Full-Stack Web Development

Web Dev Review 
VSchool does not actually offer or operate a "Responsive, Mastery Based Learning" approach for it's students as advertised! The led was nice a person but their focus is pushing you through the program at a speed they projected on you, following a same curriculum as everyone else, so it was not a response, mastery based learning approach as they marketed. This was hard for me because I was completely new to tech and would have to spend more time something vs other things, and now having "completed" the program I realize the reason I signed up for VSchool vs. competitors was their response, mastery based learning approach. They need to change their marketing! -  https://vschool.io/responsive-learning/

Here are quotes from their website, that are NOT true. You are expected to main a specific speed and basically being pushed through! https://vschool.io/responsive-learning/  
"Responsive lessons are designed around your past experiences and what you need to accept a job in the tech industry."
"Students move through the program by demonstrating knowledge and skill, not by completing a certain number of hours in a classroom. Take additional time on difficult content, so you graduate job-ready with skills you'll actually use."
"Each student learns in their own way, so responsive, customized education is necessary for success. The responsive model is developed around your past experiences, current learning needs, and schedule. This way, you can learn more and reskill without giving up your life."

Most, if not all of the teachers and leads I interacted with NEVER held a job at tech company, they completed VSchool Web Dev program and then began working their. Into the program this was an issue for me because I was hoping to learn from industry people (again as marketed), and from people who actually went through and passed tech interviews at tech companies, not having someone who's never lived any of this teach me???

As feedback, I think the team needs to remember students are paying for this program, so be careful with your language and how you speak to them, a little bit of professionalism and respect, empathy for your customers (the students) would go a long way. 

VSchool was a great learning experience, unlike other bootcamps here you getting a job is the final goal, how fast? Depends on you, on how much you put in, just like anything else in life we get what we put in, in my experience I had to take a few brakes because life is full of unexpected situations, they were kind, supportive and did not rushed me to get back in the curriculum until I was ready to do so, if I had been at another bootcamp I would've been removed from it leaving me with thousands of dollars in debt, at VSchool you getting the job is the final goal, not some arbitrary and sometimes unrealistic date set by people that in most cases just want to get you in and out as fast as possible so they can bring the next person in.  The quality of the staff is by far the best thing about the school,  the instructors are always willing to help, the TAs are ready to answer questions and jump on 1:1 zoom calls to help you move forward with the curriculum, the SSM -Student Success Mentors- they are genuinely good people that want to make a difference in the student's career, Joseph Huson was the best SSM I've ever had, he always treated us like family, his encouragement and support helped a lot of us to keep going, not just with the curriculum but with life.The curriculum is designed so you can follow it at your own pace, at the end of each module you have an assessment so you only move to the next one if you're ready, but if you need to go back and retake the assessment you can do so without fearing of being removed from the program if you fail x amount of times. I had a great experience, I'd definitely recommend it!

Stage  1 of the bootcamp was decent. The learning material was good even tho I think some of the projects could be better/real world. Zak is a great instructor and very helpful. There are TA's available for help, although I have to admit some of them have no idea what they are doing. Kelly was my SSM and she is very encouraging and helped me get back on track multiple times and get out of a slump. Stage 2 needs a lot of work. There is zero communication and you really have to chase people down to get an answer compared to stage 1 where everything is presented clearly and beautifully! 

V School is fantastic! Everything from the self-paced program to the incredibly relevant curriculum and amazing instructors is there to help you achieve your goal of learning the skills you need to pivot into tech. The student network is vast and diverse allowing you to connect with so many unique and intelligent individuals in a daily basis. The Career Prep side of everything is so intentional and powerful that it could be it’s own course. Your Student Success Mentor is your guide to go from eager student to working professional. I’ve had the opportunity to work with wonderful SSMs, instructors and students throughout my time in the Web Development course and look forward to continuing these relationships now that I’ve graduated. If you’re looking for the right bootcamp for you, look no further. 

It took me 1 month to really research what the best bootcamp for me to get my career in software engineering started. It basically teetered between Coding Dojo, and V School. I knew I was not going to be able to do a full time curriculum in person or online. However it came down to the selling point of V School's Mastery Based Learning and Flexible Times. It wasn't a sound bite, and they really enforced that to the benefit of the students. But enforced is a harsh word at this point, but the concept was to ensure students were to come out of the bootcamp with the knowledge required and retain it in the long run. Students are assigned Student Success Mentors who pretty much gives you that necessary nudge/motivation/fire and refocus you on your own set goal. Especially during days you don't feel like coding. V School instructors were competent and if they didn't know the answer, they coded and debugged with you, and it helps students understand the troubleshooting process/ debugging process that carries over to industry experience. In other scenarios, there are other instructors who can fill in the gaps of learning and go in depth of the subject during their daily review sessions. Instructors during review sessions are also flexible that they are willing to open up the room for other students to help them understand and get through any blockers.The balance comes in where students still had to put in the necessary discipline of focusing and learning on their own time. This is also accompanied by the career counseling that the Student Success Mentors tirelessly put in. Those who persevered and worked hard will find success, and those who feel like the instructors/staff should carry them through their software engineering path, will eventually fail. But those who succeed, will be one of the best.

     It’s difficult to summarize my overall feelings about attending V School. I began the course back in August 2020 and completed the program in March 2021. 1 year after completing the course, I am not working in the tech industry and I am employed in a position that does not utilize the skills I learned at V School. When I decided to take out a $16,000 student loan to pay for the bootcamp. I did it with the idea that this money would be an investment for my future. I was motivated to attend the bootcamp because of the school’s overall message that they would assist me in landing a career in tech. They did say this was not guaranteed but that I would have the full support of the school to assist me in the interview process. However, I was naïve into thinking that by completing this course, I would be a qualified candidate for any entry level web developer position.       I quickly began to experience employers not extending interviews and the feedback I received by some recruiters was that I simply did not have the background to be successful in the interview process. I began searching for jobs back in April 2021 and by August 2021, I had submitted well over 100 applications to various companies. Out of those applications, I only received 4 interview invites. My first technical interview exposed my incompetence in answering basic CS based questions. I was tasked to live code data structure and algorithm questions but couldn’t get past the first question. I was deeply embarrassed and had a rude awakening that I was not qualified for a basic front end developer position. I was deeply discouraged by this and began to see my ability to break into tech simply fade away. After August, I began to look at other career paths because I was running low on my savings and had to begin making nearly $500 a month payments on the $16,000 loan I took out to attend V School.      My career success mentor that I was paired with at the beginning of the bootcamp was instrumental in motivating me in completing the course. I felt I had an advocate that was supporting me and gave me a voice in the program. However, she abruptly quit the bootcamp in June without warning. I was scheduled to meet with her one day before she had announced she was leaving the school. After her departure, I felt I did not have a voice, and no one was advocating for my future in tech. Although I was paired with another mentor, I felt that I was not receiving the same assistance as other students. I began to see students who started at the same time as me receive direct assistance in securing interviews with companies. One of those students was hired by a reputable company in Utah. I was encouraged to submit my application to the same company but received an immediate rejection after my submission. These events left me feeling depressed and hopeless. Although I had successfully utilized React Native to build and deploy an iOS app to the Apple App Store, I continued to see other students receive support in landing roles with companies.        Looking back and knowing all that I have experienced these past 18 months, I would have not attended V School. I am paying back a loan that simply financed my ability to learn how to code online and receive underwhelming feedback from instructors and career success mentors. I could have spent substantially less by subscribing to different online courses such as Scrimba. Ironically enough, Scrimba was used as part of the teaching method for this program. A website that takes pride in advertising as a cheaper alternative to a bootcamp. A founding member of the school currently is employed at Scrimba, which is ironic for a bootcamp to use a platform that showcases itself as an alternative to a bootcamp. My current career path is utilizing my M.S. in biochemistry that I received prior to enrolling in the bootcamp. This degree cost me substantially less than the $16,000 piece of paper that I received from V School. If I had not graduated in a middle of a pandemic and was desperate to find a job, I would have not attended this bootcamp. I was desperate at the time and this school was my answer to my desperation. However, I was naïve into thinking V School would support my path to break into tech and have a meaningful career in the industry.     At the end of the day, V School is a for profit school that needs to have a steady source of income in order to finance their ultimate goal of assisting anyone to break into the tech scene. Part of that process involves marketing themselves and posting positive images and videos of former students who they assisted in becoming employed in a high paying tech role. I know the school will point to those alumni and say how they are achieving their goal in getting nearly a 100% placement rate. There will also be alumni who will probably chime in and share how they were employed in a lucrative tech position days or weeks after graduating. However, I know there are other alumni like myself who struggled to get hired let alone land an interview.      I worked really hard to complete the program at V School and that hard work is showcased by my iOS app that is on the App Store. I had the motivation, talent, and potential to become a better developer. The problem I saw was that the school simply ignored this and chose to assist other students in securing interviews. I didn't expect V School to just hand me a job but my expectation was that they would make that initial connection to an employer on my behalf. Many but not all students received this assistance. One student that began at the same time as I did is now employed at a reputable company in Utah. This individual personally thanked V School during an alumni interview for making that initial connection. Seeing other students get this type of help while I struggled to get any interviews furthered hampered my confidence and made me feel as if there was favoritism occurring at the school. If the school was making these personal connections on behalf of some students then this type of connection should be offered to all students. After all, we all paid the same amount to attend this school, some of us actually used our own money and didn't get any 3rd part assistance in financing our studies.      At the end of the day I would not have attended this bootcamp if it was not for the pandemic. In August 2020, I was unemployed and desperate to find a path that could assist me in gaining the skills that could make me a more competitive candidate for employers. V School was that answer to my desperation and I sincerely trusted them in helping me make my dreams of working in the tech industry come true. I fell for their sales pitch and I am now paying the $16,000 price for it.      

Best React-Node education you can get, period. Best curriculum and teaching methodology. 

Full (LEARN) Stack React/JavaScript Developer

You will learn multiple languages. You will struggle until, that ah ha moment happens and when it does click. Magic! The teachers will help you at any moment, your classmates will help. The culture this school exudes is second to none

The product this company brings to Utah is absolutely top notch. The mindful teachers and other cooperative faculty work hard every day to provide an excellent learning experience. The skills I have learned here about Website Development surpass anything I could have learned at a traditional 4-year University. Choosing this school may have been the best decision I have ever made to seriously change my career path. I feel well set up for my career as a Web Dev.

My journey into a full stack dev boot-camp was interesting, if not somewhat discouraging to start, but lets start at the beginning… I began my journey at Helio Training.  I attended for a week and 3 days, in which time I felt very lost and like it was me that wasn’t grasping on to what was being spoken about. It was like there was no set curriculum to follow and pass off. I felt confused and frankly, sorta pissed off. My intuition was firing hard and screaming at me to look beyond the scope and take an interview with another full stack school that has all the values and essentials one needs to pursue this endeavor.  After reading countless review boards and write ups, I found my nest. V-SCHOOL!!! I won’t lie, boot-camps are tough! BUT, you CAN do it!  Not only can you do it, but you can really extend your network beyond the boot-camp and really reap the rewards of all V-School has to offer. This extends far beyond the core-curriculum (which I might add is ON-POINT and I am highly impressed given I have the perspective). The lectures are straight-forward and classrooms are immaculate. From the chair up, truly, three cheers for the best ergonomic chair award that i’ve ever encountered at ANY school! A dual monitor to plug into that moves up and down, etc. The instructors give their lecture live (writing code and showing you what it is doing in real-time) on the big screen while students follow along a very well written topic outline (that later can be referenced for the assignments). I am so grateful I followed my gut. I feel so motivated and like I am in the right place now that truly cares about their students well-being and success.  The instructors KNOW what they are talking about.  When you ask a question, it gets answered and in a way that you understand. Again, this 3 month venture is going to be strenuous, mind-bending and rigorous, but the end results are clear. 7 students just last month received internships with Adobe, multiple others with other companies both local and out-of-state. These are facts and V-School stands behind their word that they will get you to the next step.  It’s all about what YOU want and how hard YOU want to work to achieve this end result.  The student:instructor ratio makes everything amazing as far as asking for help and getting 1-on-1 attention.  They never make you feel dumb or scared to ask for help.  You feel like you are part of a family at V-School.  Families take care of each other and the V-School Fam is no different. Student housing is a mere 2 blocks away (Brigham Apartments)**amazing location**, eliminating the need for public transit.  There are endless places to eat and grab whatever you need within a .5 radius in every direction. The vibe is radiant and the aesthetic.. Well, let’s just say I was sold the moment I walked off the elevator.  It’s eccentric and modern, yet nestled in the heart of downtown salt lake, the location “buzzes” like a hive (hypothetically, all the lights are LED panels). If you are thinking of pursuing a boot-camp for Full Stack Javascript or UI / UX, don’t pass up the opportunity to see for yourself what being a member of the V-School Family is all about. I am so grateful I did. I feel at home. I’m confident in my instructors ability to make sure we ALL understand the concepts.  I am truly “getting IT”.  BONUS!! V-School provides yoga twice per week to ease the spirit and decompress the mind & body.  Their parking is amazingly convenient and safe.  The staff is wonderful, I am so happy with my decision to invest in my future at V-School.  I know I made the right choice. Thanks V-School! Happy Coding!!!

It’s the curriculum and the community that shine at V School. While no 12-week course is a substitute for 1-2 years of experience, this curriculum provides a solid, professional-grade foundation for those seeking to make a career change.

The Instructors are knowledgeable and patient, and like everyone else in the V School community (including administration, career guidance, and V School alums) they have a genuine desire to support students and see them succeed.

V School helped me to take my basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Javascript and learn the foundations of front and backend web development. The second half of the program is dedicated to getting students up and running in a Javascript framework (React, at the time of my enrollment). V School makes great effort to stay at the cutting edge of a fast-paced, quickly evolving industry. The program’s timely switch from Angular to React proved to be an asset when I began my job hunt. Even coming in to a company as an intern, my knowledge and experience with a newer, in-demand framework made me in demand.

v School helped me to change my life and I highly recommend this program to anyone looking at Bootcamps. 

1 star down for poor housing. Highly recommend the school if you are from Utah & don’t intend to stay in the free housing provided. I came from Arizona & was told that it was safe to park at the streets on my first day, but my car was broken into and my things were stolen. I was also involved in a hit-&-run while riding a bicycle as well. Very sketchy neighbourhood. Complaints were made but unresponsive.

Apart from housing, V school have the absolute best instructors, mentors and career advisors. They are willing to spend extra time and effort to explain the complexity related to coding rather than just asking you to Google. Instructor Ben makes sure that you understand the materials that are being taught, and explains the logic behind coding in a way that even a beginner can understand. The school is also open to students on the weekends as well, and sometimes instructors will be there to assist students who need extra help. I truly appreciate the instructors who have helped me learn so much in these 3 months. I could not have done it without the support of the instructors, and my classmates.

If I were to retake the course, I would have stayed somewhere else & attend school in-person so that I won’t have to worry about my car and maximize my ability to learn, especially since it is an intensive bootcamp.

Having recently graduated from their Full-Stack JavaScript course, I can tell you that once you finish this class, you will have the neccessary skillset to get a job.

V School teaches you the latest and most popular technologies and you get to have a few projects under your belt to show to potential employers.

You learn a lot of material in a short amount of time, so you need to put in the extra work outside of the classroom on your own time to really be successful, but the instructors will always be there if you get stuck.

The staff and instructors are some of the nicest and coolest people you'll meet.

I would not be where I am now with my level of knowledge without V School and I'm glad to have made this investment in my career!

I recently graduated with V-School’s February Cohort and have nothing but positive things to say about this school. Their entire staff are amazing people who ACTUALLY care about their students. No only do they care if you are learning, but they care on a personal level how you are doing. If you need anything at all, Chelbie is always available to help or listen.

Code is not easy to learn, especially if you are switching careers. This is where I was at, with a background in marketing and zero coding knowledge. I was extremely intimidated, but each day with the lessons and curriculum provided felt more and more capable of learning new and difficult things like React, Javascript, etc.

What helped the most was having instructors who were always willing to help, even if it meant staying late or coming on the weekends for a review session. Ben, who was our main instructor, took the time to get to know us and invested his own time to ensure we were learning and also listened to feedback to see if there were areas he could improve. On top of this, he was like a personal cheerleader and support system for us. Bob, who also taught, would spend time with us on the weekend if we wanted an additional study group or review session.

In addition to the instructors, V School attracts other students and people who overall want to improve and learn. This created a perfect environment for growth without feeling dumb or intimidated.

Lastly, the languages and technology V school teaches is up to date and they were always speaking to the community and staying up on news to see if their programs would prepare someone for a career right away. Sariah provides weekly industry and career updates, as well as helps you find a job. They also are reviewed and work with Adobe for the Digital Academy Program. 

If you want to learn to code, go through V School.  I have made friends and built a family here that I can rely on throughout my career and wouldn’t have wished it any other way. :)

I recently graduated from the full-stack javascript course ( MERN stack ) that V School offers in downtown SLC Ut. The people at V school have an honest interest in your success, and it's obvious in the way they teach and run their program. 

There is no substitue to the type of jumpstart that V school gave me.  I was hesitant to spend money on school again as I had already received a 4 year degree, but this was so worth it.  I have graduated from a program with a set of skills that are in-demand and valuable. The coursework is constantly being adapted and updated to current industry trends and practices, which was one of my big problems when taking tutorials.  Along with learning a great deal in my 12 weeks, I am now apart of a community of fellow web developers that are warm and accepting.

V School was great!  I loved the instructors, the lessons, and the culture.  I had a great time and I'm amazed at what I know now vs three months ago.  Loved the whole experience.

I began my search for bootcamps not long before finding V School. I traveled from the east coast to Salt Lake City because they provided housing, were prepared to answer all of my questions, and reassured me that I was ready after completing my precourse project. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at V School. They are successful in creating a tight knit community of students and alumi. The provide access to the school space 24/7 which encouraged me to take full advantage of all they had to offer. Evenings and weekends were spent with current and former students learning coding and working on projects. They allow each cohort to . kind of mentor the next which was a definite plus! To be honest, you will get out of it what you put in. V School goes above and beyond to include you into the tech community within all of Utah and provides ample opportunity for you to grow as a developer. I would HIGHLY reccommend V School!

V School’s full stack javascript course has impressed me at every step! The curriculum is well thought-out, perfectly paced, and relevant to industry needs. From the front-end HTML5 and CSS3 to the of back-end database and server creation the course work is challenging and engaging. The Instructors at V School are knowledgable, and really care about the success of their students! They will go above and beyond to ensure your success, staying late in the evenings and coming in on weekends to work with students. In fact, when students on our cohort expressed interest in learning React in addition to Angular, extra classes were arranged with a React instructor. 

The addition of having housing arranged for me, was incredible, and one of the things that made V School the perfect choice. I didn’t have to worry about rent, or leases, or furnished/unfurnished. I just arrived in Salt Lake and had a place to stay and a transit pass to get around!

On the career front - V School will give you the tools you need to have a successful job hunt, and will support you fully in the job hunt process. They will arrange field trips to tech companies, have weekly tech industry speakers, and connect your with people in their social networks that might help you land that perfect job.

From day one V School has been the perfect choice, and I can’t possibly recommend them highly enough! This is a coding school that really does care about you and your progress towards an exciting new tech career!

I am in my fourth week of the program and I can truly say V School is freakin' great. The instructors are super dope and make sure you really get down the cirriculum.  The learning environment is pretty cool and is really solid place to get work done, which allows you to really progress your coding skills.  V School also provides you with job assistance and access to all of thier hiring networks, which was a real dealbreaker for me when choosing to attend.  Overall, I've learned a great deal in the time I've been here, and I have confidence in finding a job after completing the course!