App Academy

I entered this bootcamp knowing little to nothing about coding. I have coded a bit in college but the curriculum that I went through was nothing I could prepare for. It was a grueling 24 week process of constant learning and coding everyday, where some days the material isn't too hard to understand while other days it was brutal to take in so much new information. Even so, looking back I am amazed at how much I have learned and the things I can do now that I couldn't do before. The job search portion of the program is also very helpful: App Academy will list exactly what you need to do to stand out amongst your peers to get a job as soon as possible. All in all, this is a great program and would definitely recommend to those looking to become a software engineer. 

I am a software engineer with about 10+ years of experience and an MS in Computer Science so I expected to cruise through the boot-camp. Well, that did NOT happen!
What happened instead was that I learned a lot about Web-development ( not part of my work experience), got challenged on a daily basis, had many frustrating times when I didn't 'get' what was being taught, but at the same time had a lot of fun. I also learned so much about 'soft skills' like building my Personal pitch, Resume, cover-letter etc...That part of curriculum is equally important (if not more) and it is a game-changer. No school or workplace teaches this, so if you get these right you have an unfair advantage over others.

I believe I had a unique vantage point in the sense that I was one of the few students who had software industry experience prior to app Academy. For people in my category -
a) Check your ego at the door. app Academy picks really sharp people. You WILL be challenged, sometimes by people half your age. Don't resist it, embrace it for the learning experience it is.
b) Get your stuff in order. The kids need to be sent to child-care. Household stuff needs to be delegated/outsourced. You will need to be there for every minute of the 9 hours of class and then some.

All in all a really positive experience and totally worth it.

This course was very tough, but in the end I'm very happy that I took it. It was such a rewarding experience and I have learned many valuable things throughout the course. All of the TAs I have met were super friendly and highly knowledgable in the curriculum. If you're ever struggling (which I have been many a time), they take the time to sit with you and walk you through what you need help with. There is plenty of material for you to go through and study, and they also provide a lot of resources for you to use. By the end of the programming you're building your own websites by yourself and with a team. The satisfaction of creating your own functional website from scratch is very satisfying, kind of like the cherry on top of the program. If I could complain about one thing, it would probably be the amount of videos we had to watch during class on certain days. I feel like the in person cohort would have been better when it came to those days. However, that being said, my overall experience has been wonderful and I have learned so many things here at App Academy.

The course is intense but well worth it.  I've probably learned as much in the several months of this course as I did in 4 years of college.
The languages and sheer number of technologies they put into the program really leaves you well rounded and prepared for the job market, not to mention how much effort they put into coaching you and getting you set for the job hunt itself.  The instructors were also simply stellar, a well-rounded cast to be sure and are shockingly patient, composed, and positive everyday of class.
Most of the apps and projects are a lot of fun, and each of them demonstrates multiple core principles.  Everything builds on material from the previous day.  Tests are challenging but are 100% covered by the material you learn and you're always given ample time to study and ask questions if you're feeling uneasy.

My background was in physics and mathematics prior, and I have to admit strong mathematics skills can really help, not to mention a lot of the prior coding experience I had.  But don't let that get you down, the aces of our cohort disliked math and/or had no prior experience in programming and still ended up coming out on top!

My only complaint is that the course felt a little rushed towards the last few weeks.  Luckily by that point you'll be a veteran and have no problem using the skills you've picked up to fill in the gaps. 

This program is rigorous and will genuinely consume your life when you're in the midst of it, but it's well worth your commitment.

I worked in regulatory compliance for 4 years before it was time for a career change.  I didn't think I had the chops to get into App Academy based on what I knew about their rigorous admissions process, but I slogged my way through and before I knew it, I was admitted into App Academy's first Online Cohort.  

App Academy is worth it.  Definitely worth it.  The quality of the course is top notch and it made me a lethal enough programmer that I was hired into a great position in Washington DC within a few weeks of graduating.  

That being said, if you want to get there, you have to be ready and willing to put in the work.  This course is *hard*.  I'm talking 100+ hours per week, hard.  Into this work, you'll have to pour your blood, tears, toil, and sweat.  But if you take it seriously right from the get go, you'll make it through and you'll be glad you went through all the trouble!

If you've read through even a few reviews for App Academy you're well aware that you're signing up for a serious grind. It bears repeating. For me, the biggest challenge early on was getting used to the sheer workload and still finding time for eating and sleeping. The first 8 weeks, be prepared to have new concepts thrown at you daily. Expect to spend 8 hours on campus working, and then at least 4-5 hours doing homework. In order to pass the periodic assessments, you'll also need to commit 10-12 hours a day on the weekends.

Once you're in the program, fight for your education! There is limited TA availability outside of when you're pair programming. While pairing, you have access to an "Ask a Question" feature within the online curriculum. After not making progress on any one task for more than 15 minutes, smash that button early and often. TAs have a knack for identifying issues and explaining concepts quickly, in a way that is easier to absorb than in the curriculum.

Pros:

• Talented and knowledgeable TAs
• Challenging curriculum that will push you to become a better programmer every single day
• Pair programming teaches you how to effectively communicate your ideas and write better code
• Projects you complete at the end of the curriculum will showcase just how much you've learned in 2-3 months

Cons:

• The online curriculum starts out strong, but falters by the middle and end. Project instructions are at times frustratingly vague, and not written for the layman. There is very little linking between pages, and no search functionality. This is problematic when you need to revisit previously covered material for use in a current project
• There are a ton of unnecessary chores that provide no value to the students (daily quizzes you aren't graded on, and aren't reviewed in class - daily feedback you must provide for your peers, but is never passed along to the you to act upon)
• Assessments add a ton of stress and reward memorization more than programming concepts and techniques 
• Facilities - San Francisco - The importance of ergonomics is stressed before you join, yet students work on stations with no monitor risers and no ability to make adjustments other than chair height. The 2014 Mac Minis sometimes struggle to even load Chrome or the code editor (be ready for the pinwheel of death). More bathrooms are needed (only two for over 150 people on the floor). There aren't enough utensils or microwaves.

Overall, App Academy proved to be the challenge that I signed up for. There's no way that I would've had the drive to learn as much as I did in the past three months if I had set out on my own. I'm also confident that the program positioned me well to find a job as a developer within the next few months.

That being said, App Academy still suffers from the same pitfalls that most for-profit post-secondary institutions do. At moments you'll feel cared for by individuals who are out to truly guide you in your education, and other times, you'll feel like you made a wrong turn.

If you're a self-starter, the whole curriculum is online - which is 100% what you'll be working off during you're time on-site pair-programming. If you have the drive, I'd recommend saving yourself the money and working online.

Before deciding to attend a bootcamp, I did the same thing you are doing. I read review after review, trying to gauge the value a program like this one might offer me. My previous experience with coding was a grand total of one Intro to C++ class at a local community college, and a few of UC Berkeley's online Software Development Certificate classes (none of which I personally recommend, but that's a story for another day). Once I had decided that the bootcamp path was one I would take, I began the arduous task of selecting the RIGHT bootcamp. Ultimately, I decided that an in-person program was the right fit for my learning style. Living in the SF Bay Area, there seemed to be two choices. I asked friends and family, that work in the tech industry, to take a look at the syllabi, read all the reviews, and had a few sleepless nights. I ultimately chose App Academy as the school I wanted to attend, participated in their online bootcamp prep program, and a few months later I was rewarded with acceptance into their program. Then the really difficult part began . . .

This program is intense, it's designed that way and they make no apologies about it. You are forced to constantly learn new material, never truly feeling comfortable before the next topic is laid before you. A week into the course, I was sure that I would not make it. I came home everyday to my wife and told her that I had no idea what was going on, that I was barely hanging on, that many other people surely had a better grasp of the material and I was doomed. I spent hours each day after class and every weekend up at the school, working on homework or studying for assessments. App Academy is quick to point out that almost everyone has these feelings, and it's Imposter Syndrome in full effect. They chose you for a reason, they say. You are supposed to be here. For myself, these feelings of inadequacy continued through the course. Though you do get comfortable with a general feeling of unease and helplessness. I will also say, that despite these feelings, I did feel supported throughout the program. I could ask questions whenever I wanted, help was available from TAs and my fellow students. The bonds formed in this stressful situation, and the assistance that you are able to both receive and give to those around you helps keep you grounded and headed towards the finish line. I've heard a lot of talk about the structure of Assessments, and the policy of being asked to leave if you fail 2 of them. Is the system perfect? No, it is not. Is fear an amazing motivator? Yes, it certainly is. Is watching good, hardworking, smart people walk out the doors early a painful experience? Without a doubt. Is there a better way to do it? I truly don't know. But that is the process that App Academy has chosen, so just know what you are getting into. If you are not able to calm yourself down in extremely stressful testing situations, these tests are going to be hard. But, if you do the work, if you go over the practice tests and make attempts to understand the material to the best of your ability, if you are honest with yourself about the information you do not understand and ask questions, you will be fine. If I made it through, you can too.

As I write this, I am at the end of the program, with just a few days left. The Job Search part of the program is much different than the instructional portion. There is much less structure, the occasional lecture on soft skills, networking, reumés, interviewing questions, and further work on some algorithms and data structures. Some people enjoy this portion, some hate it. Some feel abandoned, some use it to finally focus on what they really find interesting. I don't really have any issues with it. I'm happy to be provided with the school's perspective on how to get a job in a very competitive industry, but the quick switch from an extremely structured environment to one where you drive the process can have one feeling lonely. In the end though, you are the only one responsible for your career and you have to start providing yourself with motivation and guidance at some point in time.

Overall, I can honestly say that I would make the decision to come back to App Academy again. I have learned invaluable skills, and I have a path to a job doing something that I love. There is still a lot of work left to do. I will have to go back and dive deeper into nearly all of the concepts covered in the course. I don't believe that most people come out able to get a job the next day, but I would never have made the progress that I did without the rigor and stress that came along with the program. The bootcamp experience is definitely not for everyone. But if you do chose to take this path, I believe that you will find it very rewarding. As others have stated, and in the interest of full disclosure, I am being offered a sweatshirt as motivation for writing a review. I believe everything that I have written, and it is my honest assessment of the program and my experience in it.

Best of luck in your search, and in making a life altering decision. Happy coding. . . .

This program is difficult. You have to set yourself up to succeed. You should have good work ethic, you basically have to clear your calendar for 3 months dedicated to it (including holidays).The tests are a mixed bag. They can be very hard and feel somewhat contrieved. But in all honesty if you study for them you can not help but learn the material.

I was doubtful at first about pair programming. It seemed to me just a way to offload the workload of teaching a student by having other students teach each other. I wondered how much can I learn off someone who doesn't know any more than me? Or how useful can I be to someone else when I have no idea what is going on? But what actually happens is both of you work through a problem together. There are times when know/understand something better and are forced to explain that. That process of having to explain  your though process is invaluable. It cements your undersand and proves that you know what you are talking about. 

All in all it was a good experience. For best results take it seriously and study before hand. Its insanely fast paced. I doubt how sucessful you can be if you come in to it blind.

App Academy is not an easy program. That being said, you will be able to learn an incredible amount in a limited amount of time. The program will definitely push you to your limits, so you have to be ready to put in the work. While challenging, App Academy has also been an incredibly fulfilling program. Although you will feel behind at times and like you have no clue what is going on, that is ultimately part of the process. Assuming that you put in the work that is required, there is no reason you can't be successful in completing the program.

PROS:
Exceptional classmates --> First and foremost, I have to recognize how lucky I was to have such an amazing cohort. The degree of talent in the room, the relentless work ethic, the shared positivity, and the fun! I'm very thankful for the lasting connections I've forged throughout the curriculum.

Rewarding projects --> I dare say you'll work harder than you've ever worked in your life when approaching your solo / group full-stack projects in the back-half of the curriculum. If you take the projects seriously and approach them as learning experiences, you will 100% grow as a person and as a software developer.

Knowledgeable teaching assistants --> I was fortunate to have an extremely knowledgeable and passionate TA as my circle leader; he consistently did a terrific job of reinforcing the learnings from the curriculum and ensuring that we felt prepared heading into our assessments. The rest of the TAs, some more experienced than others, did a fine job of designing/delivering our daily lectures as well as helping us all out on the floor each afternoon while we tackled our pair-programming assignments. 

CONS:
Absence of Feedback --> As a new student, you'll be required to provide daily feedback on a  variety of topics: quality of the curriculum, how well your pair-programming experiences go, your satisfaction level related to the support of your TAs, etc... and yet (to my knowledge) none of us ever received a single piece of feedback in return. I was very vocal about my desire for someone with experience to review my code or even my progress at any point in the curriculum... sadly, this did not come to fruition. If I'm honest, App Academy did not faithfully deliver on the expectations it set regarding the amount of support we would receive throughout the program. There were times when I was either seriously concerned about my own performance or extremely frustrated with aspects of the curriculum, but no one representing the program ever extended an opportunity to have a conversation about this.
 
Excessive emphasis on passing assessments --> Expect to take tests constantly (at least 1x / week for the first six weeks, not including practice exams). As of this moment, if you fail more than 2 exams, you risk getting dismissed from the program. The pressure was extremely high for almost all of us leading up to the assessments; we were concerned for ourselves and the possibility of losing the friends that we became close with. While I don't have a problem with designing a system to ensure that students are keeping up with the course material, I do seriously question each test's ability to accurately (or even roughly) gauge a student's understanding of the material. In hindsight, it felt like a lot of success was derived from a combination of memorizing code and test-taking strategies that were aimed to prioritize passing unit tests (i.e. scoring points) over genuine understanding of the course material... this last point being especially frustrating because it lies in direct contrast to App Academy's emphasis on prioritizing understanding over finishing assignments / projects. 

Poorly designed online educational materials --> Over time, I found myself increasingly frustrated by the quality of App Academy's online educational materials. As a full-time in-person student, you will rely on this online program to supplement the daily lectures and help you complete the daily homework assignments. As a visual / tactile learner, I have no problem admitting that I regularly found myself completely discouraged by App Academy's approach to online learning: giant blocks of dense (often highly technical) text, static (non-interactive) code-snippets, poorly edited videos with outdated material, UI that lacks search functionality, etc... and you'll frequently find topics that App Academy decides to send you elsewhere on the Internet to learn about. 

HTML / CSS education needs (a lot of ) love --> I would not recommend App Academy's HTML / CSS education above any of the most well-known and freely available resources on the internet. The curriculum peppers in bite-size doses of these topics with several half-hour projects & only 1 lecture entirely devoted to CSS. Almost all of us reached intermediate levels of competency in these topics exclusively through self-learning while working on our full-stack projects.

Insufficient guidance --> This criticism is specific to the back-half of the curriculum, when you'll transition to working on projects and preparing for your inevitable job search. Some examples come to mind: the shortage of TAs to support our cohort and the lack of organization / awareness / preparation regarding project-related lectures & availability of related online resources. I would also recommend regular check-ins between coaches and students in either a small group setting or 1 on 1 (if time permits); the program can often feel like such a whirlwind and the burden is so often laid on the backs of the students to figure things out themselves... I can't speak for everyone, but I would feel SO much better at least having the perception that there's someone here that is willing to actively guide me instead of just passively being available in the shadows. 

Final Thoughts:
Though this opinion is subject to change once I leave the program and make my way through the job search... despite all my criticisms (no bootcamp is perfect), I have ZERO regrets about enrolling in this program. It challenged me to grow in ways I have never experienced in an academic or professional setting. It gifted me some amazing new friendships and connections that I'm extremely grateful to walk away with. It's worth noting that bootcamps are absolutely not made for everyone... the firehosing of information, the lack of sleep, the pressure, the impostor syndrome... this can often feel like an extremely stressful environment (on your body and your mind)... but if you're up for the challenge, this could very well change your life.