App Academy

I worked in regulatory compliance for about 4 years before I became bored with it. I didn't think I was smart enough to get into App Academy after hearing about their rigorous admissions process, but I gave it a shot anyway and found myself accepted into the first Online Cohort.

In terms of the energy that you'll put into this program: say goodbye to your life. You will be eating, drinking, sleeping, coding, and that's it. Be prepared to spend over 100+ hours a week on this course, or you run the risk of failing out. I had to give it everything I had to make it through.

The exams are difficult, but the came and went and I found myself able to push higher and deeper into the material. Concepts and technologies that initially stymied me became second nature. App Academy qu...

App Academy was an amazing experience for me. The main factor that drew me to the program originally was the fact that it had an online option that still included the rigor and attention of a classroom atmosphere. I knew that I wanted to have a structured experience that would push me to continue learning the material at a regular pace. App Academy is definitely a challenging experience. There are a lot of concepts that are covered, but it is all presented in a way that allows you to absorb the material through application. The emphasis on pair-programming reinforces your understanding of the material by both constantly having someone else to bounce ideas off of as well as providing an opportunity to explain your thought process and code to another person. Participating in the program t...

I've never learned as much about proper coding as I had with App Academy. Being accepted to the online course allowed me to work and grow without having to move to Northern California or New York. I wish I could have met some of the other students, but the bonds I made with my online co-hort are close-knit and invaluable to me.

After working 7 years as a Mechanical Engineer/Controls Engineer, I decided to take 24-weeks to study Web Development at AA. I joined the program last January (2019) and was part of the App Academy's first Online Cohort. We were a group of 8, spread across the US and even had a classmate living abroad, eating and sleeping on US Eastern time.

The program is very intense in terms of time commitment, where I spent every hour of the day and night studying (100hrs+ /week). But the more time I committed to study, the more I understood about each topic and learned. Each hour spent was worth it.

If you really enjoy programming, you will love this program! You will have access to great TA/instructors, well-thought and detailed ressources. And learned all the skills you will need on the jo...

App Academy is a 3 months (5 if you're taking the online portion) web development boot camp with a very low acceptance rate. The program is 8 hours of new materials everyday with 6 assessments sprinkled in to test you. The curriculum is pretty good for the most part and the projects you do a good job of testing what you learned for the day's material. The peers you work with from the Teacher Ids to your peers are all great people to work with.

Some of the curriculum material could use an update/ be fleshed out better.

I'd been programming for several years and decided to do App Academy more as a "formalization" of my knowledge than as a way to "learn to code". After all, I knew how to code. Well, I was wrong. I learned so much. For example, a) The "why" behind many things I already knew how to do, thereby allowing for better decisions. b) The practical value of data structures and algorithms I had previously written off as "computer science stuff", c) Effective pair programming - started out hating it, grew to love it. d) A major raising of the bar in terms of what's possible - how about learning a new technology and using it to create something significant in 10 days? If you have the tenacity to go after what you want, it's for you. If you give up quickly when things get tough (long hours a...

12 week immersive bootcamp that trains for frontend and backend web development skills. With no coding background experience, It was tough for me to understand and get the materials for the daily project. I still somehow managed to survive all the assessments and App Academy was truly rewarding experience. I had to spent everyday studying on materials that was on the curriculum and had to gave up all my free time. Just work hard.

What you get out of this program is really up to the student. The teaching staff is very knowledgeable about the subjects, but the subjects are a bit outdated. A large portion of the curriculum is Ruby on Rails which is getting less and less popular, but it still does a good job of teaching you how to build full web applications. I think that the assessment based curriculum is good though because it gives stakes to the program. The rule is if you fail 2 tests, you get kicked out so the tests serve as a very good motivator to learn the material.

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 f...

App Academy is an intense program, especially if you are doing the in-person course. Make sure you understand what you are signing up for. You can expect to spend at least 90 hours a week there and if you take your foot off the pedal during the program, it becomes really easy to fall into a vicious cycle of doom and gloom.

That being said, I enjoyed learning not only how to code in the leading languages and frameworks out there today but also how to develop a sense for different coding cultures found in industry. I also can't thank the instructors enough for their dedication and support. They go above and beyond to teach you the tools and mindset to succeed. I genuinely feel that everyone who makes it through the curriculum comes out with a sound foundation in all aspects of software...

Excellent fast paced curriculum, but at the end of the day this is a money-making machine. My cohort got the short stick as we were turfed between TAs while App Academy refactored their curriculum. The support groups and lovely, caring TAs make the program what it is, but it's clear those in management only care about money. Not sure if they have reworked the curriculum well enough -future reviews will tell.

Also! The punitive strike system is ridiculous. It only adds stress and puts more pressure on people who are most dedicated and self-sufficient.

With an extensive curriculum all ready online, App Academy expects its students to finish a crazy amount of reading and project every day. Ruby curriculum was excellent and all TAs are knowledgable on most aspects of Ruby, but the quality of JavaScript curriculum was drastically worse.

I really appreciated App Academy for what it is. I have learned so much from going there. It was one of the most stressful learning moments of my life but I am glad I went.

Probably one of the most intense and grueling 12 weeks in terms of learning and work. But knowing myself, I would't have been able to learn as much as I have without App Academy.

Overall, this was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. I learned an incredible amount of information and feel confident in my skills as a software developer. You can tell that a lot of time and effort is put into the curriculum and that they are always striving to improve upon it. I believe that everyone on the teaching staff really cares about their students' success and are constantly going out of their way to make sure everyone is getting the help they need to succeed. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to transition careers into software development.

I enrolled the last 12 weeks intensive bootcamp program at App Academy. Apparently they are changing the cohort to 16 weeks from now on.

Overall, App Academy is not the place where you just sit there and hoping someone would hold your hand to review through programming related materials. Sure, there is help provided if you request so, but it definitely takes effort and dedication to be successful at App Academy, and more importantly, to be successful at your future job after graduation. Self-motivation is the key to success here.

Even though I came from software developer background, the topics that App Academy taught us are pretty challenging, that I constantly find myself running out of time to study ahead of next day's material. Though, I did feel fulfilled and satisfied by the...

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 ...

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 syllab...

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.

App Academy changed my life. I went in with no coding experience and left with the ability to build apps and get a job in tech. Just be ready to put the work in all day every day for the entire cohort for success.