Rithm School

I was in from Rithm's Cohort 5 from Nov 2017 - Feb 2018. I got a job as a Software Engineer 5 weeks after graduating in addition to multiple offers. 

My background is in Fine Art, so I was looking for a program that would offer a lot of support in addition to real-life portfolio projects that would make my resume competitive. Rithm School was above and beyond with what they offered. Not only is the curriculum comprehensive and accessible, the class size was small enough that Elie, Matt, Michael, and Jeremy were always quick to respond with really practical and helpful insights to all of my questions during the program, as well as freakouts during the job hunt. 

Further, there is a really great support network for even AFTER we graduated. I highly recommend this program for those who are interested in transitioning into tech, but who are intimidated and overwhelmed by how to approach the materials. 

It's really the best investment I've ever made for myself. 

TL;DR: RIthm provides an excellent javascript & python full stack curriculum (including React) complemented with data structures and algorithms practice and lectures. Support continues through the job interview process. Within 3 months, I found a fullstack engineer position in San Francisco.

One of the immediate benefits of Rithm was the small class size and high teacher to student ratio. This allowed everyone to have access to an instructor throughout the course. This doesn't mean they held my hand through the course! They were excellent at extending a concept or assignment for those stretch goals.

Every morning you are given a warm-up assignment covering data structures and algorithms. This was crucial come time for whiteboarding or toy problem interview questions. 

The entire curriculum I would argue leads up to the company projects. Rithm has teamed up with companies for Rithm students to work as contractors on new features for their product or service. This prepares a student for the interview process as they have experience working within a company's production code base rather than a final project built from scratch.

I can't recommend Rithm School enough. You will probably read this and think I'm biased, but .. it's the best bootcamp in San Francisco. I have friends who did other bootcamps and I honestly I think Rithm is the best choice. Four (of the many) things that make it the best: the instructors, the class size, the curriculum, and the contract projects.

1. The instructors: not only are they amazing developers, but amazing teachers. Both of those qualities in a person are hard to find, and all of the instructors fit in that rare description. Other bootcamps you learn almost everything from pairing with other students. At Rithm you actually get to learn from experts, which means your code doesn't just work, it's also well architectured. All 5 instructors at Rithm are just as passionate about teaching as they are about coding, which shines through.

2. Small class size. Who wants to learn in a class of 100 with hardly any actual instructors? Rithm has an unbelievable student:teacher ratio. (Plus they are teachers not past students.)

3. The curriclum is the best out there. Each cohort the instructors try new things, they experiment with curriculum and find out what works the best. It's amazing how good they are at iterating over new ideas and formats to teach the information the best way possible. The curriculum online is my source of truth. I know exactly where to find what I need and I refer to Rithm's curriculum before anything else. I studied from it during interviews and I still refer to it at my job.

4. Contract projects with large code bases. I didn't know how essential this was for me to do well in my first job. If I had walked into my first programming job without already working on a contract project it would have taken me a lot longer to get up and running. But at Rithm we had 4 weeks of devoring a new code base. This means you get to actually learn how to intake an actual code base, not just make small personal projects. Learning a new code base is a very particular skill and getting the practice it was essential. Plus, the contracts on your resume really make you stand out to interviewers.

I can't recommend Rithm enough. Best decision I've made!

I attended Rithm School from Nov 2017 – Feb 2018 and 3 weeks after graduating, I got an offer for a dream job. The small class sizes, the way that the material is taught and having an opportunity to work on production code is what makes a huge difference. If you’re considering Rithm and other bootcamps, read the rest of my review. My unique background may provide some useful comparison for you between Rithm and other bootcamps.

Background: I first started learning to code a little over a year ago. I studied hard on my own and I got accepted to two other coding bootcamps: Hack Reactor and Fullstack Academy. I had attended some of Rithm’s meetups and had a chance to meet the teachers but decided to go with Fullstack because of the cost. After doing Fullstack’s remote program for 3 weeks, I knew I had made the wrong decision. The teachers who taught there could code well, but they could not teach well. The coding exercises we were given for practice were partially coded out already and we would follow written instructions to add things to the code without knowing why we were doing it. There was not much time for questions and topics would go unexplained. It was confusing and I did not feel like I was getting much from copying and pasting from the instructions. After 3 weeks, I regretfully told them I was getting more confused with their program and was going to go back to studying on my own, where I could focus on conceptually understanding the topics instead of breezing over them.

I went to another meetup at Rithm and had a chance to talk to Elie. Elie is a brilliant teacher, one of the best I’ve come across in my life. He has a way of making the most complex topics easy to understand. Elie is one of those people who cares about you enough to help you achieve your fullest and I chose to apply to Rithm after speaking to him. He is a fantastic mentor who helped build my confidence in my coding abilities and has technical abilities unparalleled to any teacher I’ve met. Matt and Michael also deserve mention and are wonderful teachers. Matt is one of the most easily approachable and willing to help teachers I know and Michael has an endless supply of useful advice related to coding techniques and finding a job. The three of them together make up the experience you’d want from a bootcamp.

The classes at Rithm School are small (12-16 students) and the stacks that are taught are current and what the industry is looking for. The teachers care that students get the material and they patiently answer all the questions and explain topics until students get it. They are even willing to come in an hour early or stay late to give you individualized attention if you are still having trouble. Every bootcamp is such that you get what you put in. At Rithm, the teachers make themselves available to guide you and help you get the most out of the experience. I made a commitment to learn the material and worked on it every night and some weekends and I finished the bootcamp truly understanding every single topic that we had gone over, which is a rare occurrence with bootcamps.

After we had finished going through the curriculum, the last 4 weeks of the bootcamp were spent working on production code for real companies. This experience put me miles ahead of the other candidates in the search for a job. The other girl from the Bay Area who was in my cohort in Fullstack (July-Oct 2017) is still looking for a job 5 months later. I got a job doing what I love with wonderful benefits and a fantastic salary 3 weeks after graduating. Since we worked on projects for actual companies and could put that experience on our resumes, by the time I finished the bootcamp, I was already getting numerous calls from recruiters and companies that wanted to hire me. When analyzing bootcamp cost, do the math on what you’d earn as a software engineer multiplied by 4-6 months of a sooner hiring date and you’ll notice you make back Rithm’s tuition difference in less than a month and end up having extra. I wish someone had given me this advice when I was looking at bootcamps myself. Do yourself a favor and go with a school that can really teach you the material. You are setting up a strong foundation for the rest of your career and giving yourself the option to pick the job you want. I can’t say enough how much Rithm helped me get to where I am today and am forever grateful I made the decision to go with them.

Full Disclosure: I had a little coding exprience before going to Rithm School. Nothing professional, though.

When choosing a school, I started out going for the big name. I passed the technical exam and was ready to sign up. Something made me hesitate, and I decided to go through with the on-site tour before sealing the deal. I'm so glad I did. It was a puppy mill for developers. It was obvious from the way they marketed, the one-instructor-per-64-students classrooms, and more. So I checked out Rithm School and it was perfect.

The most important aspect was that there were 3 instructors that were usually available at all times. They were great at teaching not just the "what" but the "why" of JavaScript. Class sizes are intentionally kept small to ensure you get enough 1:1 time, which seriously came in handy.

You'll also be taught the most current and relevant languages and frameworks. Not some aging dinosaur language that's on its way out.

Another outstanding aspect of Rithm is that the final several weeks are spent working on real projects, with real teams. You get experience with real git flow, writing production-level code. The importance of these few weeks cannot be overstated.

I cannot speak to their upcoming job search assistance program (not sure what it's called) as it didn't exist when I went through. I went to a separate school for that. Since it was Rithm that set me up with that school, they get a 5*. I'm sure their on-site job assistance program will be just as awesome.

So did Rithm prepare me for the job market? I start my new career on Monday, with a big name in social media!

Rithm is an incredible experience, and any would-be web developer should consider attending. I did not get paid to say that. But I'll totally accept bribes to make the review even better *ahem* *ahem*

I'm a graduate of Rithm School's 3rd cohort. Having done a lot of research about bootcamps before I decided to attend one, I'm convinced that Rithm School is either the best or at least at the same level as the best programs in the city. And I would wholeheartedly recommend Rithm School to anyone considering learning full-stack web development in SF.  

Here are my top 4 reasons why I think so:

1. Company projects - 

As far as I am aware, there is no other bootcamp that offers all graduates the opportunity to work on two full-stack, real-world projects that for external companies. This is a huge deal and something that I did not initially fully internalize. It's incredibly rewarding to be able to learn the fundamentals of web development whilst building personal web apps or small fun projects but it's even more remarkable when you can see the results of your efforts being applied to a real-world problem faced by an existing company. It's just a higher level of accountability and responsibility. You might even get the chance to interact with external developers and designers . But crucuially, this is something that recruiters will love to hear. 

Once you've had some experience working on external company projects then recruiters would be more likely to think of you as a developer who can produce tangible results for their company. 

2. Small class sizes

Rithm School is committed to never having class sizes greater than 15 or 16 and given they currently have 3 instructors, this works out to be roughly 5 students per instuctor. This is significantly better than all other bootcamps that I'm personally aware of. This personal touch means that you will be heard more often and you can overcome annoying stumbling blocks quicker and because each instructor has a a different background, you can often get different perspectives for solving challenging problems. 

3.  Curriculum + Warm ups -  

Rithm school teaches fullstack JavaScript as well as Python. Crucically, they spend a lot of time ensuring that you develop your skills mastering the fundamentals of the language (JavaScript or Python) before you get to work with frameworks or technologies (React, Redux, Flask etc.). One reason for this is that web development is a rapidly changing field and there will be new hot frameworks in the future that will be released. But if you know the basics of the language then you can always learn the new frameworks that will inevitably be created.

Every morning at Rithm, you are given 1hour to solve a tightly-scoped technical problem. These are called warm ups. After the hour, students as well as an instructor debrief and discuss different approaches to solving this problem. I found it really useful to analyse different approaches to solving problems. This foundational training was ultimately invaluable for me when I started to work on whiteboarding problems and technical screens whilst I was interviewing!

4. The instructors

It was refreshing to be taught by developers who clearly enjoy teaching. Moreover, all students are encouraged to raise their hands to ask questions as much as possible. If asking a question in a class full of 10 people is not your style, then you can always Slack one of the instructors for 1-on-1 explanations or reviews. Furthermore, Rithm often runs part-time classes on Saturdays so if you need some additional review, then you're welcome to attend a Saturday class or meet one of the instructors during breaks. 

Like any program, you will get out what you put in but the instructors are really invested in ensuring that you are more supported throughtout the course. 

Overall, Rithm School provided a fantastic foundation for me enter the world of software engineering. And I'm excited to be taking those skills onto my next job at Pinterest.

I'm happy to provide more info as an alumni so feel free to reach me on LinkedIn/Twitter if you have any more questions!

I was part of Rithm’s third cohort, completing both the 6-week part-time and 13-week full-time programs. Prior to deciding to join the third cohort, I also attended a large number of Rithm’s free coding workshops.

My experience was fantastic, and I would highly recommend Rithm to anyone looking to learn more about coding and get career-ready for a job as a software engineer. Thanks to the program and all that I learned (in addition to a lot of hard work), I transitioned from a career in a completely different industry and achieved my goal of becoming a software engineer in SF!

Here are some highlights:

1) The instructors are amazing! The instructors (Elie, Matt, and Tim) are not only passionate about what they do, but they also truly care about the students and go above and beyond to help you learn. Their energy and enthusiasm comes through while they are teaching, and they explain things in a way that is very easy to understand. I always felt comfortable to ask questions, and the instructors are super knowledgeable and will support, as well as guide, you to be the best you can.

2) The class sizes are small, & it’s a great environment! One thing that really sets Rithm apart from other bootcamps is the instructor-to-student ratio, which in our class was 1:3 (i.e., 3 instructors for 9 students). Our cohort learned a ton but also had fun doing so. My experience included lots of laughing, making friends with my classmates, and fun events hosted by Rithm (like Fourth Fridays pizza social).

3) Rithm ensures you are career-ready for a job as a software engineer (e.g., through company projects)! The quality of instruction and projects during the program is top-notch, and in an industry that is ever-changing, the instructors ensure that the curriculum is up-to-date and relevant. But, one thing that makes Rithm amazing is the opportunity to apply your learning and gain invaluable real-world software engineering experience through working in teams on projects for actual companies in the final stage of the program.

If you are considering Rithm, check out their free online-content and/or attend one of their free coding workshops. Originally I was planning to only do self-study and not go to a coding school, but after testing the waters and exploring some of Rithm’s free events and curriculum, I was hooked! I am so grateful for Rithm and how much I’ve been able to learn in such a short amount of time, while having a good experience doing so.

I am a Product Manager who came to Rithm School looking to improve my technical skills.  Originally, I came considered doing a full-time bootcamp.  If I did decide on that route, Rithm would be one of my top choices.  

The instructors are very knowledgeable about programming and are very patient with students such as myself who are not originally wired to think the way most developers do.  The support I received outside of class definitely enriched my learning experience.  I appreciate the instructors' teaching style where they would ask questions, so that I can work my way to the answer.  This is more conducive to my learning than just giving me the answer.

The curriculum also changes based on the feedback of the students.  If we wanted to spend more time on a particular topic, the instructors would adjust their lesson plan for the day.

I was fortunate enough to attend the full-time web development course at Rithm School as a part of their third cohort.  I can say, with full confidence, that this was one of the best learning experiences that I've had to date.  And here's why.

Learning how to learn

At Rithm, I learnt a whole slew of programming languages (Javascript, Python, Ruby) and their corresponding libraries and frameworks.  But the most important skill that I learnt at Rithm was learning how to learn.  Bare with me, this concept takes a while to explain.

If you haven't done any programming in the past, you will find out that it's exceptionally difficult to learn a new programming language.  In addition to this, you will have to learn how to use libraries and frameworks to make life easier when you're developing an app.  Rithm's curriculum makes it much easier to pick up languages because it challenges you to think about how the language works under the hood (e.g. 'what does the "reduce" function actually do') and why it works that way.  This is drilled into you in the first month of the program (along with how to debug properly) and by the end of it, I was confident enough to pick up languages, libraries and frameworks in my own time and learn them without any assistance.

Smaller class sizes

Rithm has a policy of keeping class sizes small so that there are enough instructors to help out students at all times.  My cohort had 10 students and the difference was noticeable.  I had heard horror stories of students at other boot camps needing to submit support requests online and having to wait for a long while before any help was given.  That's not the case at Rithm.  If you're stuck you can walk up to an instructor and ask for help and guidance at any time.

Company projects

Nothing is learnt well unless it is applied.  This rings true for programming.  You can learn how to program by yourself and build your own projects but that doesn't prepare you for the reality of working at a company.  That's where Rithm's company projects come in to bridged that gap.  Not only will you be working with seasoned software engineers at companies, you will also be tasked with making design/structure decisions as well as planning and executing certain workflows for the company projects.

I personally found that working on these projects helped me discover and evaluate what type of software engineer I wanted to be and the types of workflows that I enjoyed in software development.  This helped shaped my career aspirations and goals.

Great mentors

Elie, Matt and Tim are some of the best instructors that you will come across.  They explain and demonstrate concepts well and take time out to ensure that information is properly absorbed before moving on.  In addition, they are extremely dedicated to keeping the curriculum up-to-date to ensure that you are learning the most relevant material.

All in all, you can't go wrong if you choose Rithm.  Yes, the price is a bit steep in comparison to most other boot camps but the quality of instruction that you will receive is unparalleled.

I attended Rithm as part of its third cohort, and I am so glad I did. I landed a great job offer within a month of graduating! It's amazing to me how fast I was able to make such a big pivot in my career.

I also applied to and was accepted at Hackbright, which has an excellent reputation, but several key differences led me to choose Rithm.

Small class sizes

Rithm classes are capped at about 12-16 students per class. My cohort had 10 students, and there were 3 instructors (though they've recently added a 4th). That ratio was incredible. I almost never had to wait to get an answer to a question. I could (and did) raise my hand and ask any question I had during lectures. And there was only one cohort at a time, so we really were a small and tight-knit group. I worried I would feel lost in the crowd at one of the bigger schools that is pushing several (much larger) cohorts through at the same time. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable the small class size was.

Excellent instructors

When I decided to attend Rithm, it felt like a bit of a gamble since there weren't really any "outcomes" or reviews to report yet - their second cohort was still in session. But I knew from poking around online that the instructors had all taught at other bootcamps in the past and had outstanding reviews. I also went to one of Rithm's many free lectures (a 6-hour JavaScript clas on a Saturday - totally free!) and had the opportunity to meet and learn from Elie, one of the cofounders and instructors. He really is such an incredible teacher, and that helped seal the deal for me. The instructors were not only incredibly smart but also incredibly kind and patient. Their lectures were well prepared and entertaining. Because of the excellent instructors and the small class sizes, I feel I was able to learn and understand better than I would have in a different environment.

Substantial prework

Rithm requires around 100 hours of prework before day 1 of the class. I really valued that because I felt it meant we would hit the ground running and be able to get further in our 13 weeks than we would have without the prework. And I was right! And they were available to answer questions in the weeks leading up to our class. Combine this with the fact that their program is a bit on the longer side (13 weeks compared to 10 weeks at Hackbright), and I feel like I got so much additional value.

Company projects

One of the biggest differentiators of Rithm is the fact that students work on two company projects in addition to the more standard solo project that most bootcamps require. These two company projects were not only great learning opportunities, but they were also incredibly valuable during my job search. They gave me real-world experience that potential employers really valued.

Great content available online for free

Rithm also has so much great content online for free. I still refer back to it, and I find it incredibly clear and easy to understand compared to a lot of the information out there.

Outco - job search support

Rithm partners with a great job search support program aimed specifically at software engineers called Outco. Check out their Yelp reviews - they are outstanding. Let's face it, the job search sucks, especially in software. But Outco helped me get my resume in great shape in just a few days, gave me lots of practice with the advanced data structures and algorithms commonly asked about in interviews, and gave me a bunch of nontechnical advice that helped me feel better prepared for phone screens and more. It is a 5 week program immediately after Rithm, and it was a super valuable addition. I got tons of traction, and I landed my first job offer before finishing Outco. (Experiences will of course vary; I have a STEM background, which goes a long ways.)

Short commute

For me, it was a much easier location to get to than most of the other bootcamps in the city. So, that was icing on the cake.

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Summary

Overall, I can't recommend Rithm highly enough. If you're at all curious, I highly recommend checking out one of their free evening classes or poking around their online content. I don't think you'll be disappointed.