NYC Onsite Software Engineering Immersive

Codesmith is one of the pivotal moments of my life.

Prior to attending, I was struggling to find meaningful work. I knew I wanted to get into software engineering, but I didn't have the knowledge nor background, but I had immense desire to break into the field. I heard about bootcamps when they first popped up 7 years ago and always thought about attending. 

I decided to take the leap after realizing this was the most direct route to an engineering job. 

I wanted the most rigorous and intense program and narrowed down the choices amongst Fullstack Academy, Hack Reactor SF, and Codesmith. These were all schools with classes Mon-Sat 9am-7pm+. I chose Codesmith after attending their Javascript the Hard Parts and speaking with multiple alumni about their experience. For many of them, it was a transformational experience that launched them into a dream career, granted they put in an enormous amount of work.  I could relate to them and felt that I too could make the transition. 

The experience itself is one the best periods of my life. It was a totally immersive and I got very close with my cohort. I slept in my car, was in the classroom from 9am to 1am+, and made life-long friends. I'm very thankful that such intensity was not only encouraged but cultivated as there were a couple others that would stay up and grind well into the night. And frankly I wouldn't have it any other way.

I learned a ton from my peers and worked on projects that interviewers were intrigued and impressed with. My classmates were outstanding and many of us went on to earn offers $100,000+. The promise is real, but you have to earn it. Many of us went to top schools yet some didn't even go to college at all. One of my classmates came from an animation background with no college degree and struggled to grasp many of the concepts, yet he never gave up and hustled harder than anyone and nabbed a 6 figure offer after applying to hundreds of positions and going through nearly a hundred phone interviews. You meet hardcore committed people here, people that will inspire you to elevate yourself and get to the next level.

Job support is great. There are alumni that hang around and will help you out and the staff are committed. I called a year after graduating to negotiate an offer and a 5-minute call with Uncle Eric, who advises on neogtiations, helped me get an additional $15k in salary and $5k in bonus. I followed his instructions and everything happened exactly as he described. The people here are real Pros, they know what they're doing, and they're not messing around. 

Shoutout to Will, Schno, Shanda, the fellows, and staff for making such a fun and intense atmosphere. It really is one of the best experiences of my life and I'm very grateful for having gone through the program. I too got that 6 figure offer, and I'm working at a job that not only is using the exact stack that was taught (React, Node, Mongo) but is also very fun! I continue to work hard and the future is very bright.

When I first came to Codesmith's "JavaScript the Easier Parts" I thought I had a decent foundation. I knew how to do a "for" loop. I knew that constant variables cannot be re-assigned. I felt like I was going to crush that workshop. And then...I heard the lead instructor Phil talk about 'execution context' and I had no idea what that meant. And what the heck is a call stack? 

It was at this point that I knew Codesmith truly went under the hood in explaining core Javascript concepts. So I kept coming back, week after week. Easier parts. Hard parts. CS Prep (their online 2-week prep program to help get you admitted to the 13-week residency).

Before I get ahead of myself, let me say this: Codesmith is not easy to get into. I don't have a tech background. All of this was new to me. But I finally got admitted in July 2019. If you're thinking about going to Codesmith I highly recommend it. Just know, that it is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to spend 12+ hours a day 6 days a week for 13 weeks. The true growth comes after the day technically ends at 8pm. You'd see juniors and seniors working in the conference rooms, going over data structures, algos, etc. 

The main reason why I chose Codesmith was the culture and the inclusive community. Everyone in the building is here to help you. They actually walk the walk. From the fellows, instructors, and your cohortmates, the support is there for you when you struggle. (Trust me, you will struggle). But the struggle is where the growth happens.

Before this goes too long, I'll just say this. If you're looking for a school to push you past your limits, apply for Codesmith. 

I had a phenomenal three months at Codesmith. The amount of support I received by all my peers and the staff was outstanding. I had a much different experience studying Computer Science in college. While I was in college, I was not passionate about a majority of the subjects I was studying and I received very little support heading into the job search. One of the aspects that I really enjoyed about Codesmith was the modern curriculum. At Codesmith you learn React, Redux, Node, and many in-demand skills. Another great aspecet of Codesmith is the amazing hiring program. The staff will work with you on your resume, cover letter, and many other key components of the job search. Many of my cohort mates have already had several interviews before graduating simply by following the tips given during the hiring portion of the program. Codesmith was definitely a life-changing experience. 

Coming to Codesmith has been one of the best decisions I've made. The program makes a concerted effort to bring up students that are underrepresented in the STEM community. As a female and a member of the LGBTQ community, I felt absolutely at home at Codesmith. Not only do they make an active effort to include women in their cohorts and staff, but they tackle issues that women frequently face in engineering programs by including lectures on imposter syndrome and implicit bias in their curriculum. The effort that the program puts into inclusion shows - women and engineers from underrepresented backgrounds thrive here. I have made friends and allies at Codesmith that I plan on keeping in touch with for years to come. 

Through the 13 week program, I built applications that provide real utility to developers onboarding new technologies. I come from a non-technical marketing background, but I’ve always loved problem-solving and wanted to move into programming. After completion of the program, I have grown in ways that I never predicted and I feel prepared to enter the workforce as a technically strong, highly communicative, passionate software engineer.

Deciding on a bootcamp wasn't easy, going through the application process was one of the first signs Codesmith was for me. Coming to Codesmith, you are expected to be at a higher level than all other bootcamps, this ensures you get the most out of the 3 month process and aren't paying a premium to learn the basics.

The dev tool I created with my team at Codesmith is an asset that will set me apart from other bootcamp grads (no crud apps or games for final projects), and diving deep into a technology while building this product certainly helps with the non junior/entry level narative all bootcamp grads will face. 

Aside from the technical excellence the culture at Codesmith is incredible. They go above and beyond to ensure that people who join are not only a technical fit, but also a cultural one. This makes those 80+ hours weeks managable, working with a great group of cohort mates, instructors, and fellows who are all there to help you reach your goals. 

Overal I'm incredibly lucky to have wound up at Codemsith and couldn't imagine having attended another program.

P.S check out their free programs on tuesday and thursday to get a taste of what curriculum is like

Codesmith has been a life changing since I've been here.  Not only have I grown extremely close to all of my cohort mates but I've had the chance to build some incredible technology.  

The curriculum has an enormous focus on learning through pair-programming and solidifying that understanding through building apps/dev tools.  Without Codesmith's mentoring, guidance, and structure I don't think I would have had either the motivation or the engineering prowess to build a cli tool, npm module, and web app to convert React class components to functional components with hooks syntax.

I attended the Codesmith coding school, and I was appreciative that event the intial entrance process required me to grow as an engineer, but gave me the resources to do so. Throughout the program, I not only grew exponentially as an engineer, as a systems architect, as a problem solver, but also as a person. I'm thankful for the entire codesmith community I have around me, and the network this program has given me to move into my dream job. The hiring portion is so well-informed and so intentional, and I look forward to using these tools well into my career. 

I came to Codesmith with many years in the tech industry in order to re-sharpen my coding skills and gain knowledge of a modern JavaScript based tech stack. From day one the experience exceeded my already high expectations. The lecture schedule/materials and delivery are a high quality product - but the people that surround you are the real differentiator - you are surrounded by amazing individuals with both a genuine ability and desire to help you succeed. Hiring support is exemplary and I feel I have been given valuable tools to help me get the kind of job I want. On the technical front - Codesmith understands that you need to take on a challenge and just build something rather than relying on a hand holding approach. Being at Codesmith mirrors what real work in the field feels like and as a result it develops real engineers as graduates. Amongst other things - I personally I built multiple React/Redux frontends, had the freedom to explore more exotic technologies such as graph databases, and built a tool to help examine the resiliency of GraphQL end points in distributed systems, while at the same time being able to be inspired by the creativity and work of other classmate's ideas and around me. Codesmith has huge personality and creates a collaborative environment for all. 100% recommend

Codesmith was a life-changing experience that exceeded my expectations in every way. While there are numerous things I appreciate about Codesmith, I would like to elaborate upon four. 

First, the Codesmith staff is incredible. Schno, the Head of Curriculum at Codesmith, and Augustine, the Lead Technical Mentor, are two of the best teachers I have ever had. They are dedicated, considerate, and extremely knowledgeable. Specifically, I appreciate Schno's ability to break complicated concepts down into their component parts. This greatly aided in the on-boarding process. I also appreciate the dedication of Augustine, who would stay at Codesmith as late as he needed to help his students. Sometimes, this even meant staying at Codesmith until 4:00 AM, just to show up bright and early the next morning.

Second, the Codesmith culture is extraordinary. I have never seen a place (except for the home) where there is so much support and kindness. From the "Family Dinners" on Mondays to the kickball tournaments during lunch, Codesmith's culture is truly remarkable. 

Third, the founder and CEO, Will Sentance, is an exceptional person who is active in the daily works. I find it remarkable how Will focuses on each student. He makes a concerted effort to know each student, their background, and their interests.

Fourth, the curriculum is continuously improving. No cohort has the experience because the curriculum continually evolves. 

To any who might be reading, I encourage you to attend Codesmith. Gaining admittance is challenging, but worth it in every regard.

I'm a LA Cohort 30 graduate. Prior to Codesmith, I graduated UCLA with a degree in physics. I didn't have much programming experience but had a lot of experience grinding. That's what codesmith is; a hardcore grind. We learn everything from vanillaJS, to React/Redux in the frontend, NodeJS/Express in the backend, MongoDB/Postgres for DB, and your very own niche topic that you'll spend 4 weeks on. Honestly, what other boot camp helps you make your own developer tool. The hiring process itself (how codesmith approaches finding interviews/etc) is worth the 18k honestly. I'm blown away at how strong the hiring process is and how they go about reaching out to companies. You will not regret your experience at codesmith. Cohort 30 best cohort :)

This place literally changed my life.

I just finished the program on 08/30/19 and I just signed my offer letter yesterday for an engineering position well within the 6 figure salary range.

I just want to start by saying that you are not guaranteed a 6 figure salary by just attending. Codesmith gives you the perfect environment and resources necessary to succeed and grow at a rapid pace, but it is ultimately up to the individual to get the most out of their experience.

My Background: I graduated with my B.S. in a tech related major (not CS) last year in 2018 and I have been trying to break into the industry ever since. I took a few CS classes in Java and taught myself Python; I would say I was at a junior level after graduating, but I had no software engineering internships. After trying for so long with no luck, I realized I was doing something wrong. My application was rarely ever seen; having the required technical skills won't matter if you are never able to get into an interview room with engineers and show them.

I was very hesitant to go to a bootcamp, I already had some coding experience so I felt as though paying 17k for something I could teach myself was a waste of money. After a fair amount of research, a friend of mine recommended Codesmith. He went through the program after being in a similar situation as me and ended up at a successful startup making over 6 figures a month after finishing the program. I decided to attend the free workshops every Thursday night and I was sold after 2 weeks.

How to join: You definitely need to have a solid understanding of JavaScript fundamentals to truly get the most out of CodeSmith, if you are completely brand new to JavaScript or coding, you definitely need to study before attending. The technical interviews required for admission do a good job at gauging this, if you are able to get accepted after the technicals, you should be at a good enough level to start.

Luckily, Codesmith provides a lot of free resources that can help you get to the level needed for entry. CSX, their online learning platform, and JavaScript the Hard Parts meetups every Thursday are 2 fantastic free resources Codesmith provides to the community.

What sets it apart from other programs?

I won't try too hard to sell it, the results and positive experience students have speak for itself.

I will say that the way I was thinking about it before joining was wrong. I did not pay 17k for the material they teach here; I could have learned that on my own, anyone could. I paid 17k for a lot more than just the material taught.

The 4 things that make Codesmith worth it: 

1) Learning how to problem solve

Codesmith believes in hard learning. For your own benefit, there is no spoon feeding at Codesmith. The units are designed in a way that you and your partner are bound to hit blocks. This is 100% intentional. The lectures give you a high level overview of the topic so that you are not completely lost in the unit, but you will have to dig deeper into specific parts of the technology with your partner in order to push through those blocks. You might think this is stupid, why are you paying so much money to end up teaching yourself ? This is a fair concern to have. To be clear, you have access to your partner, other cohort mates, your seniors, your fellows, and instructors as resources to help you break through those blocks. Still, no one here will flat out tell you the answer. It is absolutely essential for you to bridge that gap and have that moment of realization on your own, having someone simply tell you what to do robs you of that learning opportunity. You are bound to struggle, but I guarantee that you will have a deeper understanding of the topic after struggling with that block for so long. On the other hand, if someone just gave you the answer you might take it for granted and not fully understand what you did. Hard learning a topic is more likely to stick with you.

2) Building soft skills

Something that is often overlooked are the soft skills that you develop during your time at Codesmith. This is something that you absolutely cannot develop while studying on your own at home. Soft skills play a huge role during the hiring process and an even bigger role within the workplace. Soft skills become increasingly more important as you climb the software engineer ladder at work. The difference between a junior engineer and a mid-level engineer is that the junior needs to be told what to do while the mid-level is autonomous. A senior engineer has all that and can also teach/guide other engineers to make sure the team is on the same page. This requires a good mix of technical skills and soft skills.

Codesmith teaches you how to write your resume, present yourself, whiteboard effectively and technically communicate. Even pair programming every day helps build these soft skills while communicating with a partner. This is invaluable stuff.

3) Hiring support

The hiring support has been amazing. The job hunt is definitely a rough road, no one said it was going to be easy. I have been finished with codesmith for about 4 weeks now and the staff has kept in touch with me throughout these 4 weeks to make sure I am going about the job hunting process as efficiently as possible. It might be annoying at first, but it really forces you to self reflect and be real with yourself; if you are not getting any results then it means you must change what you are doing and try something else. I honeslty believe the only reason someone would not get hired after is if they don't put in the work required; its a really hard grind but you just have to make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. That being said, Codesmith does an amazing job at keeping morale high and making sure everyone is putting in the work necessary to get their dream job. You can also schedule mock interviews/resume reviews/ anything else you need with staff whenever you need help.

The negotiation advice given by a specialist at Codesmith alone was worth the 17k i paid; I was able to get an extra 10k a year on my base salary because of it.

4) Amazing community

I have met SO many amazing people since joining the Codesmith community around 5 months ago when I started going to the free workshops. This is something that might sound corny but its nice to be reminded that you are not alone in this process. After job hunting for so long on my own with no luck, I was starting to feel really down. Being in it together with a group of like minded individuals has helped me tremendously. They believed in me at times when I wasn't able to believe in myself. The staff does an amazing job at fostering a supportive community. Breaking into this industry will be scary and rough, but you don't have to do it alone.

CodeSmith changed my life! I want to give a big shout out to Will, Schno, Shanda & Eric. I appreciate everything they have done to create such an amazing program. I wrote a review on SwitchUp, but wanted to add one here. 

CodeSmith gives you everything you need -- starting with JS fundamentals & Algos, to a modern framework & tooling, and finally devOps and system design. 

CodeSmith job support is amazing! They will work with you to detect where things are working well and where you need more support. They give you explicit guidelines on how to approach the process and Eric even helped me negotiate a 5k increase in my salary and a nice relocation bonus. I would have had no idea how to even begin approaching that kind of thing without him.

My suggestions: 1. Prepare to live and breath code so clear out your schedule. 2. Try to learn as much as you can before entering the program (its a multiplier). 3. The job search process can be a grind if you do not have a technical background like me, so follow the guidelines outlined by CodeSmith and work with the support team to practice interviewing or resume formatting.

I hope if a prospective student reads this review, they know that this program truly is a game changer, but also keep in mind that there are no guarantees, and you must do the hard work to succeed. They can help you as much as possible, but ultimately you must do the learning & and the hard part of applying.

When you are signing up for this immersive course, you must realize a few things.

- This is not for the weak.

- This is for people who are ready for change, and that can be daunting.

- Must be ready to temporarily put aside your social life.

CodeSmith's pedagogy is precise when it comes to evolving a Student into a well-spoken Software Engineer professional. 

Tip: Do not think that "just getting into CodeSmith" will qualify you to be worth 100k+ right away. You become worth that much after you put in the necessary work in CodeSmith. 

What I loved about CodeSmith: As you can imagine, trying to prove yourself to someone else (to get hired) can be very intimidating. CodeSmith has professional software engineer veterans who help students with the imposter monster (imposter syndrome) they may be facing by giving them the right honest advice. It all may sound unbelievable and what not (trust me, I am hard-headed myself to start believing things). But you can trust CodeSmith to give you the right kind of support you need to be successful. 

There is so much more I can say about CodeSmith.

If you are interested in joining a Bootcamp, visit CodeSmith first. 

P.S. One of the greatest things about CodeSmith is that I also made new life long friends who I became very close with.

I would highly recommend Codesmith to all aspiring SWEs. I started off teaching myself js, css, and html earlier this year and I decided to attend Codesmith soon after. The first 6 weeks consists of multiple day sprints using the newest technologies and lectures, and then the last 6 weeks consists of projects that will help you shine once you're on the job search. 

Reasons why I would choose Codesmith:

1.Teaching style. I really enjoyed the teaching style of Codesmith, please attend their free workshops on Thursday if you're serious about it. The material you learn will definitely help during your job search in the future (I ended up rewatching some workshops via youtube before interviews to nail down js fundamentals) Hard parts with Schno was the tipping point for me to attend Codesmith over any other programs. At first it was very challenging for me to learn so much material at such a rapid pace. During the program they will not hold your hand and walk you through everything. They will teach you what you need to know and then from there it is on you to reinforce the learning through pair programming sprints and projects. This allows you to be an autonomous problem solving engineer, which is key to being a great engineer on the job. 

2. The community/network. I had an amazing cohort and we were all driven to becoming impactful engineers. If you want to be surrounded by likeminded people striving to break into this amazing industry then I would highly recommend looking into Codesmith. The results speak for themselves (check their outcomes). One thing I learned throughout my time post CS is who you know in this industry will get you a long way. I believe being part of the Codesmith family will be an amazing asset moving forward whether it is receiving referrals or advice on engineering best practices. 

If you are serious about making moves in this industry and you are just getting started I would highly recommend CS. It is definitely not for everyone. I had my doubts throughout the program, but through the help of my cohort members and CS fellows, instructors, and admin I was able to defeat that imposter syndrome and find a great job. You definitely need to be committed to spending 3 full months grinding away. 

I graduated from Codesmith LA back in May and have been working for a few months as a Frontend Developer. I got my first job from their hiring day, which is actually one of the things that set Codesmith apart from other bootcamps. Towards the end of your bootcamp, Codesmith invites a handful of tech companies around the area to do a round robin / speed dating event with the cohort. Casual, not a lot of pressure and great experience to practice interviewing with real companies. Two people from my cohort actually got jobs from the hiring day with a bunch of others getting take home assignments and onsite interviews. So if you come to Codesmith, take hiring day seriously, you could get a job out of it. 

Curriculum - When I was shopping around for bootcamps, they all seemed to have mostly the same curriculum. Algorithms, Javascript, React, Node. I did notice that one of my current co-workers that came out of Hack Reactor LA had zero experience with testing, devops, and barely any redux. Hack Reactor might have changed their curriculum since then but I actually didn't know how good I had it with Codesmith until working with him. 

Post Grad Support - Another great thing about Codesmith and actually the reason why I'm here writing this review. Their resident business advisor/consultant/support?, Eric, is awesome. He's the one that coaches you on how to interview, accept offers and negotiate. Even after your first job out of Codesmith you can still text him, "Hey Eric, I just got an offer from ___ for $$$ and here is how everything went down, what do you think?" and he'll either call you back in a few minutes or text you to coach you on how to proceed with negotiations or to just take it because it's a great offer! 

So for anyone looking for a coding bootcamp, you can't really go wrong with Codesmith. The only advice I would have for them is to keep the cohorts small. I came from a cohort of 14 which was awesome, but some of the ones after me started getting pretty big. I feel like you lose out on quality when you go for quantity but I could be wrong. Also don't rely on any coding bootcamp as an easy way to change careers because software engineering is not easy. You're going to spend a ton of hours at your bootcamp and even then that will not be enough to become a decent software engineer. Bootcamp is only 3 months so if you want to become great you're going to have to keep learning and working on your own until you get that first job. If you love learning new things in a field that's constantly changing then this is for you. If you're lazy and don't like to learn new things then don't waste your time. 
 

A great and accurate descriptor for the experience I've had and the people I've met on this journey!

There are three things that I think set Codesmith apart, and are things that I would like to highlight for people wondering why they should choose Codesmith over other programs.

Curriculum integration:

There is no shortage of options out there for fullstack engineering programs, and a lot follow a similar or identical tech stack to the one you will receive here, but Codesmith's execution in this respect is what sets them apart. Here, Codesmith focuses on two key elements to progress you through the program’s completion. These are pair programming and collaboration. The core curriculum is divided into units, and each unit covering a web technology is followed by a pair programming session with another resident to complete a related challenge. This strengthens your technical communication; you are challenged not only in putting into practice what you just covered, but also navigating the communication required to effectively present the concepts of the technology and your thought process to another engineer. Once you move into the projects phase, you are placed groups with other residents in order to prepare you for the collaboration that will be required of you at a job, when you’re working as part of a team. It’s also important to note that the projects aren’t given to you, like assignments would be, but instead are ideas and tools that you and your group come up with and decide to work on.

Hiring program:

When considering what you’ll learn from an engineering program, usually the focus is on the tech stack and the technical skills you’ll pick up, but Codesmith has a period of time set aside for something just as important for people who will be entering the job market. Navigating this market, and standing out in it requires a different kind of preparation, and a professional presence that not many take the time to craft. Codesmith educates its residents in everything from crafting distinguished resumes, to increasing conversion rates through strategically composed applications, to tightening communication and confidence throughout the interview process. The best part of it is that the support doesn’t stop once you graduate. Codesmith continues to follow up as you go through the application process, and give you feedback, and offers help through things like mock interview practices and emotional support.

Community:

I’ve saved community for last because I believe it’s all-encompassing, and is probably the best descriptor of what really glues all the best parts of Codesmith together to create the best engineering program experience. It is not an exaggeration for me to call Codesmith a family. If you’ve ever had the chance to come to a few of the meetups hosted by them, you can get a glimpse of the strong sense of community between everyone involved at Codesmith, residents, staff, alumni, and visitors alike. This is something that is nurtured every step of the way during your time as a resident in the program. The pair programming, the group projects, the support encouraged between not just the staff and residents, but also between the residents as well. This sense of community carries on way after graduation, with a strong network of alumni and staff that are always happy to help in any way they can.

Above and beyond is really the only way I can describe my Codesmith experience. My time there has marked a clear distinction in my life as far as the person and engineer I was before, and the person and engineer I've grown into by having gone through it. It has been the most challenging and most rewarding investment I've made in my education and professional development. It requires a great level of grit and perseverance, for sure, but when you emerge on the other end, you do it with a family of peers and supporting staff that provide you with a sense of community, and with the technical knowledge and experience to know that any engineering challenge you face is just another obstacle like the many ones you've just surpassed.

There are so many more things I could say about Codesmith, but I hope this review helps anyone condering taking this next step in their career.

Before committing to Codesmith, I’ve researched and considered a lot of different programs.  I had realized that there were some reputable programs, while there were some questionable programs.  I was accepted to two reputable programs, but I knew that I wanted the most challenging experience and knew Codesmith was the right program for me.  

First, the outcome speaks for itself.  If you need objective evidence, review the CIRR report.  

Second, the production projects really stand apart from other programs.  The residents tackle and solve real problems faced by software engineers.  You develop a deep knowledge in one area of the technology (not working on projects like Facebook, Yelp or Airbnb clones which seems pretty popular at other programs).  This part really made a big difference in my decision.  

Third, the admission process was rigorous so I knew that the standards of the cohort would be high.  I wanted to be around smart, high potential people.  

Fourth, I didn’t know much at the time, but the hiring support has been amazing.  I can’t speak about other programs, but Codesmith been great so far in this aspect. In fact, I think that the outcome of this program is the result of its hiring program.  Every program teaches open source technologies like React, so what differentiates Codesmith from the rest is its hiring program.

If you want to take you skills from zero to 60, consider other programs.  But if you want to take your skills from 20 to 120, this is the program for you. 

I went through Codesmith essentially twice - as a resident and as an engineering fellow after graduating. In both situations, I got so much more out of it than I ever expected to. I not only ended up becoming a software engineer but found a place that truly felt like home.

My first exposure to Codesmith was through JSHP and was immediately impressed by how much detail the instructors went into for core concepts in JS. At the time, I wasn't even looking for a program, just an opportunity to meet other engineers and network. However, the level of commitment Codesmith had for developing the community around the free workshops made me realize it was something different. Additionally, the fact that both Will and Phil were willing to help me even before I considered applying proved how unique of a place Codesmith is. The one key phrase that I kept hearing stood out to me: Developing yourself but never at the expense of somebody else. I was already nervous enough considering switching career fields, but that phrase really provided solace. I eventually applied and got accepted into the program.

Residency: The residency is extremely challenging and back-breaking. There is no other way to say it. However, the feeling that you will get from tackling those challenges trumps everything. While doing the residency, I finally understood why Codesmith was on a different caliber than other programs (i.e. Hack Reactor, Flatiron...etc). A really big portion is the production project where we focus on building developer tools that other engineers use. It might not even be on at technology taught in the program. Ultimately, it boils down to the community. You will face a tremendous amount of doubt, trying to justify why you deserve to be in the program while continuously fighting imposter syndrome and simultaneously digesting overwhelming amounts of information. Even though the curriculum is tough, it's nothing compared to the emotional aspects that come along with it that you'll need to manage. However, as cliche as it sounds, it's the community that will carry you through. You're amidst people who are just as passionate and ambitious as you and that's going to make you work harder. What makes it special though is that everyone is mutually invested in your success are you are in theirs. That reciprocity results in you learning and growing even though you might feel like you aren't. The residency teaches you not only the core curriculum but also what it means to be someone of value personally and professionally. You eventually learn to leverage grit, frustration, mentorship and perseverance as traits that are going to make you invaluable as an engineer. 

Fellowship: I was extremely fortunate to be asked to join the team after graduating as an engineering fellow. As a fellow, you are not only working on Codesmith's platform (i.e CSX), but also mentoring the residents. Doing the fellowship made me realize just how much work went into forming this community. I knew every team member works extremely hard but I didn't realize the amount of dedication it took behind the scenes to make Codesmith what it is. Having to actually represent Codesmith made me realize there were so many things I took for granted. I thought doing the residency was challenging, doing the fellowship took it to a whole other level. However, I am so glad I did as I learned just as much if not even more than the residency. I essentially went through the program again but this time through the lens of an instructor. Having that change in perspective makes you mature extremely fast technically. Beyond the technical growth, working with the team was one of the best parts. It's common to hear that good work culture in a company often translates into strong performance. Working at Codesmith was the epitome of that. As challenging as doing the fellowship was technically and emotionally, knowing the team always had my back made me realize I found a family that valued me for who I was. Not a lot of companies are able to provide that. 

Having gone through essentially a full circle, Codesmith is where you want to be if you want to become a software engineer. However, beyond that, Codesmith is a place that will grow you personally and professionally in ways that that other programs can't

I can't say enough good things about my experience with Codesmith. After graduating with my Bachelors in Computer Science, Codesmith was the next best step for me to go from a junior level to mid-level engineer. The atmosphere and learning environment that they've been able to create through the curriculum and JSHP shows their deep dedication to building and supporting the best engineers in the market. As a Codesmith Resident, I went from not being able to build out a full-stack application, to building out 4 of my own as well as a developer tool — working with bleeding-edge technology. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would. After graduating, they helped me secure and negotiate a six-figure job with an amazing company in the heart of New York. 

I went through Codesmith immersive program from December -> March 2019.  It was a very stressful decision for me, I left my pregnant wife and 2 year old in Montana and moved to Venice for the 3 months I was in codesmith.  I needed to make sure that it was worth my time and money.  I did extensive research (just like you are doing now because you're reading this review) and narrowed it down to a few.  I was looking for THE BEST program period.  It could have been anywhere in the country and price wasn't a huge factor.  I just needed the knowledge as quickly as possible.  The curriculum, community of people and staff took my skills to where they needed to be.  6 weeks after I graduated I landed a mid-level software engineering job at a very well known company with a total comp package of ~180k.  And almost all of my cohort-mates had a very similar result at the time of writing this review.  Keep in mind...I worked my ass off.  But the hard work was contagious in the cohort and everyday I was excited to dive deeper and push myself and everyone around me.  That's what Codesmith does best.  By the end of the 3 months I was a sobbing mess, leaving people that have become lifelong friends after our time at Codesmith.  Checkout easy parts/hard parts online or in person and it will give you a good idea of the curriculum.  The x factor that codesmith has is the community that it breeds, job search prep and hiring support.  If you work hard to get into codesmith, are able to put your ego aside go through this program working your hardest everyday, follow their advice on applying for jobs => You will succeed. Period.