App Academy

They repeatedly mentioned that the curriculum is like drinking from a firehose-- they were not wrong, it was grueling and they cram what feels like years worth of material in mere weeks. Do not take it lightly and be prepared to devote everything you have for the long haul. The field of software development is an entire universe you could travel through your whole life and still not have touched everything. a/A's curriculum does a great job of navigating you through that universe and giving you a core understanding which can/must be built on. Bottom line: four months ago I didn't know what web development was, today I can actually build a website from scratch using in demand technologies.

Also curriculum aside be aware that they are very demanding when it comes to feedback on your end. Expect to fill out reports for how things went/are going every. single. damn. day. This sucked and was probably my least favorite part of the course. Also for what it is worth the company compass is pointed progressive/politically correct with a silent but strong undertow of legal conservatism.

I had an awesome time at App Academy learning everything from square one. I honestly struggled with the concepts of programming. I went through a number of online platforms to learn JavaScript such as Code Academy, Udemy, Udacity and no one taught JavaScript as well as App Academy did. They really drill you with the fundamentals. Though it can be stressful at times, I really value what App Academy tries to do instill in their students. There were some rough spots with the curriculum, but the instructors did their best to fill in the gaps, especially about Redux.

App Academy is a very balanced program as not only does it emphasize on improving your technical proficiency, but also makes sure you are prepared to work with fellow programmers in a collaborative professional environment. The projects and exams are generally good measures of your proficiency and while you may feel like you are drowning at times, don't worry, the TAs, your cohort mates, and your assigned circle leaders are there as guard rails to remind you to take care of your health, both physical and mental. Unfortunately, my cohort was remote for the majority of the bootcamp due to COVID-19, however the staff at App Academy moved quickly and efficiently to onboard us for remote learning. I would definitely recommend this bootcamp to anyone who wants to start a career in software development.

After many months of trying to find work after a cross-country move to SF, I decided to take a gamble and try my hand at a coding bootcamp.  I choose App Academy after seeing that it had a very high job placement rate after graduation, and it covered the most material out of all the bootcamps I had my eye on. Going through the course was challenging - far more than my previous experience at college. However, all the hard work was more than worth it; I feel so much more prepared to enter the workforce now along with being much more prepared for the application process. If you are looking for a great coding bootcamp, I would highly recommend App Academy!

Coming from a STEM but non-CS background and having prior self-taught experience in web development, I was sincerely surprised by how much there is still to learn throughout the cohort. We learnt “talking code” through the pair programming sessions, mastered every aspect of the production side of programming (building projects, testing) and also the theoretical side (algorithms, data structures).
I could whole-heartily recommend anyone out there that wants to step their foot in the software industry to give App Academy a shot. But make sure that before enrolling in this awesome and incredibly supportive family of instructors, TAs, job coaches, and your best resource - classmates, that this is a boot-camp rather than a regular degree you’re signing up for. Given the rigorous amount of classwork and the intense short time frame. You would have to bring sufficient efforts and motivation, and also prove that you are worth offering this wonderful chance of learning. And even by graduation, what awaits is not just a thin piece of paper validating whatever we have done, but what we are equipped with: tools, mindset, and everything we need to plunge through this never ending learning journey of being a software engineer.

Honestly, it's not as hard as everyone makes it sound. Yes, you do have to put in work, but you will do great if you aren't lazy.  They literally give you EVERYTHING that you need to succeed in the bootcamp. This has been the most beneficial experience I have ever had. You learn at an outstanding rate, and the TAs really care about your success. After you are done with the bootcamp, you definitely feel job ready and feel like you can learn anything. The assessments aren't hard. They give you a practice assessment that is almost identical to the actual assessment, so don't let that turn you away. The big class sizes are NEVER an issue. I actually ended up liking the class size a lot because it gives you the opportunity to pair program with many different personalities. The worst thing about the bootcamp is CSS because it almost feel neglected, but honestly if you watch like 3-5 YouTube videos on it you will be good. Overall, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't come here if it is an option. Try your very best to get in because it's worth it. 

App Academy is no joke when it comes in terms of workload and material that that it expects its students to learn. That being said App Academy does its best to provide you with the tools for success if you're looking to make the switch to software engineering. The culture at App Academy is definitely a great one and there was good camaraderie among my cohort mates and the instructors. Coming from a non-technical background I felt that this program would be impossible but if you're willing to dedicate yourself than you will come out with learning how to do something that you didn't think was possible.

This program is no joke. If you want to learn everything you need to get started as a software developer with help from a number of staff who have been in your shoes before and classmates who are constantly there to support you this is it. This is a fantastic opportunity but it is not one you can take lightly. You have to plan to work HARD spending 12+ hours a day, including weekends, just trying to keep up with the curriculum (its called a bootcamp for a reason). Of course the experience and amount of effort needed may vary depending on how much you've learned ahead of time but simply knowing a language or two will not get you far and i'm speaking from experience as someone who studied Ruby HTML/CSS and Javascript ahead thinking it would help me through the program. It did... For maybe 2 weeks and a few days scattered throughout the 16 week long program.

Its a tough program for sure but if you devote all of your time and energy to it from start to finish you come out feeling fantastic with a strong support system of friends and staff who are all helping you to start your new career path as a software developer. So be ready.

App Academy was probably the best decision I ever made.  I really wanted to learn how to code, and was unsure of what was the right move for me.  There are a ton of coding boot camps out there, especially ones where recruiters will consistently try to rope you in.  No, not App Academy; their acceptance rate is really low and to get in is a privilege.

While studying for App Academy (their jump start program - which was free); I learned a lot about programming.  Within two weeks, I knew how to code in Ruby and solve algorithm problems!  I was really excited to find out about all that I would learn (if and) when I got in.  Fast forward through the smooth-sailing admissions process, I entered App Academy on my first day and met a lot of great people who later became some of my closest friends!  I did not realize how hard, and intense the program would be.  There were times where I wondered if I could keep up and make it through the program (there definitely were people who got dropped - and I think it's because they didn't take it as seriously, not because they were lacking the smarts) but the teachers and my fellow peers were extremely supportive.  You never realize how much you could learn, and App Academy fosters the right culture and environment for that.

I would say that the only drawback was that sometimes the curriculum seemed a bit outdated, and the instructions weren't as clear.  But even with those kinks, we learned how to work around this which challenged us as developers (to find solutions when we were unsure of what to do). 

Anyway, I would say moving towards the end, you will find yourself feeling like a brand new person.  The alumni community is great - people who have graduated from here will talk to you on LinkedIn.  There is a sense of pride and community amongst the AA grads :)