Byte Academy

Switching careers can be a daunting task, but I am glad I chose Byte to help me through this transition. As a former Video Producer, my background is not related to tech but Byte gave me the confidence to pursue my goals. As a smaller program, students... Read More receive more individual attention and resources to quickly develop their skills. The teaching staff at Byte is beyond incredible. With their knowledge and help, I quickly went from a novice to writing complex applications in a matter of months. That is not to say that everything comes easy; I spent a lot of hours after school to make sure I was on top of the coursework. It can be quite demanding at times but you get what you put in.

On paper, the program was structured. However, I felt that when it came to teaching the material, the teaching length wasn't long enough, and also the instructors were pretty passive. However, it was still a decent introduction into programming; My advice... Read More is that DO NOT COME unprepared. The program moves quickly, and the problems are quite challenging, which is good. I would not recommend this bootcamp if your hand needs to constantly be held; I also would not recommend this program if you do not at least 2-3 months of prior experience and are engaged in programming. In terms of the environment, it was a little cluttered, when there weren't that many people in the foundations program, and I wouldn't really know what would happen if they scaled.

I was a somewhat non-traditional student at Byte in that I had a fairly extensive professional background in software development (PHP web applications & iOS) and I was looking to modernize & expand my skillset rather than learn development from scratch.... Read More

The small class size, personal attention, and focus on student-designed projects meant that they were able to tailor my experience to my needs. It is a very challenging introduction to Python, but the support is there for the students who need extra help while the space is there for students working at a higher level.

The knowledgeable instructional staff were a wealth of resources not just for daily lectures and exercise materials, but also with a deep library of knowledge for suggestions for readings and materials outside of class.

There is career counseling that is incorporated into the curriculum starting week one. I was hired by a blockchain startup almost immediately upon graduation.

The structure of the curriculum is two four week phases followed by a final six week phase. The first two phases present a large array of subject matter in daily lectures with a heavy load of exercises. Feedback is provided on exercises in regular code reviews where students put their work up on a project for group critique and improvement. There are weekly quizzes and assessments at the end of phase one and two that are quite challenging, but I didn't hear of anyone failing out of mine or the cohorts I overlapped with. The final phase is dedicated to two deployed projects focused on practical solutions to real world problems. I hear they have since incorporated a competitive challenge hosted by an algotrading hedge fund into the phase 3 work.

Byte hosts meetups and works with the organizers of hackathons. They do a good job of encouraging
Python is a great first language to learn. I'd suggest this program to anyone who is willing to work hard.

If you want to learn how to learn how to be an efficient computer programmer this is the place for you. If you put in work before and after school hours, and on weekends, you will learn what you came to learn as you get out of it what you put into it.... Read More If you expect to come in here from 10-5, 5 days a week for 14 weeks and leave being proficient in Python / computer programming just because you walked in the door, you are highly mistaken.
I came into this course with absolutely zero computer programming knowledge. Because of this I felt "behind" the rest of my cohort and even with working 24/7 7 days a week (with the exception of sleep) I just wish I could have taken what Byte Academy now offers, which is a pre-bootcamp course for those of you with zero experience like myself. If you have taken a CS course, or have experience, you should be good to go.
The instructors are amazing. Kenso was my instructor and he is literally a genius. Since my recent graduation they already added on a couple TA's and another full-time instructor I believe. The school is growing and I think it is way overdue. If fancy looking hallways and expensive expresso machines are important to you, I would look elsewhere. If you want to learn and surround yourself with other likeminded people, make learning your number one priority for 14 weeks, trust the program, trust your instructors and believe in yourself, Byte Academy is a great place to do it.
Jenna is great at the job hunt as there is an excellent but demanding set of guidelines to follow. Honestly though, if you have been in the job searching market, you know looking for a job is a job in itself so I guess this is expected. Emily and the rest of the staff have connections all over the country, even in some parts of the world. They host meet-ups, promote others, and do specialize in FinTech. In my cohort, half the class had no interest in finance and that didn't matter whatsoever...they are still employed now. I believe everyone in my cohort is employed now in one way or another. I got an internship I wanted dirtectly through connections from the school.

If you are wanting to change up your career, get a jumpstart, or even just enhance your skills, I would highly suggest sacrificing a few months and be dedicated to learn, study, and work hard to achieve your goals.

When I joined Byte Academy I was finishing my masters degree in Mathematics - and I had realized that I needed hands on coding experience in order to leverage my degree in the workforce. Beyond a very superficial class in Matlab - I had no coding experience... Read More - and the first month at Byte was grueling - exactly what I wanted! I joined the full time program - and I wanted to be pushed to the limit - and I was. In the 3 month program - one is introduced to a cascade of new material - and the only way to absorb it is with fully dedicated immersion. It's a real bootcamp!
In the first month we learned Python syntax and basic applications thereof, by the end of phase 1 (week 4) we were tested on building a terminal based application based on the MVC pattern. In phase 2 we were introduced to a web framework (Django) and along with front end tools - such that we could build a full stack application. In the last month I built a bank-like user interface (it was a prototype for a business idea I had at the time). One of the instructors was always available to answer my questions during this crucial phase - nights and weekends included - for me this was essential - as I like to work alone but needed the hand holding as a beginner, without which I would have wasted enormous amounts of time. Other students would choose to work with the instructors in a more hands on way - and they were accommodated as well. In my opinion this is Byte Academy's outstanding feature - you can learn in the manner that works for you - and you will be accommodated. Unlike some other programs - Byte has an evolving curriculum that is responsive to the demands of the students and the labor market. In response to myself and other students - Byte expanded their offerings to include covering Data Science topics while developing an emphasis on the rapidly growing blockchain scene.
I recommend the program to those willing to learn a lot, to learn seriously - and to be exposed to new ideas from other students, instructors, and guests who regularly present at Byte.

After, graduating from college, I felt that I didn’t have the hands on experience that a lot of companies are seeking. Byte Academy not only gave me the full stack development skills; they also gave me the finance education that allowed me to find and... Read More thrive in the FinTech industry. Upon leaving the bootcamp I found a position as an python developer in a startup company, called Enso Financial in the fintech industry. After, the company saw a successful acquisition, I left the company to work at one of the world's leading investing banks JPMorgan Chase & Co. For anyone thinking about learning to code, they should learn the basic and see if they truly enjoy it. And know that programming isn’t a solo act, it takes a team. Thats why learning programming in a group setting works the best. While attending byte I did not only learn to program but also build friendships that followed me through out my career dis far.

I chose ByteAcademy in NY for the Blockchain/Fintech track. In order to even start that, they made me go through the Python Fullstack course first -- which seemed excessive at first glance since I've had prior coding experience, but I now realize why... Read More and agree with their reasons . It's a 14-week bootcamp, and by fully-immersive they really do mean fully-immersive!
The application process requires some work, they want to make sure you come in with some basic knowledge in order to smooth out differences between participants within the cohort. In my cohort (started Jan-8-2018), we were only 4, which was great! The next cohort had 8 I believe, 2 dropped out during the first week.
The first two weeks are very intense, getting everyone to a functional level in Python. We had a main instructor, Kenso Trabing, and they brought on two more TA's after our third week to help us out with questions. We have a daily class, where Kenso would code live through a whole problem to introduce new concepts/paradigms/technology, answering any questions we had along the way. After class we had daily assignments to complete on our own, with TA's there to answer any questions. We had varying levels in my cohort, one student had been coding for 20 years, I had C++/Fortran/Matlab experience but nothing web related, another was a recent CS graduate, and another had little coding experience. They give enough problems to solve to cover everybody and allow for that difference.
During the third phase of the cohort, we have to pick personal and group projects to complete, which definitely puts the rubber to the road! They also had lots of events, meetups, and definitely helped networking and learning about other technologies like AI, machine-learning and data-science. I'm recently coming back to NY from living abroad, and Emily hooked me up with the blockchain/crypto community!
Jenna is basically your personal dedicated job hunter -- she'll make sure you're doing everything you need to be in the top 1% of searches, and helps you stand out during interviews.
PROS: super flexible team, dedicated and focused on my needs, job-focused curriculum (they get industry developers and HR to come critique and suggest topics), top-notch instructor
CONS: small team with other projects like EdChain.io in the same facility and lots to do, so sometimes there are organisational issues

Byte is intense - be ready. Expect to get your hands dirty and to learn how to take the basic building blocks to create robust applications.

The two things that make Byte the best place to learn Python and make a successful transition into the software... Read More engineering industry: 1) Kenso and 2) Jenna.

Kenso (the instructor) is a wizard, knows everything about Python, 'the stack', and Bash(terminal) and does a great job of giving context (historical anecdotes, examples, etc) that explain why and how the industry does things, and more importantly, what the industry expects you to know.

Jenna (the career guru) does a killer job of prepping you from day one. She sets you up for success: (1) Re-working your resume for Software Engineering (2) Linkedin SEO optimization so that your profile comes up first when people search for relevant terms (3) Interview preparation is on point (4) Understanding what types of companies you want to work for and helping you get your foot in the door via introductions (5) Puts you in contact with recruiters who actually know what they're doing and get you hired so you can focus on coding and learning (6) Weekly events are set up for you to go network (7) I could go on but you get the point, Jenna get's you hired.

Three suggestions for those thinking of applying: do the pre-work, pick projects to work on that use technologies that you will use in your ideal job (if you want to work at a company that uses Selenium, pick a project that uses it!) , and sign up for Harvard's CS50 online class to understand CS theories (ammo for interview questions).

Course: Summer Full Time - Python Full Stack - Phase 1

As coding becomes ever more important of a skill to learn, the options of places to learn them have also expanded. Searching for a course which focuses on Python and exciting applications, Byte Academy's... Read More Curriculum stood out to me by far as the most exciting, beneficial and lucrative.

I'm sure that many Bootcamps have a more textbook and Lecture style way of teaching. Where they teach their students the theory and after the course let them apply what they learnt. The issue with this is that it doesn't propel you for any of the real world issues that you will face through your career and not to forget can be extremely boring. Byte provides you with an extremely hands-on course which keeps you stimulated from beginning to end. The project-based learning means you will come up the course with a full portfolio and give you a real feel for what a programming role will be like. This balance between learning and application, I feel will trump any other coding course, in regards to teaching style. No day was dull and everyone has constant optimism and ambition to learn a lot.

Thom and Billy, my intructors where fantastic and really added to the great experience. The small cohorts really allowed you to have alot of facetime and make sure that you are never stuck for too long. You work in small teams and have the real flexibility to work on what you want. My course was Pure Python and I think that's their flagship course.I can't speak for any of the specialisation courses.

The admissions and Career team really helped to make sure that you feel comfortable throught the programmme. Byte really understand what is needed to a get a great job. I'm currently interning as a Data Scientist at Facebook. I can genuinely say that the learning which Byte Academy provided me with, was pinnacle to receiving an offer.

The location was great and put you in the centre of Manhattan, I enjoyed trying a new restaurant every day and exploring what New York has to offer.

Thank you Byte Academy for providing me with one the best summers I have ever had!

I attended byte academy over the summer of 2017 as part of the summer bootcamp and i have to say Im glad i did!
Located in the heart of Manhattan in an amazing office building , byte academy from the get-go gave off a real professional and academic feel... Read More to it, which i felt added hugely to the whole experience, as it gave me a true kick of inspiration and drive to hopefully turn the skills learnt from the course, into a job which would place me in a location very similar.

One of the biggest selling points for me of the course was the small cohort sizes, which was filled with very bright, like minded individuals that came from a wide variety of different backgrounds, which in turn meant that due to the small number of us we all got to know each other really well . Consequently this made collaborating on different problems and projects very enjoyable, and everyone was happy to bounce ideas off one another and constantly challenge each other to come up with more efficient, or drastically different methods of tackling diffrent problems. Furthermore, as the cohort sizes were small it also meant that we had more personal contact time with the instructors and they were almost always available for help.

This brings me onto THE selling point of the program, the instructors. Byte academy is lucky to have one of the nicest collection of employee's i have ever come across, all which are very happy to take out time out their day to help you with whatever you need. The attitudes and energy of the entire team at byte is one of the key reasons which i think differentiates byte academy from all other programs. A special mention has to go out to the main teacher of our Cohort, Tom, who went above and beyond of what was required of him, staying after hours to help explain or debug things we were having issues with, and to top it all off doing all of it with a smile.

All in all i think that byte has constructed an amazing course, which is structured in a way which constantly pushes and challenges you, yet leaves room for you to to shape it into what you want out of it. If your thinking about enrolling, i personally cant recommend enough that you do, as you will get out of it what byte promised and more.

*After reading what some of the other reviewers have had to say i feel like some of the negative points mentioned should be taken with a pinch of salt. While i cant comment for what byte was like in the past, i can say that i got the feeling that byte is a company which is constantly striving to improve, and i know that lots of the shortfalls mentioned have now been properly revised and addressed.