Codesmith

The program is intense but definitely worth it.  There is a lot of information given in a short period of time but there is a strong, supportive network of people around that all help each other.  
Starting out, you build on fundamentals like algorithms and data structures and grow from there, learning all of the core technologies you'll be working with on the job.  

That knowledge is solidified by working on solo and group projects, ultimately building a project that brings all of the hard and soft skills you learn through the course into a tool that is released to the world.

The most valuable parts are the Hiring Program and support of the Outcomes team.  Putting together a professional resume and presenting yourself as an engineer are the real benefits.  And getting check-ins and help along the way during the process are great ways to keep motivation. 

Trust the process, keep pushing and it will work out.

Before Codesmith, I was working in front-end web development (HTML and CSS) for about 4 years. There was a point where I decided to bring my JavaScript game up to the next level and researched extensively around for a bootcamp that aligned with my goals. When I attended a free Codesmith workshop, I knew that it would be the right choice for me. What hooked me in is their emphasis on technical communication, under-the-hood understanding, and cultural growth.
The software engineering program is a hyperbolic time chamber, where you learn 4 years worth of college education in 3 months. It’s set up in a way where they teach the practical side of computer science through a series of solo and group projects. The program is intense, and although researching, parsing, and implementing for 12+ hours almost everyday takes a mental and emotional toll, it’s a small price to pay for a lifelong investment in financial stability, emotional well-being, and a community that supports you throughout the process (even when searching for a job).
Now after several months of job hunting, I’ve accepted an offer to be a Front-End Software Engineer at a company that shares the same core beliefs as me. I’m thrilled to start this new chapter, and this achievement reinforces a certain mindset: as long as you work with diligence and positivity, growth and success will come your way. Thank you Codesmith for changing my life.

I was skeptical of Codesmith's advertisements and actually interviewed at 5 other programs. I started attending JSHP Lectures at night and eventually graduated from the program. TLDR: The process works, the results as advertised are true, and what you learn is truly incredible. The hiring program alone is worth the entire tuition. I had a phone call with the hiring team (Eric) and was able to negotiate a higher salary- the difference in salary is enough to pay for the entire tuition of the program.

Know before entering: This is not like other programs, it's very intense. For those willing to work extremely hard, pull long hours, and push your limits of learning- this program is for you. The results are there, it's a lot of work to achieve them but they are possible. You will accomplish things you may not think are possible, and have such a deep depth of knowledge coming out of the program. There are many engineers in industry who will not have the depth of full stack web development that Codesmith grads have.

Highlights about the program: You'll meet people who will become true friends, you'll overcome obstacles together, and achieve some incredible final products. You learn a wide range of topics across the full stack web development space, essentially taking an idea to a fully deployed web application. The hiring program is fantastic, even after graduation there are meetings and lectures to attend, you never stop learning. The negotiation part is great.

Constructive advice: I would like to see TypeScript incorporated into the core curriculum, it's an essential part for most companies now so it would be nice for it to be formally taught. Some aspects could be a little better organized and the days may be restructured to be less "interrupted", especially when building projects.

Overall, I'm very happy to have gone through this life changing experience. It's incredible how much can change in such a short window of time.

Review of CS Prep course
I'm writing this review because it wold have helped out a lot when deciding whether or not to take the prep course.

So, I took the CS Prep course right before the onset of COVID19 lockdowns with the goal of getting into Codesmith right after. The program was designed to prepare you for the immersive and to allow you to pass the technical interview, and that's exactly what it did! Looking back, I didn't really need to take CSPrep - I had a fairly good grasp of all the concepts and went through the CSX platform fairly quickly. But nevertheless, I would still highly recommend taking CSPrep even if you do feel prepared. The course offered me a lot more than just preparing for the interview. It also: 

• Got me used to Codesmith's teaching style
• Got me used to pair programming, which is a huge part of Codesmith's overall teaching strategy
• Got me more comfortable with not knowing things. Codesmith really pushes your limits and tries to make you uncomfortable so you can get used to knowing how to handle yourself when you don't know something. 
• Gave me a community of friends. Codesmith is also really big on community (which you can probably see in almost every other review here), but attending CSPrep gave me a lot more insight on just how important it is. I still talk to the people I worked with in CSPrep and we even helped each other get into the program by offering advice, conducting mock interviews for each other, and just motivating each other in general. I've seen a lot of people from my CSPrep cohort in my current Codesmith cohort (PTRI 2), which goes to show that the curriculum really is there to help you succeed. 

TL;DR - Codesmith's CSPrep program is really awesome! If you have the money to take the course or can apply for CSPrep scholarships, do it. You won't regret it!

Just a little blurb about bootcamps and bootcamp reviews in general: No review or seminar you attend will give you a full and accurate understanding of how great a bootcamp actually is. When I did my own extensive research when choosing a bootcamp, I attended many info sessions, looked at many webpages, and read many a review.

What Codesmith does differently, and what pulled me in, was attending one of their many free, public weekly workshops. Meant for just anyone interested in learning programming, this truly showed me what Codesmith is all about. I saw how they emphasized core engineering values: community, culture, and strong interpersonal skills - not just technology and the knowledge to build things. Because of Codesmith's popularity and strong outcomes (look at the CIRR report!), you will be in an environment of 30+ people (cohort sizes being around 20-30, but that doesn't account for your mentors, your instructors, and all the support staff), all of which are a resource for you to improve your chances of succeeding. Codesmith believes in hard-learning. There's no hand-holding and the curriculum is not easy, but what you get is a strong community and support system that exists even after graduating (job searching is as hard and time-consuming as the bootcamp itself!). 

Before Codesmith, I was a college-educated minimum, wage worker. Within a year of starting my programming journey, I have gotten two fix-figure salary offers, and relationships with people that will last a lifetime. 

I was accepted into Codesmith for the July 2019 cohort (cohort 13). When I decided to attend a bootcamp, I chose Codesmith because of their weekly workshops on Thursdays "JavaScript: The Hard Parts." The people and the way they dive under the hood of these JS concepts sold me instantly. I've never heard of execution context etc before that. The instructors are not only incredibly knowledgable, but incredibly patient and passionate about teaching. From day 1 I knew it was the right choice. 

You can learn these technologies anywhere, but what separates Codesmith from other schools are the people. Everyone is a resource (instructors, staff, and your seniors). They have non-tech related workshops like battling imposter syndrome, implicit bias, etc. It is a very welcoming, warm environment. Which is great, because the curriculum is hard. Extremely hard. There is no hand-holding. As a resident, you are forced to navigate the unknown and read documentation, debug, and hit those blocks (thats where the growth happens). 

Towards the end of your stay, and well long after you graduate, they provide support in your career. You can schedule 1 on 1's with fellows and staff to go over everything from resumes to algos. They helped me tremendously. I've since landed a Software Engineer role, and I am grateful for their part they played. 

Codesmith is the cutting edge of what education ought to be. Prior to this, I had a Computer Engineering and Economics background, though in reality at University I had very little idea of what I really wanted to do, with both an entrepreneurial spirit and also liking the technical side and hands-on work. I needed a way to master and apply these goals. I soon realized that Codesmith was my proof of concept;  it gave me drive and focus and you will learn how to embark specialization in the engineering field to acquire the strongest competitive advantage in a constantly tidal industry. 
The first time I attended one of Codesmith’s free workshops was in NYC, prior to permanently moving to LA and entering the Venice chapter. It was one of Will’s lectures on the hard parts and examining industry trends. Aside from having the ability to clearly explain complex concepts to many non-traditional crowds with backgrounds ranging from Ex-Finance, Ex-Law to Ex-Biology and applying them to modern applications, Will is also extremely energetic and inspiring; in a way he is much like a motivational tech speaker as well as an entertaining and informative lecturer who advocates for dynamic learning. After attending the free events and preparing for a month and a half, I applied and got into the Venice cohort for Autumn. 
The entire Codesmith team and existing students were extremely warm and welcoming and ensured we had access to the best resources and mentorship. The daily programming had a fluid and well thought out schedule and the team is extremely approachable when any trepidations arise. Unlike my past encounters in engineering classes or even engineering sororities/frats, I did not feel excluded or minute anymore. I felt that I had a voice and a true impact. I felt level on the playing field if not leveraged, and I felt empowered. 
The culture at Codesmith is what every tech firm’s culture aspires to be like; it is hosted by a community of intelligent, enlightened, tolerant people which allows you to diversify your network outlook. The culture there will become your greatest advocate as you make the advance through pair programming and project based learning. You realize that there are many different methods to the same goal, the same problem, but raining on new ideas, constant brainstorming, feedback and examination is what will make you quick to adapt and highly performant to the environment. You also acquire an ability to skillfully embed creativity into the applications and systems you build, to ideate as well as decide on the key trade-offs behind design choice. Pursuing this is what will cultivate the depth of knowledge and leadership skills to thrive with any company.
Codesmith is not just a Software Engineering training program and its experience extends beyond  the bounds of the 3 month immersive. It teaches you micro and macro career planning, careful decision making, and how to design and implement scalable, efficient systems in computers and in life. We learn to constantly pivot and to feed into our curiosity to grow in the direction of personal and professional development. 
The hiring support is exceptional. The team consists of former alumni from Ivy Leagues, successful Entrepreneurs, Angel Investors and a range of well versed backgrounds both in and out of the field who were committed to my success every step of the way. Amid the rise of the global pandemic, Annie from the alumni support team remained just as resourceful, available, and was extremely adept at checking up on us in our job exploration and interview process. The team gave us the roadmap to success using industry knowledge and best practices to achieve our highest potential and held us at very high standards. 
After I received offers from different companies, Eric gave me advice and key insights on negotiation strategies for salary, benefits, equity and pushed me to have the courage and confidence to do so. As a woman and minority in STEM, I have always felt the very present stigma of imposter syndrome and the victim mentality. I’ve felt discouraged from negotiating a contract at times, that I should just willfully accept the best offer presented to me as many women who have been conditioned to feel this way can relate. However, this time was different. After having the guidance from Eric and the entire hiring support team as well as many CS(CodeSmith) Alumni who have been at the exact same position, I was able to finally realize the value of having a different background than the majority and to see that as an asset. I ended up successfully negotiating an extra $10K on an offer and accepting a Software Engineer position at my dream company!
I have to say, I am equally as proud to be an Alumni of Codesmith as I am of my Alma Mater, and in many ways I have grown more professionally and industrially from Codesmith’s impact than I have from any other traditional schooling, organization or institution. This program outlines an extraordinary blueprint for modernizing education and the way it impacts career viability, professional progression, and is an archetype of education for the future. With that being said, I think it’s time to change your future now and let no time go to waste. 

I am a recent graduate and I can confidently say that Codesmith is an amazing immersive program that teaches you how to become an amazing engineer. 

The immersive program itself is a combination of hard computer science, pragmatism, and an empathetic community. It teaches you to be patient with yourself, to cuddle with the struggle, and to power through hurdles so that you can gain a deeper understanding of what Codesmith calls "the Hard Parts." It's a blend of pair programming and project-building using modern technology stacks. The instructors themselves are passionate, accessible, and empathetic, which are exactly what students need when learning these difficult-to-grasp topics. You'll get a lot out of this program, but keep in mind that you also have to be able to put work in as well. 

At the end of the day, this bootcamp itself is more like an immersive program. You'll feel like you've been learning for a year, but in reality, it's only been a few months. You'll also come out quadruple times more wiser in the engineering world and ready to tackle most engineering problems that you'll face. 

Thank you again Codesmith, it's been a wild ride. Happy to say that I've enjoyed the experience and to start a new chapter in my life!

The experience going through the Software Engineering Immersive program is extremely difficult. The hours are long, you're being pushed to grow in so many more ways than just coding and technical ability. But that's what makes it a unique bootcamp amongst all the others. 

Of course, Codesmith teaches all the technical stuff, but its true value comes in teaching you how to learn on your own. The course is structured so that you run into blocks, and learn as you push through them. There's plenty of help and support along the way, making sure that when you leave Codesmith you have the confidence and ability to tackle any problem.

Before CS Prep I would watch a solution video in CSX or FreeCodeCamp and understand the solution but would always have trouble coming up with the right 'idea/approach' to a problem on my own. 

I had already worked my way through most of CSX, often times getting stuck on some of the harder problems in the closures and higher order function sections. When I say stuck I'm talking like trying multiple different approaches to the same problem for an hour or so for a day and having to come back the next day. 

CS Prep helped me bridge that gap. Now I don't feel lost for ideas when I see a problem and I also don't find myself going down rabbit holes with a wrong approach. 

I learned a lot about how important it is to pseudo code and talk out loud through your logic.  I used to spend about 10% of my time on pseudo coding, 50% coding, and 40% debugging. CS Prep helped me shift my mindset towards more pseudo code which has lead me to much less debugging and frustration.

If you've been to the Hard Parts workshops you will be familiar with the style of teaching. It's an engaging style of teaching where the instructor calls on different people to walk/talk through code line by line while giving advice on technical communication. 

Look, if you've made headway on some hard learning and really want to boost your confidence and analytical problem solving abilities then I think CS prep will help you like it helped me.

Not only that but you'll meet some great people of all different skill levels, improve your technical communication, become a better pair programmer, and be on your way for a technical interview for an immersive.

Shout out to our instructor Chris who personally helped me work through some tough problems and prepare for my technical interview.

I attended the Beginner JS Course through CodeSmith. Overall, the experience was really good. Typically, the workshop spans over 2 weeks, however, this particular session was crammed over a weekend. It was intense. I think it gave a flavor for how the immersive program would feel like. 

I'm familiar with some of the basic aspects of JS like loops and functions. During the course, I was able to ask detailed/ specific questions. I like how the lectures are designed. Each student will get multiple opportunity to explain how JS would work in a given scenario - the responses are technical. This is great because communication is a huge part of programming. 

The pair programming was a great experience as well. I got to work with a few folks that were more experience than I was and some that were less experience. I choose Codesmith because of the format and strongly recommend it.