Pros: -Excellent instruction. There were 2 instructors and about 4 TAs for a group of 7 students, so the level of help and instruction was pretty great. The instructors were both brilliant and super warm. -Amazing learning environment. -High quality peers (both super intelligent and very warm). We really bonded throughout the program. It was a blast connecting with each other and supporting each other through difficult moments. Particularly as someone who is moving to Austin (I'm moving there from Portland after I get a job there) it was great to meet many future friends! -Accessible outcome data (especially when so many bootcamps don't release real data). -Very smart systems in place for the remote program. Help desk questions get answered in minutes. They sent us a google calendar after we got into the program that had a specific breakdown of exactly how all of our time would be spent throughout the program. -Constantly iterating on the curriculum and processes. -The program is great at getting you to achieve the audacious goal of becoming an adept web developer in just 3 months. Cons: -They could be overbearing with attendance and tardiness requirements, but I can see value in this. It does make for a very high accountability environment. -There was a sprint or two where we used a technology that we've been told isn't super useful in the industry (i.e. Redux). -The cost of the program, although it's definitely competitive relative to other bootcamps. Overall: My Hack Reactor experience was amazing. I learned a ton and was able to make a variety of applications that will serve as great portfolio pieces. You will certainly have to dedicate your life to the program and be very serious about software engineering, but if you are willing to work hard Hack Reactor is an amazing program that will help you become a software engineer in just 3 months! |