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Skillcrush is a woman-owned, independent, online coding & design school founded in 2012. Skillcrush offers both free and paid programs, including the self-paced Break Into Tech + Job Guarantee program, which prepares students for entry-level positions in front end development and design. Skillcrush is on a mission to empower career changers — with a special focus on women and BIPOC — with the technical skills they need to transition into higher-earning, more fulfilling and flexible careers in tech.
Students who enroll in the Break Into Tech program will have access to both the Front End Developer and Designer career tracks. The curriculum covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Git, Github, visual design fundamentals, and more. Once students complete the technical skill building portion of the Break Into Tech (about 16-20 weeks), they receive 180 days of hands-on job search support including 1-on-1 and group coaching, and the opportunity to interview with Skillcrush employer partners.
Skillcrush is an open enrollment school, so no application is necessary. Skillcrush has trained over 20,000 students, and has an over 90% success rate of placing students in qualified jobs with an average time to get hired of 8-10 weeks.
Skillcrush offers tuition assistance for people who are unemployed, full-time students, and current or former military service members. Skillcrush encourages students to email hello@skillcrush.com to discuss payment options.
I already do website maintenance (html/css) in my career, but I wanted to step it up and add to my skills so I could branch out. I thought the Web Development blueprint would be an easy and affordable way to advance. I liked that it was flexible and I could do the lessons as I pleased. I was wrong. While the lessons are laid out nicely, clean, and seem short, they are not completely useful. They contain very short video lessons--I'm talking 3 minutes or less--and&nb...
I already do website maintenance (html/css) in my career, but I wanted to step it up and add to my skills so I could branch out. I thought the Web Development blueprint would be an easy and affordable way to advance. I liked that it was flexible and I could do the lessons as I pleased. I was wrong. While the lessons are laid out nicely, clean, and seem short, they are not completely useful. They contain very short video lessons--I'm talking 3 minutes or less--and simple diagrams to teach. It seems logical in theory, but it doesn't work in practice. While there are a lot of basic resources and cheat sheets to refer to, it isn't enough. You really can find that information for free online, plus more!
I breezed through the HTML/CSS portion because I am familiar with that, but after starting Javascript, I was totally lost. It made me feel as if I was stupid and incompetent, but really its caused by the lack of explanation and information on Skillcrush's part. They immediately throw you into writing Javascript. While I like hands on learning, there needs to be thorough instruction on constructing statements and writing methods BEFORE throwing you off the deep end...especially in programming languages because of the various nuances in the code. There just wasn't enough guidance! There are so many holes they expect you to fill on your own. They literally instruct you to "google" how to do certain steps when they don't take the time to explain them in lessons. I am not paying you so I can google! That's what I pay my internet provider for! The majority of the lessons told you really simple information and then you were left to put the pieces together and magically create something out of scratch. So a 30 min to 1 hour lesson would take hours to complete. What a deterrent!
There is no way someone who is a complete novice could successfully begin a career in web development after finishing these courses. That claim is such a joke. Employers would scoff at this resume if you brought this lack of skill to them. Even though Skillcrush claims you will have a polished, impressive portfolio at the end of Part 1....yea right! You get basic HTML & CSS to make a one page site with a few paragraphs and pictures. That's not acceptable in the modern web anymore and honestly is something you should expect from 1998. I got completely frustrated with how much the lessons leave you sitting in the dark that I haven't even finished the blueprint. I suspect the third and final portion, Ruby, Git & Sinatra, will be the same way.
There is a support system of other peers which can be nice, but I found the Mighty Bell platform to be very confusing. There were layers and layers of pages and half the time I didnt know where I was or if I was in the right group to post a question. Most of the time the students questions would go unanswered by the instructors and we were left trying to answer each others questions without any confirmation. They post daily tasks for each lesson in Mighty Bell as well, but my instructor was constantly late posting or posted the wrong week and took far too long to correct the mistake. That made learning even more confusing. The office hours were always at odd times...always during the weekend. I couldn't make any of them. It would be more useful if the office hours were during the week in the evenings.
Overall, I was disappointed with what I got out of Skillcrush for the $400 price tag. After giving up on Skillcrush, I picked up a Javascrip & JQuery book and felt more informed after reading it for 30 minutes than I did pulling my hair out for 2 weeks in the Javascript lessons. The lessons can help you start understanding websites, but I wouldn't use it to change your career....because it just simply does not give you that knowledge. I will say that the blog has a lot of great ideas and guidance on changing your career and how to get started. A++ in that aspect, but the lessons are terrible and were a waste of money.
I really wanted to like Skillcrush. The course seemed like it would teach a lot of things for the money, and I liked their spirit of female empowerment. Unfortunately it was mostly just a lot of hype, and hardly taught enough to make it worthwhile. Here is a breakdown of what they advertise, versus what you actually get:
“Practical Training That Fits Your Schedule”: The classes can be completed at your own pace. It can certainly be done in less than an hour each day, ...
I really wanted to like Skillcrush. The course seemed like it would teach a lot of things for the money, and I liked their spirit of female empowerment. Unfortunately it was mostly just a lot of hype, and hardly taught enough to make it worthwhile. Here is a breakdown of what they advertise, versus what you actually get:
“Practical Training That Fits Your Schedule”: The classes can be completed at your own pace. It can certainly be done in less than an hour each day, as advertised. A daily email is sent out with directions on which lessons to complete, articles to read, and any class announcements. Each lesson is comprised of a few minutes worth of video lectures, followed by a coding exercise. Rather than showing how to code, as most coding tutorials do, the videos are of Adda speaking at her desk, with a few screenshots spliced in. It was not very helpful, and I didn't like her unprofessional manner (saying things like “Amazeballs!” or making cheesy jokes). I had to do a lot of searching the web for answers before I was able to complete most of the coding exercises. I'm also not sure what the point of submitting the coding exercise was, because there was no feedback on any of them.
“A Community of Impressive Fellow Students”: There were approximately 150 people in my class, and Skillcrush uses a platform called Mightybell to connect everyone. Students can post in their “circle” and others can comment on their post. New comments would drive a post to the top of the feed, as were “trending posts” that had a lot of comments. This made it really hard to find posts pertaining to a specific topic. It didn't matter much though, because only a handful of students were active on Mightybell. There is also a group chat area on Mightybell, but it was usually dead for days at a time.
“Expert Support and Mentorship From Super-Friendly Instructors”: Only one teaching assistant was active on Mightybell, and she didn't always answer students' questions. I never saw any of the instructors post or comment there. Throughout the 3 month course, there were only 8 live office hour sessions. They were almost always on a Saturday or Sunday at 2pm EST, and I never got to attend any of them because that time doesn't work for me. Submitting homework assignments was meaningless, because there was never any feedback on it. Overall, the level of support and mentorship was a huge disappointment.
“Tons of Downloads, Code Samples, and Cheat Sheets”: They did give us samples of code, although they were quite basic and nothing you couldn't find for free on the web. The cheat sheets were full of Skillcrush graphics and used large fonts, so there wasn't much material on each page. To me that defeats the purpose of a cheat sheet; you should be able to glance at a page and find what you're looking for, not thumb through 7-8 pages to find it.
“Master Classes with Top Industry Experts”: There were 3 master classes during the 3 month period. They were each an hour long and gave a brief overview of one topic.
“Personal Letter of Recommendation”: I did receive a letter of recommendation with my name on it, touting what a “great” web developer I've become. Given the lack of feedback throughout the course, this letter is obviously meaningless, and probably serves more to promote their graduates, and thus their company, more than anything.
“A Professional-Looking Portfolio”: I was able to design a few basic sites that looked and functioned like they were made in the 90's. I was hoping to come out of this with something to be proud of, but it's not even close.
“Certificate of Completion”: I did receive a certificate indicating I completed the program.
Throughout the course, I was constantly frustrated by the lack of information in each lesson, and was frequently searching the web for answers just to complete the homework. In all that searching, I found that everything taught at Skillcrush, plus much much more, is available for free. I realize they can only cram so much material into one class, but I can't believe how many important topics they didn't teach. With a poor curriculum and lack of support, I can solidly say it's not worth paying for. Ironically, the best parts of Skillcrush are free. Their blog and free webinars are packed full of great career advice, with the exception of recommending their Blueprints to learn to code.
I love this class - very helpful and informative for learning the basics of Ruby and Ruby on Rails. I would recommend this class to anyone!
Skillcrush was my first introduction to coding and I loved how it was designed for women and encouraged a community of females coders, but I didn't find the material to be thorough enough for an absolute beginner. I ended up taking forever to get through the Skillcrush stuff because the video lessons were brief and didn't make much sense to me. All in all, I thought it was a waste of money because I ended up taking other non-Skillcrush courses to help me get through Skillcrus...
Skillcrush was my first introduction to coding and I loved how it was designed for women and encouraged a community of females coders, but I didn't find the material to be thorough enough for an absolute beginner. I ended up taking forever to get through the Skillcrush stuff because the video lessons were brief and didn't make much sense to me. All in all, I thought it was a waste of money because I ended up taking other non-Skillcrush courses to help me get through Skillcrush.
I love the career resources and I'm thankful that Skillcrush left me feeling empowered as a female coder, but I really don't think it was worth the expense. There are many other beginner friendly coding courses for far less money.
I took the Skillcrush Web Developer course. It has 3 units: HTML/CSS, Javascript & JQuery, and Ruby. Before I started the HTML unit, I read HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett. I started the unit and I breezed through it weeks ahead of schedule.
I then started the Javascript unit and I was so confused. I tried getting assistance from fello...
I took the Skillcrush Web Developer course. It has 3 units: HTML/CSS, Javascript & JQuery, and Ruby. Before I started the HTML unit, I read HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett. I started the unit and I breezed through it weeks ahead of schedule.
I then started the Javascript unit and I was so confused. I tried getting assistance from fellow student, the instructor, and rereading the course material. Nothing helped. Then I started reading JavaScript and JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development by the same author. I was amazed at how much more I understood about Javascript from 1 chapter than I ever did from 1 week of Skillcrush lessons.
In retrospect, had I not read the HTML book, I'd have been equally confused on the HTML unit. Skillcrush's 2 minute videos and infographics just don't work. They really just present a superficial understanding of the material. Reading the books, I've gotten such a deep understanding of the material. I'd never reccomend Skillcrush to anyone, especially people new to coding. Also, I'm always suspicious of a company who doesn't post a phone number or address.
I will say is that their cheat sheets and job application schedules aren't bad. The instructors are also helpful.Just do CodeAcademy. It's free and you can now get support for $20 a month.
This course started out okay for me but if you need techinical help, like with your account it takes DAYS for anyone to back to you. The actual interface that they use for you to do challenges in all parts of the course are messy and confusing.
The lessons themselves aren't explained very well, especially the Javascript portion. I got through the css and html okay but I pretty much had to drop o...
Just do CodeAcademy. It's free and you can now get support for $20 a month.
This course started out okay for me but if you need techinical help, like with your account it takes DAYS for anyone to back to you. The actual interface that they use for you to do challenges in all parts of the course are messy and confusing.
The lessons themselves aren't explained very well, especially the Javascript portion. I got through the css and html okay but I pretty much had to drop out when it got to the Javascript (which I am now learning using other programs and books).
They also spent way too much time on fluffy stuff like how to use photoshop which, sorry but that's not what I signed up for. They spend a whole week on design and typography, which I do think is important but not as important as learning CODING which is what the course is supposed to be for. They even go over color theory before they freaking teach you how to code!
I mean sure, teach design, but at least wait until your students can actually make a website first! This is also super irritating for me because I actually have a bachelors in fine art and have taken typography, color theory and design classes already. Such a waste of my time and $!
It reminds me of a photoshop professor I had who would always say, " I am just here to teach you how this program works, I cannot give you creative talent, I cannot make you an artist".
They needed to focus more time on the coding. They should teach design separately. It's true that everyone can learn to code but not everyone is going to be good at design! They make you think that anyone can be a great designer after taking a three month course.
Can you learn to code in three months? Yeah. Does that automatically mean you will be a talented web DESIGNER? Hell No! Sorry, I worked really hard to put myself through a fine art school so that really gets my goat.
They push a lot of their favorite products, without mentioning that you don't have to actually use those products.
It was too easy for the first couple of weeks and then when I got to the Javascript part it was overly confusing. And I can't stress enough how messy the interface is.
Also, I signed up for the mobile web design course by accident and made it a few weeks into the course before realizing I needed to know HTML and CSS first. They did switch me but it did take at least a week for anyone to respond to my questions.
I learned how to use GIT during that time which is cool and was easy enough to understand. But during that course they definitely favor Mac over PC. And that sucks because when you are using Command-line interface to program,Mac and Pc don't work in the same way. All of the examples and videos show someone working on a Mac and they don't show examples of what it looks like on PC. For some of the excercises they mention how the two differ, but most of the time they are just like " this is different when you do it on a PC, sorry!".
I now realize that there are so many FREE options that are much more intuitive and easy to understand than Skill Crush for learning html, css, javascript and any other programming languages that you don't really need to spend $350 on a Skill Crush course.
All of the paid programs that they suggest that you use have a million other alternatives.
I like the community part of it where you can interact with other users but that's pretty much it.
I am currently in my second month of the Web Designer Blue print through Skillcrush and am thoroughly enjoying it.
I was hesitant for a long while to sign up due to some of the poor reviews but since they have a 30 day money back guarantee, I went ahead and finally took the chance. I am glad I did. I have already done some HTML/CSS and Javascript through Codecademy, so I am not entirely new to coding and this is my reasoning for breezing through so far. The Designer course goes t...
I am currently in my second month of the Web Designer Blue print through Skillcrush and am thoroughly enjoying it.
I was hesitant for a long while to sign up due to some of the poor reviews but since they have a 30 day money back guarantee, I went ahead and finally took the chance. I am glad I did. I have already done some HTML/CSS and Javascript through Codecademy, so I am not entirely new to coding and this is my reasoning for breezing through so far. The Designer course goes through User Interface/User Experience,Typography, Photoshop, HTML/CSS, Starting a Site, and then a Capstone course of sorts where you have to create a web page for a client for $100 as your last course. I have not gotten to the capstone portion yet. For those that have already done some HTML/CSS, as I've said, you will breeze through most of this but I took this blueprint mostly for the capstone type class so I can gain confidence and advice on how to pitch myself to a client and get started with freelance so I hope that portion is worth it as the rest of it has been so far.
I see a lot of reviews about it not being enough to really do anything and that you can get the content online for free. Yes, this is true and nothing in this blueprint is new or earth shattering, but this is not the point . I think the point of the blueprint is for you to get your feet wet and learn the very basics in an online class setting. I needed structure and the daily lessons and postings on the class forum (mightybell) did that for me. When I was using Codecademy I felt it was not progressing toward anything and I felt I was just "playing" and not really learning since I was just recreating what I was told. Skillcrush does this as well, but at the end of the HTML/CSS portion you start to create your own website so you can really let your creative juices flow instead of just regurgitating instructions and matching the example site that is given. During the daily lessons you also can create little bits of code on your own, using the theory and coding you've learned and I think this cements what you've learned a lot more than just "follow these code instructions and make your code look like the example." Using your own examples makes you really think about what you're doing vs a "cut and paste" mentality.
I've also seen complaints on mightybell. In my opinion, mightybell is one of the best things about the courses because it allows you to talk with instructors and other classmates so you can post your work and get feedback. My class is very active on mightybell so I am thankful for that, however, Skillcrush isn't at fault if you happen to have classmates that are not very active on mightybell so I would not dock Skillcrush for that if that is what you have experienced.
I also had issues with not receiving emails at the beginning of class. I did receive responses from my instructor and the help staff promptly. Yes it was frustrating and it took a few days but they did get it all fixed for me and I had no further issues. I am happy with the response time of the stuff and instructor so far.
Another thing I've seen that I wanted to address is the issue of having to Google things in order to solve an issue or get a grasp on a concept. I have had to do this too since it's been a while since I've used Codecademy. I do not think that is a complaint about the class to have to use Google to solve issues because doing that is preparing you for the real working world as a freelance or junior web designer. There will not always been someone to ask or to help you so learning now how to search for answers and learn on your own is an extremely critical skill to have when working in tech. It is better to be in a course like Skillcrush and learn to find answers on your own as well as bounce ideas off colleagues (classmates) now rather than be in your first position in web design or have your fist client and be lost.
Over all, would I take another Skillcrush course? YES I would and I plan to do just that. I have enjoyed the whole experience of having a class type structure along with classmates to give feedback to and get feedback from and I have learned things that I did not know before. Skillcrush won't teach you everything you need to know and the creator, Adda, has said this. I haven't learned a ton that I did not know about HTML/CSS, but I've gained value from the UI/UX lessons that I haven't experienced before and having the master class videos with tips and how-tos on how to get started in web design have been valuable.
Will this Web Designer Blueprint get you a job? Ahhh, on its own, no I don't think so. I think you need to take your skills that you've gained and practice more and gain exp on creating web pages and sites from scratch. This blueprint is supposed to let you leave it with a portfolio but I'm not sure if it will be substantial enough to get hired somewhere. The pages you will be making after you've went though the HTML/CSS portion are going to be very basic so don't expect to make flashy sites right off the bat. I would just tell everyone thinking of it and reading reviews to know what you are getting. Do not expect to be able to create fancy websites with interactive portions and drop down menus because that is way to advanced. This class is truly for the beginner and if you really have not experience any type of HTML/CSS or coding before it may require some Googling to wrap your head around it at first and I think that is ok. Use this blueprint to guide you through the learning, not as a be all end all...it's a stepping stone. I am hoping I will be able to get at least some freelance work with what I've gained and learned from the last class that I will take. I'm hoping it will give me confidence to start small and to remember that no one knows everything and everyone has to start somewhere. :)
Seems most of the material of their front-end wordpress glaze over things and do not go into detail on the subjects. Better spending money on Lynda.
Skillcrush teaches you how to learn. So if you want to be force fed tech skills, you can't expect to do so for an hour-a-day. You can't expect to become a developer without going above and beyond and practicing everything you learn in the tutorial a ton. If you want to spend 3 months in a class and become a full-fledged developer do these (1) quit your job, (2) spend $12,000-15,000+ on an immersive course + housing, and (3) devote 60 hours+ week coding. Skillcrush is for DIY learne...
Skillcrush teaches you how to learn. So if you want to be force fed tech skills, you can't expect to do so for an hour-a-day. You can't expect to become a developer without going above and beyond and practicing everything you learn in the tutorial a ton. If you want to spend 3 months in a class and become a full-fledged developer do these (1) quit your job, (2) spend $12,000-15,000+ on an immersive course + housing, and (3) devote 60 hours+ week coding. Skillcrush is for DIY learners looking for a little more structure.
You get the basics and learn how to level-up yourself. And you get great instructors helping you do that and a-mazing master classes introducing you to more amazing concepts. I've done so much since finishing my course in March-and I was encouraged/empowered to do so by Skillcrush. Imposter syndrome is a real thing for people changing careers/women entering a male-dominated space. Learning web dev is not just about learning technical skills, it's about learning the soft skills that help you feel they belong.
In all of the tech events I have felt empowered to attend (meetups, in person classes, Django Girls workshop) so many developers say 50% of their job is searching things on Google. And you pick up some mad Google skills with Skillcrush. And some amazing resources to keep you going even after the course is completed. It's Web Design and/or Web Development you learn by doing and Skillcrush is a great place to start (and continue) doing!
As far as job resources...they rolled out a career section after I completed the course (and I still get action-lifetime membership baby) and the master classes are great (i.e. multiple webinars with the Power to Fly CEO) It has been really helpful with putting myself together and getting me on the right path. A 5 would of course be assistance with job placement; a girl can dream!
I signed up for the Ruby on Rails blueprint eager to learn. Adda has a great personality and I enjoy her short videos.
However, my overall experience has been frustrating. It can take more than 48 hours to receive a response to a question (if at all). Daily lessons are emailed and students are encouraged to communicate and post their work in Mightybell. For the past several classes I am the only student posting to Mightybell. There is rarely any feedback and I've spent most of ...
I signed up for the Ruby on Rails blueprint eager to learn. Adda has a great personality and I enjoy her short videos.
However, my overall experience has been frustrating. It can take more than 48 hours to receive a response to a question (if at all). Daily lessons are emailed and students are encouraged to communicate and post their work in Mightybell. For the past several classes I am the only student posting to Mightybell. There is rarely any feedback and I've spent most of my time supplementing with outside videos and tutorials.
After a couple days of not being able to proceed, I sent an email requesting a refund unless someone could respond to my questions. In this case I received a friendly response from a TA.
If you get stuck in a class and are not able to proceed you can expect to remain stuck unless you ask for a refund.
Skillcrush has the potential to be great but unfortunatley they fall short on offering basic support.
It is pretty much a $400 roadmap to follow on your own.
Prior to signing up for Skillcrush's Web Development Blueprint, I'd taken a few courses on Codecademy and Code School, along with knowing basic coding needed for customizing Tumblr/Myspace/ Livejournal back in the day. I already had a pretty good hang of HTML/CSS and breezed through a month's worth of lessons in a week or two. When it came time to actually learn something new, I found Skillcrush's videos and lessons lacking in information, definitely not enough to make me a skilled web cod...
Prior to signing up for Skillcrush's Web Development Blueprint, I'd taken a few courses on Codecademy and Code School, along with knowing basic coding needed for customizing Tumblr/Myspace/ Livejournal back in the day. I already had a pretty good hang of HTML/CSS and breezed through a month's worth of lessons in a week or two. When it came time to actually learn something new, I found Skillcrush's videos and lessons lacking in information, definitely not enough to make me a skilled web coder. While I appreciated the TA's and other women in the community, asking the TA a question only to be presented with a bunch of Google links without any proper answer just made me angry. Thanks, but I don't need to pay $400 to Google coding questions, I'm paying these people at Skillcrush (whom are supposed to be knowledgeable of the topics) to help me!
As others have said, the Mighty Bell platform they use for communications is horribly organized and hard to follow. Often times recent postings or important postings would be lost on the page. I was so happy to be done with it.
Needless to say, I ended up getting a refund. You're better off using free resources.
How much does Skillcrush cost?
Skillcrush costs around $2,999. On the lower end, some Skillcrush courses like (2) Front End Developer Track (Break Into Tech + Get Hired Program) cost $2,499.
What courses does Skillcrush teach?
Skillcrush offers courses like (1) Full Stack Developer Track (Break Into Tech + Get Hired Program), (2) Front End Developer Track (Break Into Tech + Get Hired Program), (3) UI/UX Designer Track (Break Into Tech + Get Hired Program).
Where does Skillcrush have campuses?
Skillcrush teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Skillcrush worth it?
Skillcrush hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 434 Skillcrush alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Skillcrush on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Skillcrush legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 434 Skillcrush alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Skillcrush and rate their overall experience a 4.81 out of 5.
Does Skillcrush offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Skillcrush 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 Skillcrush reviews?
You can read 434 reviews of Skillcrush on Course Report! Skillcrush alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Skillcrush and rate their overall experience a 4.81 out of 5.
Is Skillcrush accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Skillcrush doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.
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