Codesmith

Codesmith was great for me. Attending was one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I think it’s a really fantastic option for some one looking for such a program.

It’s difficult to review a program like Codesmith because it’s (obviously, explicitly) not right for everyone and will hit students in different ways. For me, it was very good — one of the best uses of my time, money, and work that I’ve ever made.
I had a self-taught background coming into Codesmith, with several pretty specific areas of focus. The curriculum reinforced areas of my experience from different perspectives and introduced me to a wide variety of other technologies I hadn’t used before. 
The material was thoughtfully-chosen, presented with a strong ‘under-the-hood’ focus, and well situated within the wider landscape of competing technologies. The projects went deep into engineering considerations and building well as teams. Overall, it gave me an extremely solid basis and tools for continued growth. I found a good position shortly after graduation and have felt very well prepared in that role.

A few considerations of pause / maybe it’s not for you:
- The program moves very quickly, often spending 1-2 instructional days on technologies that take months to become strong with. The better your pre-course background, the more you will get out of it. Students who struggled early continued to struggle throughout the course. I would recommend really mastering the pre-course work and maybe doing some other project before starting, in order to get the most out of it.
- On the same note, you cover a huge amount of content for the time.  While you are given many tools to go deeper, you should have realistic goals for what’s possible in a few months. It’s a solid basis + survey that trains you to learn and dig in — but it can’t actually replace years of learning and experience.
- There’s not as much direct instructor support and evaluation on projects as I would have liked. You can get input, but no one is reviewing the quality of your code or your major design decisions in detail.
- The job market is pretty challenging right now and finding a job takes a lot of work and patience. Research this bit and make sure you know what you’re in for. It’s a legitimate path to a challenging and rewarding career, but it takes work and time.

I had an excellent experience with great learning platform. I liked the way the course is structured, the lessons are clear and the material is extensive and complete. Would like to comment about the mentoring learning sessions, optional content and practice projects that certainly makes the difference for me to understand the concepts. Also the support for the program manager (Vineet Mishra) makes great difference always giving the support I needed. Thank you Vineet!

I surely recommend this course for everyone who wants to become a Data Scientists. Is worth of mention that I had zero experience with machine learning, AI and python but with a great effort I could complete satisfactory the program including with 2 projects with maximum scores. I am very happy to have chosen MIT IDSS with Great Learning!!

This program is undeniably challenging—extremely so. It's not a scenario where you can simply coast and expect to land a fantastic job within a few months. However, if you possess a genuine desire for this and are committed to putting in the hard work, the program can be remarkably effective. It stands out as an exceptional program, and it almost feels unfair to categorize it with other bootcamps because, in my experience and observation, it surpasses them by a wide margin. The hiring segment of the program alone justifies the cost. I give it a perfect 10/10 and cannot recommend it highly enough for those truly dedicated to pursuing this path.

I'm just going to start here - attending Codesmith was one of the best and most life-changing decisions I have made so far. I decided on Codesmith amidst a sea of bootcamps because community is so important to me. I can learn anywhere, whether by myself or at another institution, or in any situation. But it isn't as easy to build or find a good community where the people are caring and supportive to each other, striving to better themselves and excited to live and grow. Codesmith's intent is to deliver the best possible experience in modern technology, to push your personal growth, and to create and foster an amazing community. And it delivers on all those aspects.

The content was always well thought out and is updated as our technology continues to change. But the special kicker is that there is so much open ended room for discovery and growth. There is no spoon feeding - you have to work for your knowledge. And by doing that, it is more ingrained and powerful! 

And lets not leave out their hiring portion! There is a whole portion working on the resume, cover letter, speaking, and how to approach technical assessments and system design interviews. But then, after graduating, their career support is always there. 6 months later, a year later, you name it, they are there to assist! With all the assistance I just received a wonderful job offer, and the joy with all the Codesmith team was so authentic. They are in it for us for the long haul. And because of who they are, I am in it for the long haul too and will continue to support the company, students and alumni to the best of my ability.

Process is long and difficult, but dramatic change requires dramatic work. Codesmith supports you through every step of the way including preparing for your technical interview, providing pre-course work, extensive coursework, and support during the job search. The staff really care about you and your success, and the contacts you meet throughout the journey will be lifelong friends. The community is incredible. The curriculum teaches you far more than how to use a technology, it really teaches you how to learn and think like an engineer.Pros- incredible community (from interview prep through post grad alumni network) 
- rigorous and thoughtful curriculum 
- will learn how to think like an engineer and onboard technologies not covered in the curriculum 
- career support is strategic and empowering. The question is when will you get a job post grad not ifCons- hard learning is predominant teaching style and it is not for everyone. Try CS Prep to find out if you like it 
- difficult to map out and make a timeline for getting into the program. Especially since some cohorts have a waitlist over a month ahead of the start date. 
- major projects do not have code reviews of staff

I recently graduated from Codesmith's East Coast Remote Program - the curriculum was extremely grueling and challenging, but the strong sense of community and support made it possible for me to not only get through it but actually enjoy the process of learning so much in such a short time. I chose Codesmith as a bootcamp because of its verified outcomes, and it did not disappoint - I had resigned myself to a longer-than-average job search process because of the downturn in the hiring market, but I got an offer and signed with an amazing company less than two months after my last day at Codesmith. 

I want to especially shout out Codesmith's Eric Kirsten for his support in the hiring/negotiating process - he is one of those incredible mentors who you feel has your back at every step of the process. Working with him makes you feel like you can do anything! He gave me individual support outside of regular office hours when I was in the thick of the offer/negotiating process, and because of that I was able to negotiate my offer up considerably. I'm incredibly grateful to Eric and the whole Codesmith team!

This is purely my opinion but I don't think there's a better program then Codesmith. Now maybe I'm biased because I just signed my job offer a month after graduating... However I also did heavy research into all my options including self studying and I chose wisely.

Overall my experience was that the staff are empathetic and encouraging, the residents are smart and motivated. I think Codesmiths secret sauce is the strong strong strong community they develop. I am very invested in my cohortmates success and continue to stay involved after graduating. But of course as with anything do your research, find someone who graduated the program to talk to.

Attending Codesmith was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. The bottom line I'm sure everyone is looking for (because it's what I was looking for a few months ago when I was scouring these reviews deciding what route to take): I got a fantastic job that surpassed my hopes going into the program.

I'm going to start by saying that I believe Software Immersives (including Codesmith) are not for every one. The hours and workload are rigorous and the velocity is FAST. Between the pace of the curriculum and the sheer amount of your daily life it takes up, this is a very demanding program. Like most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it and I put a lot into it. If you're not ready for that commitment, I don't know that the outcome would be beneficial.

If you are ready for that commitment, Codesmith is an AMAZING option. Admittedly, I've never attended any of the other Immersives, but my experience at Codesmith was fantastic and I enjoyed just about every bit of it. The staff is incredibly welcoming and supportive (to the point that I joked with a friend that it had a happy cult-like feel in the beginning). But as you start to get into the immersive, you realize you end up needing that support and atmosphere to get through a program like this and Codesmith's faculty are fantastic at that.

Codesmith always talks about their curriculum being curated specifically from what is "in demand" these days, and having just completed the job search, I would wholeheartedly agree with this. The reason for the intense pace of the program is to get as many technologies as possible under your belt and although it often (possibly always) felt like I wish I spent more with one or another, I'm glad now to have been exposed to more so I could utilize that in the job search.

While virtually every instructor was great, I would like to keep this review as fair as possible, so I will mention that Codesmith does use a Fellow program wherein recent graduates do a lot of the review lectures or one-on-one reviews. I would say sometimes this wasn't ideal, as they were clearly less knowledgable than the instructors, but I will say Codesmith did a good job of always having important or new concepts taught by the instructors first. It does compare in many ways to a Professor/Teaching Fellow relationship in college.

When it comes to curriculum, I'm sure many of the people reading this review are considering the self-taught alternative like I was a few months ago. I feel that I'm a fast learner and pretty intelligent, so the self-taught route was one I seriously considered, and when it comes to curriculum, I do think a motivated, intelligent, self-starter could probably teach themselves most of the curriculum with free or cheap resources available online. 3 things ended up making Codesmith more than worth the cost for me in this regard: 1) the speed of the learning. I self-taught for about 3 months in the lead up to Codesmith and by week 2 or 3 in the Codesmith program, I had already surpassed what the amount I managed to self-teach in 3 months. 2) the curation of topics/technologies. There were so many things that I would have never thought to go teach myself, but Codesmith curates all their curriculum from grads see is in demand in the job search, so I learned it at Codesmith and sure enough, it came up in interviews or job postings time and time again.

And the third is my final point - the hiring program. I saw someone say that the hiring program itself is worth the full tuition (and let's be honest, with Codesmith's tuition, that's a heck of a statement to make). The hiring program is PHENOMENAL and the one part of Codesmith that I can point to and confidently say it taught me so many things that I would NEVER have come up with on my own. Everything from online profiles to resumes to how you communicate in interviews. They even got me asking for more money than I ever would have dreamed of asking for (and I ended up getting it). I'll shout out two people in the hiring program in particular - Eric and Samantha who were both incredible resources in my job search and the lead up to it.

All in all - if you're ready to work hard and devote yourself to this process - I don't think there's a better option than Codesmith.

I recently signed an offer with my dream company as a software engineer, after completing CodeSmith. They had amazing great career support after the course and that really made all the difference to me. During a time where the job market was super bad (huge tech layoffs) I really needed support navigating the job search. Eric helped so much with such a positive attitude and helping with advice on startups, VCs and negotiations. Even the days I didn't have a offer in the pipeline it was super nice to sit in hear about what your peers were going through.  They also had one-on-one tutoring sessions you could sign up for and do resume review cover letter review or white boarding practice and its was super nice to get feedback on the interviewing process areas. 

For three months of work, the course delivers *mostly* on its promise. Long days, long weeks, but the time flew by and the people were genuinely the best part. The coursework prepares you to *prepare yourself* for job interviews. It was a good launching point, but you still need to put in a lot of work to get a job after the fact. To say that you can easily get a mid to senior level job I would say is an overstatement. Perhaps if you're coming in with 1-2 years of experience that is doable, but as a beginner I would say junior to mid is a more realistic expectation - which is honestly still impressive for three months of coursework. That being said, I got a mid-level job in a little over 3 months after MANY rejections and coming in from a completely non-technical background. They pack a lot into 12 weeks and the feedback is top notch, but I'd be lying if I said I felt 100% prepared going into interviews. And maybe that's just my overachieving self speaking, but job interviews are a very nerve-wracking process that I'm not sure any bootcamp could fully prepare you for. Overall, I think it's worth the money - medicine to tech in just under a year total with Codesmith's help.

I attended Codesmith's Full-time Software Engineering Immersive (Central Time) program in January 2022 and it was the best decision I could have ever made. Prior to attending Codesmith, I was working in healthcare and didn't feel fulfilled with what I was doing. After doing some research, I decided to apply to Codesmith and was accepted into the program soon after I passed their interviews.

The program itself was about 3 months long with a very rigorous curriculum. I was incredibly nervous going into the program at first since I was coming from a non-technical background. However, the instructors did an amazing job breaking down the topics taught in the lectures and always encouraged students to ask questions if they had trouble understanding anything. Each unit  taught in the program is followed by an assessment where students have the opportunity to work on mini applications in order to demonstrate their understanding of the unit/topic taught that week. There were some assessments that I didn't do too well on but I loved that the fellows/teaching assistants would always go above and beyond by scheduling one-on-one tutoring sessions (we call them APCs) with those students that didn't do too well on the assessments. I also had the opportunity to work on multiple projects, with one of them being an Open-Source project where my group and I built a developer tool that addressed caching issues in software. These group projects were one of the highlights of the program, as you get to learn so many new technologies and see what it's like to work in a team of engineers. Through these group projects, I also made many new lifelong friends and learned other important skills such as agile project management and technical communication.

Codesmith also provides their graduates with the opportunity to work as a fellow/teaching assistant, which was what I did after graduation. As a fellow, I was able to teach several approach lectures and hold APCs/tutoring sessions with new students, which helped reinforce a lot of the skills/technologies I had learned in the program.

Codesmith also provides their students with extensive hiring support, which I found to be extremely helpful. I was able to improve my resume significantly with their help and learn how to best answer questions asked in an interview setting. With the help of their hiring support, I was able to receive 3 job offers by the end of my fellowship.

As someone who transitioned into tech from a non-traditional background, I understand why many people may be hesitant to go through such programs/bootcamps. They are not cheap which is why it's important to find a good program that will truly help you break into tech. Looking back at the past year, I'm glad I enrolled in Codesmith as it has literally changed my life by allowing me to work in a career field that I am genuinely passionate about, earning more than I ever thought I would have. If you are considering attending a software engineering program to help with your transition into tech, Codesmith is a great option!

Hello!  Here is my experience with Codesmith.  Hopefully this helps you in making a decision on whether this is the right program for you and whether to take the leap.

I worked in technology in a tech-adjacent role before the program (Technical Operations).  I had worked with software engineers but was not an engineer myself.

When the pandemic hit, like a lot of us, I took the time to step back and re-examine my life.  Was I on the right path?  

I decided I loved tech but wanted to “level up” my career.  And to start exploring software engineering bootcamps as a vehicle for doing so.

I only “toured” one or two bootcamps in addition to Codesmith.  I think I just connected with the people at Codesmith right away (the Codesmith alums leading the weekday evening free sessions).  They just seemed really real and approachable and friendly, but hardworking and bright at the same time.

I took advantage of all the prep tools beforehand: CSX (independent self-service learning platform), JavaScript for Beginners (paid group course) and CS Prep (paid group course).  The prep courses provided multiple benefits: (1) I learned a lot about software engineering/coding (2) I could dip my toe in and see if I liked coding (in general) and (3) see how I liked the Codesmith style (in particular).

I really enjoyed the prep and felt confident that Codesmith was indeed “the real deal.”  (The instructor at CS Prep, for example, was a Codesmith grad, working in the industry and told us about his experience, so it was all becoming more and more real.)

I was ready to apply to the immersive!  I did not get through on my first interview attempt, but the feedback and support was incredibly helpful.  I was not really discouraged at all because it is very normal to need a couple attempts to refine your approach before you get that exciting call that: YOU’RE IN.

I did some light prep (maybe another week or two) then applied again.  I was accepted and started right away (next available cohort).  The program was 100% remote.

What to say about the program?  It was really, really great.  As you have probably read, it really was “eat, sleep, code, repeat.”  Learning on all fronts: algorithms, deep computer science concepts, learning particularities of JavaScript, etc.  It was fast-paced but doable.

It might seem counter-intuitive, but the hiring program comes quite late in the program.  You are really pushing, learning and building right up until the end.

The hiring program is excellent and what you might be imagining: drafting a resume, revising it, interview prep, job search strategy and practice.

Before I knew it, the program was over and it was time to hit the street and APPLY.  There was some variability in how quickly people from my cohort were hired: some were hired in 2 weeks, some it took a couple months.  It took me just under a year after graduating.

That said, I took on my job search in fits and starts.  I had additional projects I was working on outside of coding at that time.  I would say if you finish the program, and you go ALL IN on your job search from day one - following all recommendations from the hiring team, getting a job within 90 days of program completion is a very, very reasonable expectation.

But ultimately, I wanted to do some additional learning and prep before applying, and I don’t regret it.  I had a lot of great interviews and ended up at a company I really love as a mid-level software engineer.

There were definitely ups and downs, but any experience that really pushes you to GROW, go outside your existing boundaries, push your comfort zone.. it will be hard at times!  It will be emotional at times!  But totally worth it.

Here are some FAQs.  These are the questions I had when I was sitting in your exact same position, reading reviews on this exact same site…

FAQs

Are the outcomes real?

Yes. They are 100% real, and include people from all prior-to-codesmith life backgrounds. Do not worry if you didn’t go to college or have a non-traditional background. They will take care of you.

What do you recommend before making a decision on a bootcamp?

Get to know the school before making a decision. Take the CSX courses, enroll in CS Prep, go to a virtual open houses, all of it. How do you feel? Do you like the teaching style? Do you vibe with the culture? At the end of the day, it’s not just about the program that has the highest outcomes overall - it’s about a place where YOU can thrive and be successful.

What advice do you have before starting the program?

Get your life (reasonably) in order before starting. You don’t need to tie up every loose end in your life, but mentally be ready to go 100% all-in for 12 weeks.  The less distractions outside of Codesmith during the program, the better.

Anything else I should know?
Because the outcomes are so good, I assumed they would somehow be “automatic” or “just happen” - they are not! It’s important to stay active and engaged every step of the process. The results will absolutely come, and you will find your place, but remember involvement on your part is a huge part of this process.  Keep your foot on the gas every single day.  Push hard!

Closing words
TLDR: (1) get to know the school, (2) make a decision, then (3) JUST GO FOR IT.  It is a leap, but that’s part of the fun.  You’ll do great!

I graduated from Codesmith three years ago and never really thought about my relationship with Codesmith after securing my first job. I was recently laid off and I can say that Codesmith is still in your corner after graduation. We have access to lots of resources, such as resume reviews and mock interviews. I was also able to successfully negotiate with the help from one of the advisors. 

Three years ago, I was glad that I picked Codesmith because of their curriculum and how the program grew me as an engineer, but now I am also grateful for the continuing support that I have received from Codesmith!

I had a really positive experience with Codesmith - throughout the program and beyond. I originally was on track with another boot camp that I found to not be challenging enough and lacking in support. I reached out to an academic advisor at Codesmith and immediately felt more welcomed. I switched to Codesmith at the last minute and am so thankful for that. 

The community is super positive, all the staff is so friendly and helpful. Going through the 3-month immersive is really challenging, but it's much easier to do it with people that care. I felt like I learned a lot of different topics to be able to work in a full-stack role upon graduating. I definitely think that you'll need to continue to study and learn in your role out of Codesmith, as there's just too much you can possibly learn in a 3 month period. But it's definitely enough to get you into a mid-to-senior level role. 

The hiring support was and still is stellar! Probably one of the biggest reasons I recommend Codesmith. I found a role soon after graduating, and after being there for a month, I found the work environment to be really toxic. I decided to leave and find another role - and the Codesmith hiring team was SO supportive. They continued to check on me, offer me support, and just made me feel not alone through the process. I ended up getting four more offers soon after and joined another company I'm much happier at. 

My final thoughts: The community of alumni here is a HUGE asset. I still communicate with most of my cohort and have made great friendships online and offline - despite being in the remote program. I cannot recommend Codesmith enough if you're looking to get into Software and land a really solid job. 

I had an amazing experience at Codesmith. It allowed me to connect to so many engineers from all facets of the world. It is an intense program but the applicants they accept as well as the instructors and fellow are all so supportive. I would not be able to make it through the program on my own without the Codesmith community. Even though we graduated from the program, we have built a life long connection to so many people that can help us and that we can help in the future. I would have never thought I could learn all the things I learned. No regrets. 

I am a true Codesmithed-swe. I came to Codesmith with zero experience in coding and began by studying for their prep courses. I was skeptical about landing an actual software engineer job, but It took me less than 7 months from the start date of the prep courses to get the first offer; two months of prep, three months of the immersive program, and two months of job search. My experience throughout Codesmith was great. Thank you, Codesmith! 

I was recommended Codesmith by an alumni that was a close personal friend, and from CSX, their online learning platform, I learned all the fundamentals of Javascript that I apply to this day. The technical knowledge that is provided by the class is amazing, but the community of my cohortmates and alumni is what ultimately provided the help that I needed to land my current position. 

The hiring portion of Codesmith was also almost as valuable as the technical knowledge. In fact, many students that are already software engineers probably find the hiring portion the most beneficial as the logistics of finding a job can be just as difficult as the interviews themselves. The class also provides an in depth session on negotiation led by Eric Kirsten which completely changed my perspective on salary and offer negotiation. With Eric's help, I was able to raise my initial offer up by about 15 percent which is almost equal to the price of the entire course! 

If you're looking for the place to prepare you to take that next step on your journey to a career in Software Engineering, Codesmith will be that place. 

Codesmith is the real deal. The curriculum is rigorous with a focus on front-end (JS / React / Node) that really prepares you for web development in the real world, and it is taught by professionals. Codesmith is also has a very robust recruiting program that is comparable to what you would have at an elite business school - which is GREAT for job placement.

I did the Codesmith Full-Time Immersive program online from July-October of 2021 after having previously gone through the JavaScript for Beginners, CS Prep, and self-guided CSX courses. I cannot recommend Codesmith enough for anyone looking to change careers like me! 

I came from a totally non-technical background as a teacher, and I was able to land a job as a software engineer a couple of months after graduating. 

Looking at the coursework, and the teaching techniques I saw while I was in the program with my critical, educator's eye, I can also say I was definitely satisfied with what I got. The curriculum was on target with what you need in this industry, and all of the instructors I interacted with were helpful, friendly, and willing to go the extra step to make sure that you understood the concepts. They do really push you during the course, and sometimes you will feel like you're falling behind, but it's by design. Some concepts you will get over time, and with repeated iterations, and most importantly, the instructors won't actually let you fall behind. They keep track of everyone's progress, and they are willing to give additional help to you in the areas that you find most challenging.

Additionally, despite doing the online course and only ever seeing people through computer screens, Codesmith did a really good job of building a community. My cohort-mates became my friends during the course of the immersive!

I also want to emphasize the strength of the post-graduation career help. It was really easy to stay in touch with the staff even after the program was done, and they have numerous staff who are mostly dedicated to helping people with the job search process. I was able to get help on my resume, advice on how to present myself as a strong candidate, and information about how to go about accepting an offer once one is made. This information was especially helpful for me since I was coming from the education field where the job search process is very different, and I wouldn't have known many of these things otherwise.

Again, I definitely recommend Codesmith if you are serious about the software engineering field, and if you are willing and able to put in the time-commitment and the work!

I’ve been looking at making a career change into software engineering for a few years now.  As an older worker (51), the prospect of moving into something completely new has been pretty intimidating.  I’d looked at bootcamps and didn’t see anything that taught things I couldn’t learn on my own (I’ve taken a ton of Udemy and Coursera online courses) and the job-placement offerings didn’t seem very effective, so they just didn’t seem worth the investment.  
In January, I was looking at how to get an entry-level role when I stumbled onto Codesmith.  I was impressed with the reviews and stunned by their outcomes.  Enough so that I went ahead and 
What Codesmith is not:

• A bootcamp — Though Codesmith has the shape of a bootcamp, it is nothing like what is typically described by that term.  It is immersive and is three months long.  And since you are learning some technical skills, it seems like a bootcamp.  Typically, bootcamps take people with little or no experience and give them the basic skills for getting an entry-level job with which you start a new career.  That is not Codesmith.  Codesmith graduates consistently get mid- to senior-level engineering roles for they first jobs.  There really isn’t an appropriate industry term for it, though “tech accelerator” is the closest I’ve heard.  
• A technical school/program — Yes, you will learn the technical skills for building a full stack app.  But that is the smallest part of what Codesmith achieves with its students, where that is primarily what “bootcamps” teach.  Codesmith will train you to solve the hard engineering problems typically reserved for senior developers.  You will learn how to quickly onboard new technologies that are unfamiliar and work with teams on a professional level.  What gets covered in most programs, we got through in less than a month.  The last half of the program, we are building products for other engineers (out in the real world) to use in their professional day-to-day.  No social media clones or todo list projects here!
• Easy, at all — If you are still at all unsure about making a career change into engineering, don’t waste your time.  You will get frustrated and likely feel more uncertain.  If you are positive you want to change directions and become a mid- to senior-level engineer, the next step is to recognize that Codesmith is not a short cut.  The years of experience that go into entry level to mid are compressed into 3 months.  This is more a direct route, but it is extremely difficult, frequently frustrating, occasionally empowering and always exhausting.  Everyone in this program faces faltering confidence and profound imposter syndrome.  And it was one of the best experiences of my life!
• A certificate factory —  It is hard to get admitted to Codesmith.  You have to demonstrate an entry-level skillset before you are admitted (don’t worry, their free online CSX coursework and their workshops are amazing and will get you ready).  It is rare for people to pass their admissions process the first time.  And when you graduate, they are not done with you.  They give you outstanding training around the hiring process and resume writing that continues long after you’ve completed the program.  In addition to the instruction and support the dedicated hiring team gives graduates, Codesmith has done an amazing job of building a large alumni support network.  CS grads look out for other CS grads!
• A magic bullet — but it is not *not* a magic bullet.  It is the shortest path to an exciting, high paying job, but it is also going to be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.  It is difficult to explain Codesmith to people stuck in the typical bootcamp paradigm, but when they see you write code or debug a broken app, your engineering chops will be undeniable.  Two months after graduating, my cohort mates and I are getting scooped up by employers and most of us are getting starting salaries well above the median shown on this website (including me!).

If you are serious becoming an engineer, I cannot possibly recommend Codesmith enough.  It is incredibly tough to get into and even harder to survive.  But if you are going to make such an important move, why waste time with partial measures.  That way, when you get your first engineering job and are bring home a six-figure income, you will have confidence that you earned it!