App Academy

Before this program, I took App Academy's bootcamp prep. I had no previous knowledge of computer science and wanted to learn how to make applications. App Academy for me personally did require almost 100 hours each week. I would not recommend to someone, who isn't willing to put in the work. However, if you do, you will be able to create amazing apps and be proud of your creations.

Pros: Love how much App Academy pushes you, the TAs / staff are fantastic and accommodating. When you reach the job search curriculum, they help you with the nontechnical portion.
Cons: Before you start, there is an alpha curriculum. Without previous experience, the alpha curriculum was difficult to do. I ended up using their office hours on a daily basis to get the help I needed to complete that section

Originally I thought App Academy was going to be a medium intensity coding bootcamp where at the end of the day I'd still have enough time to have personal time. I was wrong, oh so very wrong. Even after the day ended at 6pm, in order to keep up and retain the day's materials, I had to study until 11pm every day. Weekends are no exceptions because of the incredibly face-paced nature of this program. However, despite not having a life and the stresses attached to this program, I regret nothing. I have learned so much in such a short period of time it's actually amazing. I went from knowing nothing about code to building a websites and programs. If I had the option of joining this program again, I'd do it again.

App Academy is an intense program. The learning environment is rigorous. The culture changes from cohort to cohort, but in my experience, people have been eager to collaborate, learn, and help each other succeed. Felt like I was back in college (a faster paced and more intense version)

Everyday, you spend time pair programming, which means that you are coding with a partner. One person explains the code, the other person types, and you switch off every 15 minutes. As a verbal processor, I found this very helpful in my understanding of different concepts.

I would estimate that in addition to the 9-6 5 days/ week that you are at App Academy, you have about 2 hours/ night of homework. That nets out to about 60 hours/ week for the first 2/3rd and this ramps up significantly when...

a/A is a 12-week intensive program that takes you through the depths and highs of becoming a software developer. The depths of feeling like you don't know anything at all, and the highs of finally putting the pieces together and seeing the puzzle in its entirety. You will be challenged, you will be tested, but with hardwork and determination, you will succeed. This program is by far one of the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, coming from completely non-coding background to being able to put together a functional application in a span of 12 weeks is pretty amazing. The program is structured to help you succeed, with the help of knowledgeable and helpful teachers/TAs. Ultimately, it will take hardwork and long hours to succeed in this program.

When I first heard of App Academy I was skeptical that a program could bring you up to speed with the latest technologies and practices in just a couple of months. A couple of months later, and that is exactly what happened. I'm a full stack developer that has been given the tools necessary to thrive and excel in a competitive market. The program is exactly how it is described: intense, 100 hour work weeks and non-stop coding. I would do it all over again in a heart-beat.

App Academy have not only taught me to be a better programmer, but also how to learn efficiently as a developer. I cannot believe the amount of information I was able to learn in the the span of 12 weeks. The curriculum is designed to not only allow students to just learn during the program, but also to continue to learn and improve afterwards. I spent anywhere between 10 to 15 hours a day studying and perfecting my understanding of the material. Overall, the fast-paced learning environment was a perfect opportunity for me to quickly obtain the skills for full stack development. Ultimately, nothing can replace hard work and App Academy will provide you the space to push yourself above and beyond the limits.

I am so thrilled to have gotten accepted to App Academy. This school was truly a rewarding experience. I learned how to build a website using Ruby on Rails and Mern Stack within only a short span of time! Incredible!

Great bootcamp. Although super intensive, I can definitely say I learned a lot. What's great about the program is not only the instruction, but the daily pair programming. Being able to pair with fellow students and work through difficult daily assignments allows one to find different learning styles and implementation processes. On top of all the daily assignments and assessments, what is very rewarding is going through the numerous projects, (both solo and group), reinforcing my understanding of the materials, as well as shedding light on what I need to work on moving forward.

App Academy is the hardest I have ever worked. There is a lot of self teaching, but one of the greatest aspects are your cohort-mates. You will grow close to these people as you pair-program, debug, and learn together. The environment is friendly, non-judgmental, and having the resource of the other students is extremely valuable to learning. I will not sugar-coat it: you will constantly be working. You will be working on the weekends. You will be coding more than anything else. That's not an exaggeration. Average hours of sleep of night depends on the person. Some people do get 7 hours of sleep, I'd say average is 5-6 hours. But you will learn a lot in a very short amount of time.

I'm currently in the job search curriculum, which has been recently revamped - so I don't have a com...

I went through the May 21st 2018 cohort of a/A. It was one of the most intimidating, challenging, and rewarding experiences of my life. I will separate the pros and cons out and then give additional thoughts.

Pros:

- I made some amazing friends that I will try to stay in contact with, we bonded deeply through the trials that we went through. This was one of the best benefits of the program
- I am now employed as a software engineer and I am making double what I was earning before, living where I want to live, working for a cause I care about
- I feel like I have a skill that makes me marketable and valuable, that gives me a greater sense of independence from the employer I will work for
- I gained confidence in my ability to learn a complex skill fast
- I can type 75 wpm, desp...

App academy it is by far the best place to learn programming. It is hard, but it is not impossible. It will push you. You will be breathing code 24/7. If you decide to join a/A, be ready to not do anything but code for the next couple of months

I would say that this is a very fast paced program and there is no time for you to take a break once the program starts.
Once you fall behind its tough to catch up.
There are Assessments every week to test your knowledge on what you have learnt last week.
They are very important and have a say on your standing in this program.
I would say that come to this program prepared to put in all your time and effort into it for the next 3 months of your life.
Its all worth it and you will learn a lot of stuff in 3 months.

With graduation near, I can't wait for this program to be over, but I am confident that it has prepared me well to land a job as a software developer.

The good:
App Academy is a high quality coding bootcamp, and if you make it through, you will be well prepared for a career in software development. The curriculum is clear and thorough. The program is continuously updated to reflect changes in the industry. The students and staff are passionate about learning and coding. The staff are very helpful, and due to the tuition agreement, they are very invested in the students' success.

The bad:
App Academy advertises that there is no coding background or experience required for their 12 week bootcamp. This technically is not wrong, but I would never recommend this program to someone...

aA is a really challenging bootcamp and it will push you to the max. The resources are very helpful and theres a reason why theyre among the best. Its not for the faint hearted and you can get dismissed if you fail two assessments so study what they teach ahead of time. The structure is very well organized and I reccomend this bootcamp for people who is serious in finding a tech job.

Be prepared for a ton of work and late nights, but if you make it through this grueling program you will come out the other side a Software developer.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with the experience I had going through App Academy.

The strong reputation that App Academy has in the industry is well-deserved - the quality of education is excellent, and the instructors do a great job of presenting the material in a clear and concise manner. The curriculum designers are also constantly aware of current technology trends, and are unafraid of completely revamping their instructional materials to ensure that what they teach is relevant in industry.

However, while the program claims that no prior programming experience is necessary to get in, I found that the vast majority of people who completed the program and excelled in my cohort had some kind of technical background, ranging from CS/STEM majors, to some basic web design experience...

In this program they teach you a lot of material in a short amount of time. It can feel a bit overwhelming at times but by the end of it you'll be amazed at how much you've learned.

Pros: I feel like the material from start to finish was very comprehensive and stacked well with the next topic we were learning.
Cons: It can definitely be stressful, but at the end of the day, it was very rewarding.

Pros: I was forced to learn quickly.
Cons: It was stressful.

I am now in the job search after App Academy's curriculum. The claim is that you'll work 80+ hours a week. This is 100% accurate. Everyone here is brilliant, and everyone works their absolute butt off. I have a background in elite international sports, and this is by far the hardest I've ever worked for an extended period of time.

You will learn a HUGE amount of web development in a hilariously short amount of time, and by the end of it, you'll be building a clone of a full scale web app in 10 days. I did spotify, and it is a project I am tremendously proud of, and had a great time doing it.

That said, it is hard. App Academy will challenge every part of you. It straings you mentally, emotionally, and physically, and puts a tremendous strain on any relationships you have du...