Fullstack Academy

I just finished the 17-week immersive program at Fullstack Academy of Code and this was one of the best experience of my life. If you are looking for a boot-camp to kickstart the career as a software engineer,  I couldn't recommend Fullstack more!

First of all, the academic structure, curriculums, and outcomes were top-notch. Fullstack adjusts the curriculums often based on the trends of the tech industry to make sure the materials taught are not obsolete and the students are fully prepared for becoming software engineers. In addition, the students' voices are always being heard. There are multiple channels that we can leave feedback and suggestions. Fullstack takes the feedback very seriously so they can improve the program and students' experience.  

Secondly, Fullstack has great instructors who are extremely passionate and talented. The three instructors assigned to my cohort(shout out to Geoff, John, and Dakota) are very knowledgeable and helpful. Every lecture is well planned and delivered, and the guidance they provided are precious. Thanks to them,  I learned and accomplished so much during the short period of time. 

Thirdly,  Fullstack has very good career success support. During the senior phase, students will have on campus counselors and remote counselor to give them guidance on writing the resume, perfecting Linkedin profile and interviewing practice. If students utilize all the career coaching service Fullstack provided during the senior phase and after graduation, they should be very well prepared for job searching after graduation. Besides, the career success team often hosting alumni panel talks and tech talks, which are very helpful for students to expand their horizons and learn the experiences and tips from people working in the industry.

The tuition is not cheap and the program is very challenging. But the friends I've made and the knowledge and skills I've learned definitely well worth the time and money

    There is no way to underestimate how big of a positive impact completing Fullstack's Software Engineering Immersive program has had on my career. It was nothing short of a life changing experience.

    The program not only brings new developers up to speed on highly in demand skills and technologies but the challenging fast paced curriculum also teaches students how to learn new things on the fly, which in my opinion is a one of the most important skills to learn as a new software developer. Also by keeping the curriculum entirely in the world of Javascript (instead of teaching separate technologies for different parts of the software stack) Fullstack’s instructors are able to touch on more advanced topics pertaining to software design and students are able to create more advanced projects which make their portfolios look that much more attractive to employers. By getting really good at one language Fullstack graduates can realistically compete in the job market with recent CS grads.

    Not only is the Fullstack curriculum top notch but the career services provided at the end of the program played a critical role in me landing an offer at a Fortune 50 company just weeks after graduating. First every student had several one on one sessions with career coaches to discuss resumes, interview questions and overall career goals. These sessions give students a head start on the job hunt process and help make looking for a job way less intimidating by giving students a strong idea of what hiring companies are looking for. Also at the end of the program Fullstack will invite hiring managers to campus to meet in person with students. Many of my classmates were invited back for second round interviews with these managers and several even received offers. Good offers from really cool companies.

    If you are serious about breaking into software development and you are willing to put in the work, Fullstack will get you to where you want to be faster than any other route.

Fullstack Academy's Bootcamp Preparation Classes are great. I didn't have any knowledge about any sort of programming language, and this course is just perfect for beginners. When you sign up, you have access to lots of videos and coding challenges, which is definitely giving you all essential points of JavaScript. I attended one-week Bootcamp prep class in NYC campus, and I am a Grace Hopper student now, so they really prepare you for your Bootcamp path. Instructors are so helpful and explain the subjects clearly.

I just finished my 3-month immersive program at Fullstack, thought it might be a good time to review and share what my experience was.

My overall experience at Fullstack was great! My intend to join a bootcamp instead of learning from online resources was to be able to get one-on-one feedback on my learning progress, Fullstack has a good reputation on that and that’s why I chose it! And definitely I made the right choice and got lots of one-on-one attentions both in class and outside of class. During class, you are encouraged to ask questions, and never feel shame to ask DUMB questions (actually they kept saying there is no DUMB questions)! Outside of class, you can sign up office hours with the instructors. I have to say all my three instructors Dan, Karen and David are awesome! They literally knew every single student’s name in one week (we had nearly 40 students in my cohort). I felt that every student was highly respected. And they really want you to succeed and tried their best to help you thoughtout this learning path. They took the initiative to remind you that they had office hours for questions so you would never feel that you are pushed away! One minor feedback I have is that if we have some good sample of code work that we can refer to after we’ve done the projects, that would be a great way for us to review our own projects and find areas to improve. But of course, we can get individual comments and ideas from instructors and fellows regarding our code work too!!! So if you value comments, feedbacks in your learning, you should go for Fullstack!!!

Fullstack takes the time to curate and update its curriculum to best teach its students the most relevant languages, libraries and frameworks. Instructors are always prepared for lectures and willing to meet individually with students to explain concepts.  I was overall impressed with the amount of information that was clearly and effectively presented in such a short period of time.  Not only do I feel prepared to enter the industry with relevant knowledge, but also the skills to efficiently learn new material.

I completed the immersive program in February 2018 and landed a job in May of the same year. I have a BA in English and was an Account Manager when I decided to quit my job for Fullstack. 

Was it worth the cost of tuition?

I think that's probably one of the biggest concerns for people when deciding whether or not to take the risk. You can find all sorts of comments on Reddit or Quora from people telling you to save your money and just teach yourself. And it's true, there are tons of free resources online that will help you learn how to program.

By attending Fullstack Academy, however, I gained more than just practical JavaScript skills. I regularly practiced pair programming, learned to conceptualize and build apps from start to finish (both independently and with a team), became comfortable with tech documentation, beefed up my resume and LinkedIn profile, gained valuable feedback from practice interviews, and now have a network of people willing to help me as I continue my career.  

Fullstack Academy will set you up with everything you need to kickstart your career as a software developer, but as others have said, the curriculum is fast-paced and by no means magic, so expect to work hard and take ownership for your own success. 

Attending FullStack Academy(Grace Hopper Program) was an extremely positive experience in my life. The Immersive Program has a good quality, is fast and effective, super challenging especially the first month, but the good thing is that you will be able to learn faster than you ever thought, and if at some point you feel discouraged, remember to repeat to yourself  `TRUST THE PROCESS`. I had a great time there, my cohort was excellent as well as all the instructors and staff. Thank you FullStack Academy!

Although Fullstack Academy offers a terrific curriculum, the most important resource for me was the incredible instructors and the terrific network of fellow students I got to work with. 
I've attended almost all of the courses that Fullstack has to offer in Chicago, Javascript 101, Bootcamp Prep and the Immersive Program, and consistently I was surrounded by students that were driven and respectful, as well as instructors that personally evaluated my skillset and helped me become a better programmer. 
At no point of my experience was I handed a couple libraries and kicked out the door.
The fundamentals, the ability to understand and do for myself were always at the core of the curriculum. 
The biggest challenge for me came after I'd graduated from Fullstack, during the job hunt where I faced rejection and the stress of trying to break in to the tech industry. 
Actually, this was where Fullstack was the most helpful. 

Not only was there a large network of alumni that were willing to help out, but the Career Success Counselor, Holly Valenty went above and beyond and personally invested in me. 
She sent numerous opportunities my way and spoke with me almost every day, even when it was just my confidence. 
I think that anyone who doesn’t know the NERD stack, regardless of experience level or background should consider Fullstack. 
You’ll end up challenging yourself like never before and will become a part of a great community. 

Fullstack Academy can be best described in two words - life changing. For several years, I worked in Technology but in functional fields, while always being interested in and curious about building technology myself. However, I always felt an intimidation towards software development and in all honesty, some skepticism towards programs that seemingly turn you into a developer in a few months. I held on to my fear and doubts for a long time while a few of my friends went through the program and successfully became developers. One day, I decided that I didn't want to regret not trying and took the leap of faith and applied for Fullstack Academy after doing the bootcamp prep course, one of the best decisions I've ever made. I graduated from Fullstack in February this year and went through their Fellowship program for three months before working fulltime as a developer which I'm currently doing since the past four months. 

Just the fact that Fullstack Academy forces you to prepare with some coding experience and you need to interview and show your readiness for the program so that you're setup for success before getting in, tells you a lot about the quality of this program. That is what made the decision easy for me to apply here versus other bootcamps although it was a harder process. Once in the bootcamp, we all had to go through a 5 week remote course that gets us all on the same page as people are coming in with various backgrounds and experience levels. You think you have learned so much already, and then you get on campus and the next few months, you are all hands on deck, building different applications with incremental knowledge growth day by day.

You get to pair program with others a lot (where two people write code and solve problems together) so you're not on your own and get experience working with others and talking your thoughts out loud which is key. There is a ton of support offered from fellows (previously graduated students who serve as teaching assistants and mentors), instructor office hours, and more. There are minimal lectures and the curriculum is mostly based on writing code yourself which is why you learn a lot in a short amount of time. You're not alone, you're in a room full of people that are going through the same thing you are together. That is powerful and has a huge impact on your learning journey. You gain a crazy amount of knowledge in 3 months, more than you could ever imagine. Towards the end of the program, Fullstack also prepares you for the job hunt and supports you in preparing your resume, linked in, interviewing, etc. and keeps in touch for post-program job search support. In my cohort, almost everyone was able to land a job in three to six months.

Now that I am working as a developer and have been for the past four months, I have realized what Fullstack gave me even more. I am a Level 1 engineer at my company but am told that I am able to work on features at least one if not two levels above my level, all because Fullstack's program was that in depth to prepare me for that, both on the front end and back end. I started out fixing small bugs but quickly transitioned into building new front end features and writing services on the back end which has been so exciting. I highly highly recommend Fullstack Academy for anyone who is looking for a means to change your career and life, and go into a creative and stimulating field like software development with support and expertise from the best staff, instructors, peers, and mentors around.

When I decided to explore the option to transition my career into software engineering, I was unsure where to begin. I had heard about many bootcamp programs, but upon learning about the Grace Hopper Program and it's mission to empower women to enter a male dominated industry, I knew this was the right program for me. I couldn't have been happier with my decision, the staff and instructors were incredibly knowledgable and the women in my program were driven and intelligent. I learned so much in the short 4 month time period I spent at Grace Hopper and felt confident upon graduation that I would be able to get a great job and be prepared to take on the role. One of my favorite aspects of the Grace Hopper Program was how I learned to adopt new technologies at a rapid pace; as technology is constantly changing and advancing, I felt this skill was one of the most beneficial and real-world applicable. I highly recommend this program to any woman who is considering a career transition into the software development industry.

After looking into many Coding Bootcamps with the motivation of getting more "hands-on" experience so I could make a radical career change, I found at Full Stack everything I was looking for and decided to join. The result:  an amazing experience where I got to meet awesome and very smart people, where I got to learn a lot about the most up to date technologies for full stack web development and, where I felt like already working in the field since day 1.  

After graduating from Fullstack Academy and successfully landing my first position as a Software Engineer within a month, I was proud of myself for making such a great decision. Fullstack was the best/smartest investment I have ever made. 100% recommended! 

I travelled from out of town to attend, and prior to attendance had about 6 years of front end development experience, including a lot of AngularJS. The teaching staff was exceptional, the fellows were very helpful. Some of it was review for me but what I loved about that is even when thing were review I was able to dive a little deeper into nuances or get up to speed with new syntax. Didn't love parting with the tuition cost, and sure it's things that can be self taught... but I can't imagine learning as much as we did in 3 months and such a great community of other students and instructors alike. Worth the money and an experience I will always look back on fondly, and on top of all that made some truly great friends! I think the only thing I truly didn't enjoy was a day or two where alot of the day was spent going over LinkedIn or resumes. I understand that many greatly appreciate this, but it being required for all when the cost is as substantial as it is frustrated me. 

I still cannot believe how well designed and executed this program is. The curriculum is current and continuously being updated to ensure that it meets market needs and delivers the most cutting edge skill set. This is taken very seriously, so you can trust that what you're learning has been well thought out and planned. The structure of the curriculum itself is conducive to learning a lot in a short amount of time, which is largely driven by a perfect balance between lectures and immediately applying what you learned in workshops both individually and in pairs. In addition, the second half of this program is entirely dedicated to working on multi-day and multi-week projects to reinforce everything you learned prior and build on top of that knowledge. This not only results in knowing the stack very well, but more importantly, being able to independently learn new technologies  and know how and when to apply them. 

The quality of the instruction blew me away, truly. Shoutout to Geoff, Omri and Dakota! Way better than any professor I ever had at university. All teachers have a deep knowledge of the stack they're teaching  and know how to break down complex concepts and explain them clearly and concisely. Every lecture is well planned and delivered. Teachers are patient and 110% committed to ensuring every student succeeds. In fact, the entire staff at Fullstack is wholly committed to going above and beyond to meet each student's needs. 

The last 2 weeks have a huge focus on ensuring students are ready to start searching for jobs on the right foot upon completing the program. There is an entire career services team dedicated solely to this and whether you want to or not, they will make sure you are ready to job hunt. They will help with Linkedin, resume, portfolio, interview prep, and probably anything else you ask. 

As many reviews on here already mention, all of the above is contingent on you working very hard. There is only so much a bootcamp can do. Ultimately, you need to mentally prepare yourself for an intense but highly rewarding experience. Overall, highly recommend! 

I graduated from FSA in July 2018, and I am very happy with my experience and the outcomes of the program. The curriculum was very well structured, and prepares you for a lifetime of learning (which is very important in this industry). The instructors were very kind and willing to help. They had relevant experience and were always willing to shed light on specific aspects of working as a developer.

I received and accepted a job offer within 1 1/2 months of finishing the program, and I was able to connect with my employer through career services at FSA.

Before attending Fullstack Academy I was working as a chemical process engineer for a manufacturing company.  I enjoyed my job, but was definitely looking for a new challenge and wanted to find something that made me actually excited to go to work.  I had worked quite a bit in process controls programming and really, really enjoyed it.  In my last job I got a bit more exposure to writing VBA and working with contractors on database design and decided computer programming seemed like a great next career!

I began a programming certificate track at Northwestern and LOVED it, but decided it was too slow and didn’t go deep enough.  I then began considering going back for a second BS degree or a Masters, when I learned about bootcamps.  It seemed like the clear choice for me as a career changer who was really not interested in a few more years of school.  I applied to multiple programs in the area and decided that based on offered curriculum and general schedule and reputation, Fullstack was the right choice for me.

I AM SO GLAD I MADE THAT CHOICE.  I absolutely LOVED the instructors at Fullstack in Chicago, they had incredibly interesting real world experience and were able to explain things in a straightforward, easy to understand way.  I also really liked that they focused on helping you find the answer instead of just giving it to you, they seemed truly invested in your education and success.  I also really loved the cohort I was in, because the admissions process is a bit more selective than other programs, you get people who really want to learn and are willing to put in the work in the actual class.  Everyone was amazing and smart and helpful and it was a true team atmosphere.

The curriculum moves FAST and the coursework is very challenging, most of the time it felt like a tornado of information but at the end you somehow know what you are doing, it was crazy.

At the end of the program they host a “Launch Day” where they invite a few companies in to watch us present our capstone projects and have mini speed-dating like interviews with the students.  I ended up getting 2 job offers out of Launch Day and decided to join KnowledgeHound where I am currently working as a Full Stack Jr Software Engineer…using more python than javascript.  I feel like it was easy to pick up the new language and start contributing quickly.  My boss had planned on me working on a few smaller side projects for the first 3 months while I got up to speed, but I finished them all within the first 3 weeks and was able to join the main tech team on the major feature projects.  I’d say I was well prepared to get in and start adding value.  I do wish I had learned a bit more using the command line, but I actually think Fullstack added that to the curriculum the cohort after me.

The career assistance was kind of as expected I think?  I think if you are newer to the more professional job search it is incredibly helpful (many of my fellow classmates really, really thought the info was very useful), if you have gone through a few rounds of job searching it is not terribly groundbreaking…again, as expected.  Though there definitely is great insight into the tech hiring community, so I think there is added value for anyone.

It's difficult to encapsulate the transformative experience I've had at the Grace Hopper program at Fullstack Academy in a few words, but I'll try! I have never before experienced an educational environmental that condensed such a high amount of marketable skills in such a short time frame. This however, would not be possible without the incredible instructors and helpful fellows who are determined to see EVERY student succeed. This is also evident with the deferred tuition plan that comes with participating in the Grace Hopper program. This means that Fullstack is so invested in your potential that they will not accept payments unless you have received a developer or software engineering role within a year. Within just 5 months I have gone from for loops to full stack applications that non technical users can enjoy. And even with an undergraduate education, I can honestly say this has been the most rewarding educational experiences I have ever had. If you enjoy coding and want to push yourself to the next level, Grace Hopper will not disappoint.