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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.
Simply put: App Academy was worth my time and effort (and it requires both in huge quantities). I do have specific issues with the program, but as you attempt to weigh those against the first sentence, remember that no bootcamp, no undergrad, no educational program will ever be perfect. You know the old adage 'you get out what you put in?' App Academy will absolutely convert your effort into the desired result.
One piece of advice that I don't think is specific to App Academy: ...
Simply put: App Academy was worth my time and effort (and it requires both in huge quantities). I do have specific issues with the program, but as you attempt to weigh those against the first sentence, remember that no bootcamp, no undergrad, no educational program will ever be perfect. You know the old adage 'you get out what you put in?' App Academy will absolutely convert your effort into the desired result.
One piece of advice that I don't think is specific to App Academy: only compare yourself to yourself. I guarantee there will plenty of people who seem smarter or better at everything. Ignore them. Only you know if you're putting in the time, if you're staying engaged throughout the day, if you're holding yourself accountable to be the best that you can be. Do your best and the rest will take care of itself.
PROS:
- The staff - the TAs (catchall term for instructors) are uniformly knowledgeable and excited to teach. Nearly every lecture was well presented, well communicated, and directly relevant to the material.
- The material - the curriculum is rigorous and challenging. Many of the projects that we struggled through in the first weeks will make valuable portfolio additions when we go back and attack them with everything we've learned.
The rhythm for most of the curriculum section is learn material - > assessment -> pivot to new material. This can give you a feeling of whiplash, but what remains constant is the idea that you 'always be learning.' I feel much better equipped to learn new things in a short period of time than I think I would have had the transitions been more gradual and forgiving.
- General culture - For 12 weeks the fellow students in your cohort will be your allies both in learning and life. Nobody else will really understand what it's like to go through the program. This might be specific to my cohort, but from what I've seen of other cohorts the sentiment holds true. Beyond that though, the general culture, the interaction between students and students, students and staff, and aA employee culture are all just really positive, really goal oriented and at the same time really forgiving.
- Project phase - After the curriculum, you'll work on projects. Working on full stack projects was just a fantastic way to tie together all the things we'd spent the last 8 weeks learning. There is, however, a somewhat stark drop off in how much help you'll get from staff from the course curriculum phase to the project phase.
CONS:
Feedback void - Every day you'll be required to give feedback on your partner for the day, and several times throughout the course you'll be asked for feedback on the experience as a whole. At no point was I given any indication that my feedback was considered. Several times throughout the course I specifically asked to hear the general sentiment of feedback people were leaving about me, and I got no response (beyond 'yes we can do that' but then nothing). To be clear, I do believe that feedback I left was at least read by human eyes, but that's just a hunch because again, communication was an entirely one way street of me to anonymous form.
Further, beyond assessments testing basic functionality of your code, there is no feedback around code style, code smell, or overall code practices. The code we're exposed to in the project skeletons and demo is generally good and tightly written, but there's no checking to see if any of that has sunk in. I was particularly disappointed by this because on day 1 a TA made a point of saying that aA graduates write more readable, cleaner code than CS graduates, but then there was just no system in place to ensure that.
As far as I know no human ever evaluated the quality of my code. Maybe the lesson there is, 'if it works, it works' but that seems short sighted and not in keeping with the idea of producing quality software developers.
I'm resisting leaving feedback on the job search section because I'm in the middle of it now. That said, thus far we've covered basic algorithms and data structure in greater depth than we did during the curriculum. We've worked on our resumes, our personal pitch, and what to expect from the whole process. I think I won't know the true value of the job search support until some time after the program.
PS I did a fair amount of research into various bootcamps before I decided on aA. Obviously my experience is limited to the one I choose, but investigated Hack Reactor, General Assembly, and Berkeley Boot camp in addition to aA. Of those, only Hack Reactor seemed up to the same level as aA.
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 | N/A |
Employed out-of-field | N/A |
How much does App Academy cost?
App Academy costs around $22,000. On the lower end, some App Academy courses like Free Bootcamp Prep (Online) cost $0.
What courses does App Academy teach?
App Academy offers courses like Free Bootcamp Prep (Online), Full-Time Coding Bootcamp (Online), Part-Time Coding Bootcamp (Online), Self-paced Open Course.
Where does App Academy have campuses?
App Academy teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is App Academy worth it?
The data says yes! App Academy reports a 80% graduation rate, a median salary of $101,000 and 90% of App Academy alumni are employed. The data says yes! In 2023, App Academy reported a 80% graduation rate, a median salary of $100,000, and 91% of App Academy alumni are employed.
Is App Academy legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 1,151 App Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed App Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.66 out of 5.
Does App Academy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like App Academy offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read App Academy reviews?
You can read 1,151 reviews of App Academy on Course Report! App Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed App Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.66 out of 5.
Is App Academy accredited?
App Academy is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and the New York State Education Department.
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