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Hackbright Academy is a software engineering school for gender equality in San Francisco, Dallas, and Lehi founded in 2012. In addition to in-person classrooms in the US, Hackbright Academy also offers their courses online. The school offers a 12-week, immersive full-time software engineering program and a 43-week, part-time program, both of which cover the fundamentals of computer science and modern web development such as the command line, Python, JavaScript, HTML & CSS, Git, Flask, Django, pair programming, SQL/ORMS/NoSQL, and deployment. The part-time program covers the same content as the immersive program, but is designed for students who want to maintain their jobs. Hackbright also offers a 4-week part-time prep course, which teaches the foundations of programming; and a week-long immersive prep course.
Prospective applicants will need to fill out an online application detailing their interests and personality, then complete a coding challenge and two interviews. Hackbright's ideal candidate has a desire to learn software development and has prior exposure to programming.
Hackbright Academy provides students with mentorship, tech talks, and career services. After graduation, Hackbright Academy connects graduates with Silicon Valley companies looking to expand their engineering teams as alumnae work at companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Slack. Hackbright Academy offers deferred tuition, limited scholarships, and payment plans for qualified students.
Coming to Hackbrigt has been an amazing experience overall.
Starting with the curriculum, I feel it has everything that you need to dive into the Software Engineering basics, and then taking it further until you are ready to make a full stack developed web app.
As soon as you finish with the Software Engineering course, Hackbright makes sure you are fully prepared to start looking for a full time job as a Software engineer, they give you tours with different hiring comp...
Coming to Hackbrigt has been an amazing experience overall.
Starting with the curriculum, I feel it has everything that you need to dive into the Software Engineering basics, and then taking it further until you are ready to make a full stack developed web app.
As soon as you finish with the Software Engineering course, Hackbright makes sure you are fully prepared to start looking for a full time job as a Software engineer, they give you tours with different hiring companies and you can have one-o-ones with hiring engineers to know about their hiring process.
Whiteboarding is another thing that I have learned at hackbright, which is truly helpful when you are going to be expected to do in every interview to get a job.
But the MOST IMPORTANT thing for me is the mission that Hackbright gives me, #ChangeTheRatio, and empowering other women that want to become a Software Engineer.
My goodness...as an avid Yelp afficionado I am ashamed that I did not read these reviews in detail before attending the HB prep program. I did not have a good experience at all. First, the lectures are unorganized and most of the time--the instructors did NOT seem to want to answer any questions. instructors snapped at you or acted in a condescending manner most of the time, and/or were away every other week
I am glad that they at least offered this prep program in...
My goodness...as an avid Yelp afficionado I am ashamed that I did not read these reviews in detail before attending the HB prep program. I did not have a good experience at all. First, the lectures are unorganized and most of the time--the instructors did NOT seem to want to answer any questions. instructors snapped at you or acted in a condescending manner most of the time, and/or were away every other week
I am glad that they at least offered this prep program in order to give us a taste of Hackbright, rather than having us shell out $16-$18,000 for immersive program---PLEASE read these reviews and think twice. don't get me wrong--if you already have Python experience and are a naturally gifted coder then please consider HB. however, if you are essentially a beginner like me (although I completed codeacademy's Python course and I have a Master's degree, etc) then look elsewhere, you will feel left in the dust. there are some instructors that are patient and good teachers but unfortunately there was just one in my co-hort
Similar to a previous reviewer, I'm surprised to see some of the negative recent reviews. I think, like many programs like this, how you feel coming out of it depends on how you aligned expectations going in. Overall, I went in with high hopes for learning / development, and what I considered realistic expectations for time-to-employment after graduation, and was satisfied on both fronts.
Curriculum
What you learn is pretty comprehensive for what you'll...
Similar to a previous reviewer, I'm surprised to see some of the negative recent reviews. I think, like many programs like this, how you feel coming out of it depends on how you aligned expectations going in. Overall, I went in with high hopes for learning / development, and what I considered realistic expectations for time-to-employment after graduation, and was satisfied on both fronts.
Curriculum
What you learn is pretty comprehensive for what you'll need in a junior engineer role - and the staff has clearly honed their schedule, lectures, etc. over many cohorts. I found lectures to be informative, easy to follow, and generally well-delivered (for more on this, see "Instructors/Staff" below). The second half of the program - building a web app - really solidifies the theoretical concepts from the first half. I will say that there *is* less time spent on the traditional comp sci / data structures than perhaps would be ideal - but I felt prepared enough at that point to feel confident studying and reviewing further on my own.
Instructors / Staff
Overall, my thoughts here are very positive - with a few caveats. The staff by and large are supportive, passionate, talented people - everyone from the VP of Education to the lead teacher for our cohort (who was so fabulous and inspiring) to the TA's. I will say I was less than impressed by one instructor, and that (as mentioned in prior reviews) the advising standards need work. There were advisors who provided comprehensive, detailed comments on weekly assignments and so on - vs my advisor who didn't give me a single constructive comment in the entire 10 weeks. I think standards / expectations should be better communicated here. By and large though, the staff is passionate, talented and helpful.
Career Services
I don't get the angst from previous reviewers here - I thought the Career Services ladies were all fabulous and very helpful. They say median time to job is 3 months, and average is more like 4. Before I decided to go, I stalked LinkedIn like crazy looking at graduates and confirmed this was the case - budgeting 3ish months to find a job if I was lucky, and up to 6 months if I was not. I don't think the expectations set by HB are unreasonable.
I do think that your time to employment will vary based on several factors. Number one, everyone comes in with a different background - some have more coding experience, some take to the material more quickly, etc. There were people in my cohort who graduated ready to start interviewing, and others who felt like they needed time to study before diving in - this will affect your timeline. Also, Hackbright does have connections with many local partner companies - but at any given time, only a segment of them will be hiring for jr engineer roles. This is just how the industry works! You could get lucky and get in with one of them, or you might not - in the latter case, the connections you already have and are able to make (through networking events, HB alums, etc.) will be key to your success.
I take issue with the idea that Hackbright is supposed to "find" you jobs - signed, sealed, delivered. My understanding was always that they'd provide me with a platform for learning, intros and connections to various companies, and advice about how to strategize and target my search - and they delivered on all fronts. Other than that, how quickly I got a job is based on things outside of their control (market, partner company hiring timelines, etc.). I don't think this is bootcamp specific - just that companies are careful with how and when they hire jr. developers. (That said, I had an offer 3 weeks out of program close, and many things in the pipeline).
Summary
I loved Hackbright, and would recommend it without reservation to anyone who felt prepared to give their time and energy to switching careers. I'd recommend doing your research beforehand, carefully considering your financial / professional situation, before you take the leap.
How much does Hackbright Academy cost?
Hackbright Academy costs around $12,900. On the lower end, some Hackbright Academy courses like Hackbright Prep Course cost $249.
What courses does Hackbright Academy teach?
Hackbright Academy offers courses like Full-Time (12-week) Software Engineering Program, Hackbright Prep Course, Part-Time (24-week) Software Engineering Program.
Where does Hackbright Academy have campuses?
Hackbright Academy has an in-person campus in San Francisco.
Is Hackbright Academy worth it?
Hackbright Academy hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 108 Hackbright Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Hackbright Academy on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Hackbright Academy legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 108 Hackbright Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Hackbright Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.51 out of 5.
Does Hackbright Academy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Hackbright Academy 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 Hackbright Academy reviews?
You can read 108 reviews of Hackbright Academy on Course Report! Hackbright Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Hackbright Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.51 out of 5.
Is Hackbright Academy accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Hackbright Academy doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.
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