Rithm School

Hi.

My name is Aric, and I graduated from Rithm 2 weeks ago.

As a 19 year old freshman majoring in Computer Science at Azusa Pacific University, I discovered that the higher education system was not for me. I quickly lost interest in my classes because quite frankly, I didn't care about what they had to offer. I wanted to go to school to learn how to code, not spend 60% of my time on Gen Eds.

Needless to say, I didn't take college seriously at all and began looking into bootcamps. At first, my goal was to go to Hack Reactor due to the flashy outcomes statistics, credibility, and overall star power that they have as a bootcamp. Everything went as planned, and I ended up getting into Hack Reactor, as well as Dev Bootcamp and Galvanize(my two backup plans).

I was feeling great, but as soon as I got in contact with these bootcamps my optimism began to fade. They seemed pushy, like they just wanted me to sign the papers and take my money, and it didn't seem like they cared about my best interest as a student. Hack Reactor was calling me almost every other day to check on the status of my decision, and when I asked more questions about the program, the admissions people were not able to answer them or fulfill my request to speak to an instructor who could.

I decided to dig around a little more online, and that's when I found Rithm. It seemed too good to be true, the small class size, experienced instructors, and amazing outcomes program through Outco. It was everything I wanted in a bootcamp, but I was unsure because Rithm was brand new at the time. 

My uncertainty began to fade after my first phone call with Elie. Elie seemed like a nice guy, and he was able to answer all the questions I had about the program. I was amazed that after my previous struggles, I was able to get directly on the phone with a Lead Instructor. We scheduled a technical interview, and after the technical interview I was feeling even better. It was much more involved than the one I had done with Hack Reactor, and the fact that the Lead Instructors do the interviews shows that they really care about the quality of the students that are getting into the program. This was also my first taste of what it's like to be taught by Elie, as the interview has some pairing involved if you get caught up on a problem or can't think of a method.

When I got accepted to Rithm, I had already made the decision that it was my top choice, and I'm so glad things turned out the way they did. My time at Rithm exceeded my expectations. The small class size makes it so that it's kind of like a hybrid between a classroom experience and a mentorship, and whenever lectures weren't going on I was able to get 1 on 1 time with one of the instructors. Not to mention, these guys are the best teachers I've ever had, hands down. They all have years of experience, and it really shows through their extensive knowledge of computer science and web deveopment.

I was worried before the bootcamp that I would struggle, as I heard it can be a very difficult experience, but even though it was challenging these guys made it easily digestible by breaking down complex topics and explaining them using more 'human' terminology. Even when I didn't completely understand a new topic, I was able to go through the curriculum on my own and figure things out, or get 1 on 1 help. This was the first time in my life that I really felt challenged by education, and I fed off of the challenge and friendly competition that the bootcamp environment provides. The instructors really pushed me to become the best version of myself.

I have now built multiple Full-Stack web applications that I am extremely proud of, and I have no doubt in my mind that as I enter into Outco I will land a job and be able to contribute to a team in a big way.

Overall, choosing Rithm was the best decision of my life, and I would do things again the same way given the opportunity.

https://aricwl.github.io/Portfolio-Site/

Above is my personal site, from there you can find my email, Github, and LinkedIn. Feel free to email me any specific questions you have for someone who has already gone through the program, and I will answer them as honestly as I can.

Best, 

Aric

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.

I'm a graduate from Rithm's second class, and I can unequivocally state that it was a fantastic life decision. But I've read more than my fair share of optimistic bootcamp reviews, so let me say a little why I think so highly of Rithm School. I'll try to be as objective as possible, but its pretty hard to contain how highly I think of this school and its staff.

#1 Class Size: The first reason that Rithm stands out is class size - my cohort was 8, and the current one is 14. This is in stark contrast to every other place I checked out, including the likes of Thinkful, Dev Bootcamp, Hack Reactor, and obviously every university class I've ever been in. It really can't be overstated how hard it is to learn how to code "correctly" when starting out fresh, or coming from a career transition - learning the syntax is not enough, you really need an experienced hand to show you the things you can do, but shouldn't do, and the things you should do, that may not seem obvious. And learning those things is really hard to do when you've got a class size of 40+ with 2 instructors and a few TAs forcing you to go through a support-ticket system to get help - sure you'll learn eventually, but time is the most valuable commodity, and you'll expend way more time struggling as a beginner without a helpful hand to guide you. As an autodidact, I personally love the struggle of learning something new...but its really not an optimal use of time when trying to go from student to employed on life's busy schedule.

#2 -The Instructors: Elie, Tim, and Matt are some of the best instructors I've ever had, and they shine in this high-touch, low teacher-to-student ratio environment. I learned more in one hour with Matt during a technical interview in the admission process than several hours of Stack Overflow and Google-fu - they are gifted, caring teachers willing to go the extra mile for you. I can't overemphasize how important this is - in a previous life, I was a teacher, and as a teacher it was never enough to mechanically rattle off the material to learn for the day. We all know those teachers we had that really stood out, that *cared* about our struggle, our welfare, and actually helping us to internalize and learn something. I struggled in large classes to deliver the care each of my students deserved, but here at Rithm, these gifted instructors are able to shine their brightest in helping *you* truly learn and excel. Even when you really f**k things up and basically make life really difficult for an hour after accidently rewriting git history (that's funny...kind of...you'll see :-P...or maybe not)

#3 Career Support: Probably the most important thing after actually learning the thing, you need to get a job doing the thing, and here once again Rithm is fantastic. It's a common criticism of bootcamps that they teach you, and then throw you out into the wild with next to no career support. I should make a point here that part of Rithm's program includes a class with Outco, a separate organization that is fantastic at what they do in helping you prepare for technical interviews. The two organizations work closely together to help you meet the high bar for Outco admission during your time at Rithm. The final product is top-notch technical learning that transitions into top notch CS fundamentals and interview process learning. And I still get job referrals and postings that are a fit for me from the Rithm staff, so they're not just using this as a cop-out - they're with you until you get a job. 

#4 Curriculum: Unlike a lot of places, this place does not teach you just JavaScript across the stack because its the current hot trend in the industry. Rithms uses both JavaScript and Python for teaching you front-end and back-end, and in particular you will learn how to setup a feature from the way it looks, to the data it accesses, to the way it stores that data in the database. You will not simply run a framework and press a button that abstracts away everything happening during an HTTP request/response, or security authorization/authentication, or in manipulating the DOM - you will in fact be taught what these things do each step of the way, how they interact, and tools available to make your life easier. I definitely found working with two different languages on the same product a challenge, but it really opened my eyes to the struggles developers face when working outside of just one language and the styles that a particular language encourages. I want to emphasize that while the *tools* you will learn here are obviously focused on web development, the practices you learn will help you as a software developer no matter what you end up doing. From version control, to test driven development, to Scrums and Agile workflows, they show you quite literally how a "real" developer works in their day-to-day. This is not just work on a pet project and some fancy styling - this is a deep dive into the lives of software developers with a focus on web development tools. Most of all, you'll learn that as software developers,  we must always, always keep learning.

I really can't think of any real cons to the bootcamp itself outside of .you get what you pay for, which in this case is a good deal of $$$. They do scholarships and diversity funds though, so I know there are financial options available. I kind of wish they had bathrooms that didn't echo so much, but that's just me. And one thing to be aware of is that sometimes you hear weird sounds/see questionable figures walking around the area of the Mission. I did not consider this a distraction, but rather a educational experience in the different lives others live in the city. Not everyone is as fortunate to learn and work with all the rewards tech offers, and that's something you will be reminded of here (but no, no physical threats to to be had here). 

Want to learn more? Reach out to Rithm - I'm happy to provide info too as an alumni. It's a great investment in a growing area, and while I could go for days about how great the program is or how it compares to other people I've known who have attended the likes of Hack Reactor or Dev Bootcamp, the main points are that you'll learn faster and better here than anywhere else locally, and you'll receive top-notch support in getting a job afterwards. Happy coding!

I had the great privilege to learn coding from Elie, Matt and Tim. They are a harmonious team, as they each have different specialties. Tim will make sure you get strong computer science fundamentals while Elie and Matt will teach you the basics of a language (in my case JavaScript) and a number of modern web technologies with great enthusiasm. And the best thing is, they always make sure you have fun while doing it :) I highly recommend learning from this dream team! 

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.

I'm naturally skeptical of a lot of things - Rithm at first was included in that.

After I decided to transition from being a photographer and designer to a software engineer, I began looking at bootcamps in the SF area. The ones that stuck out to me as the two most promising ones were App Academy and Rithm School. After attending App Academy's Bootcamp Prep - I opted for Rithm due to a variety of reasons.

Mostly: 

1. The word of mouth surrounding Rithm was exceptional. It was even recommended to me as a top notch program by my instructor at App Academy! It was difficult to find people who had anything negative to say about the program (again, I was skeptical, but read on). 

2. The month of real world company experience unique to Rithm's curriculum.

3. The small, intimate learning environment with real world instructors.

My instinct was pushing me to go to Rithm, and after attending their bootcamp prep program and meeting with Elie, I was sold. 

I worked harder than I probably ever have in my life but the amount of experience I was able to absorb in only 4 months was astounding to me. 

Rithm does a phenomenal job of giving you what you need to learn, demonstrating the value of it, and getting you moving on learning it immediately. At times I was worried that I was being fed things on a silver platter, but I later realized that it seems this way because they focus on essential patterns and best practices. They simply they don't dwell on inessential material. They save you a tremendous amount of time in doing so and you can always go back and experiment later on your own.

The trap I often encountered at Rithm was that because I didn't realize how much I had learned, I doubted myself. The skepticism was always lingering in my mind. Part of it was that I had little to no technical knowledge before attending the program, and another part of it was simply self-doubt. 

Now that I am on the other side, have landed a job, and am now integrating into a new codebase - I can honestly say that Rithm is ridiculously legitimate. A truly A+ quality program. Rithm takes a modern, adaptive approach to a modern, adapting industry - and the solution is pure elegance.

The beauty of their system is that it not only works, but it improves every time. They are constantly re-evaluating and sharpening their program and output. They adapt to give each individual person what they need to succeed and they listen when you have an issue. 

It's hard to believe at times that four months with the right people can so dramatically change your life if you let it. If you're going to be attending Rithm school: work hard, don't doubt yourself - if you do, never give up. 

I took the Rithm School part-time JavaScript intermediate course. It is a six week (one day a week) course that goes over basic JavaScript (primitives, objects, arrays, etc.) foundations all the way up to advance topics such as recursion, the keyword 'this' (a confusing topic before taking this class), prototype, DOM Manipulation etc. The instructors Elie, Matt and Tim (experienced professional developers and teachers) are not only passionate about teaching but are amazing at breaking down difficult topics (ie: closure, bind, apply etc.) with ease and disseminating those topics in a digestible manner. If you are thinking of attending, I would advise you attend one of their meetups taught by them. The curriculum and instruction persuaded me to apply/interview for their full-time July cohort, I can't wait to start. Do yourself a favor and checkout the free courses on their website. 

TLDR: Rithm's ROI is more than worth it.  Go to Rithm.

When I first started thinking of making a career switch into coding, I was thinking about taking an online class and working at the same time.  I wanted to see if I liked coding and could do well at it, so I attended some free (yes, free) workshops at Rithm.  I learned a lot in those free workshops and realized I would learn much faster in person rather than online.  I still wasn't sure about Rithm because they were a bit more expensive than other bootcamps, but after attending some more workshops, I was sure that's where I wanted to go.  You get way more value for your money there.  Elie, Joel, Matt, and Michael are all very knowledgeable in addition to being excellent teachers.  I was impressed by their level of expertise, as well as their patience and skill answering questions and explaining concepts.  Four instructors for sixteen students allows you to get much more attention.  They took the time to meet with us one on one periodically to give us feedback and listen to our concerns.  It was clear they genuinely cared about what we were learning and were invested in seeing us succeed.  

Besides the outstanding instructors, which is sufficient reason to attend Rithm, they have a month devoted to a real-world company project that I could list on my resume when my job search began.  It was during the company project that I actually felt ready to be a professional developer and gained the confidence that I could actually do this.  

When it came time for me to find a job, they exceeded expectations.  All along, we were doing morning warm-ups in data structures and algorithms, practicing conceptual questions that come up in interviews, and practicing our problem-solving skills.  During the outcomes period, we practiced whiteboarding and answering conceptual questions in front of others.  And when I actually had phone screens and interviews, I was ready!  Everything we practiced was actually relevant and helpful.  Jeremy did an excellent job of explaining the value of reverse recruiting, how to reach out to people, how to negotiate job offers, and how to use the tools out their to find jobs.  It was not only helpful for finding my first job, but I'll have that knowledge throughout my career whenever I need it.

Not only did Rithm do an exceptional job of training me, but they actually found me a job just six weeks after I finished the program.  I applied to hundreds of jobs on my own, but Rithm got me the interview that landed me a job, a good one with a salary that I wouldn't have had the confidence to expect or ask for without their coaching.

In addition to all that, it was great experience and I had a good time getting to know my classmates and the staff.  So glad I made the decision to go to Rithm!

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.