Blaizing Academy

Eleven Fifty has been a phenomenal experience both intellectually and interpersonally. To the point:

- Experienced Educators able to provide constructive feedback and answers when stuck for a while on a piece of code

- Exceptional career services staff willing to dedicate as much time as needed to landing a job

- Diverse group of students. Some personalities did clash, but this provided a fundamental insight into potential workplace environments and how to handle them

- Difficult projects weeded out individuals who did not put in time and effort, or were simply not suited for code - giving the name of Elevent Fifty respect in regards to rigor 

- I would 100% recommend this program if you are serious about code and have time to dedicate. Remember, this is not just a hobby. 

I came to Eleven Fifty a little hesitantly, as I wasn't sure I would be able to keep up with a bootcamp style learning environment, but the staff here made it simple. The teachers here are all excellent, and really connect with the students beyond teaching. The environment is more like a family, and the materials provided are extensive and go the extra mile. This school was started by Scott Jones, the forerunner of voicemail technology, and the experience and influence in the coding industry shows in the extras you're given in the curriculum. They assist with mock interviews with real employers in which you are given feedback, resume review, and job placement, as well as workshops in Intellectual Property, Contracting and Law, and Soft Skills, among others. I chose this school because of a friend who went through the program, and was (and still is) gainfully and happily employed in the industry with their help, and I would reccomend it to anyone looking for a quick chance to jump into the nation's largest (and quickest growing) employment field. 

Before I continue with this review- the background: I have given this a lot of thought and held out to write a review since I was removed back in September of 2017 to avoid coming off too emotional. I want to be honest and give my full critique of this Academy as objectively as possible so those future enrollers go in with all the warnings, what to expect, and that sort of notion.

First the positives: Eleven Fifty looks promising. They have a nice faculty/instructors and plenty of space to kick back and study within their walls. They even offered lunch and snacks. They even have a shower.. In case you stay a night.. or more.. So since I have last attended they provided 24/7 access which is great if you want a private place to study away from home. This location also has places to shop nearby if needed for anything. The course itself- the material I thought was great but also a bit fast (as advertised). I've already had some background in Javascript and I needed something to help focus on advancing further in that realm of coding. The prospects of the course from start to finish seems very promising if you do your part.

The negatives: The main part I want to emphasize and get my message across.. The policy of Eleven Fifty at that time (and most likely still is) was very strict in the sense of the final projects to be turned in during the end of their individual tiers throughout the program, otherwise you will be removed.

In my case, I made some bad choices during the program and tried to remain independent of getting caught up which I failed to do so as well as to bring to attention prior to the end date of 1st tier. They say that they want to maintain some sort of business ethics upon their decision making and that allows them to uphold this overprivileged policy of kicking you out despite how expensive this place is.. over $10K. Regardless of the circumstances, would any of you individuals out there posing as someone running a business just take people's money like this? I wasn't asking for a refund. I was asking for a second chance- all in vain because of bearucratic powers that be "policy".

To my defense- I have seen what the other students turned in and being more than nice I can say that I could have expected high schoolers to create higher quality projects. This was the first tier however.. still sort-of-the-beginning of the program right? If that's the case why wasn't this given more consideration for my desire to stay and push through? My projects that were incomplete had bigger plans that I wanted to use to WOW the other students as well as the instructors. I aimed a little too high for my goals- is that always bad business practice? I strongly dislike turning in low quality work. I have always dealt with time-managing skills with difficulty- any other human being would say the same to some degree of themselves if they're honest.

This is the whole point I am making.. So early in the program- you cannot predict a student's prospects so early unless you are arrogant by nature. I admit I made mistakes and wished I handled it differently- but how does that justify their final decisions or the policy that stands? It would have been more reasonable if it were during the 2nd tier if you were to remove me- not the first.

I even took the pre-course to determine if I would excel in Javascript- which I did! To be fair they did leave me access to the slack channel, so I can still try to "learn" even though the whole point of enrolling for me was to learn in person as I always perform better in. And even when I decided to check on the slack channel several weeks later- I no longer had access to it. Just lovely.

I wouldn't care if they stripped the job assistance from me to maintain their golden image of themselves if I could have stayed and learned, but they did not budge or do anything that any other human capable of sympathizing would do. I understand not everyone at Eleven Fifty is capable of overriding decisions/policy.. But nobody has tried or shown any real sympathy. Saying sorry and acting in the opposite nature.. That's just a recipe to break someone down.

Summary: If you have difficulty learning/focusing... if you have budget restraints.. if you already have plenty of loans as it is.. I do not recommend enrolling here. If you will be paying out of pocket to some degree for this place- I would recommend finding cheap online courses like udemy or udacity instead of bootcamps and build a profile from what you learned. You would save more money and avoid heartache if this were to backfire on you like this. But if you have money to throw around and enjoy a challenge with high stakes with a good healthy demeanor and most importantly a natural talent for these sorts of things.. go for it. I gave job assistance 4 stars because majority of the graduates find it useful and I cannot leave it blank.

My message to Eleven Fifty: I have not reached out to you since I left because I don't know how to reason with unreasonable people- further efforts would have seemed futile as it was for me at the end especially the way I was feeling for several months after.

You should really consider changing the policy to better reflect student's needs a little more in the sense of not removing a student during the first tier to be the nonprofit you claim to be of helping the community. You let some students who didn't have high enough prospects for this sort of work graduate anyways just because they turned work in on time.. Two wrongs don't make a right.

I wouldn't mind coming back to regain what knowledge I lost in the future if it were possible- but I already paid majority of the program and got very little out of it other than a heavy dose of reality. I don't hate you guys. I loved your instructors while I was there- their enthusiasm for teaching shown brightly and helped keep my self-confidence afloat when I struggled. You show some promise in respects to bootcamps such as yourself, but this policy really leaves a bad taste in anyone's mouth who is dealt with it. Reflect.. Learn.. and improve as I have done since I have left this cohort.

Eleven Fifty is a great program and offers very talented instructors. I was thoroughly impressed at how willing to help each of the instructors are. This is a very tough course and your learning curve will no doubt skyrocket. As long as you love to learn and aren't afraid to ask for help, you will excel in the program.

The staff are still trying to improve curriculum and are trying different things to see what works best. There are some things that still need to be ironed out, but you really can't complain because of how robust the rest of their program is.

I was would like to see a little more help with trying to find a job. While a lot of students are held other jobs, there are a good amount of young students, such as myself, who are straight out of high school and it would be really helpful to have some guidance with job searching.

Overall I would highly recommend Eleven Fifty and their program.

I just graduated from Eleven Fifty Academy last week and am overall happy with my experience. I have specific things I liked that I will talk about but I will also touch on some things I didn't like and wish I had known before I started in August to better prepare.

First things first is that I do have a paid internship lined up that I will be starting within the next month. I received the offer for this before the bootcamp was even finished. Full disclosure, getting the internship had way more to do with my network, personality, and state grant that provides funding for training and employment than my technical training or Eleven Fifty's job placement.

I really enjoyed the cohort experience but it worked as well as it did because of the personalities in my cohort. The staff at Eleven Fifty is wonderful and I don't have any complaints about them other than that sometimes it seemed that they forgot that we are all adults. For example, there are 2 points throughout the bootcamp at which a student may be asked to leave the program due to poor performance. We had 2 students leave at the first checkpoint and there was no discussion in class about it until another student asked. I understand discretion, but at that point we had been there for 3 weeks and were starting to develop friendships. We wanted to know if we weren't going to see certain classmates again.

The curriculum was good and bad. The first 4 weeks of curriculum went fairly well but from there things fell apart in my opinion. The class dynamic still held on strong though and that made up for the curriculum short falls.

Eleven Fifty intentionally provides a lot of instruction at the beginning of the bootcamp and gradually lessens it so that you are teaching yourself at the end. This insures that you can be a lifelong learner and that you can work yourself through an issue when you are on the job. With our cohort though, it seemed less gradual and more abrupt. Our time with AJAX, Express, Mongo, React/Redux, and Angular could have been much more productive and meaningful if they had provided one day of instruction and 4 days of self-teaching for each of the topics instead of the way they chose to do it.

With that being said, no one ever gave me the impression that they would teach us "everything". They were very open about that from the start, I just didn't understand how that would play out and could have prepared more if I had. The full blame for this time is not on Eleven Fifty, however, as I had classmates who walked away from those weeks with a lot of knowledge and understanding, but there was still a good group of us who felt the opposite.

While Chris is absolutely amazing and incredibly helpful, I gave job assistance a 4 because Eleven Fifty does not guarantee you a job. For the price tag, it's hard to sign up for programs like these when the outcome is unsure. There is an expectation that the student be in control of their future but I know that this was hard for me to accept and almost stopped me from signing up. Chris provided a lot of assistance for me with my resume and organizing the grant requirements for my internship but I was never presented with an employment opportunity by him or anyone else at Eleven Fifty other than a fellow student. The mock interviews that you participate in can result in job offers but it only happens if that company is hiring and usually requires that you see the same company for your soft skills and technical mock interviews. This didn't work out for my cohort because of some students in the class not effectively preparing for the soft skills interview, which ruined it for the rest of us.

There were at least 2 students who received offers from mock interviews but in a cohort of 21 that isn't reassuring and only happened because their interviewers also asked technical questions during the soft skills interview. Perhaps the solution is to have the interviews last longer, be both soft skills and technical in one sitting, and happen twice throughout the bootcamp. That way students can see one employer at week 8 and another at week 12, if they don't get an offer from the first.

Again, overall I am happy with my experience I just would have liked for better outcomes for my classmates. There are about 20 of us who graduated and I know of 4 of us who have accepted job offers. Again, a large part of that falls to the individual students' shortfalls, but there is more that can be done to improve this. Some of the necessary steps to success were presented as though they were options and I think simply changing the language that is used can help a lot of students better prepare.

The big question is would I do it all again? The answer is yes, although I would buy additional resources for the subjects I mentioned above and probably try to spend even more time at school studying even though I put at least 2 extra hours in each day already.

At Eleven Fifty Academy, you're not only taught the fundamentals, but also given the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to excel within the program AND in the workforce.  The staff put in endless hours to help each and every student succeed and reach/be put on track to reach their goals.  You are given honest, helpful feedback in your work and transactions with others, and provided with many opportunities to better yourself as a coder every day there (and not just through coding!).  The instructors connect well with the students and go above and beyond to encourage student's learning in their own styles.  The curriculum is very evident in how well-planned and thought out it is.  The career-readiness prep is extremely helpful and sets you up for success (I even accepted a job offer on my second to last day!).  The administrative staff cares a lot about the students and constantly pushes them to be even better than the day before (literally!), and the President has a very hands-on approach in guiding this program down the best path.  My experience at Eleven Fifty Academy was truly exceptional, and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone wanting an accelerated, very intensive path into the tech industry.

Looking for a career path that didn't involve four years of school (and waaay too much student debt), I stumbled upon coding bootcamps and Eleven Fifty in particular because of my current location. The counselors were very encouraging from the very beginning and I was also able to get a good scholarship...make sure you ask about qualifying for scholarships! They were also very understanding of the fact that I had a long drive to and from school, and in bad weather always expressed concern and we were able to work around days when I wasn't able to be in due to the road conditions. Every teacher and mentor there was always available, even after school hours and after the class graduated. They were very supportive as I interviewed and looked for a job, which came in handy because I was searching for two months. After two months of studying full time for the interviews I got, meeting everyone in the field that I could, and very intentionally making every connection I could make, I got the developer job of my dreams! Waiting for the right work culture is absolutely crucial, and Eleven Fifty helped me every step of the way. The only Con I can see is that they are constantly evolving and tweaking their process, which leads to some days and details of confusion, but ultimately change is necessary to growth and I believe they are growing in all the right ways. Absolutely would recommend to anyone willing to put in hard work for 12 weeks, and reap the benefits afterwards. When you really put your mind to it, you can accomplish so much, and at Eleven Fifty you will build real life projects with your own code, instead of studying abstract principles from a textbook.

This was a big chance I took by doing the .NET track because I had no experience in development other than taking 1 c++ class in college.I decideded I needed a career change. I quit my job and the next week was in class for the track. The instructors were great, and I gained a lot of experience in an extremely short amount of time. I also got help finding a job after the track was over and that helped tremendously. The instructors are definitely there to teach and care about you learning as much as you can, and I still keep in touch after graduating. The people there really care about what they are doing and make sure as many people as possible succeed, as long as they dedicate themselves and are engaged as much as they can be. You get out of this what you put in.

A note of caution: this will not be easy, it will be challenging. I have a degree in risk management and finance from Butler University in addition to doing this track, so that is what I used as a benchmark for the class. You will be pushed and will get extremely frustrated at times. It all really does get you ready for a job afterwards.

The reward is there, and by that I mean marketable job and coding skills to get you in the door somewhere, but you will have to work at it, and really stay focused and absorb all the information you can. 

Overall, this was one of the best decisions I ever made and wouldn't have had it any other way.

I found Eleven Fifty when I was looking to change careers. If you are in the same boat, then Eleven Fifty is a great choice. Though the Java Accelerated Learning Program was difficult and a lot to process in such a small amount of time, it has enabled me to quickly change careers to something that I really enjoy (and get paid better doing it)!

The instructors and staff really care about you and your success. I especially loved how much they focused on teaching us about soft skills as well as the hard, programming skills. When you finish the program, you have the skills and confidence to go out and land a great job. Not only that, but they have stayed in contact and have always been a great resource well beyond the course. 

This will not be an easy experience for you, but it will be rewarding if you work hard and stick with it. I went from dreading getting up and going to work to being excited about what I was doing. I'm not sure I could have made that transition so quickly without Eleven Fifty.

I really loved my experience at 1150. Despite being the first java cohort, the curriculum was interesting, relevant and thoughtfully put together, even though there were some kinks in the system as we went, they made sure that they worked them out so we could have a great experience. The instructors are some of the most kind and caring people you could ever meet. They go super far above and beyond to make sure everybody gets the help they need. I took this course to transition to a career in software development, and even though we finished right around the holidays, I had a job within a month making the most money I've made in my life! Can't thank 1150 enough for everything!!

Eleven Fifty Academy (EFA) offers a great immersive nine-week learning program that also included an additional 12 week apprenticeship designed to help get you in the field. The instructors are fantastic and I would count them among the best I've ever had in my life. 

The level of support and attention that Eleven Fifty offers is second to none. They are tied to your success reputationally and financially, which means they are actually invested in your employment. Traditional education (college) is great, but they don't care whether or not you get a job in the field. EFA is completely geared to getting you started in a coding job quickly. 

The staff from top to bottom is great and I cannot recommend this program enough. 

I was disappointed by my experience.  I would have given 5 stars if the instructor had been better.  I would have even taken more classes. 

Con: The instructor was far too inexperienced to be teaching.  He didn’t know how to explain or answer questions.  He expected us to catch on right away without any explanations.  Any wrong answer would result in eye rolling or mocking.  It was clear that they needed someone with more experience teaching.

Pro: The environment and vibe is really fun.  They try to make sure you feel welcomed and try to encourage a sense of community.  

I took the Intro to Coding course during a weekend and I loved it. The instructor was great; I had no coding experience prior to taking this course. Our instructor was helpful and so patient with everyone. The environment was amazing; everyone in the class helped each other as we worked through the problems and all of our needs were taken care of. The staff were friendly and made sure everyone was happy. The course was challenging but great because I was able to be exposed to what coding really is. I hope to take the next course in the near future to continue learning about writing code. I would suggest this course to anyone because anyone can learn how to code! 

Eleven Fifty is an excellent school for those wanting to learn about coding for either recreation or professional needs.  I had zero experience in Coding, but after taking the Intro course, I felt confident to pursue Coding as a potential career.  The facility is amazing, the hospitality of staff is awesome and the instructors are exceptional. The instructor created a climate of openess and that no question was a stupid question.  I would reccommend Eleven Fifty to anyone looking to learn Coding.  

This bootcamp has been extremely helpful in my career change. The instructor was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with the students. The facilities were incredible and all of our needs were taken care of, allowing us to concentrate fully on learning.

Immediately after completing my course I was allowed to apply for an apprenticeship with the consulting firm and promptly received an offer. This has been the best learning experience I have ever had and has definitely prepared me for a career change into the software engineering field.

I took the intro to iOS course at Eleven Fifty in January of 2015, with absolutely no computer programming background. I was lucky enough to be offered an apprenticeship a month or so after completing the week long, immersive coding class.  Since starting as a full-time employee for Eleven Fifty in March, my knowledge of development and experience consulting real-world clients has expanded tremendously.  I have now submitted two, going on three, apps the app store.  I have learned so much from my fellow apprentices, and especially our senior developers. This experience has given me the skills I need to ultimately get a job elsewhere doing what I love, which I would have never been able to say prior to enrolling at Eleven Fifty.

Course: Intro to iOS- Crash course-style learning, good for introducing a person to a lot of information at once in a short period of time. Very knowledged/skilled instructors that teach practice instead of just theory in a field-submersive environment, where the student is always in the code doing it themselves. Instructors not only teach, but work it in their career and have years (some with decades) of experience in programming and the business of it.

Welcoming environment for beginners like me- never felt out of place. Definitely worth looking into!