Why App Academy Was My Best Decision of 2020: A Review
By: John Anders
Tags: Coding, Review, Codingbootcamp, Career Change, Technology

So you’re ready for a career switch. Maybe you’ve always loved technology, maybe you’ve just heard about coding, or perhaps you’re in the final stages of bootcamp interviews but just aren’t sure. I know I was unsure when I was making the choice, spending several weeks gathering data and trying desperately to make a decision I would forever be proud of — or at least not live to regret.

If App Academy (a/A) is in your considerations, read on for a firsthand account. And if you’re not considering a/A, read on for why you should!

There are three main reasons I chose a/A and would choose it again:

1. a/A has an income sharing agreement (ISA)

…so the organization is intrinsically motivated to get you hired, and every piece of the program is influenced by this. In short, your goals and theirs are aligned as long as you are fully committed. Speaking of alignment, you really will be paired with a coach for your entire job search, and you’ll have the support of your classmates, assuming you connected well with them throughout the program. In sum, a/A offers tremendous resources to aid in your search, in addition to the thorough prep in the last couple weeks of the program.

(They just recently implemented huntr.co/ into the job search, paying for every grad’s account. This is a fantastic resource and I couldn’t imagine doing the job search without it!)

2. a/A is assessment-driven and engineering-focussed

…meaning they don’t carry dead weight — and more to the point, they do not have a reputation for allowing dead weight or for graduating “web devs” who don’t really know how software works. You learn multiple languages. You learn algorithms and data structures. You build 2 solo projects and 2 group projects. It’s intense. But… You are allowed up to 3 deferments. This is designed to give you the chance to have more time if you are struggling, and it also means that at a certain point, the unmotivated/less capable will be significantly challenged. That challenging is good for your skill and reputation as a potential a/A grad, so as long as you can keep up this is a good thing. I found the rigor was typically held in good tension with empathetic instructors who want to support you well through what they know to be a high-paced 24 weeks.

3. The People!

Recent a/A grads I reached out to prior to making my own decision to enroll at generally had great things to say about their experience. Reach out to grads on LinkedIn who live near you, and you’ll likely find the same.

But what makes this difference? In my experience, it’s the people. I had the best lead instructor I could’ve imagined, and the TAs are generally of good quality as well. While every company likely has some instructors that fall below the curve, I really can say the instruction I received was personable, encouraging, and technically substantial.

(There are some instructors that occasionally guest lectured for my cohort, and I liked them as well, though I do know a couple students from other cohorts that weren’t as keen on their instructors. Here’s the thing: talk to anyone at any bootcamp, university, or k-12 school and you will be sure to find some negative press on teachers. Generally, a/A attracts great instructors and is a real reason I would choose it again.)

And the students? Amazing! I genuinely made a good handful of friends, and we voluntarily check in with each other as we each look for jobs. Yes, every class will have that person looking for a quick way to money, but even so they get weeded out or have a change of heart. And how can you not make friends when the average day consists of several hours pair-programming?

It’s a wonderful community where people genuinely care about each other. On my hardest of days I reached out to my lead instructor, and she offered words and guidance that greatly helped me push forward.

I’ve harped on about the strengths of App Academy. What are the weaknesses?

I would give the curriculum 3.5 stars out of 5. But I actually really liked the curriculum, particularly the structure, pace, and topics, as well as the video instructors. a/A even updated it earlier in the year, so even recent language developments are covered. So why 3.5 stars?

Simple: the videos are typically paired with homework in the form of article-style readings to be done the night before their topics are covered, and while many of the readings were fine, just as many were riddled with grammatical errors and unclear phrasing. Additionally, the code-along videos occasionally involved deprecation issues, leading to avoidable, class-wide encounters with bugs. While the deprecation issues are understandable, the lack of writing quality is not (aside from the classic engineering stereotypes that come to mind).

Neither of these curriculum issues are reasons not to choose a/A. In fact, I bet every bootcamp faces these same challenges when it comes to keeping curriculum current and polished. These reasons do, however, provide for a point of growth on the part of App Academy, and I know they are aware of this and constantly improving, welcoming your constant feedback. You are, after all, required to provide it daily, and in my experience they take it really seriously. What makes these issues ultimately excusable for now is that students always have ample opportunity to ask questions on every single lecture topic, so you are always supported as you seek to master content. There wasn’t a single topic for which I wasn’t provided a live Q & A. Ask away!

This was pre-bootcamp. A simpler time. (This ergonomic setup meant my back problems were never really an issue for the whole 24-week program!)

A small but earnest financial point should be made before concluding.

You really must take into account the length of job search and the possibility of deferment when thinking about how you will support yourself during the bootcamp. For many, 24 weeks is already a stretch. You’ve got to ask yourself if you could be income-less for a year. While your career coach will understand if after completing the 24 weeks you feel that you simply must get a part time job, this will provide a ton of stress if you hadn’t already considered your “worst cases” before starting the bootcamp. This goes for any bootcamp, and even though I bet a/A’s placement pace is relatively high compared with other programs (on average roughly 6 months after graduating), you simply can’t afford to make a poor choice when it comes to your finances.

Ultimately, joining App Academy was likely the best choice I could’ve made in a year nothing went to plan. The ISA means they have skin in the game and are aligned with your goal of jump-starting your career. The rigorous, assessment-driven structure means you will actually become something by the time you are done. And the people make it worth the cost of the late hours, tears, grit, and (deferred) money. While the curriculum can be improved in its delivery, it really just might make a software engineer out of you!