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Tech Elevator offers both full-time and part-time coding bootcamps that prepare students for a career as a software developer, starting with an Aptitude Test. Throughout the bootcamp, students learn Java, HTML, CSS, SQL, API, and JavaScript. The full-time bootcamp runs for 14 weeks, Monday through Friday, 9-4:30 pm, and the part-time bootcamp runs for 30-weeks with a mix of independent study, live lectures and small-group programming. Both programs have a low student-to-instructor ratio to ensure the best supportive environment for participants. Tech Elevator’s instruction is delivered in-person at campuses located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh. Tech Elevator offers students beyond its core markets, and throughout the U.S., class options through its National Live Remote program.
Tech Elevator’s career-readiness Pathway Program is responsible for high placement outcomes and includes personalized coaching sessions, interview practice, 12 months of placement support post-graduation, and alumni and mentor networking. Tech Elevator also offers its students and alumni direct connections to employers through employer showcases and interviewing events.
Tl;dr:
I can't recommend this program enough to anyone who is seeking a career change into software development / IT. It is the best of the bootcamps in the Columbus area; the staff, teachers, and fellow students are wonderful. If you can get into this program, commit your life to it for 14 weeks, and put in the full effort needed to succeed, do it. It will pay off.
Long review:
When I entered college at Ohio State in 2007, I ...
Tl;dr:
I can't recommend this program enough to anyone who is seeking a career change into software development / IT. It is the best of the bootcamps in the Columbus area; the staff, teachers, and fellow students are wonderful. If you can get into this program, commit your life to it for 14 weeks, and put in the full effort needed to succeed, do it. It will pay off.
Long review:
When I entered college at Ohio State in 2007, I had no idea what I was doing, or even what engineering was. Fast-forward a bit, and I graduated with a degree that often makes the "Lowest Paid Majors" charts: Anthropology. (Side note: I highly recommend studying this eye-opening subject, but probably not as your major unless you have a solid career plan.)
Since college, I've worked in corporate customer service and administrative jobs where I often felt overworked, and yet bored, and totally expendable. I knew I needed something more intellectually challenging, not to mention secure, and had an interest in IT. I learned some web development skills on my own and tried to work my way into some kind of entry level IT job - to no avail. I’ve heard of people getting development jobs after self-teaching, but this wasn’t working for me - I needed something structured to hold me accountable and help me gain the needed skills.
I considered going back to college until a friend told me about Tech Elevator. I did research online, went to an open house, and decided to submit the online application. What finally sold me was coming in for an interview with the campus director. The director & staff don't just try to sell this program to anyone and take your money. They stress that they only accept about 10% of applicants and this program is NOT for everyone - it is very challenging and requires a lot of your time. I learned about the curriculum, the Pathway Program, and the fact that all of their stats are indeed audited. I enjoyed meeting the staff and could tell they were passionate about what they do, and I was excited about the possibility of working with them. When I got my acceptance call, I decided to take a spot in the Fall 2017 Java cohort.
Although some other bootcamps in the area are cheaper and/or offer higher scholarships, I believe TE is the best choice and worth the price. You will work with the most passionate and talented teachers, staff, and students. The curriculum covers more than other bootcamps, and I believe being there full-time and in-person (rather than part-time and/or online) makes a big difference in your success. The location in the Rev1 startup incubator is awesome, their employer network seems to be the largest, they are heavily involved in the tech community, and the Pathway Program is solid.
I can't say enough good things about the curriculum, projects, teachers, and my fellow students. The curriculum is very thorough on its own, but they also give you extra practice problems and extra material to study if you have time (which you should definitely do). The teachers and staff point you in the right directions towards other languages and CS concepts you should learn on your own, meetups and events you should go to - and many events happen right in the Rev1 building. I even got hooked up with a cool volunteer opportunity mentoring high school students who were learning Java for robotics.
There are 3 mini-projects that you do as part of the program, and one final "capstone" project for the last two weeks. The final project I did was for a real company - a startup located in the Rev1 building. I think I learned almost as much doing the project in the last 2 weeks, as I learned in the first 12 weeks. You're able to build so much upon what you've learned.
Whether you are in the Java or the C#/.NET class, ALL of the teachers and tutors are there to help you with homework, concepts, projects, technical interview practice, and even side projects. And they will still be available to help you out after you graduate.
If you're like me and a lot of other millennials who have had trouble getting interviews / job offers, the Pathway Program is extremely valuable definitely sets TE apart from other bootcamps. It covers everything you need to know about resumes, networking, job apps, HR and technical interviews, and follow-up. And then there’s “Matchmaking”. I interviewed with 9 employers that they brought in for the speed-dating-style event. Once you graduate from the program, the Pathway staff are still there to help you anytime with more career advice, interview practice, and even helping you negotiate a job offer. They have a kick-ass attitude, know how to leverage their employer network, and fought for all of us to get the jobs we wanted. (Not that they will do all the work for you – YOU get out of it what you put in.) The program is far more valuable than the career services I utilized at Ohio State, which still left me feeling really unprepared.
My results:
I gained a new professional network, marketable skills, and a portfolio which all led to more interviews than I've ever gotten at one time before in my life (many of them through "Matchmaking"). I gained the skills to do well in those interviews. I also gained some awesome life experiences, life lessons, and new friendships.
I received two job offers within two weeks of graduation, and had to cancel some other pending interviews. The offer I accepted is a permanent, full-time, full-stack development job at a Fortune 100 company, in the perfect location. I’m using all of the skills learned at TE and more. I’m making almost $30,000 more than I did at my last job and better benefits. My work-life balance is already much improved over my last jobs, especially due to the work-from-home flexibility that comes with IT. I have a good work culture, a supportive manager, and fun coworkers who all work hard. Most of these things are firsts for me and I can’t believe I’m here.
My advice to anyone considering or enrolling in TE:
1. Study as much as you can before starting class. TE does give you pre-work to complete before class starts, but if you haven't gotten that yet, start now. Use websites like freecodecamp.org, codecademy.com, khanacademy.org. I would recommend looking at free courses for HTML, CSS, Javascript, SQL, Java and/or C#.
2. Do everything you can that the TE instructors give you, including extra practice problems.
3. DO EVERYTHING that the Pathway Program staff tell you to do. Follow their deadlines. Think of questions to ask them before your scheduled workshop or meeting. Help them help you, and get extra help if you need it. Keep in touch with them after graduation until you find a job.
4. Do something outside of Tech Elevator that you can add to your portfolio and talk about in interviews. This can be something small! I found an idea for a small project at rosettacode.org. Another small thing I did was attending a 3-hour workshop at the Ohio Linux Fest where I was able to contribute to an open-source project on Github.
5. Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have any questions for an alum!
Employed in-field | 70.0% |
Full-time employee | 45.0% |
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 25.0% |
Short-term contract, part-time, or freelance | 0.0% |
Started a new company or venture after graduation | 0.0% |
Not seeking in-field employment | 0.0% |
Employed out-of-field | 0.0% |
Continuing to higher education | 0.0% |
Not seeking a job for health, family, or personal reasons | 0.0% |
Still seeking job in-field | 30.0% |
Could not contact | 0.0% |
How much does Tech Elevator cost?
Tech Elevator costs around $16,500.
What courses does Tech Elevator teach?
Tech Elevator offers courses like Full-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - In-person, Full-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - Remote, Full-Time .NET/C# Coding Bootcamp - In-person, Part-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - Remote.
Where does Tech Elevator have campuses?
Tech Elevator has in-person campuses in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. Tech Elevator also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.
Is Tech Elevator worth it?
The data says yes! Tech Elevator reports a 93% graduation rate, a median salary of $65,000 and 88% of Tech Elevator alumni are employed. Tech Elevator hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 506 Tech Elevator alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Tech Elevator on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Tech Elevator legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 506 Tech Elevator alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Tech Elevator and rate their overall experience a 4.91 out of 5.
Does Tech Elevator offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Yes, Tech Elevator accepts the GI Bill!
Can I read Tech Elevator reviews?
You can read 506 reviews of Tech Elevator on Course Report! Tech Elevator alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Tech Elevator and rate their overall experience a 4.91 out of 5.
Is Tech Elevator accredited?
Tech Elevator is licensed under the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools, Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools and Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
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