App Academy

App Academy was an intense bootcamp. I thought I was prepared for what was to come but I was not. The fast pace and back to back projects will definitely wear you out, however, all bootcamps do that. The instructors we're amazing! Honestly if it was not for them I would not have graduated. I went from knowing little to nothing about code to being able to replicate sites like netflix by myself within a week. You learn a lot and you learn fast. I would say the best thing about the school is that they teach you how to learn code vs how to simply code. In the work field you might be asked to code in a language that you havent done so before and if you dont know how to adapt quickly you will have a hard time. Thanks to App Academy I do not have that fear. 

I came into the curriculum with a basic foundation of coding, however I had no experience in software development and in 
a mere 6 months I can say that I am much more confident in my ability to produce an application. App Academy not only teaches 
you relevant curriculum but (and this is the most important aspect to me) they set you up with the ability to continue self-learning after graduation

Pros
- The support from the TA's and Instructors are nice to have, especially when you aren't grasping a concept.
- 4 projects, consisting of 2 group project and 2 solo projects gives you a lot of experience working with different ideas, people, and technologies.
- Presence of a career coach makes the job search process feel much more structured.
- The focus on mini-projects while your learning really re-enforces the concepts learned for the day
- Learn Python for the online full-stack cohorts instead of Ruby
Cons
- Since I was in a Cohort with a new curriculum some of the material seemed like it was rushed or just not presented in a clear and concise way.

I'm switching over careers from a completely non-technical field to software development, and I couldn't have picked a better bootcamp to help me through this transition. Although I just graduated, I can say that in just the past 4 months I have learned a myriad of languages, technologies, and frameworks that I never would've imagined I could. App Academy's curriculum is prepared in a way that regardless of your technical background, you learn so so much in such little time and learn enough to compete with other aspiring software developers with university degrees in computer science. The only thing I wish App Academy did differently is to advertise themselves clearly as web development since thats basically what the curriculum is centered around. I can make a full-stack web application now, but not much more than that. Either way, I am super grateful to be able to have attended App Academy and would highly recommend this bootcamp over others to anyone who asks!

Yes, there are articles coming up all the time criticizing App Academy's pricing plans and now freely available curriculum, but you will not find another group of dedicated instructors when you choose to take the plunge. They also help you all the way with admission advisors the very same day you submit the first admission form.

Yes, a lot of the concepts can be learned by yourself with hours pouring over Wikipedia, Stack Overflow, and elsewhere, but the greatest value to the intensive and immersive 16-week journey is not only the opportunity to have a glance at tech industry culture through the curriculum path and curated lectures, but the challenge at your fingertips everyday in pairing with another cohort mate to solve nontrivial projects and problem sets to actively mold into and further change the culture yourself.

App Academy is truly the one-stop-shop from beginning Ruby lessons to the job coaching that guides you the whole way after the 16-week course until you get your offer letters. Yes, you very well could go the route of learning JavaScript by yourself or maybe C by yourself, but everyone in App Academy upholds their standard everyday and provide living breathing proof that their techniques work, through their connections with tech companies all across the country and the regular alumni panels that return to talk to share their success with current students and encourage them on their way.

If you've stuck with me and read this far, start the application process and have a go at the webcam coding challenge. If you blow them away with no raise in heart rate then yes maybe this bootcamp is not for you. However, if you fall in love with Alvin's lessons and through intense study and dedication pass this first hurdle (an accomplishment you are reminded of even up to the final week of class), you will not be disappointed with the adventure set before you.

Thank you again to every single instructor and coach that guided my cohort and never quit on any one of us.

I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed this program. The instructors and staff are all supportive, intelligent people that are able to cram a large amount of information into a relatively small amount of time while still making the lessons enjoyable and understandable. Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 outbreak, my cohort was forced to take the classes online, but even this wasn't unmanageable thanks to the efforts of App Academy. One thing to mention is that if the job fairs App Academy normally works with are extremely important to you, I would wait until quarantine measures are no longer in place.
That being said, the teachers and staff can only do so much. If you intend to apply to App Academy, be prepared to put your life on hold for several months. The coursework is rigorous and often overwhelming. If you fall behind too much you may not have the time to catch up with everyone else again, even with the help and resources provided. Do not ever grow complacent about the work. Overall if you think you can handle the bootcamp experience and are passionate about learning, I highly recommend App Academy.

App Academy's curriculum is well designed and really reinforces fundamentals so every new lesson is built on what you have learned. By no means is it easy and you will definitely have to put in the work, but you are offered lots of help and resources from the TA's, fellow cohort-mates, and through additional readings. A majority of most days is filled with pair programming, which I really came to enjoy and realize its usefulness. However, there are only a handful of days where you get to tackle projects on your own, which I did not like, but that is merely my preference. After the curriculum, I feel that App Academy provided me the tools and fundamentals needed to further my programming skills and create full-stack web applications. Being a bootcamp that is only a few months long, I feel they do a great job in transitioning anyone, who is willing to put in the work, into a software engineer.

Overall this program is it rigorous and does teaches you to code. If that is your goal and you have a solid internal support network, I'd recommend. The program lacks representation of womxn, POC, and other minority groups. Also in my cohort, these marginalized groups left the program at a higher rate. Please note - this does wear on your mental health as it is a very high pressure environment. There are 6 assessments, failing 2 will get you kicked out. There is a strike system for attendance and daily reports. Too many strikes and you're kicked out. Day to day you'll mostly be pair programming and working on projects with a partner. There is homework every night which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4-5 hours. After a long day of work, you have more work. 

You can pay all tuition upfront, all when you have a job, or a split. If you do not pay all upfront (most people do not) there is another strike system to prove you're looking for jobs appropriately. Similar to above, too many strikes and you'll owe them the unpaid amount. Honestly, this is good. It aligns incentives, holds you accountable, and gives you support.

App Academy is going to be tough, as it is a very fast paced full time program. On top of the fast pace, there will be about 6 assessments spread out during the first 12 weeks of the program. Failing two will get you kicked out. If you're worried by any of these things, don't be. Despite the pacing of the curriculum, and the graded assessments, App Academy and their instructors make sure to teach you everything you need to ensure your success. I would highly recommend App Academy to anyone who is dedicated to the grind.