Turing School of Software & Design

Hi- I was hesitant to leave this review, as I do not want to scare people away from applying to Turing. Turing is a good school, it is boot camp style, so essentially you are thrown in the deep end when you can barely swim, then throughout the module, you are thrown more and more material, sinking you deeper, as you struggle to keep your breath. The staff wants you to struggle, as a big part of becoming a developer is solving your own problems using Google, and various other resources such as classmates, and staff. 

I came into Turing with a solid education, I have a master's degree and a BS in Science. However, this school is geared towards people with mathematical or engineering degrees (arts degree as well, it is the left side of your brain used mainly for object orientated programming)- those are the people that really excel. I am not saying that you cannot go through this school successfully when you have any other types of backgrounds, I am just saying the majority of people that move on without repeating modules have those types of backgrounds typically. 

The cost of tuition is roughly $20,000, that includes a laptop. As a veteran, you should know it is $20,000 for four modules, so if you repeat that is an extra cost on top of that $20,000. When I went through the repeat rate was 35%!!!! 10 of us out of 28 repeated, with three dropping out for various personal reasons. I used my post-911 GI bill for this school. The VA paid the full $20,000 upfront to Turing. Turing has a policy if you fail a module twice, you are not cut out to continue in Turing, this happened to me. In the end, Turing took roughly $10,000 and some change (admin fees) from the VA. You will still owe the VA. I was warned by a staff member that people tend to have to pay BAH back, as the VA takes awhile to process withdraw paperwork. 

This school is really tough. Turing has a very lax acceptance process compared to say Galvanize (interview, portfolio, coding examples, etc). To get accepted, I basically just had to answer why I want to pursue this field, and then solve an algorithm. So yes, you will probably get accepted easily. This is easy money for the school. The instructors are great, and they will help you in any way they can, but keep in mind that any extra help you ask for, they are outweighing your progress in the back of their minds. 

Some of my classmates that repeated continued through, those that repeated prior to and were in my first module continued to module two, however, two of them are repeating module two. Can you imagine that is $15,000 in the hole already? So outweigh this decision and do not take this lightly, you only have so much GI bill to use. If you make it through, I have heard it is life changing. You gain great friends and a great career. 

With all of this being said, reading this review before starting I probably would have still enrolled. I trust in my abilities to adapt to stressful environments and I was always an A student, but look where I am now. I can say that I put in everything I had into this program, I was there 12 hours a day and barely saw my family. Time does not equal success in this program. You need to be able to grasp object orientated programming fully- I was there, I was on the edge- but they would not allow me to continue. So before deciding to spend your hard earned, sweat and tears funding from the VA- really weigh your options. 

Full Disclosure, wasn't able to finish at Turing for reasons that had nothing to do with the School, but was able to complete 3 of the 4 modules and even repeated the 1st module so in some ways I got extra experience only some see. 

Like you will read from most, this place is challenging. There is no ceiling for any student and everyone has a rough time. Be prepared for long, sleepless, frustrated nights and mornings that come too soon, only to have more information crammed down your throat. The first module can be quite the wake up call and it only continues. The pace is fast and vigorous, but so is your learning curve. Sadly the first few weeks there didn't go quite as smoothly for me as it did others and so I was forced to repeat. While feeling like failure, the staff and other students made it known I wasn't. Like many others I was able to pick it up, and progress on. 

All in all, the school is great. It fosters a community that is there to help out and support you. The staff is fantastic and without a doubt there only to see you succeed. If you're able to make the commitment, you will not regret it. The amount of information and experience you gain is incredible. Not just from a coding side either. 

Many people say, "This school is life changing". When I first heard that, I honestly cringed from the cheese-ness. However I can attest it's the truth. While everyone of course will take different things away from the program, I can only speak to what I took from it. I absolutely became a much more driven, efficient and focussed person. I learned to communicate with co-workers/students better and also learned to know when to push through a problem, and when to ask for help. These traits, paired with vast coding knowledge you'll learn made transitioning into my first developer position easier than others who came from different boot camps or backgrounds. 

My advice to perspective students, get your life situated and ready to be completely hijacked for the time there. Had I prepared more for the full immersion that is Turing, I can honestly say things would have gone smoother. Do the pre-work and be ready to be committed to the program. Relationships and a life outside of Turing is virtually non-existent, or at least when I was there. But once again, it's well worth it on the other end. 

While I didn't necessarily fit in the best there socially, I'd say everyone there looks out for each other and there is very strong since of camaraderie and teamwork. So don't let that keep you away from what is something amazing. 

 

After the course of many career changes, and once I decided to pursue programming, I began spending a fair amount of time researching coding programs. From what I found, Turing seemed to be the longest, and most positively-reviewed of the 'bootcamps'. I knew I did not want to spend only 2-3 months to try to learn a new career, especially something as deep as software development. So I took a chance on Turing, which was (for me) the far more expensive and difficult path. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I went 'all-in' when committing to the Turing program, and what I found was that they did the same to make you the best software developer possible. I learned more in 7 months than I though possible. The staff and instructors are top-notch, and the community is incredibly strong. 2 months after graduation I began my first software position and have been highly fulfilled ever since. I feel Turing exceeded my expectations in every way for preparing me in the best career change I have ever made.

The decision to take a break from life to spend a lot of money to go back to school was hard but MORE than worth it. Turing was the hardest 7 months of my life. There is no getting around the fact that it is a HUGE commitment and sacrifice, but it is truly life altering. I went from having zero career direction to a lifelong career with the ability to provide for my family. The education I recieved at Turing is invaluable and I recommend it to ANYONE willing to sacrifice 7 months of their life. 7 months is NOTHING compared to the rest of your life.

Going through Turing was one of the most challenging yet deeply satisfying things I've ever done. I had no background in tech and didn't even know what the command line was before attending Turing, and that did not matter at all. They teach you all the tools you'll need to succeed is this ever changing field of software development. In under two years from me starting the program, I am making more money than I ever did before, living in a new city that I never thought I would, and I have a job where I learn new things everyday. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to get into tech. No prerequisites are required, except raw curiousity in how things work and pure grit. I would be willing to talk to anyone interested in the program personally if you'd like to email me at nicky_bobby@icloud.com . Thanks and hopefully this was helpful!!

Okay, to the point.

1. Turing is a great school that cares about you as a developer. They will not pass you automatically and they will not make it easy. This is not about reputation, but simply that you make it out of the program as a competent junior engineer who will excel at their new job.

2. They help foster an environment that is inclusive and helps you to develop the skills necessary to be a good engineer. Public speaking, interviewing, pair programming, and solving problems are all covered here. These are arguably the best skills that will get you a job.

3. Jeff Casimir is pretty straight shooting when it comes to voicing his opinion on things in the tech industry and also when it comes to job hunting. Turing students really do come out of the program with some amazing skills, but it is a tough job market out there and you'll need to hustle in order to find a job. Turing does what it can, by forcing you to build a portfolio, a resume, and to come up with a job hunting plan in order to graduate, but jobs won't fall into your lap.

4. The curriculum is great. It teaches you how to learn new things quickly and how to implement new ideas. The fact that the backend program teaches you Ruby on Rails doesn't matter. I got a job that uses a Java/Groovy backend and a JS/ React frontend. The fact that 80% of the code I wrote during the program was in Ruby, didn't deter me in any way with finding a job in a different tech stack.

5. But can't I teach myself? Sure you can. The whole curriculum is available to you if you do a google search. There are tons of learning resources out there, but the program puts you alongside dedicated, smart, and driven individuals who will help you to push further and faster than you could learn on your own. Also, you can go to https://cirr.org/data where many coding schools have had their job placement results published. Turing students consistently get higher salary offers than most programs and I think that is a reflection on the skills demonstrated by its graduates.

It's been nearly a year since I graduated from Turing and began working as a professional software developer and not a day goes by without me realizing how happy I am for taking the leap and enrolling in Turing.

Before joining Turing, I graduated from college with a degree in Journalism and spent five years as a news producer. Searching for something more fulfilling and challenging, I sought out information on dev bootcamps in the area. After speaking to the CTO of Trelora (a Denver-based real estate company), the choice to enroll in Turing became clear. He echoed the same sentiments I heard from small businesses around the metro area, "Turing produces the best, most well-rounded developers."

After just the first month in Turing, I knew that I had finally found my calling. It was the first place that I felt accepted for who I am and software development (which I had some experience with when I was in high school) became my passion.

I spent seven months working through all four modules, continually being pushed to produce some of the coolest things I could ever imagine. Furthermore, beyond the technical aspect, Turing opened my eyes to some of the real-world struggles within the industry and gave me the tools to combat those injustices in the workplace.

I am now a software developer for Dish Network creating internal applications for our thousands of sales agents around the world. If, just 18 months ago, someone told me that I would be doing this for a living, I would have never believed them. Turing's fantastic instructors and difficult curriculum is changing the lives of hundreds of people everyday, while diversifying the technical field with talented, driven individuals.

I'm seven months into my first job outside of Turing, and I can tell you it's the best decision I've ever made in my life.

This CodeNewbie podcast interview with Turing's founder, Jeff Casimir, is what drew me to the school originally: https://www.codenewbie.org/podcast/the-not-bootcamp. I would highly recommend giving it a listen. Jeff was a tenured educator who started his career teaching with Teach for America before founding one of the very first immersive code schools, Hungry Academy, before the term bootcamp was even applied to them. Hungry Academy had a specific purpose and once that was completed Jeff co-founded G-School (now Galvanize) and then went on to start Turing as a non-profit organization.

Here are just a handful of things that sets Turing apart:

• They are a non-profit organization.
• The curriculum is exemplary. They keep all the best practices and material from their many years of experience, and then also continue to iterate on it for continual improvement.
• The community and alumni network is filled with incredible people who are all willing to help one another, be it with mentorship, helping set up a job interview at their work, or even just to meet for coffee and talk shop.
• They have a great focus on diversity, which the tech industry will benefit greatly from.
• They teach more than just code; they teach process. When you get to your first job out of Turing you'll know how incredibly important this is. In this industry the hot new programming language or framework changes quickly, but good, solid process is consistent and you'll be able to use it wherever you end up.

I think the investment of time and money into Turing is worthwhile, but I was fortunate enough to complete the program without repeating any modules. This isn't true for a huge portion of students. I think that anyone applying to Turing needs to know that, from what I've seen, it is one of the more difficult coding schools out there. They'll throw students in the deep end and let them drown for a while, but help is there when anyone asks. Students struggle together and create a support network for each other. Every single week has at least 50-60 hours of commitment between project work time and class time. It can be more than that during the final week or two of each module. When I say it's hard, I mean that in order to succeed, you need to expect to take a break from everything else in your life.

I also like to mention that although Turing is very transparent about reporting their graduation and placement statistics, their metrics measuring these numbers have changed multiple times in the past couple years. In general, they have declined. For example, when I decided that I would apply to code schools in late 2015, Turing claimed to accept 8-14% of their applicants while placing well over 90% in careers that paid on average more than $80,000/year within 3 months of graduation. They also offered a tuition reimbursement guarantee if you didn't get an offer of at least $65,000/year in the first couple months after graduating. These are written in my notes from code school research, and they came from Turing's website in 2015. Those numbers have continuously declined, both while I was a student and after I graduated. They stopped guaranteeing tuition reimbursement just before I started in May 2016. The code school market is much more competitive now. 

I still think Turing is a great life-changing experience. Is it worth the investment? Depends what you must sacrifice to get there. I obviously can't speak for the other coding schools, but Turing has competitors that claim better job placement, better starting salaries, and even competitors that don't make you pay any tuition until your first offer comes along. If you're located in Denver, I believe Turing would be a solid (and probably the best) choice. If you're planning to move in order to attend Turing, I'd weigh more options and look thoroughly at each one.

One additional component worth mentioning is that Turing takes to heart it's mission of developing not just skilled developers, but developers that are aware of social issues and how the web development world is engaged with, or impacts these issues. Everything from the gender wage gap, to accessibility for disabled persons, to examination of workplace stereotypes is covered in school-programmed discussions and activities. I don't know that this element exists at other coding schools. I appreciate what I gained from engagement in these discussions.

Deciding to apply for, and attend Turing School was quite honestly the BEST decision I've ever made not only professionally, but personally. When you attend Turing you receive a top notch education from incredibly passionate instructors and staff, make a group of lifelong friends and mentors, and leave with a supportive network of web developers, and most likely an incredibly fulfilling job and career.

Keep in mind, this program is not for the faint of heart. It's really really hard and there will be a handful times when you question whether or not you can do it and even if you've made the right decision. You'll spend hours sitting at a computer not seeing the light of the day, feeling like you're going to pull your hair out and I'd be lying if I said it gets easier as you get further through the program. It doesn't. But, the light at the end of the tunnel is having a solid skill set of web development and the ability to shift or expand upon your current career. 

I graduated from the Front-End Engineering program (as the second cohort) where I gained a strong fundamental knowledge of front-end languages, libraries, and frameworks and accepted a job offer 2 weeks before graduation. And although they needed some adjustments to the curriculum when I attended, they had already started to implement big changes by the time I graduated. Aside from the curriculum, you also receive an invaluable education on soft skills, the impact you can have in the world of technology, and how to be a strong member of a community.

Overall, Turing was a great experience and I'd recommend it to anyone who thinks web development is something they could truly be passionate about, who wants to pivot their career or, like me, expand on the one they already have. 

I love my classmates and hope we're friends forever. I got a job that pays better than anyone could reasonably expect and much more importantly that I actually enjoy. I learned a lot during my time at Turing, both technically and about the world.

There were some things I didn't like about Turing. But what can you remove? The worst experiences were the ones that brought me closer together to my cohort and the other students.

The main reason I went for a lengthy face-to-face training was to learn things that wouldn't be in a curriculum or textbook, and to get a leg up in job hunting. I think Turing delivered on both big time. I see others rate the job assistance lower, and certainly it could be better. But I got leads. Good ones. And I feel like I got into the right group of people and we can continue to find each other work for hopefully many years to come.

Turing was an interesting life experience, I like showing up to work now, and I met some great people. Good luck in your journey.

Short version:

- Turing gave me an excellent education. My employer said I on-boarded far more quickly than other hires.
- When I attended, they offered pro rata reimbursement. If this is still true, you will get some of your money back if you choose to quit while in the program.
- The tech job market is very challenging in 2023. If you choose this path, know that you will most likely face a months-long job hunt. Maybe even longer than a year.

Long version:

When researching bootcamps, I chose Turing for two main reasons. One, they provide a more in-depth education compared to other bootcamps. Two, they were the only bootcamp that incorporated professional development throughout the curriculum as opposed to a last-week crash course that I saw advertised elsewhere. In today's challenging tech market, you will need every advantage you can get when it comes to the job hunt. Turing will ensure you receive a quality technical education, a robust resume, and excellent interview preparation. You will also become part of the Turing community and have access to the large professional network that they and their alumni have developed.

I landed a paid internship before graduating. Although it wasn't a salaried position, it was with my dream company, so I leapt at the chance and will grow my career from there. Others in my cohort were able to land full-time salaried positions as software developers. That said, you need to be aware that landing a job as a software developer is much more difficult in 2023 than it was even just two years ago. You will need to have tenacity and the means to commit to what will likely be a months-long job search post-graduation. However, if you take advantage of all that Turing has to offer and keep at it, you CAN get a job.