App Academy

I started a/A for the summer cohort 2017. Below I'll discuss some of the pros and cons of my experience. But first a little insight in to my background as a software developer before app Academy...there is none. I went into to app academy with no knowledge other than what was required from their prep course and now I can produce quality full stack apps. Pros: -The curriculum is good -The curriculum is gold -They want you to succeed -Everyone is extremely supportive at every step -Geared towards developing both technical and interpersonal skills Cons: -Fast pace is an understatement; it's a good thing and a somewhat negative trait -You literally have no life for 3+ months -The prep course didn't prepare you enough for the intensity of the material you will be facing. You do get there though... eventually.

The curriculum has been top-notch so far. I am constantly amazed at how much I have learned in the last 2 months. I have friends who spent four years at an undergraduate institute who have confirmed that the work we have been doing will definitely be useful for the future job search. Furthermore, all of the TA's and instructors are incredibly invested in my learning, which is something that I appreciate. Especially with something like coding, having an expert be able to provide support when I run into a difficult bug has really helped the learning process. I would say that the boot camp is worth it, especially with their business model. 

Overall I had a very good experience at App Academy. The instructors are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, and for the most part my fellow students were as well. I do wish there was more focus on JavaScript over Ruby but don't feel that I can't hit the ground running after completing the js portion of the curriculum. My one and only suggestion for a/A would be to incorporate more solo time over pair programming. Of course I understand the benefits of pair programming but in a course that is so packed with material that NEEDS to be learned and absorbed daily, for those of us that don't learn as well in a pair situation this can be a hinderance. All in all though, if you are hesitant about a/A or wondering if it is the right fit for you I would definitely say do it. I certainly don't regret my decision. 

(I haven't rated the job support because I am going through it now)

Pros: 
- Classmates are an awesome bunch and are what kept me motivated during stressful situations. They're really supportive, hard working, and knowledgeable. 
- Pair programming was an effective way to learn, and coding curriculum is well put together and informative. 
- TAs are very helpful, friendly, and supportive.

Cons: 
- Expect to spend 70-100 hours per week. 
- 2 failed assessments and you are out of the program. 
- Lack of hardware equipment (i.e. monitors, stands, and cords/cables)

Writing this review 12 weeks into the full-time course I can honestly say that I was able to find a great deal of value from attending the course. Coming into App Academy with little programming experience, I've noticed my skillset improve week by week in a tangible way. My experience in interacting with the staff has been largely positive as well. The TA's are all very knowledgeable and are great at leading you to develop a full understanding of the material that you are working on. My favorite part of attending the program has been making connections with the other individuals going through the course.

This program is definitely a full time commitment, and the workload estimate of 90+ hours a week is accurate. To anyone looking to attend the full time course, I highly recommend the program, with the caveat that you are ready to dedicate 3+ months of your life (not including the time spent job searching full time after the course), eating, sleeping and breathing code.

App Academy provides people the opportunity to switch to a different career and grow as a software developer. My experience there was great and rewarding. The course itself is intense and challenging and definitely requires hard work and dedication. I think people should take into consideration how much time and work it actually takes to succeed in the course. I wish though there can be more support and opportunities for women and minorities to succeed there. Over all, I do recommend the course, however, it is not for everyone. You will need a lot of support from your family and friends close to you.

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.