Overall Experience: Truly a great program, that teaches all the key tools needed for getting started on the JavaScript stack. From the get go, had a great time learning the material, enjoyed really digging into all the different topics, met some great people as well! Your mileage may vary, but if you go with a positive mindset and really try to learn the material, you'll find many helpful people. We were even able to get professionals in the field to come in and give talks/demonstrations on various topics from whiteboarding, AGILE development, etc. Code Fellows really does care about your professional development, but be prepared to work HARD! It's very easy to fall behind because of the amount of information coming to you, but you'll find that it all starts clicking and the topics become easier to absorb. I think it speaks volumes when a graduating clas decides to hold a meetup to help each other with the job hunt and to do lightning talks on topics that help each other (algorithms and data structures, development, design methods, etc.).

Curriculum: You start on JavaScript and you end in JavaScript. That's great because for bootcamps, you really want to keep hammering your skills in a few areas (limited time so master the important stuff). Since JavaScript is still the dominant web language out there, this is key. What's also great is the instructors are constantly keeping track of the latest developments in JavaScript/tech world and are updating the curriculum constantly. This is valuable for such a fast changing field like web development. I really appreciate the project weeks we have at the end of 201/301 and mid-401/end-401. You get some nice portfolio pieces and really get to learn how to code within a group of people.

Instructors: Extremely knowledgable. The head instructor, Marty, was formerly in the field as a developer and has a lot of understanding of professional development. This is extremely valuable to have when it comes to considering a code camp since professional experience says a lot and you start adopting best practices fast. Because of this, the other instructors also produce professional work and teach in a clear and concise manner. They are really cool people and I still keep in touch today.

Job Assistance: Super good. They brought in recruiters on the last day of 401 and we got to show off our projects. I managed to even snag an interview and ultimately an offer from a Fortune 500 company in the area ;). They bring in professionals who are currently in the field every week (during 401 class) who give talks on job hunting and how to present oneself, and even tackling white boarding. There are also a lot of job recruiters who connect with Code Fellows and contacts that are interested in CF grads. The administration also helps us with resume, cover letter writing, etc. as an ongoing process for those looking. Don't give up!

Summary:

The skills and resources Code Fellows taught got me a great job with promotion potential in the industry where I want to be working. It wasn't easy, but it was well worth the investment.

Background:

I took three courses from Code Fellows at the Portland Campus during their transition to the current curriculum in late 2015:

--Unix and Git for Everyone (now essentially Code 101); 

--Foundations I (a mix of Code 100 & 201); and

--Code 201. 

All the courses I took were nights/weekends, as I was employed full-time.

As a college graduate with some graduate training, I found the Code Fellows instructors and staff very accessible and personable; but most importantly they were enthusiastic about going the extra mile to help their students succeed. The courses are very challenging (but doable), so their willingness to provide guidance, feedback and mentorship off-hours (the instructors for my courses have other full-time employment) was indispensible for my classmates and I.

My IT background was in OS/Networking with no coding experience, but I was working in electronics maintenance at a regional medical center (thanks, Great Recession!) when I decided to improve my skillset to be more competitive in the job market. Code Fellows stood out to me because they had local, resident courses; their website is well designed, easy to navigate, and has informative, plain language content; but, most importantly, they offered both day AND night/weekend courses (which isn't common). ...I needed to keep my day job, so I could keep my house. 

Curriculum:

The coursework is accessible and well presented. The format is generally: See (lecture & examples); Walk-through (guided self/team work); Do (home/group work). Or, for fellow military: Crawl, Walk, Run.

Early assignments were pretty easy, but with the 'stacked module' approach our assignments grew immediately and continually more sophisticated. New assignments built on and expanded previous work. This is cool because you get a lot of reinforcement; it's difficult because you have to stay on the ball and caught up.

A word about the pre-work and homework: It was difficult. The prework made my life during the course MUCH easier. People who struggle completing reading assignments and homework will have a very hard time in Code Fellows courses. I had to dedicate 2-3 hours out-of-class for every hour in class. It was worth it!

Outcomes:

I didn't take the full curriculum because I was obligated to stay at my previous employer for another couple years. Job Assistance is, understandably, only available to students in the higher courses.

My personal outcome is that I was selected for a developmental IT position with the US Forest Service, in a unit that has developed and implemented data acquisition and analysis software and a relational database available for public access. My training with Code Fellows was the deciding factor for being selected for this position.

Not only was the Code Fellows training instrumental for being hired, but it also gave me a very strong foundation for beginning to learn Java and Python, which are required for my duties.

I'm very excited to be begining a new chapter in my professional life, and thankfull to Code Fellows for providing me the keys to unlock!

Prior to attending the 201 (Beginning JavaScript), 301 (Intermediate JavaScript), and 401 (Advanced JavaScript) courses at the Portland location I was wrapping up a decade-long series of jobs that left me feeling unfulfilled and unchallenged. I wanted to improve my skills so that I could provide my extended design and development services to a broader range of freelance clients and projects.

Despite feeling throughout the 4.5 months of instruction that I was struggling to keep up, the support from the teaching staff and my peers was unparallelled. Once I graduated and began my job hunt it was clear that, while I didn't know everything there was to know about JavaScript, I had a firm foundation to build on, my in-class experiences provided a wide array of applicable examples for interviews and, and all of that stress and worry about breaking into the development world paid off in the end since I ended up landing a software development role a month and a half after graduation.

If you're serious about getting into development, I highly recommend this program!

I took the JavaScript Dev Accelerator last year before it changed to the 401 course. It was a lot of work and if you're not willing to completely go for it and immerse yourself then you're not going to succeed, but if you can handle a crazy workload and are really ready for a change then it can be the right course for you.

I don't know about other courses, but everyone I know from CF ( I dont' talk to everyone from the class ) is working in the tech industry. We did JavaScript, so  I can't speak to other classes. 

It is for profit and it would be better if it was part of a community college program I think, but that said the teaching staff really cares and wants you to succeed. I don't want to sugar coat it, you will likely have a bunch of interviews before you get a job, but if you keep at it, there are jobs out there and plenty of them will give you a shot and if you can complete their code challenges then you can get the job.

I think the harsh reviews here are too harsh, but the positive can also be too positive. There will be a lot of hard work and nothing is perfect, but I am happy working in tech now and I know my friends from my CF cohort are too. 

My year long journey at Code Fellows was nothing shy of amazing. I’m 36 and was looking for a career change. Information Security has always been a passion of mine, I’m the IT guy at work but in information security the tools you use will only get you so far. I needed to learn how to code. 

Code Fellows was my savior. The atmosphere there is amazing; being surrounded by like minded people that want to see you succeed is priceless. The teachers and T.A’s are very knowledgeable and make you feel like the priority. The work was definitely challenging; you’re going to be coding a lot, like at least 20 hours a week a lot and that is just for the night classes.

In the end, my experience at Code Fellows was unforgettable. They provided me with the confidence to start my own cyber security consulting firm; Semtex Security Inc. and now I know if I have any questions I’d always be welcome back with open arms. If you’re thinking about a career change and getting into programming I highly recommend Code Fellows.

You can check Semtex Security out at http://www.semtexsecurity.com and look for our first security app [tattle] coming to Android early 2018.    

I received a fantastic job offer less than a month after graduating from the JavaScript 401 in Portland. After my first week at the job, I proved myself competent and widely productive as I hit the ground running. Most of everything was attributed to the invaluable skills and best practices learned from Code Fellows’ classes.

I jumped right into the company’s Git workflow, no problem. I have also impressed more than a few of my coworkers here (who have taken classes from other code schools) with concise and functional programming skills I acquired from the 301 course. Learning the Angular.js framework in 401 was challenging. However, when I was prompted to learn the Meteor framework for this job, I was very quick to learn it- as most concepts translate in component-based architecture.

All in all, Code Fellows didn’t teach me everything I need to know about web development- but instead gave me the tools, the skills, and the confidence to tackle any future obstacles and technologies that come my way.

I took the iOS Development Accelerator as it was called before the curriculum was changed to a different format. I completed the course at the end of September 2015 in good standing. I am still unemployed, and have had very few people look my way for interviews. I've had a couple of phone interviews, and not one in person interview. 

I bought into the promise of "you can start from nearly no understanding of software development and become an attractive candidate for jobs within 2 months." Hoooo boy, let me tell you, that's just not how it works. I really wish it did. Maybe it does for front end web dev stuff, but not for actual app development like iOS. A two or three month course is not going to prepare you for that kind of work. I didn't want to believe it either. I thought I was different, that I could make it. Nope. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's the truth. Very few companies will look your way. Why would they? There's so much established talent in Seattle, not to mention they have the resources to recruit candidates from around the country and in some cases from around the world.

If you want to do software development, I would highly recommend getting an actual CS degree. That's what I wish I would have done. You realllllly need to know in depth the way to think like a programmer, which these courses can't do for you. Not in that timeframe. Trust me. You will learn specific programming paradigms and frameworks specific to whatever you are studying, but not the deeper concepts that really need to be the foundations of that other stuff. 

Our instructor was an iOS god, and even with that there was just no way to teach career changers how to be a developer companies want to hire. The only people from my cohort who got jobs were those who were switching stacks - they already knew how to write software and had worked for years in the industry. 

I didn't really get any help applying for jobs besides a resume review and tips on how to prep your LinkedIn page. That's stuff you can find out how to do by googling around for 5 minutes.

I haven't taken a job since I "graduated" to spend most of my time working on becoming a better developer and applying for jobs. Still unemployed. I'm lucky, I have the luxury to do that, but I feel bad for people who can't. Lots of my peers had to go back to what they were doing before to pay the bills.

Please, take some time to think about doing a program like this. This isn't some magic pill, no matter what people say. I don't want people wasting time and money like I did; it set me back a lot. I also don't want to dissuade anyone from following their dreams, I'm just telling you that if your dream is to be a software developer like mine is, this is not the way to do it. Consider it a favor, take care and good luck.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the email address below (no spaces):

e d r e a s e @ gmail . com

Just really happy to be studying and learning here at CodeFellows - haven't been here for very long, but I already feel welcomed, included, and safe. The sense of community is really strong, the standards are high, and all of the staff is incredible supportive and encouraging.

I'm currently in 301, and Rick is a really great teacher - he asks you the right questions to help you discover the answer on your own, and encourages you to "break things" as a way to move past where you are stuck. He also sends out links that are super helpful for extra practice (and credit!) with jQuery and javascript. And even though it's been a week of a ton of information to take in, the format of morning lab/standups/lecture/pair-programming has been really helpful in the area of retention.

In 201, Brian and Craig were awesome! Brain is a really amazing teacher - his pace, his intuition for where the class was tracking/not tracking with concepts, his consistent review, and overall knowledge/organization were always on point. It's an intense pace, and a lot to take in, but the teachers are really in tune with where the class (and individual) need more support/review.

My experience here at Codefellows has been super positive, engaging, and beneficial.

Don't believe self-reported, manipulated job placement statistics published by a for-profit "educational" company.

I took three courses from Code Fellows in 2015, the last of which was an iOS "dev accelerator" (they have since changed their course names) which came with a "money back job guarantee" for a $60,000 a year dev job within 9 months of graduation. Only about 30% of our graduating class have gotten dev jobs. Those who had professional programming experience prior to attending Code Fellows got jobs. No one else did. Don't believe anything these people tell you, and certainly don't buy the hype. Worse than spending $10-20k on tuition, you'll end up wasting a year of your life like most of us did. And in spite of having a "money back guarantee" on the tuition if you don't find a job, they very cunningly found numerous ways to "disqualify" the majority of the students who didn't find jobs from actually ever getting a refund of any sort! Don't trust these people. I deeply regret that I ever did.

Remember, in life, if sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This was a perfect example of that. I deeply regret my decision to attend Code Fellows. I would definitely not do it again.

Their "job placement assistance" consists of someone who reviews your resume for layout issues and typographical errors and sends you a weekly "let me google that for you" list of job ads found elsewhere on the Internet. Their "hiring partners" are companies they manage to rope into attend a meet and greet for students where representatives from companies will try to engage in polite conversations with noobs and career changers, explaining that they're really just looking for experienced devs (i.e. programmers with years--I repeat, YEARS--of experience).

Code Fellows instructors will also repeat various mantras in an attempt to lull you into a false sense of confidence. "How can anyone learn to code in less than a year of coursework?" you'll ask. They'll explain correctly that no one can possibly become an expert programmer in that short amount of time, but that doesn't matter, because what Code Fellows will do for you is get you an entry level job... some sort of "apprenticeship" where "you'll get paid to continue learning!" BS. Total BS. Start ups can't afford to hire someone who doesn't know what there doing and large companies most likely take a chance on you.

You'll end up paying a ton of money for someone to read PowerPoint slides to you and let you use their space to work on your own laptop. Many of Code Fellows' instructors are recent Code Fellows graduates with little or no actual full-time tech industry experience.

I was simply too naive. I even had friends who are experienced developers or grad students in computer science programs at schools like UC Berkeley try to dissuade me from attending any "code school". When I asked them what they thought of the whole code school trend they responded with one of two answers:

1) "They [any code school] will be glad to take your money."

or

2) "What the hell is a code school?"

Worse than wasting your money on a code school, you will waste a ton of time. You'd be better off investing that time and money in a traditional computer science degree. That's all these company want anyhow.

You may think you need a bullshit certificate on your resume to help you land a job. Trust me, graduating with a "Code Fellows" certificate will end up being more of an embarrassment and red flag for employers than an asset. Just don't do it. And if you don't believe me, read on:

http://www.salon.com/2016/09/17/hacker-house-blues-my-life-with-12-programmers-2-rooms-and-one-21st-century-dream/

https://www.wired.com/2016/01/in-2016-the-coding-bootcamp-bubble-is-bound-to-burst/

http://fusion.net/story/303385/coding-bootcamps/

Don't do it. Learn from our mistakes. Do anything else, including just teaching yourself or taking community college courses on the side. But whatever you do, DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB AND ATTEND A CODE SCHOOL. I wish I could have that time and money back.

Don't do it!

I like that Code Fellows teaches the foundations of what we need to know to be successful, we start with the basics and build upon it. Job support so far seems stellar, helping students prepare resumes and Linkedin profiles, as well as giving resources to make the job search successful. There is a lot of support and help from instructors and TAs, great staff, and a great learning environment that really empowers students to be successful. The stress and lack of sleep has totally been worth the skills I have gained from this program.

My experience with Code Fellows was challenging, fun, intellectual, and life changing. Coming from a science background, I was expecting to be challenged, but not nearly as much as I was at Code Fellows. The staff (I had Tyler and Duncan as teachers) and TAs were extremely welcoming and talented, and class sizes were capped under 30 which helped keep individuals at the focus of the curriculum. Code Fellows teaches the most cutting edge programming languages and techniques, as well as focuses on resume build and passing technical questions, helping prepare their students for graduating into the "real world." Following graduation, they offer assistance in finding a position, however the job placement is a much more self-directed process. None-the-less, I was able to get interviews even before graduating, and had 5+ offers within two months of completing the program.

One of the most challenging aspects of Code Fellows was learning how to learn, rather than learning all the ins and outs. There simply is not enough time in the Code Fellows courses to leave with a technical depth that rivals Computer Science 4 year graduates. However, Code Fellows does a great job of bridging this gap by focusing on teaching how to make students resourceful through coding challenges that require building on the skills that are taught in class. This is one place in particular that Code Fellows did a great job of offering enough office hours as well as enough teaching staff to steer students in the right direction while not giving them the answers. Additionally, each week, students participate in one larger project with a group of peers to simulate the dynamics of working on a tech team. Of all the teachings at Code Fellows, learning how to be resourceful for myself has been the most beneficial.

Since graduating Code Fellows, I joined a start up of 6 people, and after 6 months, our startup was invited to be part of Y Combinator's Summer 2016 batch. My skills were put to the test since the day I started. A lot of the "basics" for my position were ingrained by Code Fellows - Angular, node.js, testing. However, I have also been given larger responsibilities as a result of the ingenuity and adaptability that I was taught at Code Fellows.

Code Fellows offers a great launchpad into a tech career, you just need to be willing to put in the work, and motivated to succeed.

My experience with Code Fellows started with the one day 101 course in October of 2015. Since that first day, I decided to continue and dive into the rest of what Code Fellows had to offer for me to learn. What started as a genuine curiosity, when I first started, quickly became a really fun and exciting new career option for me. I really have enjoyed seeing the progress I have made from the beginning of the courses from knowing nothing about coding, to now TAing the 401 JavaScript and searching for a career in this field.

The teachers and all of the staff of Code Fellows have made a huge impact in my 9 or so months that I have spent here and it's been wonderful. Everything from helping me with simple CSS issues to rewriting my resume and preparing for interviews. It's been a blast here and I have enjoyed it very much.

After 13 years at a big tech company, working on variations of the same thing over and over, I decided it was time for a drastic change. I spent ten weeks at Code Fellows learning about iOS development and had multiple job offers in hand 2-3 weeks after finishing. I even ended up getting about a 20% raise over what I walked away from.

The program isn't magical. You can't expect to pay your money, punch the clock, and get handed a cushy job making booku bucks on your way out the door. It takes a passion and decication to learn. Beginners will have a more difficult time than experienced developers, but the program definitely works for both audiences. The more effort you put into it, the more benefit you'll get out of it.

The professional development was something I didn't think I needed but ended up being a huge help. I learned my interviewing weaknesses and felt so much more confident in interviews after addressing them. I also learned how to use the web to find jobs, as this was the first time I'd looked since college when the companies came to campus to recruit. I'd vastly underestimated how useful this component of the course would be.

Code Fellows as an organization highly values feedback and takes it very seriously. I've seen changes introduced as a result of feedback both during my course and in the course that followed it.

In the end, going to Code Fellows was an excellent choice for me and I'm extremely happy with how it all worked out.

Two of the greatest parts of Code Fellows above other bootcamps around are 1. the ability to test into a level and 2. scholarships! I highly recommend giving coding a try before looking into making a career change through a bootcamp because it's not for everyone. But if you love it, then go for it! Code Fellows in Portland was awesome because of the small class sizes, amazing teachers, and wonderful support staff.

The curriculum revolves around the most in-demand technologies, and tries to give you good source materials to learn about a broad range of fundamentals. If you blow off the readings, you lose a bit portion of learning. It's really up to you how much you take away from the courses, because instructors are always willing to send you more materials.

After graduating from 401, the campus director, Jordana, was an invaluable resource in the job hunt. She was there to answer all my questions and help me get my resume out to the Portland community. Having the support of people who really know the tech community is great, but be prepared to put in a lot of work. It's no different than searching for any other desirable full-time positions!

I took three courses at Code Fellows Portland (201-401) and I enjoyed all three of them. Before the bootcamp, I didn't know how to use terminal. After the bootcamp, I got a great job at one of my dream companies.

Instructors and TAs: One of the nicest and knowledgable people that I know. Of course once in a while they may have to look up the answers to some of your questions. However, given that programming technology changes every single day, I find that understandable. They did their best to fully answer my questions and made sure I understand. They also went extra miles outside of the class room to help me with the class materials. 

Environment and classmates: Everyone was friendly and overall, it's a very cooperative environment. Unlike back in university when my grade was determined on a curve and everyone had to compete to get the highest score compared to others, everyone here shared their solutions, discussed about new tools, and wasn't hesitate to help each other. I learned a lot of useful tools and coding styles from my classmates, and also learned a lot from explaining concepts and codes to them.

Job assistance: I got useful job searching and networking tips from them. They helped me tailor my resume, sent me job leads every week and introduced me to companies for informational interviews. Overall, I believe they did their best to find a job. However, you should be the one who actively seeks out opportunities, connections and job leads. 

So far everything about Code Fellows has been great. However, it's not a magical place where everyone will graduate and be successful. You have to go the extra miles yourself to learn, since this is a bootcamp. Instructors are there to help you absorb as much knowledge as possible. You should try to read all of the readings before a class start and write down your questions. Then try to find the answers to the questions during the lecture, and ask instructors if you still can't find an answer. If you don't understand what a piece of code is doing, ask your classmates and instructors. So at the end of the day, you would know what every single line of code is doing. Also, google the parts of the readings that you don't understand. You need to understand that you have limited time to master many skills and you need to work hard for it. You could be taught by a Nobel winner and still be right where you were before if you didn't try the best to make the most out of it.

One of the things I realized when reading some of the other reviews is that what Code Bootcamp you pick isn't only about the content they teach you. There definitely is a culture fit to consider. All the instructors I've had so far (I'm currently in the 401 Full Stack JavaScript development course) have been very knowledgeable, but love to have fun. So, we were taught a lot, and pushed to learn, but lecture overall had a light atmosphere. If you like that, then great, if you want a more intense feeling, it may not be for you. Just to be clear though, the content of the courses are robust.

The 201 course was a great base for me for learning web development. The overall approach is to teach you fundamentals before they give you tools to increase your efficiency as a developer. To give you an example of what we were able to accomplish when I was done with the course, look here. That was my final group project.

The biggest strength of the course is the constant team work environment. You use pair programming, and your final project is a group project. This forces you to learn more than just how to code, but how to talk about code and work with other developers.

I learned a lot in 4 weeks, and am very happy that I went through the course. To see how far I came in the 4 weeks, compare the group final project with my first assignment in the course, here.

I also was a Code Fellows student in their 201 and 301 classes.  I struggled in both classes due to an inability to absorb so much information in such a short time.  However, Code Fellows understood my situation and has given me the option to retake both classes at no cost.  They also provided me with a learning plan at the end of my 301 class. I am still pondering on whether this vocation is for me, but I appreciated the empathetic approach that Code Fellows demonstrated towards me.

The only advice I would give is to perhaps toughen their entrance standards for their 201 class and also require more prep work before starting the 201 course, as this class felt overwhelming almost from day one.

I've completed the 201 and 301 courses and if I did it over again I would have chosen somewhere else.

Code Fellows is the most expensive bootcamp out there - at least for Portland and Seattle.  $20K for the 201, 301, and 401 classes which is far more than Dev bootcamp, Coder Camps, or any other bootcamp out there in Seattle.  In fact, 5-8k more! There is no reason for this cost.  Programming languages are programming languages and there are plenty of bootcamps out there who get you to work far faster and for MUCH cheaper.  The results do not justify the costs.  Also, their job placement rates are no better than any other bootcamp.  

Personally, there is a lot of room out there for Code Fellows and any other bootcamp to fudge their placement rate numbers.  Keep in mind that the attrition rates of their classes are not included in these numbers.  There are A LOT of students in Code Fellows classes who do not make it through their classes.  I recently heard that 40-50% of their students did not make it through a recent Seattle 201 class.  Not sure what Code Fellows is planning on doing about that.  Currently, the only prep work for their 201 course they put you through are a couple classes through Code Academy, which isn't enough.  Unlike universities, bootcamps do not go through an accreditation process and thus are never audited.

The only bootcamp that actually publicizes their numbers and has them actually audited is Flat Iron school in New York.  Again, why? Do these bootcamps have something to hide?

Finally, keep in mind that Code Fellows gives next to no job support unless you go through one of their 401 classes.  Why their 301 class is $1000 more than their 201 class is beyond me.  It is the same time duration and you use the exact same textbooks that you purchased for their 201 classes. So after you spend $8000, you are pretty much on your own to find any work with your intermediate coding skills.

You can go to a similar bootcamp and receive the foundational and intermediate aspects of programming for quite a lot less.  Code Fellows may reply to my criticism by saying they care more or do a better job.  Prove it.

 Good luck.

I was in the last JavaScript Development Accelerator before it transitioned into the 401 in Portland. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this program. I know from talking with people at network events and from interviews that Code Fellows has a reputation for covering the fundamentals and keeping up with the newest technologies. I recieved a small grant which I was thankful for, but regardless I feel that the curated curriculum is worth the cost.

It is an intense program and I feel like you should be prepared for 10 weeks of around-the-clock coding. The class I took started at 9:00AM with lecture until noon, and then lab hours until 5:00PM. In the evening, I worked and studied until late. I mention this because that is what it takes to cram over a years worth of independent work into 10 weeks. This program works, but you have to be willing to put in your maximum effort!

The program's support of students is amazing, and I felt that they invested in our success. There were guest lecturers on every Friday to talk about what they look for in an interview candidate, how to network, how to whiteboard, etc. I found those lectures to be valuable in my post-graduation job search. Code Fellows admins sent me weekly job leads. The job search curriculum stresses the importance of networking. For me, networking isn't fun, but it is clearly important and I am thankful that I trusted the system and followed my teachers' and administrators' advice.   

I just got hired after two months of job searching and I couldn't be happier about my experience at Code Fellows and the support I've recieved since graduating. 

Job Assistance: the professional development page gives a much stronger impression of the support you will find during the ten week program. Instead of professional development for one hour during 6 of the ten weeks it is a 6 hour day on the sixth and eighth week.  The six hour days only contains about two to three hours of actual content. The rest of the time is doing what they call workshop where you write answers in paper. They say they have you do this onsite because people don't do these exercises at home. 30-45 minute topics are on: your brand; linked in page and inward facing partner profile; interview prep and a guest speaker on tech interviews. 

The info isn't bad. However, for the limited amount of time they give guidance it should be a firehouse of information and guidance.

There was one career fair hosted three weeks before we graduated. Our class wasn't invited. Only previous graduates were. Odd as we all need jobs and were on the verge of finishing the program.

Their page says that you will receive a mentor. Unfortunately, that isn't accurate.

Their main advice. Network. That's absolutely true. I wish the professional development page on their website would be more humble and say it's really up to you to go out and sell yourself with the coding skills you've developed. Their is no shame in that promise of professional development.

Curriculum:

The curriculum isn't bad. You basically learn the MEAN stack. You will work weekends in groups. Lots of test driven development. Study that if you haven't. My biggest concern was that this course taught the same curriculum over ten weeks that our teacher admits he covered over eight weeks for the previous three development accelerators. It was $4,000 more for the exact same content that seemed stretched out. Many days of lecture felt like time inneficiently spent. That wasn't a good feeling. As far as I'm concerned they owe the students who took that class a deep apology and a refund of the extra 50% cost. Supply and demand I guess. 

Instructor: this was probably the most challenging part for me. Our teacher seemed like he really didn't care about the students. This was such a pivotal moment of our lives in which we made huge financial sacrifices and time sacrifices and time pulled away from loved ones. It was so discouraging to have a passion and excitement to do something new and to have a teacher who appeared to just be coasting. Our teacher knew how to code. There is no question about that. Teaching is something different. Code fellows should take into consideration that their teachers really represent them as we don't get to meet many of the staff who I'm sure care and are hard working and do have a vision for people to succeed and transform their lives.

Overall experience: I've ran into people from other code camps and this isn't an unfamiliar phenomenal. The code camp pages, recruiters, preview nights are always going to glow with how much they are going to do for you. But the biggest indicator of success are two things. One, you have surrounded yourself with people who are committed and passionate. Two, your passion and drive. 

The code school can definitely enhance those things. The 401 for me, however, didn't.

Code Fellows is in a major transition and there is a feeling of chaos - at least on their Seattle campus.

More than half of our Code 301 class at the end of four weeks still remained ineligible to take their Code 401 classes, which begs the question: Is Code Fellows setting up students for failure? Why aren't they giving students the right advice to prepare for these classes?

During our project week, the actual rubrics for these projects was only given after our assignments were handed in. Why?

I recently went through their Code 301 course.  Could have received the same education through Tree house or Code Academy though and saved a lot of $.  

I attended one of the last full stack javascript accelerator programs before it turned into '401'. I think it's basically the same, but the course was slightly shorter and cost less money. I never attended the prereq courses.

I think the program was absolutely awesome for me. I learned a ton, and got a great job about 5 weeks after graduation. Plus I use what I learned all the time with my new job as a software engineer. Our instructor Tyler was top notch, and I really think the curriculum was an optimized way to learn.

I have to admit that the Code Fellows I attended may be significantly different than the one that exists now. The courses, cost, and enrollment numbers are all different now from my understanding. It sounds like they are trying to increase tuition and enrollment across the board. I think it's fine to do that, but I wonder if that hurts the general rigor and selectivity of the school. I noticed they no longer have the job guarantee. I think that's a little sad, since I know I would not have attended without it. I still think that it's a great program that was absolutely key in my professional development. My teacher was awesome and I was lucky enough to be part of a cohort with some extremely talented peers. 

If you're doing it right, you will be working for the knowledge that the course provides and not the certificate. My company didn't recognize Code Fellows at all, but they certainly saw that I was technically competant during my interview process. I can't attribute everything to CF. I taught myself javascript for 7 months prior to enrolling, but I would say I learned the most job relevant JS during the Code Fellows months.

Overall, I'd say that if you are genuinely interested in computers and will work your arse off, then this is a great place to fulfill your potential. However, if you are approaching this like getting a generic college degree so you can have a piece of paper that says you are qualified, then you got it all wrong. You have to work hard to make this work. Code Fellows is only one piece of the puzzle.