NYC Data Science Academy

I am an unlikely Data Scientist as my background is in derivative trading and data platform sales. For many years, I did not consider myself technical at all. As time progressed, it became clear to me that the world was passing me by and I decided to... Read More take action. I entered NYDSA with a rudimentary knowledge of coding consisting of only a few Udemy courses. It was one of the most intimidating experiences of my life, as many of my classmates were already accomplished data professionals. I was relieved to find both students and instructors extremely patient and supportive of my difficult journey. All of the course material was laid out in a logical and effective manner. The content goes into a minute level of detail, while also allowing for a clear high level view. The instructors are remarkably passionate regarding their various expertise which makes their lectures easy to listen to. The head of the school, Vivian Zhang is intimately involved with the students throughout the process and shows a genuine interest in their success. I am now working on a major project at a Fortune 50 financial institution and couldn't be happier. Last year, I would not have believed such a transition to be possible. It was one of the most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. I made the transition from an AI novice tossing buzzwords around, to building a machine learning project from the ground up in three months. The level of technical proficiency you walk away with will leave you prepared for any data science job on the market. I highly recommend NYCDSA for anyone looking to advance their knowledge in the technology shaping our future.

I graduated from the 12-week remote live boot camp in April 2021. I can't speak highly enough of this program. A bit about my background: BA&MA in social science (psychology), I had a lot of stats knowledge but very minimal programming experience. I had... Read More taken an introductory data science class and fell in love with the material. I chose NYCDSA over other boot camps because they teach both R and Python (this is a huge plus - I strongly believe both are necessary for most jobs). I had no industry experience and was a recent grad. Prior to starting the program, all students are assigned about a month of pre-work. This includes some introductory calc, linear algebra, statistics, and basic R and Python in Jupyter - this is mostly to make sure everyone is on the same page for day 1. In the 12 week program, mornings were lecture-heavy. After lunch, we would have either occasional extra learning, homework/material reviews, and dedicated time to work on projects. I found the pace to be completely fair - we moved through the intro material a little slower, which is to be expected. The curriculum is fantastic. There's an emphasis on the theoretical background behind ML algorithms, as opposed to just having the instructors provide use cases. The program covered R and Python, as well as SQL, some UNIX/console coding, Github, and (in my Big Data track) Hadoop and Spark. The projects students complete are really essential. They provide solid data science experience on your resume and really stand out. Having the practice to present to your cohort and write up your findings in a blog post really ensures that we know how to speak to our knowledge and explain it to those with a less technical background. The instructors and TAs are incredible. They come from a variety of backgrounds (some CS, some math, some other!) and really provide unique approaches to teaching. The staff was always available for questions and happy to help with homework or project-related questions. As far as the remote aspect: my program was the COVID online alternative to an in-person, 9-5 program. I was highly impressed with the quality of the online learning, and I genuinely feel that the remote program is just as good as any in-person offering. Through slack, we were able to form a community and really feel close to my other cohort members and instructors. By far, I was most impressed with the career counseling services. NYCDSA helps with resume refreshing, cover letter writing, Linkedin profile personal branding, and professional email writing. But the support goes so much beyond this. I've received mock interview practice (both behavioral and coding), and the post-boot camp study plan really prepares you for any job interviews in data science-related fields. NYCDSA really cares about its students and wants to ensure their success. If you take advantage of all the resources available and how kind and caring the staff is, you are bound to succeed! A final note on my success with NYCSDA. Before beginning the boot camp: * I spent 6-9 months looking for jobs. Not only did I fail to find a position, but I didn't get a single interview. After the boot camp: * I applied to 50-75 jobs in the 6 weeks after graduation. I got many rounds into the interview process and ended up receiving job offers from 4 positions!  * Two months after I graduated, I started my current job as an analytic modeler for a professional services firm. I am making double my salary expectations prior to the boot camp, and I genuinely love what I do. NYCDSA really changed my life. I cannot recommend this program enough. If you're considering getting into data science, this is your sign to apply today!

I graduated from the 12-week remote live program in December 2020 and I highly recommend it. The program is intensive but well worth the challenge. Prior to NYCDSA, I had just finished my undergrad and was looking to break into the data science field.... Read More At the time, I had a strong quantitative background and a decent foundation in programming but was missing tangible data science projects/experience. I found myself gravitating more towards this program than any other Bootcamp because the time frame worked perfectly for me, and after cross-referencing them and their alumni, they seemed legit. My overall experience throughout the Bootcamp was positive. The instructors knew what they were talking about and taught it well. Additionally, the optional homework they provide helps reinforce what they teach. One thing I want to highlight is their willingness to stick with struggling students. There were several instances where I didn’t understand a particular machine learning topic and I was able to schedule time with an instructor to hash it out. It was these talks that cemented the conceptual part and ultimately made implementing these concepts much easier. However, what most impressed me was their post-Bootcamp curriculum. They don’t just take their students’ money and leave, NYCDSA provides supplemental material that helps prepare newly graduated students for interviews. Additionally, Vivian scheduled weekly zoom meetings to advise us on our job hunt and keep us accountable. It was these accountability meetings where gems lie and what truly helped me with my search. Vivian went above and beyond to make my job search more efficient and successful, taking time out of her schedule to work 1 on 1 with me as a mentor. I’m truly grateful and highly recommend this program.

I remembered a year ago going from websites to websites, reading reviews after reviews, looking for the best school for Data Science Bootcamp. I finally stopped at NYC Data Science Academy and one of the main reasons I decided to go with NYC was because... Read More I was going to have the ability to learn R and python. After completing the actual bootcamp, I will say that the above reason ended up being the last if I were to make the decision again. Here are my best reason why NYC is a great school: 1- Class organization: The entire program is well-organized so students have a full idea of what to expect from day one. The bootcamp preparation material helps students get up to speed with general statistics, algebra, and programming before the beginning of the program. Once the program starts, these topics will be reinforced before moving to Hardcore machine learning. 2- Instructors: Most of the instructors I had the chance to work with are PhD holders or professionals with several years of industry experience. So when they dispense their classes, they have both theoretical and practical understanding of the material. On top of this, they are extremely patient with students and will go above and beyond to make sure students do not fall behind. One instructor,Thomas Laesch, designed a matrix multiplication game every Saturday for one month just to help us build the reflex of solving matrix multiplication(this is very important in understanding most ML models). 3- Job search and interview preparation: This is actually my favorite part. The support I received for job search and interview preparation was immense. As I am writing this review, one year after my class, NYC faculties are still helping me with career counseling and responding to background questionnaires from my employer. 4- Last but not least I did learn Python and R. Moreover, the knowledge I acquired from this institution has helped me so much in my Data Scientist Career. Even today, I still use my class material as reference for many issues I encounter on the job. In short, choosing this program was one of the best decisions I made for my education and career. I will strongly recommend this program to anyone looking for a Data Science/Data Engineering bootcamp, if anyone would like to know more about my experience feel free to search me on LinkedIn and I will be happy to answer any questions that I can.

I wanted to make a successful pivot to a data science career. I began my journey by doing some self-learning through many online resources. Finally, to give structure to my learning, I enrolled in the Fall session of 2020 at NYC Data Science Academy.... Read More It was a Remote-Live Instruction session. I had researched a few data science Bootcamps before joining NYC Data Science Academy. I would say that I made the right decision. Keep in mind, the program is an intensive, fast-paced learning experience. In order to do well in this Bootcamp, one thing I would like to emphasize is that before the class, preview your text and the homework assignments. This will prepare your brain to absorb the materials. Review the material and the notes after the class to fill in any gaps you didn’t catch in class. The program was led by instructors who are experts in their fields and were patient and helpful. The TAs were extremely supportive and willing to help you. I gave career support 3.0 stars as they lack the assistance for students living in cities other than New York or the Bay area or students who are pivoting their career. The program gives you access to mentors. Since I took this course during the pandemic, there were no interactions with like-minded people. The curriculum was designed to enhance their student’s skills and stay competitive in the job market. It taught the core proficiencies using Python and R with a focus on real-world applications. The curriculum also introduced SQL, which is the most important job skill employers look for in candidates for employment. By the end of the program, I had gained enough confidence in my abilities to start my career in the field of data.

Before joining the Bootcamp program, I worked in finance as a Risk Analyst and had little experience with Python and SQL. NYCDSA prepared me to polish my programming skills in Python, SQL and R and to developing Data Science skills fundamentals that made... Read More me feel ready to face the job search journey in this area. The curriculum is very complete and intense. There are a lot of materials that are covered separated by different topics. Each lecture was about 3 hours long and they all were followed by practice problems that required more time to be completed. The school gives the option to book a session with tutors whom you can ask questions on any topic. I made use of these sessions many times with different tutors and they were all very helpful. Instructors also make themselves available during tutoring hours where students ask questions on assignments or projects. After the student finishes the program, the school has a career/job search support program to help the student with mock interviews, code, and project reviews which is very helpful for those looking for a job. The program is very intense but very rewarding. Soon after the program, I landed a job as a Data Scientist at a major investment bank and am confident with all the skills NYCDSA helped me develop.

I took the online part-time bootcamp because I was working full-time as a software product manager, yet wanted to improve my coding and statistics knowledge. I had some background in Python but had a lot of gaps in my knowledge of theory and no exposure... Read More to topics like deep learning and data engineering. NYC Data Science Academy was a great place for me to get a deep-enough overview of a wide range of topics; I appreciated the emphasis on R and Python used in the context of real-world projects. I also discovered an affinity for NLP and text analytics, as well as a first-time appreciation for R as a tool for data exploration and machine learning. The theory was presented clearly without getting too academic, and the instructors were clear, patient and helpful. Highly recommended.

After 18 years of specialist experience, I was starting to develop a FOMO with Data Science. After some research and recommendation from a friend who completed this program I decided to enroll. No doubt, this will change my life. It was liberating and... Read More the 6-month investment was well worth the tuition fees. The instructors were experienced, the curriculum was cutting edge and the program 'forced' me to keep pace with my learning and successfully complete it. It was hard, because I have a demanding job on an xVA trading desk at an investment bank but this was a necessary investment in the skills for the future. There is no limit to the applications of Data Science and I encourage more executive-level candidates with strong business experience and some STEM experience to challenge themselves. The alumni network and collaboration with NYC Data Science Academy is strong and look forward to a mutually beneficial networking opportunities. You will not regret this and I suspect that it will open up many doors for your future endeavours.

I did the Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) program in 2020, so keep in mind that my experience was strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am a career switcher from the health services industry - this bootcamp got me into the tech industry... Read More 2.5 months after completion of the program and taught me fundamental coding and machine learning skills as well as advanced statistics skills. That said, for the IDL course, because it is relatively self-paced, you get out exactly what you put it. I am highly ambitious and set myself up for success really well. Not everyone does. The content, instruction, mentorship, and community engagement are excellent and only getting better - these people are absolutely well-versed in their fields, care extraordinarily deeply about the success of their students, and are constantly iterating. I gave the program 4 stars because I did feel like there was an institutional bias toward the Remote Live Instruction students - when I was there, those students got access to internships and other resources that IDL students did not even though we pay the same tuition. Perhaps it has changed, but if you want the best chance of being noticed, the Remote Live course is the better choice, while if you need flexibility and are okay with a little less support, IDL is still a fantastic choice. Their career and alumni services are also top-notch, but again, only if you take advantage of all the resources.

Before joining the program, I was a student majoring in Business Analytics. I had a hard time finding a data analyst position and therefore I was thinking maybe I was not qualified for a data-related job yet. My friend recommended this Bootcamp to me... Read More and when I check out the course curriculum I knew this is exactly what I was looking for. The courses are very comprehensive, covering topics including web scraping, data analysis & visualization, machine learning, and big data. I felt so lucky that I got enrolled in this program and I would never regret this choice. Although the content of the courses is challenging, all the instructors are there to help you. I did improve my coding skills a lot through projects and I also added new skills to my profile through courses. I would recommend this Bootcamp to anyone who wants to get into the data science field.