NYC Data Science Academy

In October, I signed up for the 12 week bootcamp which starts in January.  They recommended I take this course (free of charge) in preparation for the bootcamp to prepare myself in the language (I'm already comfortable in Python).

I'm giving this course 5 stars because, for the format, I think they did a perfect job.  The instructor, Derek Darves, was definitely qualified and a nice guy in general.  They gave the tools to learn the basics of data analysis, manipulation and visualization.  

I attended NYCDSA 5-week course (5 full-time days, one per week) in 4Q16 as part of my preparation to start the same school bootcamp. This was a great introductory start to learn R due to the comprehensive syllabus and dedicated teacher effort. About the syllabus, you will learn Base R syntax and principal data structures identification and manipulation plus a bunch of other packages (e.g. DPLYR) that will make your life easier when treating data sets. The instructor was a Sr. Data Scientist that really gave us two sides: theoretical and hands-on day-to-day professional experience views. This was very helpful. I found that there're lots of courses out there but most of the times taught by recently-graduated teachers that haven't applied a lot of the syllabus to real-life professional situations. This for me was a plus. The only soft point of the course was that I would have liked to go more deeper into web scrapping, yet it's true this course name is 'data analysis and visualization in R' and not 'Web scrapping using R'. One advice only for prospect students: block your agendas during five weeks since you will need a lot of time to review the materials and deliver exercises, which after all it's not  a bad thing as it makes you feel good as you feel you have learnt a lot. Highly recommended.   

I would highly recommend the NYC Data Science Academy bootcamp. I have been an IT Executive for many years and wanted to supplant and round out my experience with skills in data science and machine learning, as it is my belief that these are one of the most critical technologies of our times. While I did try lot of the online courses, the academy brought a more organized, regimented, and immersive track that allowed me to not only learn and absorb the materials quickly, but also engage in real world projects and applications that would elegantly blend theory and practice.

The quality of both the instructors and course materials is high. It has been an amazing learning experience for me and definitely worth the investment that helped me get to my next stage of career growth. Regardless if you are trying to supplant your post-graduate degree, thinking of doing a career switch to data science, or wanting to supplant your skills, the bootcamp offers that opportunity to push yourself to reach your maximum potential.

That said, this bootcamp requires that you bring your A-game into the arena. This is not an easy course to take, and for good reasons. The bootcamp will stretch you to surpass what you think your limitations are and push you to be at your best at all times. This requires 100% commitment from your part. Anything less will not be good enough. If you fully commit yourself, you will emerge from this course with a renewed sense of passion in this exciting field. If there is one regret, it would be that I should have done this bootcamp sooner.

The job opportunities for data science and machine learning specialists are just amazing. Since getting the certification (even before then), the contacts and network I have made in the data science community have accelerated at a rapid pace. The reachout from recruiters have also increased significantly. The demand for data scientists continues to climb. In hindsight, it was a great decision for me to have made the jump to go through the bootcamp, as I am now working on numeorus opportunities that allow me be more creative and innovative.

The academy is managed and run by an amazing team of people who have helped me through the many months of learning and growth. They have been such a strong support system for me as I take the next journey through my career as a Data Scientist. The academy has also opened my eyes to so many wonderful experiences and allowed me to validate the opportunities and potential of this exciting field I am in. I have learned so much and the real skills I have acquired will be of tremendous value as I embark on pursuing my passions.

As the saying goes... "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." I pursued mine and living it, now it's up to you to pursue yours.

The bootcamp provides an extensive overview of the most used Machine Learning algorithms in addition to RShiny, visualization and webscrapping (using Python). Like any classes in college and graduate school, instructors are there to walk you through the basics and it really is up to you on how much effort you would like to put in. However,  the TAs and instructors are far more accessible than any class I've taken so far!!! Ode to the TAs! In addition, the fellow students at NYCDSA are really nice people in general. And knowing that you are not alone really helps during those late nights at the bootcamp!

I would recommend the bootcamp to anyone in need of a career transition into Data Science, willing to go above and beyond, and are comfortable with either statistics or basic programming. 

I was an experienced academic professional with one-year experience in the oil-gas industry. After I joined the oil industry with a big oil company, the oil price started to go down till now. This caught me out of guard.  As I expected, I was laid off  at the end of 2015 .

By checking with other programs, I realize NYC DATA SCIENCE ACADEMY will provide the necessary tools and the big pictures about the emergent field of data science.

The instructors and TAs from the school are from diverse backgrounds including statisticians, physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists. They make Ph.D. students feel comfortable to ask more technical and fundamental questions without feeling being discouraged.   They also let you be responsible for choosing your own projects to enhance your practice in data science in general. If you are a person who is very solid in any programming languages in the past, this is the place for you to learn the fundamentals of machine learning and statistics. In the end, you can put these skills together to be confident to attack data science problems in general. You will have a very strong foundation to jumpstart your new career in data science.

The program is very intense and I was constantly trying to catch up with the learning, homework, and projects. There is no time to think about negatives. This was also good once you find a new job you can handle the pace from the new job better. I strongly recommend particularly the students with excellent postdoctoral experience to make a career transition to join this program. Consider this as an investment for your career. (The tuition potentially can be offset by signing bonus from your future employers).  

I had great experience with this bootcamp. Intense program, nice course contents.  Comprehensive training on coding,machine learning, presentation and writing. I had five projects done and blog/github posting. The package drove to  interview opportunities.  During and after the program, I still keep having help on polishing resume, mocking interview, and receiving job opportunites. Finally, I accepted data analyst postion near my home in Portland. 

I completed the Data Science bootcamp during the Fall of 2015 and immediately was hired as a Data Scientist the following January.  During the NYCDSA bootcamp, I converted my skill set from a traditional statistician/analyst to a data scientist.  This bootcamp elevated my ability to apply a variety of advanced machine learning algorithms using codes like Python or R.  Today, I continue to use the skills that I had developed during this bootcamp.  In my opinion, this bootcamp was successful for me for three reasons:

Course Content:  

The course content covered coding in SQL, python and R during my time at the bootcamp.  As a data scientist, ability to code in this basic languages is critical to developing and testing statistical hypotheses and machine learning concepts.  All machine learning examples had supporting Python and R code to facilitate students' application of these algorithms.  This bootcamp covered application of Spark during the last few weeks of the course.  Knowing Spark capabilities was particularly helpful in my current position as a data scientist.

The bootcamp covered traditional statistical concepts such as hypothesis testing, linear regression and logistic regression as well as advanced machine learning algorithms such as K-Means clustering and Neural Networks.  The bootcamp strategically provided theoretically background for these concepts in conjunction with worked out examples in R and Python.  Knowing how to apply all of these algorithms helps me to rapidly move through proof-of-concepts in my current day-to-day.

Instructors:  

During my cohort, the bootcamp instructors were incredibly dedicated to helping the students succeed.  Instructors were consistently available to answer coding questions on-site in person or off site via slack or email.  I was always satisfied that the instructors were able to answer my coding and ML questions rapidly and completely.

Job Search:  

The bootcamp helped me find several job interviews towards the end of the bootcamp.  It was  clear that the NYCDSA had access to an increasing network of employers looking to hire data scientists.  During the interview process, I had felt that the bootcamp prepared me to answer all of the data science interview questions during each interview.

It has been over a year since I first enrolled in the NYCDSA bootcamp and I continue experience the benefits of the bootcamp in my day-to-day job as a data scientist.  I strongly recommend this bootcamp to anyone looking to make a career transition into the data science field.

The 12 week bootcamp at NYC Data Science Academy combines everything a budding data scientist needs while finding a balance between depth and bredth.  Coming from a background in strategy consulting I appreciated the intense nature of the schedule with tight turnarounds and explicit deadlines for coursework and project submission.  You'll be given the chance not only to learn from some of the best instructors with phenomenal backgrounds and real world experience, but also to showcase your own skills and ideas through 5 data science projects where you get to form hypotheses on data sets of interest to you and make meaningful conclusions.

Though the pace is relentless, the program is very managable given the dedication of the instructors to see you succeed.  You'll form great relationships not only with the staff but with other gifted students as well as you all learn together about this exciting field.

The NYC Data Science Academy provided an unparalleled experience - from the high quality of the instruction material to the dedicated teachers and staff, I gained both a strong personal and professional network and a greater exposure to the world of data science. The return on my investment was substantial, as I've successfully received five competitive job offers in a variety of industries (1 in finance, 2 in marketing, 2 in health) within just a few months of graduating. 

Most importantly, learning in the immersive environment quickly accelerated my technical know-how. I became adept at R, Python in addition to structured thinking, open-ended problem solving, and communicating my ideas and work across to a wider audience. 

Additionally, preparing for the five project presentations and homework assignments with like-minded peers in my cohort also positively influenced my experience. Sharing ideas, knowledge and experiences with my classmates, and TAs - encouraged me to creatively explore every approach when faced with a challenging problem or in-class lab. 

I am grateful for my time at the NYC Data Science Academy. I highly recommend enrolling if you're undecided - it's an awesome place to prepare for a new career in data science and machine learning.

I am writing to strongly recommend NYC Data Science Academy to anyone who is looking for opportunities as a data scientist. As a recent graduate student of the 6th data science bootcamp of NYC Data science Academy, I was immediately able to find an internship in an hedge fund as a quantitative trading analyst 2 weeks after I graduate from the bootcamp and currently actively seeking full time job under the guidance of Vivian, the founder of NYC Data Science Academy. Before attending the bootcamp, I graduated from Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University with a master of science degree in Applied Math. I have always been in love with math and attracted by the beauty of proofs and theorems. However, I did not know how to make a use of my quantitative background into real life. By an occasional chance, NYC Data Science Academy came to my attention. I found out that they offer a highly immersive Data Science program involving data strategy and hands on expertise on machine learning, big data, advanced statistics and analytics. Students are able to solid R and Python development skills, various model ensembiling and stacking strategies and gain knowledge including but not limited to Unix, SQL, Hadoop, Spark etc. Soon after I contacted the academy, I got an chance to talk with Vivian and immediately feel that it is the right place for me. My intuition proved to be right after I attended the bootcamp because I not only strengthened my knowledge and learnt tons of new skills but also get to know many talented people from various background and developed strong network connection with them. The training contents are well-designed and students are required to complete 5 projects in the progress which comprehensively exhibits one's skills from visualization, web interactive app to machine learning and big data. To better assist the students with their job hunting process, the instructors and staffs in the NYC Data Science Academy worked very hard to organize a fantastic career fair and invited more than 30 companies and recruiters including JP Morgan, BAM, Google, FaceBook and Spotify. Students were able to show their accomplishment to the data scientists in the company directly and make connection with them. It was such a wonderful and unforgettable journey with my fellow data scientists. 

The decision to enroll in this Bootcamp was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I had high expectations coming in to the program, mostly due to the reviews I’ve read, yet the 12 weeks I spent at the academy exceeded those expectations. The coursework is difficult enough to challenge those with a PhD, while the instructor’s and TA’s help out to the extent that even those with a Bachelor’s will find it manageable.

The program covers a wide array of topics, combining theory and application to give you a well rounded understanding of the material. Students are encourage to learn by doing, and home-works are given out 2-3  times a week, with deadlines not always easy to meet. But given how much the instructors offer to help, students usually always find a way.

The whole team goes above and beyond to help out not only with teaching you data science, but also with things like interview readiness, job-placement, and helping you build a great portfolio.

You are surrounded with like-minded people for 12 weeks, forming great friendships learning from each other. You are tutored and lectured by industry professionals who go out of their way to make sure you understand the material. You are exposed to cutting edge softwares, advanced machine learning algorithms, and industry best practices. You are helped with building a portfolio, creating a great resume and how to pitch your work to employers.

I’m truly happy I did this program, and so will you.

I moved to United State in October 2015. I wanted to do a career transition and applied to NYC Data Science Academy 12-week Full-Time Data Science program after some searching over the web.

I come from a Mechatronics Engineering background, with 2+ years as a Business and Sales Consultant and an MBA in general business management. At the beginning I was a little bit afraid about the programming side because the only programming experience I had is a course in my Bachelor's about C++ and two simple projects throughout that course. Also mathematically speaking during my bachelor's I only took linear algebra and differential equations, not that much statistics and programming before entering the bootcamp.

The curriculum was mostly includes programming with SQL, R and Python and also learning to implement machine learning algorithms in R and Python. It is structured so well that eventhough you have a little experience with programming before, they start teaching it from basic level and build up nicely so that you do not get lost. 

The instructors are incredibly helpful during your learning process, homeworks and projects. The lectures are fun with modern learning tools.

They are known well in the industry. So when you apply to jobs the people will know the quality of NYC Data Science Academy and it will not be difficult for you to get interviews. They will also make it easier for you to meet with many hiring partners. 

My overall experience with NYC Data Science Academy was wonderful and I can easily say that it was the best investment that I did for myself. 

The most important thing to consider before applying is you should be ready to invest an intense 3-months. And also you should be ready to work hard as a student again.

If you are thinking about enhancing your career to a new level and enter to the fantastic world of Data Science, I strongly recommend NYC Data Science Academy.

This course convers major R machine learning topics; course is intense and you will learn a lot if you keep up with the pace. Instructor Shu Yan is great at explaining complicated statistical concepts/formulas and translate them into R coding techniques. Couse materials, in-class practices and home work assignment are really helpful in terms of learning and future references.

I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in data science/maching learning but doesn't know much about this field. It will be a good start for you if you plan to work in this field. It certainly helped me understand a lot about data scicence and improved my R coding skills.

What I learned from this course is worth the money I paid and the effort I put in.

I was coming from a Computer Sicience background. And I decided to make a career switch to Data Science. One of my data scientist friends recommended me to take the NYC Data Science Academy's 12 weeks Data Science Bootcamp. It turns out to be money worthy. 

The bootcamp covers all the skills that I need to know to be a successful Data Scientist. It provides training on: programming skills (in both R and Python), basic Linux/Unix commands, basic database SQL programming, exploratory data analysis & data visualizationn (in both R and Python), Machine Learning in both R and Python, and basic Hadoop and Spark skills. Some people might wonder why both R and Python were taught. From my experience, R is really helpful and handy when doing the EDA and visualiztion at the beginning. Python is more useful when building production pipeline models. Also Jupyter Notebook (orignially called iPython Notebook) makes sharing the code and charts easier. So I feel it was right that they taught both R and Python.

The program was very intensive. There was so much information thrown into my brain every day so thus I had to study and reivew the course material every night late in order to digest them. We were assigned homework every other day and projects every 2 weeks. There were about 5-6 projects through the course of the bootcamp. Each project had a different focus. While the earlier projects focused on Exploratory Data  Analysis, the later ones were more Machine Learning focused. I found myself was always rushing to wrap up the projects because I always had diffcult time to come up with an idea or started it late. Lesson learned!

During the bootcamp, because I was from computer science backgroud, I was quite relaxed on the programming parts. But I definitely struggled a little bit on the Machine Learning part since it invovled advanced Math and statistics. So I had to go back and review some of the Math material and took some online training on statistics. Therefor it would be great advantage for people with statistics backgroud. If one without statistics background is trying to take the bootcamp, I would suggest that you study some statistics material from online before the bootcamp so that you can really understand the theory behind. 

I also want to give credits to the awesome instructors. Special thanks to Sam, Chris, and Luke who did a great job on teaching the class and answered all my questions. There were also two TAs who has provided big help on homeworks and projects.

Quick notes on job assitance, NYC Data Science Academy has connections with hiring partners. Therefore we got many job opportunities directly from the hring partners, such as Goldman Sachs, Chase, NBL, Booz Allen Hamilton. There was a time that the former job placement manager was slacked. But it was quickly fixed and the job placement manager was replaced and things were back on track again. We were also provided training on preparing interviews and sharping up my resume. Even though I got a job from an opportunity I found from LinkedIn, but the job assistance from the Academy was definitely helpful.  

To sum it up, I have learned a lot from the bootcamp and I also spent a lot time to digest them after I finished the bootcamp.

1. Because EDA and Data Visualization are so import, it would be great to have a example on those that we could have walked through or done together. Or for at least one of the EDA and Data Visualization projects, we work on the same topic and review it together. 
2. More hands-on Spark excise. I would suggest using of Databrick community version or student excise.

This class touched upon the basic to more sophisticated application of R programming through use of available and popular packages.  Amy has been a very caring and responsive instructor.  She is always willing to help and offer insights in selecting appropriate approach to gain efficiency.    The materials covered  were vast and familiarity requires a lot of practice.  The classroom work and homework gave the students the push to get more involved and provide the hands-on experience. This class was engaging. 

Hiring a Data Scientist in NYC is a full-time job on its own. Your inbox may be exploding with hundreds of applications, yet it is extremely challenging to find the right candidates. While I was in the middle of sorting through resumes I was invited to a Data Science Academy happy hour by Vivian. I heard of Data Science Academy but never thought to look for hires there.

As soon as I arrived I met Vivian and her team who already knew what type of Data Scientist I was looking for and introduced me to a few students. I was so impressed by them that I decided to invite them for an interview and within one week hired one of the graduates. He has been working with us for a few months and has already made a difference. His amazing technical skills combined with a very strong business acumen helped him take a lead on critical corporate projects and execute them with excellence.

I strongly recommend all employers looking for Data Scientists to contact Data Science Academy as it truly helps prepare the next generation of data scientists for real world jobs.

The NYC Data Science Academy bootcamp is everything I hoped it would be. I entered as a recent Mathematics PhD unsure of my job prospects and left well prepared for the data science job market. I was offered a job within weeks of graduating and now have a great job as a data scientist.

The bootcamp is an intense experience that will reward you if you put in the appropriate effort. The lectures are fantastic and the instructors are incredibly helpful with your projects. They will offer you as much help and guidance as you want (they were, more often than not, there before me and were still there when I left). 

Job placement assistance was also crucial to my success. I met my current employer through a bootcamp and felt more then prepared during my interviews. You really feel that you are given individual attention and they will do everything in their power to help you find a job.

Some tips to prospective students:

• Become familiar with the basics of R and Python (especially Python as this is introduced later in the bootcamp when you are becoming busy).  I didn't enter the bootcamp as a programming expert but I found having some knowledge was a large advantage. A few months of learning the basic syntax and doing exercises in your spare time should be sufficient (that is approximately what I did).
• Enter if you are willing to commit 3+ months to your career (you will be studying and preparing for interviews after you finish the bootcamp).

NYC Data Science Academy was a fantastic introduction to the world of data science. I still stop by the offices to say hi to instructors and students and discuss life. I would make the decision to join the bootcamp again 10/10 times.