Launch Academy

They largely overstate their 'hiring network' many companies which are listed are not actually associated with the program in any formal way but are just places past graduates might have worked for any duration. I find this out during my post-grad job... Read More search where, many many, companies responded to my messages saying that they haven't worked with anyone in the program for many years. If you have issues finding employment post-graduation, which many people do, they will give you boilerplate career advice and shrug saying that there's no openings in the hiring network currently and encourage you to do more personal projects(which many companies will ignore entirely during the hiring process if you dont have adequate experience, which you wont leaving this program.) I can't say for sure, but their employment rates seem exaggerated, as well. Cohorts tend to be between 15-30 people in size, and maybe a handful of people find employment 6 months post graduation in most cases I've seen. Those numbers are not good considering the cost. The material you learn is good, but it's nowhere near what you'll need to know to land a stable software engineering gig without prior experience. You will leave with almost no comprehensive back-end knowledge, leaving you floundering in most technical interview environments. They will encourage you to grind leetcode style questions to better your odds, but anyone can do that without spending $10,000+ to receive that advice. They seem to change the curriculum quite a bit in between cohorts, which, in my opinion, is a show that they dont seem to have a solid understanding of the market in the Boston area. In reality, you should be learning python/java/C, but you'll more than likely learn JavaScript or Ruby, leaving you at a serious disadvantage. They do a good job of creating a happy/positive culture, but I'm not sure I can recommend this program based on my experience with the career services people post-graduation. Many people with related degrees/ivy league degrees do well leaving this program. But, if thats not you, you should look elsewhere and save your money.

After deciding I wanted to pursue a career in software engineering, I was stuck on what to learn and in what order. I found everything about technology to be foreign and intimidating. Launch really helped break it all down for me into bite sized pieces.... Read More In addition to the tech skills, they also emphasize practicing the soft skills that I feel helped me stand out as an applicant. Stuff like public speaking, pair programming, white boarding, etc. Overall very satisfied with my experience at Launch. The only downside for me was the long commute but it’s a very convenient location right next to South Station.

My thoughts about my time at Launch Academy. I thought the experience was great overall. This course was taken during the pandemic so it was mostly done online. There was an option to go in the classroom but it was the middle of winter and leaving the... Read More house didn't seem as appealing. All of the instructors were great. They did a good job of explaining the concepts and helping you if you needed it. You will not be spoon-fed information. There is a level of expectation for you to put in some work so be prepared to spend some of your own time to figure things out. Make sure you go into the program with a good basic foundation (html, css, javascript). We had a really good group within my cohort. Everyone was helpful and wanted to be better. I enjoyed my time at Launch Academy and will never forget the experience.

Launch Academy is absolutely fantastic! I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone, but you just have to be ready for it. When they say it will take you 60-80 hours a week they mean it. It's a kiln where they melt you down and reforge your mind... Read More into something better. Not only do I know how to code now, but I also know how to think better. I know how to ask better questions. I know how to communicate better. I am overall a better person for attending this program. It was absolutely 110% the most difficult thing I've ever done, but it transformed my life for the better. The ONLY reason I can't give it 5 stars for overall experience is because of the stress and sleepless nights, but with that I still encourage everyone to try and attend. Apply and get an interview and just go for it!

I went in to Launch Academy a little hesitant. I didn't think a short 18 weeks would give me enough time to learn what I needed to land a web developer role. Turns out I was pretty wrong.

The first few months of ignition totally helped me get over those... Read More fears. I learned at a very rapid pace, and I quickly understood that Launch Academy's style of teaching is very similar to how an actual developer job would be. I learned the basics of ruby, javascript, HTML, CSS, and principles of object oriented programming in the first 8 weeks. Those initial weeks really fostered a strong foundation for what I would need to know for the much more intense on campus portion. It is worth noting that ignition is tough, but some people were able to hold down part time jobs as they completed that experience. Ignition is also a great experience for total beginners, and it will provide a super strong foundation for what you'll need to know for the on campus experience.

The on campus experience is much, much tougher than ignition and quite different. I would say the on campus portion was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. If you are considering Launch Academy, just know that the amount of work is no joke - you may even wish to consider somewhere else if you aren't going to dedicate at least 60-70 hours of work per week for 10 weeks straight. With that said, the instructors were almost always available to assist in our learning experience even when they technically weren't on the clock. And my cohort was a fantastic group of people, so I really, really enjoyed going in to the space every single day. I didn't miss a single day.

When on campus, you'll learn a lot more practical skills, like moreso the relationships between the things you learned in ignition and various frameworks that people use to make working with those languages more streamlined. You'll also learn how databases work, specifically how information is stored in and access from them, and how they communicate with a Rails backend and React front end. You'll of course learn React.js, Ruby on Rails, and how you can build a full stack application by the final two weeks of your cohort.

If all of this sounds promising and realistic to you, I say go for it! Attending Launch Academy has been one of the greatest descisions I've ever made and would do it 1000 times over.

Just a few weeks after graduation, I am happy to have landed a role at a small company in Boston with good pay, good benefits, and a similar code stack to what I learned at Launch. I couldn't have done it without the amazing team at Launch Academy and my fellow launchers!

Special shoutouts to Dan, Nick, Pat, Cassie, Brianna, AmyLynn, Alex, and Corinne for making it all possible!!

From my first inquiries to graduation day, every single staff member of Launch has been dedicated, consistently professional and personable and most of all human. For most of us, or any bootcamp attendee for that matter, we put our lives on hold. We left... Read More our previous jobs & careers in hopes of something better, building a more substantial and meaningful life for ourselves. On top of that, with a majority of us having no prior experience, it was quite the undertaking; learning to become a fully capable Junior Web Developer in eighteen weeks is no easy feat. The staff was extremely accommodating, honing in on each individuals' strengths and weaknesses, paying close attention to where we'd best fit in next, and where we needed a little boost. The curriculum was rigorous and extremely taxing, but by design. I believe the perfect level of challenge has been crafted, blending a solid foundation of fundamentals with bleeding edge technology and a very relevant and marketable skillset. During the high highs and low lows that came with the intensity of the course, everyone was continually understanding and caring. They systematically touched on important topics like building healthy lifestyles, mental health and mindfulness as we transition into this new career, making sure every step along the way that everyone was accounted for, and accountable for that which they were responsible. Not only does Launch Academy possess an aptitude for teaching the technical ability necessary, they also taught us about the environments & culture of the tech industry. Half of the curriculum focused on Career Services, pushing us to articulate and communicate effectively, both with our actual code and the social dynamics among our co-workers and superiors. They taught us how to learn, how to be an effective learner and how to teach others. If there is one skill amongst the multitude, it was communication. Learning to lift ourselves up and be the best version of ourselves is the most effective way to lift others up and provide support. From the first day they created this ideal atmosphere, setting the tone for weeks to come and letting everyone know, 'hey, we're all in this together.' Never, even at notable universities and other long-standing educational institutions, have I seen or experienced such a positive energy. I am proud to say I was a part of one of their Cohorts. The experience, in short, is one I'll never forget. The staff and all my peers have left a permanent mark on me, giving me the courage necessary to start this new chapter in my life with confidence and optimism. I hope to bring this with me wherever I go.

Launch Academy was a wonderful experience where I was able to gain valuable skills that allowed me to change into a career as a developer. I graduated in the fall of 2019 and my cohort learned Ruby on Rails and React.js. We spent eight weeks part time... Read More off campus learning the basics of both Ruby and JavaScript, and then ten weeks full time on campus diving into the mentioned frameworks. By the end of the program, we were able to build functional web applications, including working with external APIs and libraries.

The instructors were all able to clearly communicate new concepts and were invested in my success. Their lessons were well thought out and they are constantly updating their curriculum as the technology changes. Additionally, there are two full time staff members who make up their career services department and work very hard to get you a job post-graduation. They help you review your resume and Linkedin, as well as help facilitate interviews with companies that are hiring junior developers.

I had a great experience at Launch Academy and certainly learned a lot! The curriculum is consistently updated to keep up with version updates and industry popularity. The program is impeccably well run and I learned multiple new things every single day.... Read More The program included a 2-week group project and a 2-week individual project.

I chose to apply to Launch Academy for the following reasons and they ring true:
- 10 weeks in-person: Nothing can quite replace the face-to-face technical support, emotional support, and community you build at Launch. Plus, your classmates are your future colleagues in the Boston tech scene.
- Rigor: The program is rigorous yet structured to support both individuals who are new to coding and those with some background. I entered the program with little to no experience and wanted to make the most of my time there. Out of the bootcamps that I looked into, I felt that Launch provided me with the greatest growth potential.
- Career Support and Alumni Community: Launch’s alumni community of over 1000 graduates is one of its greatest assets. Their community is not just a number but rather active and present in the current cohort’s Launch experience. The alumni come in to Launch to mentor, answer career questions, and support current Launchers every single week of the program. As someone without any (non-Launch) friends who are software engineers, this was critical to my vision of what I was looking for and where my career was eventually headed. The career support is extensive and begins Week 1.

Who should learn at Launch? Anyone who is driven, a curious learner, and self advocates. It requires a lot of hard work and long hours (all of which is genuinely enjoyable thanks to your awesome cohort learning alongside you). If you enter with the right mindset — “I have a lot to learn and I’m eager to put in the hard work” — I’m confident you have a lot to gain from the program.

If I could change anything about the program, I wish it were longer so that we could get more in-depth into some topics and better understand how to do more config on our own.

As I look back on my time at Launch Academy, what stands out to me the most is the community, consistently updated curriculum, and the immense amount that I learned. We’re all a team that celebrates each other’s successes and help each other get there.

I had a fantastic experience at Launch Academy in Boston. The instructors were really knowledgeable and the curriculum was both organized and presented well. Launch works hard to keep their curriculum current, so we learned some really "hot off the presses"... Read More technology that will be incredibly useful at our future jobs. Launch encouraged pair programming, collaboration, and test-driven development, all skills that are extremely desirable. In the last two weeks of the program, each Launcher independently created a full website as a capstone project. We then presented these projects to a group of local companies who are interested in hiring a junior developer. I received two job offers within a week of graduation, and feel fully equipped to jump into my new career.

Pros:
- Full support from staff throughout admissions, during the program itself, and post-graduation
- Informative staff with relevant industry experience and passion with many professional connections
- Small class size (~23 students)
- Budget friendly... Read More compared to a computer science degree
- Great location in the heart of Boston
- Positive atmosphere and safe space for all learning types
- Lots of support from alumni, including alumni network events hosted on-campus
- Emphasis on best practices in the industry, including technical and "soft" skills
- Access to hiring partners and other professional help through Career Services
- Constantly updating the curriculum to reflect needed skills in the field

I looked at other boot camps and felt that Launch Academy had the most human-friendly approach. They have created a boot camp that teaches the technical and problem-solving skills needed in a high-demand industry, yet have pinpointed the importance of collaboration, teamwork, and taking care of yourself with concerns of mental and physical health. As someone who came from a non-technical background, it felt daunting to come into a completely new world with completely new people. The staff at Launch Academy welcomed all of us with open arms and embraced us as individuals, while tailoring guidance to ensure that we are successful. Some of us needed more time than others, more support than others, and the staff took no hesitation to ensure that we understood the material.

Cons:
- Intensive material in a short period of time

This is very important for anyone who's coming into a program like this: Boot camps like Launch Academy are designed to be short so there's A LOT of information being taught. This may be particularly difficult for students who are new to programming in general, unfamiliar with time management and/or their own work style, and those who are not serious about finding a job in the industry post-graduation. This is not a program meant for the casual learner, but for someone who's looking more for a career change. Due to the rigorous nature and short time, it's also important to note that asking for help is CRITICAL. (This part in general isn't a con about the program - More like a recommendation for those who are on the fence about programming boot camps.)