Fullstack Academy's part-time Flex immersive was one of the most wonderful, worthwhile, and challenging experiences of my life. While there were some things that could be improved about the course, I can wholeheartedly say that everyone there is dedicated, intelligent, and fantastic. If you're thinking of applying to Fullstack, don't hesitate--you won't regret it!

Application

Applying to Fullstack was fairly straightforward. After filling out an online form and taking an online assessment, I was then contacted for a one-on-one interview with a teaching fellow. The interview consisted of two parts--behavioral and technical. Don't sweat the technical interview. They're not looking for experts, but rather that you have a good grasp of the fundamentals and can handle instruction/feedback if you get stuck.

Do not go in with 0 experience first, though. You need to, at minimum, understand the basics of JavaScript: variables, functions, arrays, loops, objects, conditionals, some recursion, etc. If you're on Code Wars, you should be able to solve level 6 problems with some regularity.

The Class

The Flex immersive runs twice a week in-person and one weekend a month. A block of time is set aside for remote work/homework on Wednesdays, though there is no lecture during this time. The class runs across two phases: a junior phase, which consists mostly of lectures and workshops, and a senior phase, which is when you'll build applications from scratch.

Eric Katz, the lead Flex instructor, is funny, insightful, and an all-around great guy. He's a brilliant engineer and teacher, and you'll be glad to have him as your mentor.

The curriculum itself is challenging and trying--as it should be. Initially, I had panicked and thought I'd fail, but I realized quickly that I'd be okay so long as I put in the time and effort. Every concept you learn in the curriculum is then reinforced in senior phase, which is when you go from a newbie to a software engineer by building real apps--from a shopping website to your own hackathon project to a fully realized final project.

The curriculum was supplmented by weekend projects Eric assigned, which helped us learn to build projects from scratch far earlier than senior phase.

Career Success

The career success team is great. They provide lectures on interviewing, networking, salary negotiation, and so on. But the lectures are the least of what they do.

First, they organize Launch Day--an event where companies looking for graduates come to the campus and interview students in a "speed dating" style event. Though I wound up not going with any of the Launch Day companies, I did gain several good leads there. It's also a great event and a good introduction to tech interviews.

More importantly, they provide you with actual support during your job search. Jackie Ore, in particular, provided tremendous support during salary negotiations--something that had always terrified me in the past.

Cons

The only cons I'd say are that--at times--the Flex program did not feel like it was part of Fullstack Academy. For example, the curriculum frequently mentions deadlines for the full-time students, a source of confusion for us at times. It also felt sometimes as if the full-time staff had forgotten us. I'm sure this wasn't the case, but occasional checkins through all 6 months of the program would have helped. 

Aside from these minor issues, I wholeheartedly recommend Fullstack Academy. If you put in the work, you'll definitely succeed. Two months after graduating, I accepted a job offer to work as a software developer. :-)

Flag as inappropriate.

I'm a graduate of FSA and it was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. The program isn't just designed to teach you to become a (better) developer, it's also designed to help you become a better teammate, public speaker, life-long learner, and leader. 

I came into the program already having some experience with web development and I needed help advancing my career. Even though I had some experience already, I still needed to do a some JS studying before getting accepted. They offer a JavaScript prep course that many people in my cohort took and it worked well for them so if you don't have a coding background already, I would highly recommend that. If there's one thing I give FSA a lot of credit for is that they do a very good job at testing/interviewing candidates before they're accepted. I'm not sure about other cohorts but I was so impressed with every single person in mine not only by their abilities but also their kindness. FSA isn't kidding when they say they have a 'no a-hole' rule.

The program itself is very fast paced and it isn't intended for you to learn everything you could possibly know about softeware development but it does teach you everything you need to know to be successful. You'll learn how to learn and this is the best quality you could possibly have as a developer. Frameworks will come in and out of style but having the ability to learn quickly and apply knowledge is very powerful. Of course, like most things, you can only get out of it what you put into it. They treat you like an adult which means if you're not asking questions or putting in the effort in projects or exercises, they aren't going to chase after you. You need to make the effort.

FSA is also very attunded to what you'll need in order to get attention in the job market afterwards. The senior phase allows you to build projects, explore new technologies (this will help you stand out from other students), get guidance on your resume and interviewing practice. I was particularly impressed with the career guidance I was given by Holly who made me feel like she would literally drop everything to help me if I had a question. I just never expected to get such personalized attention after I graduated but the staff really made me feel like my success mattered to them.

I think the big question everyone has is what it was like during the job search for me. My experience probably isn't going to be what other graduates experienced because I could lean on my background in web dev a bit but by week five, I had two job offers with a third very close. One of those job offers came from a company that attended our Launch Day (previously called Hiring Day). I know there were a few other students who got offers from other Launch Day companies so it's a valuable event that should definitely be taken seriously.

That's not to say those offers came easy though. I didn't take any time off after graduation (which is what they recommend) and rarely took any weekends off too (mostly spent that time doing take-home projects and studying). There were many many applications, cover letters, interviews, take-home projects, and a lot of anxious nights. It takes some hustling and, as good as the FSA program and career counseling is, it's entirely up to you to land that job.

Overall, I have very little criticism of the entire program. It was an incredible journey all the way from the initial application to getting that first job offer. Entirely worth it.

Flag as inappropriate.

Let's preface this by saying Fullstack Academy is NOT a fast track to a job. The entry bar to a junior software engineering is getting high, and it truly takes hard work to get your foot in the door. 

What this program really is, is a way to bring out your potential as a software engineer. Throughout the months of training, it makes you *fall in love* with programming. With my cohort, I was putting in hours that I didn't know I had. It was addictive. I was a pretty unmotivated individual and I joined FSA because I thought it offered the structure and the peer support(pressure?) I needed to get my act together, and boy did it deliver.

The instructor was knowledable, but he wasn't there to really hold your hand. In that sense it was more of a college lecture format. The instructor had a lot of ground to cover and little time, so it was understandable that a lot of concepts will be hand-waved. It will be up to you to fill in some of the gaps. The TAs were recent graduates who were there to get you through certain sections in the workshops, but I felt they too, were simply constrained by time to go over a topic on a deep level. WHICH MEANS! If you fall behind in your fundamentals, you will fall further and further behind. Even though you will probably still graduate, you are missing the solid fundamentals that you will be required to know to get a job. It will really be up to the individual to make him or herself responsible for really understanding the materials. Fullstack gives you the environment, you give yourself everything else.

Jobs. About a fourth of my cohort received real "software engineering" jobs. But a lot more, I'd say half, did manage a career change into a technical field, which I thought was extremely good. (Note, coming from a 4 year engineering degree, those numbers were pretty much on par.) Like many said, I wouldn't expect much from the "hiring day" here. 

The types of people who found success in this program were apparent in the earlier weeks. You know who they were, the students who were the most passionate and *optimistic* After graduating from the program, they would continue to work on their project, polishing up their skills. I couldn't stop studying after graduating from the program, because like many others, I was addicted to learning.

Could I have done it without FSA? No. Their structure, learning path, the peers, and the environment was what got me hooked and the rest was history. In that sense, this program was worth every penny and it would be disingenuous to say that I could have tapped into my potential myself. 

Because of the way FSA has truly changed my life, I will always consider it the best decision I've made. But in reviews I also need to recognize that some of my classmates complained that the lectures weren't very thorough and there weren't enough resources to catch them up to speed once they fell behind. They expected a more caring, handholding format but instead were thrown into the fire. For such a hefty price tag, it was a fair expectation from them. So, just know what to expect :)



 

Flag as inappropriate.

I attended the Fullstack Immersive Program in October 2017 at the Chicago campus.  I came from a strong interest in wanting to learn how to code but no actual practical experience.  Before joining Fullstack, my background was in psychology and then a year of sales experience.  My strongest recommendation for anyone even remotely interested in joining the immersive program is to attend an information session that they host each month or so.  For me, that was the point where I fully decided I wanted to make the jump and pursue applying because it made my perspective on the whole concept much more real.  Rather than just being “something with great reviews that I read online”, I actually got to meet the people who run the program, ask questions, and walk inside the campus area.   

 I signed up for the boot camp prep program, which was great because it helped build up my foundational JS skills and also got me more comfortable with common programming exercises like paired programming and solving coding challenges.  If you are new to coding or are even at a beginning level, I also strongly recommend taking the time to join the boot camp prep course yourself before applying for the immersive part. 

As for the immersive program itself, I can easily say it was a very tough and challenging experience, but as you can see with many similar reviews, was also one of the most wonderful and memorable experiences I’ve had.  There are many reasons for this.  The first reason is, of course, going to be because of the peers whom you share the experience with.  Fullstack holds strongly to their “no assholes” culture when selecting applicants and also has a somewhat difficult acceptance rate to get in.  Therefore, it’s very likely that your cohort is going to be made up of a diverse group of determined people who are eager to learn, respectful, and excited to be in the program.  With that, you get to share a lot of “magical” moments such as high fiving your coding partner after solving a bug you were both stuck on for a while, or the camaraderie that comes with doing intense coding sprints with your team to complete a feature before its deadline.  These are all experiences that alone make the boot camp worth it and at the end, you will likely realize you are leaving the program with very strong friendships.  

The second reason is going to be the learning structure.  The curriculum will be very fast-paced and even overwhelming at first, but you will definitely hear from the cohort ahead of you the phrase: “trust the system, work hard, and you will be fine”.  The learning process is also highly focused on paired programming exercises, problem solving rather than hand holding, and gaining the ability to look up documentation on your own.  The good news is that the instructors are super available and are wanting to help you when you ask questions and need the extra help.  Even better, Fullstack provides “teaching fellows” whom are graduated students who stay on for an extra three months and help the newer cohorts of students.   These teaching fellows are trained to not give you the immediate answer when you ask, but rather try and guide you towards problem solving techniques that help you solve the issue yourself.  Before students realize it, the teaching fellows become more like human rubber ducks and students start solving the problems themselves just by talking out loud the issue.  Finally, concepts that you learn each week will be repeated many times and become foundation for future week’s material and what will seem foreign at first will be super familiar by the end of the program. 

Overall, on top of a very adaptive curriculum that focuses on popular and in-demand libraries and frameworks, due to Fullstack Academy’s teaching style you will be leaving the program with increased problem solving skills and the ability to effectively communicate code to others, and these will be your most valuable tool sets in the work field. 

In the end, I was able to get an offer three weeks after graduating for a front-end developer position with a company I am really enjoying being at.  I want to be transparent and say that I was one of those teaching fellows and this helped me stand out in the interview process. I also was able to meet the company in person at the Launch Day event that Fullstack will host for each cohort.  Realistically you should expect to have to continue to work hard in applying for at least a few months after graduating before solidifying an offer.  You will have access to the career success department and the fullstack alumni community and they will frequently put the word out for networking events and position offerings, so these will help with your journey to getting that first job in the field.  

At my job, I am not using all of the frameworks and libraries that I was taught in the program but I am definitely using the problem solving skills that I gained on a daily basis.  I have access to a large group of Fullstack alumni for networking, and I have the career success team to reach out to in case I need assistance with salary negotiations or other career related issues in the future.  I also got to leave the experience with a great group of friends.  My time at Fullstack Academy was very strong and I was happy to write this review because I want to recommend the opportunity of joining to anyone who is interested in making a jumpstart into their career in coding. 

Flag as inappropriate.

II was a part of WDF Fullstack Academy Bootcamp for a period of almost 6 months and when I look back at my journey it still feels unreal sometimes because the growth I have achieved and the amount of knowledge I have gained in such a short period is something I had been aspiring to achieve for a long time. 

I found my interest for programming during my undergrad and I knew I wanted to pursue it as my career but I faced a lot of hurdles along the way and could not pave a path by myself through online courses and self study. My husband told me about bootcamps and how they provide you with the skillset needed in the job market today in a short interval of time. During my search for bootcamps, I stumbled across many options, all promising to offer the best learning experience and future career goals and i was over whelmed by the number of options I had. I decided to reach out to alums of various programs and ask them how their experience had been first hand during their time at various bootcamps. After hearing back from a number of people praising Fullstack Academy's teaching methods and how their curriculum taught frontend and backend in the same language (Javascript), I was convinced on joining this program.

The next hurdle I faced was to figure out how to pay my tuition for the program and the two options I came across on Fullstack Academy's web-page were:

1) Web Development Fellowship NYC Tech Talent Pipeline Program (free of cost sponsored by the state)

2) Their all female (Grace Hopper) deferred tuition payment program

I applied for the WDF program and gave the Grace Hopper as my second option( in-case i don't make it through to the program i really wanted to join). I was asked to take an online assessment and after a one month long wait time (the longest wait of my life), I was told I have not made it thorough directly to the program and that I have to attend an on-campus Bootcamp Prep Course and if i pass that, i would be officially accepted into the WDF program. How could i say no and honestly it was the best opportunity for me because i like working under pressure. 

Bootcamp Prep was a fast paced one month long course where we were on-campus for 3 hours on weekdays (evening) and were first given a lecture on the topic and then a workshop to be completed in pairs. (Yes pair programming was one of the things we were being tested on in order to qualify for the program) The instructors who taught us during this course (Sean and Corey) were the best I could have asked for. They were very experienced in the course material they were teaching and had a solid grasp on the concepts being taught. They kept us all on our feet and made the lectures were interactive and energetic. In this course, we took 2 exams and their accumulated score along with an individuals attendance and collaboration during pair programming were taken under consideration to decide who would be considered for the interview phase of the program. I was selected and after an online live coding challenge, I was given the news of making it successfully to the WDF program. 

Next came the Foundation phase, this is where all the pure Javascript core features were taught to us via online recorded videos and workshops( for WDF students, it was mandatory to be on-campus for this phase). We had instructors there to guide us and teaching fellows helping us along the way if we got stuck at anything. This phase involved taking a 3 hour long test every week to make sure each student was on track and if not, was provided with full guidance and help to keep up with the curriculum. The end of this phase was marked with a grand test passing which put me through onto the next phase; the Junior Phase. This is where all the major technology and softwares were taught and was the core portion of learning in this bootcamp. We started off with backend first and then moved onto to front end in the later weeks. In this phase, we were given a lecture every morning (sometimes twice a day) by our instructors (Corey and Dan) who by the way brought so much energy every morning that I found it hard to not pay attention to what was being taught and Dan with is funny jokes made sure to keep his audience awake and upbeat. Following the lecture we had to complete a workshop (pair program) based on the topic taught to us. Pair programming provided me with the opportunity to look at problems from another persons perspective which comes in very handy later on when finding jobs because you would be asked to solve questions in many different ways during interview process. The curriculum that was taught and the way it was planned to be taught was something I really found helpful because implementing a topic right after learning about it, really helped me understand it well and once i wrote the code myself, it helped me memorize the syntax as well. This phase also involved weekly tests to check the progress of each student and to provide them with any help needed. Study Saturdays were also implemented to help the individuals who were lagging and to keep them up to pace of the program. 

The last phase is the Senior Phase which revolves around projects and prepping for the job search related material. We had to complete a total of 3 projects during this time and they became a part of my portfolio once i graduated. This phase really hits it home because you actually build and deploy apps and web pages that others can access using the tech taught during the bootcamp and learning and implementing new tech along the way. Career advisers helped me along the way to formulate a resume, update linkedIn profile and  with other career related stuff. This phase is a little hectic with longer working hours but it really pays off since the things that I created during this time were the ones I talked about during many of my job interviews.

All in all, Fullstack Academy really changed my life because it gave me the proper skill set and knowledge that is currently a requirement of the job market and not only that, it also prepared me so that if i want to learn things on my own, I am more than capable of doing it now. The confidence I achieved during this program is huge and I was honored to be a part of an environment where everyone supported each other, no one was left behind and where no question was left un-answered. 

I recommend this program to anyone who is looking to make a career change and just as I took the word of alums who experienced this first hand, take my word for it and you would not be disappointed.

Flag as inappropriate.

TLDR
- Amazing life changing experience
- You get out of this program what you put in, so give it your all!
- Hired fast and increased my salary

My time at Fullstack Academy (FSA) was amazing.  I left my job 12/2017 that I felt trapped in, I was unhappy with, and I was not making much for the dissatisfaction. I completed the program at the Chicago Campus and became a teaching fellow (a position you apply for as a senior during the program). I received a Job offer one week after completing the fellowship nearly doubling my previous salary. 
One week and those kinds of gains are NOT typical of the program. I had a low paying job before, and I was very lucky that a company wanted to hire me after Launch day (the event at the end of Fullstack's program where you have a number of 10-minute interviews with companies that are hiring developers). 
Many people that have gone through FSA have had a transformative experience. I am one of those people. My confidence has been restored. I have confirmed my passion for programming and expect a long and fulfilling career in development. I spoke to a previous student at Launch Day (actually a member of the team that hired me) and we both talked about how we almost didn't trust the reviews and testimonials because they seemed too good. I am perpetuating the cycle of people gushing way to hard.
 
I believe my linked in will be on this post, so if you are mulling over going and want to talk someone who did it and does not work for the school feel free to reach out.  

Flag as inappropriate.

I was part of the first WDF cohort. We spent almost 5 months on the NYC campus going first through the foundational materials and later through the main curriculum. Fullstack gave me a very solid understanding of software engineering principles, and most importantly, taught me how to be self sufficient. 

The instructors and the stuff were excellent. I was never bored but was continuosly challenged. The level of students at FS is very high, yet everybody was always super supportive.

I accepted a job offer at arguably one of the toughest companies to get in after about 4 months after graduation. 

If you are thinking about becoming a professional developer, I can't recommend Fullstack enough. With that being said, I want to empisize that your results will be directly proportionate to the effort you put in (during the program and especially during the job search).

Flag as inappropriate.

I recently graduated from the FSA program in NYC. Before joining fullstack, I have no experience in coding. I wrote my first line of code in June 2017 while I was taking online prep course to get ready for FSA's interview. 

The program at FSA is amazing, awesome, full of fun, and a lot of hard work. I would like to give a shout out to the instructors - Geoff and Omri. They are both very knowledgeable in the course curriculum and are extremely supportive and thorough to explain concepts to us. I have taken numerous online tutorials and I don't think any tutors that I had online can compare to these two dedicated instructors. That really sets apart Fullstack from any other bootcamps. Once you go Geoff and Omri, you can never go back!!

Towards the end of the program, there is a huge emphasis on career coaching. We were being mentored by a one-on-one career coach as well as the support from the entire career success team. At the end of the program, there is a Lunch Day where companies come on campus. I was really impressed by the Lunch Day and quite a few individuals from my cohort get recruited that way. However, I didn't get recruit through the hiring day and instead stumbled upon this role on LinkedIn. If I were to tell you getting a job is easy, I would be lying to you. If requires a lot of hard work and I did apply to hundreds of jobs online. However, what keeps me motivated throughout this process is Jackie - my career counselor. She really did take the time to keep us on track on a weekly basis, and helps us stay positive. I wouldn't have done it without all the pouring love and support from FSA. 

If anyone is considering a bootcamp, definitely Fullstack. Because not only you learn to be an excellent programmer, you also make friends that would last for a lifetime, and the impacts that each individual who works at Fullstack on me in insurmountable. I love FSA!

Flag as inappropriate.

I graduated from the Grace Hopper program in 2018 and 2 months after graduation, I received an offer from my current company, who I came into initial contact with during Fullstack's Hiring Day. Prior to the program, I had no experience in Computer Science or Software Engineering, and Fullstack took me from having never touched a line of code to landing a full time software engineering role in a matter of months. I highly recommend this program for anyone interested in making a career change. Rather than paying to return to college, paying to attend an immersive program to learn a highly marketable skill is the way to go. The instructors at Fullstack are extremely knowledgeable and invested in the students' work and success. The career success emphasis helped greatly in preparing me for my job search and the practical knowledge I gained in such a short amount of time made the overall experience incredibly worth it!

Flag as inappropriate.

So the big question, is it worth it? Definitely. 100%. I was actually a bit nervous because it's a lot of money to put into a for-profit school. But as someone who holds a CS degree, what you get from Fullstack Academy is far more than a piece of paper.

The first thing I want to say is I think bootcamps are underrated. In general, many of the things taught in Computer Science tend to be too theoretical and divorced from what actually happens in the industry. That is not to say that a CS degree is useless. But Fullstack Academy keeps up with the industry and teaches technologies that employers are looking for. It's like an alumni that came to campus to speak who does actual hiring said. Bootcamp graduates hit the ground running.

The second thing is that the community is just amazing. I've met so many amazing people through the program. As someone else in my cohort said, I'm just amazed at the people I've met. We've had so many fun times together and created some cool projects along the way. And we'll continue to help each other in the future. I feel like these bonds will last a lifetime. And it's also because of the community that I've come so far. When I first attended Fullstack, I would say I was a super social recluse. But everyone accepted me for who I am, and through my experience here with them, I became a bit more social and better at communicating my thoughts.

And the instructors (and the teaching fellows) really care about the students. I want to give a shoutout to Geoff Bass, Omri Bernstein and Corey Greenwald. One of the things you will have to do by the end of Senior Phase is make a Portfolio Enrichment Piece about a technical topic. I wrote mine during Review Week, which is the gap between Junior Phase and Senior Phase. And Geoff gave me a lot of good comments on how to improve my PEP, which was a blog post on Medium. He told me how like I was underselling myself because it was obvious I put a lot of work into researching my topic. By the way, listen to career services and your instructors when they say to do it during Review Week because a million things happen during Senior Phase (I am 100% glad I did it during Review Week). When I did a mock technical interview with Omri, he pointed out what I could do better (like eye contact and telling the interviewer that I'm thinking) and that helped me a lot in interviews. As far as I know, the instructors like Corey help alumni with mock interviews all day even after graduation.

I could write a lot more, but to restate what I said in the beginning, I'd definitely recommend Fullstack Academy 100% to anyone looking to get into Software Development. When I had graduated from college, it was really hard looking for a job. I was on my own, and I didn't have any side projects and I was not that great at communicating. But coming to Fullstack, I gained a portfolio of side projects, along with friends for life, along with better communication skills, along with full stack web development skills (which I connect together with the skills from my CS degree). And now I have an offer that I have accepted.

And the career success team is really awesome as well. They help you with your Resume, your LinkedIn, Follow-Ups, Meetups, etc. They're always there helping you 100% to get that software engineering job. It's very very personal compared to college in my opinion. I wanted to also give a shoutout to our career success counselors, Jackie Ore, Rachel Fogel and Natalie Giuliano, because they worked really hard (and continue to do so) to help us throughout the process to get that job.

Flag as inappropriate.

I am a graduate from Fullstack's Immersive Course in NYC, and I don't think I can fully explain how thankful I am for Fullstack's guidance, from the instructors to the fellows to the student experience specialists to the career counselors. I had so much support every step of the way, from the moment Foundations started and never ceases to end.

There isn't enough gratitude in the world to explain how much the staff at Fullstack cares about their students, and how much effort they put in to maximize our results as developers. My instructors during my time as a student and fellow were Omri Bernstein, Cassio Zen, Corey Greenwald, and Geoff Bass. They were all instrumental in my growth as a developer, answering my questions both with ease and with excitement. They were also crucial for the very stressful times, as the course is extremely intensive, during my senior phase and my time as a fellow.

You know the whole "10/10 would do it again" spiel? Yeah, I'm on that train.

Flag as inappropriate.

I recently graduated Fullstack Academy, the full-time immersive cohort in NYC. I highly reommend this program to anyone who is interested. Below are my thoughts.

A quick background, I was a finance major who felt like software engineering was an important skill to understand to stay relevant and valuable in the job search. However, I was skeptical of bootcamps - can I really learn to code in 3 months?? Will an employer ever actually hire someone with 3 months of coding knowledge? Seemed too good to be true.

However, when I got to FSA, I was impressed at the skill level of the instructors. I went to a good high-school and college, yet the instructors at FSA were by far the best instructors of any educational institution I had ever learned at. They take incredibly complex concepts and make them totally digestable. When you're confused, they take time with you, one on one, to uncover the confusing parts of the course and teach it to you at another angle. Behind the scenes, FSA keeps track of every single student's progress to ensure they are ready to move on and forward. 

So when you're choosing your bootcamp, ask about the teachers. They are the mentors you will learn from day in and day out and if they aren't talented, you will have a harder time getting hired. At FSA, the questions I asked at the beginning: "can I really learn to code in 3 months?? Will an employer ever actually hire someone with 3 months of coding knowledge?" have been answered. Yes, you can learn to code in 3 months (and at a skill level much higher than some of the other devs out in the working world). It's hard work, but totally worth it. 

Flag as inappropriate.

I graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and knew that I needed another practical skill to make me more marketable.  I lacked any internship experience from college since I had switched majors. I had heard about software engineering bootcamps that would be beneficial for people who were interested in code and a career in technology.  I knew how to code through some of my coursework but I hadn't done any real development so I knew I needed to get ready for a coding exam (such as the Fullstack entrance exam).

I spent a month learning JS through free resources I found online including some free bootcamp prep sites. I applied to a few bootcamps and decided on Fullstack from the reviews I read and the experience I had during the coding interview. I can definitively say I made the right decision for me. I felt it would take my analytical thinking style and give me something tangible, and through studying for the entrance exam I found a real love for coding.

The program itself is intense and very fast paced. Theres a foundational period where you learn basics and more advanced topics, in general programming. It's a very valuable experience and something I go back to this day. The instructors are phenomenal.

The onsite immersive part of the bootcamp is another beast, but its easily the best part. For me pair programming and spending time with others is the best and learning from such skilled instructors only made the experience better. Imposter syndrome can set in because you are surrounded by such talented and smart people, but theres a real sense of community and feeling that everyone wants you to succeed. Its very hands on and gives you real practical knowledge and experience to take forward into your career.

The career services and post Fullstack experience were equally amazing. They care and prepare you well for what lies ahead.  They know what goes into interviewing and landing jobs at top tech firms and prepare you very well. They set in stone habits that make you not only a good programmer, but a good engineer.

I cannot say enough good things about Fullstack. The friends I've made, the skills I've learned, and the vast network of skilled engineers who are always available to help is well worth the time and money spent.

Flag as inappropriate.

I graduated from college with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and then spent the next 5 years as an officer in the Navy running nuclear reactors. I decided that I did not want to spend the rest of my life deploying for 9 months at a time so I was going to leave the military once my commitment was complete. I started playing around with coding a bit and I fell in love with it. I would think I was working on a problem for 30 minutes and actually, several hours had gone by.

I started to research the logistics of acquiring a masters degree in CS, but I quickly learned that it was going to take me around 2 years to complete the necessary coursework. So, I decided on attending a coding bootcamp. After looking through all of the available options, I decided on Fullstack. 

The reason that I chose Fullstack is simply that they teach you how to learn to be a programmer. Many of the boot camps that exist today are teaching some boilerplate code template, and as soon as you deviate from that one bit, you are lost. Fullstack does not do this, they truly teach you the fundamentals of coding and you learn how to build full web applications. After attending Fullstack, I had no issues picking up and using other technologies or languages because the foundations were put in place.

The program itself is a fast-paced fully immersive program where you will spend your days learning at a rate that you likely have not experienced before. At first, it is very tough, but your mind just needs a bit of time to adjust to the pace. After about a week, the speed at which the information is coming at you is no longer an issue.

The approach that Fullstack takes of learning by doing was by far my favorite part of the program. I personally despise being PowerPoint-ed to death, and the program tries very hard to minimize the amount of time you are in a lecture compared to the amount of time you are actively building a project. 

I also can't say enough about the staff and students at Fullstack. Some of my best friends in the Chicago area are from the people that I attended the program with. It was awesome getting to spend 3 months working with like-minded individuals who actually were interested in learning the material, not people who were in class because they were expected to be there. 

Fullstack also does a very good job of preparing you for the job search. During the senior phase of the program you spend time each morning doing technical interview type questions on a whiteboard. These problems really set me up for success during my job hunt, and I was able to do very well in my technical interviews. Because of what I learned at Fullstack I ended up getting and accepting an offer at very good company 2 weeks after I graduated. 

I can't recommend Fullstack enough and if you do decide to attend, Ben N. Ben W., Collin, Finn, Brett, Priti, and Holley will make sure it is an absolutely amazing experience.

Flag as inappropriate.

The Summer of Code (SOC) program was an excellent option for a (then) soon-to-be graduating student like me. I've done my best to briefly describe the reasons why - 

0. 'How' to learn Comp. Sci. concepts -

One of the skills which I use every day as a software engineer is the ability to learn new computer science concepts/material/technologies quickly, and then implement them. Full stack's immersive is designed to teach you 'how to learn' along with 'what to learn'.

1. Curriculum & staff - 

One of the things which struck me about the curriculum was that how well detailed and thorough it was. The instructors have perfected the curriculum over time. Additionally, the 'career success' team are very helpful in getting you ready for interviews.

2. Practical coding skills - 

Most computer science students will relate to this: you know what a database, server & web page is on paper, but how do you implement them together, seamlessly? Building 2 live websites/apps in teams, using Git, was when I realized - now, I'm a software engineer who can make things.

3. Strong network & colleagues -

My colleagues were highly determined and bright students. It was great to work & get to know them - and then go on to be part of the Full stack alumni network. 

The Summer of Code program is perfectly scheduled during the summer break between semesters and I highly recommend it to any soon-to-be graduating student!

Flag as inappropriate.

I graduated from college with a degree in theoretical math and I had no idea what to do next. Luckily I had a friend who was a year above me with the same major who went on to attend a bootcamp and land a great job quickly. So I began to teach myself to code during the summer while looking into bootcamps.

Fullstack Academy was at the top of every list for bootcamps and it has a Chicago location, which was important to me. I decided to attend Fullstack's bootcamp prep in order to progress my JavaScript skills, to make sure coding was right for me and also to experience Fullstack’s culture. I highly recommend bootcamp prep because it reassured me that this huge commitment I was about to make was right for me, I got a lot of questions answered and felt very prepared to take the assessment and interview for Fullstack which has a rigorous admission process.

I personally believe the immersive portion of Fullstack is so great because:

1. They teach you more in six weeks than you can probably teach yourself and having great instructors, fellows and classmates makes this easier because there are people who can answer questions, remind you to stay motivated and push you even further. I believe great people come through the program and make it even more exceptional than it already is. This is portion of the program though was the hardest for me, I felt overwhelmed a lot of days and wasn't sure I was picking up the material fast enough because the pace of the program is quick, but I just kept moving forward and it all came together.

2. The second part of the bootcamp is all project based which leads to having things to put on your resume. I really solidified my knowledge during this part of the program and gained confidence that I could work a job in this field. I also loved that Fullstack emphasizes a git workflow and agile methodology for teams since this is often found in the real world. My advice for this portion of the program is to figure out what you love and how to incorporate your background somehow with coding. It will make for a seamless transition to finding a job if you work on projects that you truly care about and are in areas you want to get a job in.

3. Fullstack also has a great career success team. To be honest I was pretty skeptical about this since I think getting a job is hard and I didn’t believe there was honestly that much they can do. But I was wrong because by doing whiteboard problems every morning in the second half, I was prepared for those during interviews. There are also practice technical and behavioral interviews which truly helped me prepare for those questions since I was given great feedback. I also got a lot of resume feedback and honesty it is just a great place to make connections. Go to meetups, reach out to other Fullstack grads and use your own connections and I believe you will be successful because Fullstack prepares you to be. I received 3 offers 3 weeks after finishing and I felt that Fullstack prepared me for the interview process.

Just remember the point isn’t to finish the bootcamp but to become an excellent coder. Fullstack is an absolutely wonderful resource to achieve this but it requires a lot of commitment from the student to push themselves and ask questions when necessary. You might remember being told to go to office hours all the time in college and similarly go to office hours with instructors and fellows during the program because they are there to help you and can only do that if you make it clear to them that you want and need help. 

And finally just remember to always question why you are using a technology/library/framework, what are the benefits, the downsides and what would you do if you didn't use that specific one. I think it's easy to just be told we are using React and not think about why and other considerations. This truly was my experience at Fullstack and I hope this helped. Good luck if you are applying!

Flag as inappropriate.

  I applied to the Grace Hopper Program after taking their Bootcamp Prep class, and was accepted on the first application, and began the immersive in June of 2017.  I stayed on as a teaching fellow for two terms, and finished my time there having received a total of five job offers, any of which I would have been happy to take, and which included my absolute dream job.  

  The curriculum prepared me both for the technical demands of a dev job, and for the soft-skills needed to actually land one.

  In many ways, Foundations (the remote, introductory part of the course) was the most challenging, in that the jump from what was tested in admissions to what was tested in Foundations, felt the largest (for other folks considering this course who don't come from a technical background -- when you are getting ready to apply/after you get in, take a minute and get comfy with the CLI if you've never used it before.  It just means one less thing to learn at the same time.) -- a bit like being pushed in the deep end. After that, it was much less stressful.  

I had a lot of support at Grace Hopper, and it felt great to be in a diverse, LGBTQ-friendly environment.  Both the students and the staff were friendly and helpful.  The atmosphere is demanding, but not competitive -- everyone shares the view that 'a rising tide lifts all boats' and wants to help everyone do as well as they can.  

Cons: it's a program where you definitely get out of it what you put into it, and it absolutely favors people who are solid self-starters and already good at time management (there's so much to do and learn, you absolutely *must* make choices about what does and doesn't get done).  There is more support available than sometimes is obviously apparent, and so if you're having trouble with something, personally or technically, it behooves you to reach out and ask.  While the staff and management are fierce advocates for their students, communication across the staff isn't always perfect and there were several occasions where it became clear that the left hand didn't know what the right was doing.

Flag as inappropriate.

A short disclaimer: I did have some previous coding experience before I joined Fullstack, so I had a comparatively easier time with the curriculum.

But don't let that scare you. It's a great experience. The curriculum is amazing, the instructors are concise, easy to understand, and make learning an enjoyable experience. I became a much better coder during my time at Fullstack. Not just through the frameworks I learned, but the little stuff. I'm so much better at tracking down bugs now. 

Many people with no previous coding experience went in and came out polished software engineers. More importantly, they learned to be fast learners and break down problems. I highly recommend it to everybody.

Flag as inappropriate.

I was very interested in Fullstack because of their excellent reviews online and decided to look into what the have available to prospective students. I was impressed. I took a one day JavaScript class and an online JS fundamentals course. While I felt like I had a good grasp of fundamentals, there was definitely more to learn. I attended both the online and in person information seminars and after looking around at other bootcamps, I decided on Fullstack. After applying, taking the admissions test, and doing the coding interview, I was very happy with my choice. I was accepted and began the pre-bootcamp online course, and would have continued, except I was offered an internship at a tech company. Though I’m employed right now, I do feel like I missed out on a great experience! Everyone I spoke with at Fullstack was professional and I felt like they had my best interests in mind. If you are interested in a bootcamp, I would highly recommend that you take a good look at this one.

Flag as inappropriate.

To start things off: I graduated one month ago, and have not yet found a job. In fact, I have not even had as much as a phone screen after sending 50+ applications. If I do end up getting a job in a timely fashion, I'll update this review.

The course is alright, but I have some hesitation about the curriculum and teaching style. They throw numerous frameworks at you in a very short period of time. This is intentional - one way I heard it described is that it's like trying to catch up to a speeding truck, except that once you get close, it goes faster. Some of the technologies we learned such as React and Redux are in fact very in demand in the work force right now - I see them mentioned on almost every Front End or Full Stack job posting, so that's a plus. However, we also spend a lot of time learning Sequelize to manage back end. I haven't seen this on a single job posting, but most Full Stack roles DO want an object oriented language like Java or Python. The curriculum would have been more well rounded if something like Python was included.

We also spent almost no time on the most basic of web technologies such as HTML and CSS - you are essentially expected to figure it out yourself. However, I heard it expressed by multiple students (and myself) that this left a huge skill gap. The lack of time spent on standard web design means that students are not in the best position to succeed at Front End roles. 

The portfolio we graduated with is also pretty slim. There are only two projects that we can really call our own: a four day hackathon and a group project. So all you have to show is a hastily created app and another that may or may not be great, depending on the strength of the group. 

Bootcamps like Fullstack sell students on the idea that they can fully prepare you for employment in three months. This doesn't seem to be the case. I do see that students who go on to do the Fellowship (which gives them an additional three months to learn, build a portfolio, and be able to put "mentorship experience" on their resumes) seem to get jobs faster/at a higher rate. So it should be noted that that option is there, but maybe bootcamps should consider that students may need more time, and that these programs should be longer (which would allow more time to fill all the gaps listed above).  

Flag as inappropriate.

Flag as inappropriate.

There is absolutely no way I would have became a professional Software Engineer without Fullstack Academy. After spending more than a year trying to teach myself Javascript and Web Development, and making very little progress, I was very fortunate to be able to attend Fullstack Academy. FSA gave me the skills and confidence to pursue my dream career and within a month of graduating I was able to land a full time position as a Software Engineer.

I was part of the WDF program at FSA sponsored by the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline so I was in a bit of a unique situation but the curriculum was exactly the same with the exception of having to attend the Foundations portion of the curriculum on campus.

The instructors at Fullstack Academy are nothing short of amazing. They all have a great wealth of Software Engineering knowledge and years of professional experience which they will anecdotally share with you throughout your experience at FSA. It is obvious that the instructors care for each and every student, and hold us all to the highest standards in order for us to be successful in our future careers.

Fullstack Academy puts a tremendous amount of effort into creating a curriculum that will ensure the success of its students. The curriculum includes cutting edge Web technologies as well as solid fundamental programming knowledge and skills. I left Fullstack Academy with a deep understanding of JavaScript and a wide breadth of full stack development knowledge that I use on a daily basis as a Software Engineer. Not only does the curriculum include programming fundamentals and modern Web technologies, it includes whiteboarding and technical interview prep that is invaluable when it comes time to search for a position as an Engineer.

The curriculum is project based and you will leave FSA with full scale applications under your belt that you can display while applying or interviewing for positions. It is extremely challenging and you will be putting in long hours to complete workshops and projects but it is incredibly gratifying. I am still proud of the Senior Capstone project my team and I created at FSA

Fullstack Academy has an incredibly dedicated career success team that will assist you in creating a tech resume as well as increasing your online presence and assist you in growing a network that will greatly help you in your job search. FSA also hosts a hiring day where you will have ten minute sit down interviews with multiple companies, following your one on one interviews there is a networking time where you will be able to speak to all of the companies that attend hiring day. I was hired by a company that I met during the networking hours of hiring day. It is a great opportunity to establish a relationship with companies actively looking to hire developers. The career success team is not only there for you through your time at FSA but will continue to assist you in your job search after you leave FSA and are available even after you are hired.

Please be aware that it can take 3-6 months to find a full time position, and that is in part due to the nature of tech companies where the hiring process can be quite long. Fortunately the career success team and FSA in general will be there for you through each and every step of the process.

Overall my experience at Fullstack Academy was amazing. I was in a unique group of amazing people being part of the WDF program but I am confident that FSA could help any hardworking and motivated individual become a professional Software Engineer. If you are truly considering attending a coding bootcamp I could not recommend FSA more highly.

Flag as inappropriate.

I attended the Fullstack immersive (through the NYC Web Development Fellowship). The instructors were fantastic, and my fellow classmates were a constant inspiration. It's a great experience not just because of what you learn (which is obviously a lot), but because you have an opportunity to be around so many smart and driven people at various life stages that decided to pursue programming. As such, Fullstack is very challenging!

I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. I ended up receiving an offer from a company that I interviewed with during the career day organized by the school after graduation. I've been working now for almost 3 months as a software developer. My current job is not easy, and I feel Fullstack helped me develop a strong technical foundation and the mindset to be able to build on my knowledge and improve each day.

Flag as inappropriate.

My background was as a fundraiser in arts and culture nonprofits. Very non-technical. After hitting a bit of a wall in my career, I was tipped off my husband and some friends about careers in tech. Curious, I started playing around with coding a bit on my own. I visited info sessions for a couple of other Chicago bootcamps (Coding Dojo, and now-closed DevBootcamp). Fullstack grabbed me for a few reasons -- the admissions were competitive, you needed to know some JavaScript basics to be accepted, and it was going to dig hard into one very in-demand stack. Coding Dojo boasts learning 3 full stacks in 3 months, but I wanted depth over breadth. (A friend of mine attended Coding Dojo -- I had surpassed him in JavaScript knowledge by the third week at Fullstack.)

So, I enrolled in Fullstack's Bootcamp Prep course, which was a bit exhausting when paired with a full-time job, but was a great opportunity to dip my toe into what Fullstack would really be like, as well as see if this was really something that I wanted to do. I was hooked, and applied.

Now, for the first half of the program, it's all about learning the full stack (JavaScript, Node, Express, Postgres, React, Redux). I felt off-kilter every day, but the key is that they're going to throw a LOT at you. Absorb what you can. Take the time in the evenings and on weekends to practice. You won't retain everything, and that's OK. Just keep going. For the second half, you just build build build, both alone and in a group. This not only gives you 3 great pieces for your portfolio, but also hefty relevant experience beyond the theoretical. 

Career prep is pretty good, including "Launch Day," where you can meet potential employers through speed-dating-like interviews. I didn't get a job through it, but it did connect me to a few great people that I ended up getting lunch with later on -- and it was a great way to rip off the interviewing band-aid, so to speak.

In the end, I was interviewing with 3 companies, and accepted a job offer from 1 just 4 weeks after graduating. 

Great things:

• You learn a very in-demand stack, and are well-prepared going into the job hunt.
• Knowledgeable, warm, funny instructors.
• The rest of my cohort. An incredibly fun, supportive, and smart group, almost 50/50 split of men and women, all different ages/backgrounds/hometowns/former professions/levels of expertise. (Disclaimer, this degree of diversity may be fairly unique.)

Not-as-great things:

• One of my biggest weaknesses coming out of this program was my ability to speak technically. At the end of the program, we had mock technical interviews which revealed this to me. Personally, would have appreciated the opportunity to practice technical interviews more throughout the program.

Advice (if you decide to go with Fullstack):

• It's hard to be an adult who has several working years under her belt, who knows her stuff, and suddenly be in a position where clicking a button doesn't do what you want it to do. It's humbling and uncomfortable. Be kind to yourself! And don't compare your progress to those around you. Focus on you and your learning, or you'll go crazy.
• You will get out of this program what you put in! Take ownership of your own education. Fullstack will give you the tools, but you won't magically emerge a software engineer just from showing up.
• Know yourself, and know how you work best. I preferred to get in very early (morning person) than work late. Use that knowledge to your advantage.
• Trust Fullstack's process. It all comes together. Just keep working and moving forward.

Highly, highly, highly recommend!

Flag as inappropriate.

Last summer (2017) I decided it was time for a full-fledged career change. I had a few ideas of what I might want to get into, but kept coming back to the idea of programming. I took a C++ class in high school and really loved it - but never did anything with it. I enrolled in Fullstack's Bootcamp Prep course and was instantly hooked. My journey from CPA to Software Engineer had begun.

I entered Fullstack's Immersive Software Engineering program in October of 2017. It was one of the best experiences of my life. The curriculum is very well thought out and presented in an order that builds upon the foundations and helps you to truly grasp and use the large amount of materials that you get through in 16 weeks. 

One thing that I loved about Fullstack is that they have a competitive admissions process. In my experience, this resulted in a cohort full of brilliant people who were extremely driven. This provided me with an environment where I was motivated to stay on top of the material but also had a room full of rock stars to work through problems with. I think Fullstack does a great job of finding a personality fit for their program as well which led us to work great together and have some fun outside of the classroom as well.

The program is tough. There is a ton to get through in a short amount of time. But I believe that the learning model they have in place is revolutionary and is the main reason I can now develop fullstack web applications. While it can be difficult at times, the support system is great - your peers, your TAs and your instructors all want you to succeed and can help you with anything from technical questions to interview prep and everything in between. 

The program is also very adaptive to the real world and you can be sure that you're learning the most valuable and in-demand skills. This makes you a competitive candidate in the job market once you graduate. In my experience, I ended up receiving 2 job offers, both of which I was very excited about, within 3 weeks of finishing the program!

My biggest piece of advice is to trust their system. They're great at what they do and truly want you to succeed. I did my research and due dilligence and selected Fullstack because it seemed like it was the best coding bootcamp out there. After going through the program I can say that it truly is an amazing place filled with smart people and if you too choose to go through Fullstacks' software engineering immersive program you will learn more than you ever thought possible. 

Flag as inappropriate.