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Hack Reactor by Galvanize is an educator for rapid career transformation, offering software engineering bootcamps designed so that anyone with motivation can succeed, regardless of education, experience, or background. Hack Reactor by Galvanize bootcamps are challenging and designed to fit a student’s schedule and skill level. Bootcamps include a 19-Week Software Engineering Immersive with JavaScript and Python, designed for beginners, as well as a 12-Week Software Engineering Immersive.
Applicants to the 12-week Software Engineering Immersive need to pass a Technical Admissions Assessment (TAA), which tests for intermediate coding competency. There is a free, self-paced bootcamp prep course that can be accessed to learn the fundamentals of JavaScript. Those applying for the 19-week program do not need to pass the TAA or take any prep courses. Applicants to all programs need to pass an aptitude test, a brief typing test, and an admissions interview.
In addition to its software engineering programs, Hack Reactor provides a large network of professional peers, 1:1 coaching, mock interviews, job training, and more. All students graduate as autonomous, full-stack software engineers, fully capable of tackling unique problems and building complex applications on the job. Hack Reactor alumni join a diverse, engaged network of fellow students, instructors, staff, and alumni, including 14,000+ graduates at 2,500 companies.
About me: I'm a mid-life career changer. I have a BA in Geography from Berkeley and an MBA from UT Austin. I started taking undergraduate programming classes a few years ago, thinking I'd get another Master's degree (in CS) and eventually a job as a software engineer. After a few semesters I got lucky and got an entry level job as a junior programmer. It was good experience, but the pay was WELL below average for a junior engineer and the tech stack was aging rapidly (a mix of ...
About me: I'm a mid-life career changer. I have a BA in Geography from Berkeley and an MBA from UT Austin. I started taking undergraduate programming classes a few years ago, thinking I'd get another Master's degree (in CS) and eventually a job as a software engineer. After a few semesters I got lucky and got an entry level job as a junior programmer. It was good experience, but the pay was WELL below average for a junior engineer and the tech stack was aging rapidly (a mix of C#/.NET, MS SQL, JS, jQuery). Even worse, I wasn't working with experienced engineers (always work with the smartest people you can find, you'll learn faster and become a better programmer) and the company was more interested in pushing new features out the door than producing high quality software.
So, after a year I started thinking about how to put my career on a different trajectory. I wanted to work with sharp engineers using the latest technology and best practices to write awesome code. I stumbled upon developer bootcamps, did some research, and decided to take a chance. I applied to Dev Bootcamp, App Academy, and Hack Reactor, all in San Francisco. The job market is starving for engineers in the Bay Area and it's by far the largest concentration (10X any other place) of engineering jobs in the country, so it seemed like the best place to be looking for a job after graduation.
App Academy seemed like the lowest risk, because you don't pay until you land a programming job, but they turned me down. Hack Reactor was interesting because of their focus on full-stack Javascript. Most of the other schools I looked at were teaching Ruby, although there were a few that taught in Python. Javascript is on a growth trajectory right now. It's embedded as THE front end language of the Internet, and a few years ago Node.js came on the scene (server-side JS) and since then there's been an explosion of new tools and libraries enabling full-stack JS development. Anyway, I made it through the tech interview (you have to study a LOT before you even get accepted to Hack Reactor), and when they accepted me I decided to take the plunge.
I quit my job in Austin, moved to San Francisco and spent 3 months, 70-80 hours per week doing nothing but studying software engineering, Javascript, and JS-related subjects like Node.js, AngularJS, Backbone, and MongoDB. Hack Reactor's primary focus is to teach you how to be a SOFTWARE ENGINEER, Javascript is just the language they chose to teach in. You also learn core engineering concepts like data structures, algorithms and algorithmic complexity/performance, and a lot more. It was an intense learning experience. You cannot master all of the material they expose you to. You'll spend your whole career trying to do that.
In my opinion, these are the things that make Hack Reactor an excellent bootcamp.
1) People: The instructors are all experienced, highly skilled engineers. They could be making a lot more money as engineers. They are dedicated to making HR the best bootcamp in existence, and producing top-notch engineers. They worked longer hours than the students did. The students are also great. HR accepts less than 10% of applicants and they are really good at choosing students you want to be around. You're going to spend all your waking hours with these students for 3 months, so you really want them to be people you like to work with.
2) Philosophy: HR strives for continuous improvement. They take feedback from students every week and change the program every "semester" to make it better. I spoke to HR graduates from the previous year who were a little jealous because the program had grown significantly and included additional topics that weren't covered when they were students. I'm sure I'll feel the same way about the program next year when I see what HR has become in a few more cycles.
3) Job Placement: The entire second half of the program is designed to make you employable. You switch from learning concepts and building small individual projects to working on teams, building bigger projects, learning how to succeed in tech interviews, etc. By the time you get to Hiring Day, where you get to meet hiring managers from roughly 30 companies, you have a substantial GitHub portfolio, a good story to tell, and an excellent chance of landing a job. They also have an alumni program/network, and when it's time to look for your NEXT job, they help with that too. It's too early too tell, but it feels like it's going to be a long-term relationship as my career develops.
There's a lot more I could say about how awesome HR is, but this covers the highlights. I had a great experience, made some good friends, and landed a great job at a startup in SF about a month after I graduated.
Before you get into one of these bootcamps, you're on the outside looking in, reading all of the marketing material on their websites, and asking yourself "Is it really worth it? Will I get a good job after I graduate? Which school should I apply to?". HR's website states their job placement rate is 99%. That sounds too good to be true, but it's not. ALL of the students who graduated from my class found jobs within 3 months. Most of them had never worked as a software engineer before. I could not be happier with my experience at Hack Reactor and I recommend it highly.
How much does Hack Reactor cost?
Hack Reactor costs around $19,480.
What courses does Hack Reactor teach?
Hack Reactor offers courses like 12-Week Software Engineering Online Immersive, 19-Week Software Engineering Immersive with JavaScript & Python.
Where does Hack Reactor have campuses?
Hack Reactor teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Hack Reactor worth it?
Hack Reactor hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 334 Hack Reactor alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Hack Reactor on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Hack Reactor legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 334 Hack Reactor alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Hack Reactor and rate their overall experience a 4.59 out of 5.
Does Hack Reactor offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Hack Reactor offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read Hack Reactor reviews?
You can read 334 reviews of Hack Reactor on Course Report! Hack Reactor alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Hack Reactor and rate their overall experience a 4.59 out of 5.
Is Hack Reactor accredited?
Read details here: https://www.galvanize.com/regulatory-information
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