiences I've undergone (that's counting K-12 and a rigorous undergraduate experience) for a couple of reasons:
1. If you are willing to put 80-100hrs of work into doing anything a week, you are going to learn very quickly and become good at whatever you're doing. What's difficult is setting up the correct incentive structure for yourself, having mentorship to guide you through your learning process and correct you when you're wrong, and and most importantly, having similarly incredibly motivated others to undergo the process with. App Academy provides that part for you. Your motivation is the other part of the equation.
2. I met some incredible people through this experience from all places in life and had to pair program with all of them. I'm talking mothers with newborns, former flight attendant, master carpenter, professional poker players, never went to college, just graduated from college, biotech field alums, startup founders, people for whom english was a second language). Huge learning experience for me, and something you're just not going to get from self-study.
3. I loved building something end-to-end, learning how to figure out how to learn what you don't know in order to get something work, learning how to talk about your thought process cogently etc. These are all skills they drill into you here. -
Vince Verified via LinkedIn
Fast Paced
This is a fast paced program and you really need to commit in order to get through this program. This is something that you must dedicate your time and focus on in order to reap the rewards . -
Julie Adams Verified via GitHub
Challenging but great
Read more Read less of Julie Adams's review
You get out what you put in. This is the most work I've ever put into something in my life -- 80-90 hours per week -- but if you're willing to put in the effort to study and work hard, you'll get a solid foundation out of it. The projects you build are the best part -- building multiple full-stack applications from scratch (one solo, one as a team), and a front-end only JavaScript project that start you out with a nice portfolio to showcase your skills when you don't have job experience. -
Jon Bent Verified via LinkedIn
It's a great environment to learn, but the system is a bit flawed
Read more Read less of Jon Bent's review
Learning is slow paced in the beginning, but speeds up as the program progresses. You really start to learn when you're thrown into the project building portion. At this point it could take up to 5 hours to get a Teacher to show up to help you out, so you have to figure stuff out yourself. Some of the Teachers are amazing, others are lackluster, so you never know what you're gonna get when you ask a question. Overall I've learned a lot in App Academy, I just wish I could say it was mostly their doing. -
Julius Wu Verified via LinkedIn
Good program
Good program, you will learn a lot in a short time (4 months). At the end of the course you will complete 3 projects including a full stack clone project, mern group project and JavaScript (data visualization/ game) project. Overall a good program and a great way to change your career -
Jan Verified via LinkedIn
Best education
This program is challenging but well worth it. You will spent about 80-90hours every week.
If you are thinking about entering the coding industry this bootcamp is a good choice. It is not for everyone. As I said its really challenging and you have to spent 100% of your time on this program. But you will meet a lot of great people along the way and get a really good education. -
Matteo Verified via LinkedIn
The place to go to get the foundation you need to be a software developer
Read more Read less of Matteo's review
I'm currently in my fifth of sixth months at App Academy and I can honestly say that I've never learned so much so quickly. At this point in the curriculum I have a lot of confidence in my skills and I am actually looking forward to the job search. I will say it has been a rough ride. This has been my life for the last 5 months and I've spent somewhere between 60-90 hours a week on average studying/reading to stay afloat but it has all been worth it as I can now build websites using different technologies all by myself. I'd recommend a/A to anyone who is serious about becoming a software developer, just know that while you're in this program it's going to take up MOST of your time. -
Phil Zheng Verified via GitHub
Great experience!!
Read more Read less of Phil Zheng's review
TLDR: Loved it, and definitely worth it!
Longer version:
You really do get a job over 100K, typically within the first month or so if you're on top of your cohort. So if you're confident in your logical ability, definitely worth it. The flip side is, if programming seems hard for you, no matter how good the bootcamp, the job search is going to kick you in the butt. That said, 90% of graduates get hired in the first year, so if you get in, the odds are in your favor!
Aa is pretty selective in who they admit, and it ensures that people are capable of succeeding in this very competitive field. Computer engineering is a lot of work, but damn it is more interesting than almost any other job out there, and pays well too. Anyways, I say, take the dive!
-
Paul Verified via GitHub
Unbelievable how much you'll learn in a short time.
Read more Read less of Paul's review
I came to App Academy with no previous coding experience, other than the small amount required to apply (which they have resources for). By the end of the program, I had made three functioning sites. No joke, it's a ton of work and it's all you'll do from morning to eve the whole time (if you want to be successful). There were certainly times of stress and some confusion, but fun and knowledge you gain vastly outweigh that.
0 App Academy Courses
App Academy Alumni Outcomes
| Description | Percentage |
| Full Time, In-Field Employee | 85.9% |
| Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 2.6% |
| Short-term contract, part-time position, freelance | 2.6% |
| Employed out-of-field | 1.3% |
Recent App Academy News
App Academy FAQs
Find answers to the most-asked questions.
Is App Academy worth it?
App Academy reports a graduation rate of 80%, a median salary of $101,000, and an employment rate of 90%.
How much does App Academy cost?
App Academy is closed and no longer offers courses.
What courses does App Academy teach?
App Academy is closed and no longer offers courses.
Where does App Academy have campuses?
App Academy is closed and no longer offers courses.
Does App Academy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
App Academy is closed and no longer offers courses.
Is App Academy legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 1,153 App Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed App Academy and shared their experiences. Their overall rating is 4.65 out of 5.
Can I read App Academy reviews?
You can read 1,153 reviews of App Academy on Course Report! App Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed App Academy and shared their experiences. Their overall rating is 4.65 out of 5.
Is App Academy accredited?
App Academy is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.