Grace Hopper Program

When I decided to explore the option to transition my career into software engineering, I was unsure where to begin. I had heard about many bootcamp programs, but upon learning about the Grace Hopper Program and it's mission to empower women to enter a male dominated industry, I knew this was the right program for me. I couldn't have been happier with my decision, the staff and instructors were incredibly knowledgable and the women in my program were driven and intelligent. I learned so much in the short 4 month time period I spent at Grace Hopper and felt confident upon graduation that I would be able to get a great job and be prepared to take on the role. One of my favorite aspects of the Grace Hopper Program was how I learned to adopt new technologies at a rapid pace; as technology is constantly changing and advancing, I felt this skill was one of the most beneficial and real-world applicable. I highly recommend this program to any woman who is considering a career transition into the software development industry.

** Please note - I have incredibly high standards.  Overall Grace Hopper (GH) / Fullstack Academy (FSA) did an amazing job.  In general, they need to improve their organization skills.  The school is awesome at teaching coding.  They just need to polish the machine so things run like clockwork.

Getting admitted

To be admitted into GH you must:

1. Be female identifying
2. Complete an online application
3. Pass an online coding assessment
4. Code live via a Skype interview

The best part about this process:  GH has teaching fellows (former students) conduct the Skype interview and make the admissions decisions.  Therefore, it’s not a decision made from a moneymaking perspective.  It’s a decision made by former students who want the program to be great for all who attend.

Before applying to the program, I did light coding at my previous job with VBA (Excel).  I did not know JavaScript, so I took the FSA JavaScript JumpStart course and practiced problems on CodeWars and HackerRank.  I was admitted the first time I applied.

The Program

The program consists of 4 phases.  There is a 1-week break between junior and senior phase.

Foundations - Online distance learning course (4 weeks)

• Good to know - There are checkpoints (tests) you must pass before you are admitted to the immersive program.  You are assigned a mentor (GH / FSA alumni) to assist you during this time.
• My experience - I worked during the first 2 weeks, which was quite difficult.  The last 2 weeks, when I wasn’t working, I had a lot of free time.  I felt like the material presented during this part of the program was appropriate.  You should revisit this material during your job search.
• Improvement - Let students know ahead of time (during the acceptance phase) about the checkpoints.  A lot of people quit jobs to join this program.

Junior Phase - In person, intense learning through lectures and workshops (6 weeks)

• Good to know - This phase will feel like information overload but you do not need to memorize everything (that would be like memorizing the US Tax code).  It is meant to expose you to various topics so if you need them in the future, you can search for the answers.
• My experience - I was very overwhelmed during the first week of the program.  Once I realized I didn’t have to memorize everything, this phase ran a lot smoother for me.  Since I’m an independent person, pair programming every day was difficult for me but it helped me see different points of view.  The instructors and teaching fellows were friendly, willing to help, and not afraid to tell us how things really worked (no fake positivity).
• Improvement - Students may be extremely stressed during the first part of the program.  State up-front (before the first workshop) that the workshops are not meant to be finished.

Senior Phase - In person, intense learning through project building, career services training, and CTO lectures.

• Good to know - There are 4 projects during this phase (Tech Talk, Group eCommerce Site, Personal Project, Final Group Project). I recommend finishing your tech talk during the 1-week break (before senior phase starts).
• My experience - Because of all the pair programming in junior phase, it was easier for me to work on group projects during this phase.  I had a great time working on my personal project because it gave me a break from pair programming.  I felt like my team built an awesome final project.  There were a few arguments, but we worked through them and made a great app.  Instructors and teaching fellows were available during this phase but I didn’t utilize them very often.  Also, it was really difficult to work on projects and the career services requests.
• Improvement - Don’t change schedules at the last minute.  This happened quite often during our senior phase.

Flight - On your own job-hunt with support from career services.

• Good to know - The level of career services support is up to you.
• My experience - I networked with people on LinkedIn, Slack, and at meetups.  I filled out tons of applications on many different websites (LinkedIn, Gary’s Guide, and company sites).  My result was very favorable.  I accepted an offer 1.5 months after graduation.  My offer stemmed from completing an online application.
• Improvement - Let students know ahead of time (during the acceptance phase) to plan 3 to 6 months for the job search.  A lot of people have to save living expenses to attend this program. 

I can honestly say that I would be much more lost in my life right now if I hadn’t found Grace Hopper. In my last year of undergrad I was confused about what I wanted to do professionally. After doing a lot of googling and journaling, I decided that I wanted to become a software engineer, and after yet more googling, I became aware of bootcamps. I came across Grace Hopper and it quickly became the only programming school I was interested in. As someone with a social science background I understood and appreciated the motivations behind the creation of a learning environment for female developers. It spoke a lot to the founders' values and the culture of the school in general. And as someone with limited financial resources, I recognized that their deferred tuition model provided an amazing opportunity that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to participate in. 

From day 1 to the end, Grace Hopper was a wonderful and incredibly enriching experience. I was surrounded by smart, talented women from all backgrounds, all willing to work together to learn an exciting new skill set. The curriculum was challenging but well-thought out, and our teaching fellows and instructors were always there to answer any questions we had or to remedy any gaps in our knowledge. What's more, the bootcamp really strives to keep its content relevant. Now when I tell people about my tech stack, I often get comments like ‘wow that’s a great one’ or ‘you’re in a really great place then!’ Or even, from other software engineers with more experience than me, ‘you know Redux already?!’ 

I strongly feel that the Grace Hopper Program at Fullstack Academy has accelerated my professional and personal life by several years and put me a giant step forward in my career. In a short amount of time I was able to learn a challenging and high-demand skill set that I was really interested in. The culture, environment, and the people were all so supportive and amazing. It stands as the number one transformative experience I’ve had in my life, and I think that it’ll be very difficult to supplant it. 

I couldn’t have asked for better teachers, a better learning environment, or better outcomes. Even after going through it once already, I would do Grace Hopper all over again right now if I could :) 

I can easily say that attending Grace Hopper was one of the best professional decisions I’ve ever made.

I chose GH specifically because it was focused on creating a welcoming environment for women to become fullstack developers and I am very glad that I did.   My fellow classmates were kind and collaborative, the instructors were supportive and demanding, and the curriculum was rigorous. GH gave me the knowledge I needed to be confident in my own problem solving capabilities and my ability to learn deeply and quickly.   When I think back on my time at Grace Hopper, I think the thing that really sets it apart is the culture. In addition to being collaborative and welcoming, I never felt like I was just another student - the instructors and the staff were there to give each individual the time and care to make sure that we were in the best possible position to to take full advantage of all the program has to offer. This was also evident during the job search after I graduated; someone was always available to answer a question or help me figure out what to say to an employer.   I am amazed and what a turn around my life in general has taken since attending the program - I met wonderful people who I still keep in touch with, I have a great foundation of knowledge for my career, I built some awesome web applications that I am proud of, and I now have an amazing job which I would not have been qualified for otherwise.    Needless to say, I would not be in the position I am now without Grace Hopper and I am eternally thankful. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to take an advantage of a life changing opportunity.

When I began the Grace Hopper program, I was nearing the end of what I could learn on my own and I needed direction. That's exactly what I got. The curriculum was exceedingly relevant - I see many job postings for the exact skills taught there. I am currently using the same ech that I learned at GH in my work as a developer. I learned more than enough to feel confident at my job, even with no previous technical background. 

I kept a blog while I was a student and a fellow at the program, which you can read here: https://galencorey.wordpress.com/category/grace-hopper/.

I come from a completely non-technical background. I studied social sciences in college and the last time I took a math class was sometime in high school. I always liked computers and logic, but never thought that software engineering could be for me. But after finishing school I was pretty stuck professionally and so I started thinking about changing my path. I ended up learning some basic coding on my own and then realized it’s something I really enjoyed and could actually do full time.

I started looking at coding bootcamps and when I learned about Grace Hopper I knew I found the right place. As someone from a non-technical background I knew it would be easier for me to learn how to code around other women, and I think I was right. For me, Grace Hopper was the perfect mixture of a supportive and constructive environment with a rigorous curriculum. There was definitely pressure, the pace is very quick and for a lot of us there was a lot on the line, but it never felt like unnecessary/unproductive pressure that actually keeps you from learning (which I think happens sometimes in other bootcamps). 

I think that often the deal with bootcamps is that what you put in is what you get back, and GH makes it pretty easy to put a lot in. The culture is really positive, the instructors are very dedicated (and so very smart), and the staff is super helpful. Even months after graduating GH is still there to help with career advice and general support, and I feel like I’m a part of a really valuable network of women engineers, which is pretty great.

About a month after finishing up at GH I got an offer and started my current job as a full stack developer at a small startup and I’m really happy with where I am in my career. It’s hard to explain how different my professional trajectory is now from what it was before GH, but I just feel so grateful for having that opportunity and for now having an interesting job that I love and where I’m appreciated and can keep improving as an engineer.

A lot of people talk about bootcamps as something they’re glad they did, but wouldn’t want to go through again. Personally, I would redo GH any day of the week, but for now I’ll just have to settle for the great job they helped me get as a full time engineer.

Grace Hopper at Fullstack Academy was an intense and focused curriculum.  When I decided to make the career switch from the medical field to programming, I had never taken any programming classes in college, and had only recently taken a Front End Web Development class taught in Javascript.  I was fortunate to be in the first Bootcamp Prep class offered by Fullstack Academy to really insure my comfort level on what I knew and what I needed to hone in on.  The instructors are so knowledgable and really care about your learning process and take the time to make sure you understand. And the Teaching Fellows are a huge asset having just come out of the program.  The curriculum preps you to beceome a true Javascript expert and really helps you understand how all the pieces come together.  I also feel like everyone is highly approachable, from the founders to the dean of my program Shanna, and the Job Assistance really makes you feel prepared for in-person job interviews and coding challenges.  So grateful for my time there and all the great friendships I made as well!  Best decision I ever made!

After accepting a software engineering role at a Silicon Valley tech giant, I'm happy to say that I'm extremely happy with my decision to attend Grace Hopper at Fullstack Academy (GH)!

Prior to GH, I was a recent university graduate with a background in computer science and business. I decided to attend GH to round out my CS background. However, GH did more than just that for me. Not only was I able to really solidify what I learned in college, but I was also able to develop concepts into full stack apps in team environments; dip into libraries, frameworks, and platforms outside of the GH curriculum during project phase; and also practice whiteboarding techniques which were extremely helpful during the job search phase. 

In addition to gaining a job-relevant portfolio, GH also introduced me to the extremely welcoming community of GH and Fullstack Academy.  Before, during, and after the program, I was able to network with alumni from both GH and Fullstack Academy, who provided me with awesome advice and also connected me with their network. With a job-relevant portfolio and skillset; insider tips; and a strong network, I was able to land my dream job at as an engineer at a great company.

If you're having second thoughs -- don't! GH has a solid curriculum AND a great alumni to prove it. 

Attending Grace Hopper Academy was one of the best decisions I have made. After attending UPenn, I was a tech reporter for three years before deciding that journalism wasn't for me and that I was more interested in building the technology than writing about it. I contemplated making that career change on my own, but ultimately decided to attend Grace Hopper and am very glad I did so. GHA gave me the structure and support I needed to feel confident enough in my coding skills to be a professional developer. The workshops at GHA were great, but the three projects I completed at GHA really spurred my growth as a developer. You can complete all the courses and tutorials you want, but it only really hits once you start building your own apps. I accepted a job at one of the companies that came to Hiring Day about 5 weeks after graduating from GHA.

With an awesome new software engineering role already lined up after graduating in July, I can safely say that attending Grace Hopper was the best professional decision I’ve ever made!

A little about me: While some girls in my cohort had a CS or math background, I came from a non-technical background and had never taken a computer science course in my life. I graduated from an Ivy League school with a degree in History and worked in merchandising at a department store for a little over two years before making the leap to software engineering. If this process worked for me, it can work for you too! I never felt disadvantaged by my background; however, prepare to spend most of your evenings and Saturdays coding throughout the program. It’s hard work, but it is TOTALLY worth it.

Ultimately, I chose Grace Hopper over other bootcamps I was accepted to because of the job-relevant Javascript curriculum and the positive, welcoming vibes I felt from interacting with the staff throughout the interview process. The positive vibes didn’t stop there - all of the instructors & staff at Grace Hopper genuinely care about your success in the program. On multiple occasions, instructors & fellows stayed late to help me understand a concept or debug an issue. Not only are they all truly nice people, they are all extremely intelligent, many with professional experience working at respected companies as developers. Rest assured, you will be learning from the best of the best.

The job search support from Grace Hopper is very thorough - we were prepped on everything from how to create a personal brand on LinkedIn, to salary negotiation, and strategies to successfully tackle whiteboarding interviews. At the end of the program, we presented our capstone projects to employers on Hiring Day, where we also engaged in 5+ short interviews with the employers that attended. The employers range in size from startups to large corporations and are companies you’d be proud to work for. After graduation, I was quickly invited to several on-site interviews and received my first offer from one of Grace Hopper’s hiring partners exactly one week after the program ended. Shortly after, I received a second offer from a Hiring Day lead! The career team is with you every step of the way even after graduation and will coach you through interacting with employers & negotiating salary. I’m really happy where I ended up and can confirm that the salary ranges Grace Hopper & Fullstack claim on their websites are 100% legit.

Attending Grace Hopper not only gave me the skills, but also the confidence to become a successful software engineer. The immersive curriculum empowers you by teaching you how to pick up new frameworks & languages with ease. I couldn’t be happier with the results of my Grace Hopper experience and encourage all women who are serious about becoming a software engineer to apply!