Full Stack Web Development Nights/Weekends

The Brain Child of Harvard Grad Jukay Hsu, Overall Pursuit, is a great idea!But...Though Pursuit seemed to have worked for many of the cohorts, I come to you as one for which it did not. I feel as though I have fallen through the cracks. Yes, I was able to complete the course but I did not retain much of the information which I attribute to both myself (for we always have a part in everything in our lives) for allowing frustration to get the best of me but I also attribute it to the teaching method that Pursuit chose to employ. I came to Pursuit excited but quickly found myself frustrated and left hanging as the pace of the course, the teaching style, and the inflexibility in how the course was taught, particularly the way in which my questions were handled when I had problems understanding the material (which were never directly answered but we'll come back to that) were never sufficiently answered. As for the method I spoke of earlier, Pursuit seems to use a method called Productive Struggle which in part seems to employ teaching not by showing you what to do but by showing how something works and then putting a difficult problem before you and having you figure out the solution. Hence the "Productive Struggle". The real frustration came when I had a question and was unable to solve a problem. My questions were met with questions that continued until the point of frustration and which for me, made it so that I was actually less productive and found myself shutting down and less enthused about learning. If you are a product of rout learning...get ready for a rocky ride because this ain't that. You'll in essence have to do sh*t load of figuring sh*t out on your own. I brought this to the attention of the staff but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.At any rate, another thing I experienced was the cliques that formed.  Those that knew more tended to gravitate toward one another (as human nature would dictate and though Pursuit did their best to prevent it ) and were less amenable to working with or helping those that didn't quite catch on as quickly.I can go on but that's the gist. Now, funny enough, and contrary to what I just wrote, I'd still suggest this program but with the following caveats. If you're considering Pursuit and are at all Computer Savvy, as in you have some understanding (some real understanding) of a coding language, by all means, give Pursuit a shot. Otherwise, I'd strongly suggest you go to Codecademy.com and get some basic understanding of the following, and do not take any of them lightly! Though you will be taught to work with others, Rely on no one, and be prepared to help others.  I'm not saying there won't be people that are willing to help but just be as prepared as possible and come with as much knowledge as you can before joining. Things to focus onJavascript (Strong Focus)HTMLCSSSequelExpress (Strong Focus)React (Strong Focus)Data Structures and Algorithms (Strong Focus)GOOD LUCK AND BE READY TO CRACK YOUR HEAD OPEN

Attending Pursuit's Full Stack Development course was a demanding, but rewarding experience. It was a difficult program, but there are many helpful people who helped me to learn - from helpful instructors, teaching assistants, and classmates. I felt I completed the program with the skills to get a tech job.  I also like the fact that Pursuit's founders and workers actively foster hiring partnerships with top tech companies and organizations. They also provide career coaching for graduates.  So those of you who find breaking into tech intimidating, take heart. You won't be doing it alone at Pursuit. You will have mentoring/coaching in addition to learning skills to build your technical career. 

Pursuit has helped changed my life by allowing me to meet others who are like-minded as me and people who can help us achieve our goals. Pursuit has provided me with the tools needed to enter the tech industry and thrive! 

In the process of looking at software development I look at multiple programs and came across Pursuit. From the outside looking in, I was very skeptical about a program taking a novice like myself and turning me into a software developer. What stood out however was the culture to be around Pursuit. Looking back as a software developer, and one year of intense studying I can say the culture is what makes the difference. Embarking on this journey is never going, but they try to make it manageable. The staff wants you to succeed everything day. There is help from instructors to other fellows, alums and other professionals in the industry. 

What is Pursuit? Pursuit is a community of people that strive to train and prepare people in the most need for careers in tech. I can't speak for other bootcamps, but Pursuit isn't really a bootcamp. It's a long-term intensive program that feels like more like a community than a bootcamp. What makes Pursuit special is the community and care that everyone has for each other. The space is set-up in such a way that you feel like your home away from home. At Pursuit, you learn more than just technical skills you also learn professional development that is just as essential in the workplace. And the most important thing is you are not forgotten after completing the curriculum. Pursuit actively partners with tech companies to get fellows jobs. I would join Pursuit if you want to transition to the tech field and I would also recommend Pursuit for people that went through College and feel they didn't get enough real world hands-on experience building products. If you are an hands-on learner that loves to learn by building projects and actively using your skills than Pursuit is the right place for you.

Pursuit is that kind of place that you would never regret going to, it really feels like a blessing to be a part of such an open and caring community. They work towards the mission of empowering minorities that normally wouldn't have access to a high paying job and they do it for real, you'll get the vibe starting from day one. During the pandemic they had an economic relief assistance for Fellows that were in need, what other bootcamp does that? The support you get at Pursuit it's not just technical and professional, it's truly, deeply human and that alone sets Pursuit aside from the rest. 

Pursuit changed my life! I had to the opportunity to be part of Pursuit as both a student and a staff member. You will learn technical skills to make you a sought after candidate in the field, as well as professional skills to nail the interview. Pursuit offers you a community, which is what makes them so much more special than a traditional boot camp. Pursuit truly lives their mission and is there for their fellows! They trained me to be ready to be a software engineer at a top company and they can do the same for you. 

Pursuit is nothing like other bootcamps, mainly because it’s about making a change where it’s most needed, helping under-represented communities, not to forget that the Fellowship has no upfront tuition!Additionally, the staff is always there to help and support in any step of the way to achieve your success.I'll keep it short, I looked many bootcamps when I was planning my career path switch and weighted their pros and cons then decided to go for Pursuit and I'm happy I did. I strongly recommend it!

My experience at Pursuit was a delight. I had been looking at multiple coding bootcamps before joining and it seemed like it was the one that fit me the best because of their focus on helping individuals from under-represented communities, and also because it allowed me to learn programming without charging me anything until I actually landed a job. While going through the program I found an awesome space that became my home for about 10 months of going almost everyday and with other folks that would make my experience there even better. From the staff all the way to the other fellows going through the program with me, I can't really say I had any negative interactions with anyone. Pursuit's curriculum, in my case (Full-Stack Web), covered as much as it could and it did it in detail. Besides, learning programming they made sure to make time for us to practice professional skills such as interviewing, white-boarding, networking, etc. After completing the program, Pursuit made sure to keep in contact by sharing job opportunities, holding more workshops to offer more opportunities of mock interviewing and white-boarding; convincing me that they really wanted to help me on my job search. I was lucky enough that I received a job offer only 1 month after finishing the program and would totally recommend it to anyone else that wanted to get into tech!

Pursuit does not have a license to operate a school. That means their curriculum, their teachers, their student handbook, income sharing agreement, and enrollment agreements have not been approved by the NY Education Department. An important regulation is banning arbitration clauses from enrollment agreements. Pursuit definitely puts arbitration clauses in agreements so they can limit any recourse students have when there's a problem at the school. I would upload a photo but I can't. Next best thing is this link: https://medium.com/my-experience-with-pursuit/dont-join-pursuit-b9f2ec02d4d7

Though it’s a year program, as of today I have create a couple of apps and created my own portfolio website. This program is not for those who are just trying something out for fun it’s for individual willing to put in the hard work and push themselves to achieve the goals they hold to. The instructors are ever so patient. The staff not only care for our time in the program but they make sure that their fellows are in a safe place mentally and physically. It feels like an extension of a family when one becomes a fellow here. 

This program does an excellent job at assisting its students and ensuring that they are on track towards a successful career. The amount of dedication and grit that the teachers display in ensuring each student is on level with the material is incredible. There is no shame in this program and everyone is willing to help one another out like a huge community. If you're looking for a program that's 100% about its student success then you've come to the right place. 

I'm a 6.4 Pursuit FullStack Web alum. I'm now an Associate Software Engineer at Moody's Analytics. The Pursuit application process required no knowledge of coding, but focused on my problem solving skills and whether I could learn to think like a coder. The staff is always available to help and does everything they can to help you succeed. It is still a self-driven process, though. You will get out what you put in and they will always meet you where you are. The Pursuit community of alumni and volunteers is extremely engaged and are always offering assistance or facilitating opportunities where they can. The curriculum focuses on teaching you the FullStack basics, but also makes sure to focus on the current technologies to make you stand out in your job search. The professional development help is top-notch and applies to jobs way beyond the technical field. I would recommend Pursuit to anyone who is looking to kick-start their career whether it's your first or third act. 

My experience was overall a very pleasant one at Pursuit. From the application process to the interview and all the way through covid and finally through to post-graduation, I've always felt that I've had the support that I needed from staff and instructors. I was working full time while going to Pursuit nights and weekends, and while this was probably one of the most challenging times in my career, I always had help and guidance from the program manager and the class instructor when I wasn't doing as well as I had liked. They provided me with the resources and care I needed to get ahead and make things work for myself. It's really up to you how far you want to take this. I decided to take it all the way. In the end, I was the first to land a job in my class, and right before graduating too, which is nice, but I couldn't have done it without the entirety of the Pursuit staff. I am ever-grateful to them for all of the support and encouragement along the way.

This is a review from an applicant that was accepted but ultimately turned it down.The process starts off by submitting an online application. Which to their credit it pretty thorough. They want people who take their time with answering questions. I remember my answers were a paragraph per question. Then you get an email for a testing day. On the testing day you take a 45min logic test, then you are interviewed by two people in the tech industry. They ask you a few questions about your background and why your interested in tech, if your a very tech person. I talked about loving call of duty and using google maps as part of my daily life. They then follow up with a logic test you have to walk them through as your trying to solve it. If you make through that, you are then invited to a two day, 8 hours a day, boot camp, where they give you an introduction to the basic of JS. You work in pairs and groups most of the time, and they give you a assignment to do at home in between days. After the 2nd day of coding , they give you a test to see how much you’ve learned. It’s not graded but I think they want to see how well you are at retaining information. You then get a follow up email thanking you for your time etc. once accepted, they send you every detail you need, including the ISA( income share agreement). That’s where they break down EVERYTHING. THEY ARE NOT PLAYING WITH THEIR MONEY. They have different sceneries of what’s to happen if you get a job, lose a job, promotion, bonus,  everything for 3 years, and that’s where they lost me. I was seeing posts about you could pay upwards of 30k, which is a realistic figure considering out thorough they are, and that wasn’t something I was looking forward to considering I’m raising two kids and every dollar counts. Overall, it was a good and fun experience. They are extremely nice, and encouraging. There are a lot of options with boot camps now a days, all I can say is do you hw. I am currently in one, which I get 1-1 mentorship with someone in the industry, so it really depends on what your looking for m and what your planning on doing after graduation.

There are better options. Don't even consider it if you're looking to do the night and weekends program. It's a difference of 25 vs. 40 hours per week, and you're expected to keep up with curriculum that's intended for the 40 hour week. The night and weekend cohorts get 400+ less hours of instruction (about 35% less instruction) and they are still expected to pay the same amount back. This utterly doesn't make any sense, considering that the resources and attention that the daytime students get is clearly superior.

Previous reviews mention this. Without scratching the surface, the concept of Pay It Forward seems like a great idea. But when you read the fine print, it's just deferred tuition and they avoid talking about it as such. Ethically, to target people from marginalized groups who seek a financial stable life in such a way is not following to the mission statement. If things go accordingly for fellows (a $60,000+ job shortly after graduation), this ends up being an incredibly expensive program, when other programs offer more affordable options. They need to put a tuition cap, and restructure the system, because their present agreement has a maximum $36,000 a year tuition (if the student makes at least $300,000...no one is going to make that). It seems like they are milking students for what they got just to fulfill requirements of a hefty loan.

The cons vastly outweigh the pros. The nights and weekends students didn't get access to the same opportunities as daytime students. A lot of the staff and program guidelines were just outright abusive. The truly good-hearted staff members left before the cycle ended and even before they finished one year of employment there. That's how toxic this place is. The students who get jobs fast are the ones who already had programming knowledge before coming here and some were recruited internally by volunteers. 

They didn't provided resources that were promised. Office hours were scheduled, but were often cancelled. Apparently, one student needing help is not enough to justify them calling in a volunteer from the tech community. Staff were afraid students would flake. That's not right. You can't deny help to students seeking it. On top of that, they kept encouraging people to sign up because it's a good networking opportunity.

There's little help post grad that's actually useful. You're more likely to find a job posting with a simple Google alert than by relying on this school's partnerships.

They told a white lie about the pay-it-forward tuition. For my class, it was explained as being inspired by a past student's donation of his first chec because he was so grateful for the program. In reality, the deferred tuition is really helping the school pay back investors and other loans. WTF. Some students actually take jobs with a low salary on purpose just so they don't have to pay back the school.

The most shocking incident of abuse happened at graduation. Students who did not finish all requirements were allowed to continue until they completed the program. These students were also invited to graduation and allowed to walk the stage. They were forced to accept blank certificates. The students had no idea this would happen. Some people had families in attendance. Imagine having to explain this to your loved ones. The cermony's program already listed these students with a note saying they were on track to graduate. This humiliation was not necessary. This was all to fill seats.