Launch Academy

I want to preface everything by saying that I am still glad that I choose to do a bootcamp. The 2 stars is mostly a conglomerate of my experiences, the experiences of others in my cohort (the 2014 Summer cohort) as well as what I've heard from previous... Read More cohorts who have not posted on Quora. I'm overall pleased, but I think there were a lot of mismatched expectations, in terms of how much help Launch will give you in finding an internship/job. (which I will explain below)

LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
I can't speak for the other bootcamps, how much you learn, etc. but at Launch I learned so much and received all the help I needed to excel. The experience engineers really make-or-break Launch, and they are really top notch. There is a good balance in experience levels (in terms of their past backgrounds), as well as a range of personalities/teaching styles to match yours. I loved having Adam as the main teacher, since he helped calm my anxiety, and made me feel that we were doing fine (in terms of our learning pace), even if I was feeling a lot of doubt. I heard from other cohorts that when Dan Pickett was teaching, the style was very different (more like what you would stereotypically associate with a bootcamp), and I know personally that teaching style would have been detrimental to me. Certain people do better with one teaching style or the other, and I just got lucky that Adam Sheehan was teaching, and his teaching style is what works best for me.

LEARNING RAILS
I also was pleased with choosing Launch (and choosing to do a bootcamp in general), because there is so much to learn in coding/web development, that I was having trouble figuring out on my own what to learn. There are so many avenues you could go down, and Launch was helpful in just choosing web development, and giving you a guided curriculum in what was most important to learn in web development. In addition, setting up your environment can really be a huge barrier, and having the experience engineers (EE's) there to help with that makes a HUGE difference. I specifically choose Launch Academy over something like Hacker School in NYC, because I wanted something structured with an actual curriculum.

The caveat is that if you want to learn computer science fundamentals, you won't get that at Launch. That's simply because there just isn't time to really learn Rails, and also learn typical CS concepts. If you are interested in that, the EE's have lots of advice about resources/books/etc if you'd like to learn more post-Launch.

CAREER DAY(s)
One of the biggest reasons I choose a bootcamp was because of their network. Launch has about 60 hiring partners, and we had around 30 who actually came to our 2-day "Career Day"s. This is instrumental in having hiring managers/senior engineers meeting you, but also companies who already think you've learned a lot and are capable due to your training at Launch. It's a sort of filtered networking (where companies already like Launch, and where you've been accepted/graduated from Launch), so there's already some common ground, which is why it's easier to get hired from hiring partners from Career Day.

POST CAREER DAY
This is mostly why I've rated it 2 stars. Based on my experience and others I've talked to from my cohort and previous cohorts, Launch Academy oversells their post-grad career support. There is a Director of Talent who is there to help you, but given that there are 40 of us per cohort, and only 1 of her, you can guess the amount of time she has per person. At this point, there have been at least 5 cohorts, with cohorts ranging from 25-40. This is where the mismatched expectations comes into play. I personally did not have the expectation (or assumption) that I would get an internship or job from the hiring partners, nor did I expect that the Launch staff would be checking in on me and actively seeking positions specifically for me.

Like any other recruiter, you really need to constantly check in and ask for what you need. If you don't ask for their attention, you won't get it. There could be many reasons for this, one of which is again because there is 1 Director of Talent, 40 students per cohort, plus 30-40 additional students per previous cohort. It's tough, but it seems that many thought we would have more support/time than they are getting.

PUSHING TO INTERVIEW/ACCEPT NON-CODING POSITIONS
I also am getting the feeling that sometimes we are advised to interview for/take internships or positions that are not actually coding. One particular hiring partner interviewed many of our cohort (for several positions), but I've yet to hear of an interview that was actually for coding. They were technical positions, but not actually for an engineering role. Many of us interviewed, and many of us were told the role would be partially coding and partially technical but non-coding. In reality, when we interviewed and inquired, these positions actually were 0% coding.

That said, it is possible to move from a technical position to a coding position. But didn't we just spend $12.5K to code in our next role?

I also think in general that since we are so junior, companies are inclined to see if we are willing to take something sub-optimal. It's unfortunately the way of the game. However, it seems that quite a few of us feel that Launch should provide more support in pushing/asking/filtering hiring partners and positions. If the role is not at all coding, tell them that we are only interested in development roles.

Hiring partners pay Launch $$ for access to our information (we have an online profile accessible to only some hiring partners), as well as more $$ to attend Career Day. Some companies would even come to career day not looking to hire. In some ways, this could be great networking for Launch-ers, but also in some ways it is deceiving because you might see 30 hiring partners at Career Day, but really only 20 are actually hiring. Just keep this in mind.

JOB STATISTICS
When they say 96% job placement, they also count internships in this statistic, which I initially did not realize. Keep this in mind. It's both deceiving and not, since an internship will obviously increase your chances of getting a fulltime job, but of course, there's no guarantee in today's market. Also, that tuition reimbursement they talk about is only for a FULLTIME job, not an internship. I'm not sure what the stats would be if they didn't include graduates who never found a fulltime job.

Their homepage also lists a "100% retention rate - Every Launcher who has found a position as a developer after Launch Academy has been retained by their employer. Not a single Launcher has been asked to leave their position." I know for a fact that someone was let go of their position (not due to their qualifications, but because of a not-so-great boss), and that people have quit their internships/jobs because of a poor work environment. As with any employer, there is always a chance that it will not work out, and especially as Junior Developers, I think it's more likely that we are taken advantage of since we are (slightly) desperate for an internship/job. It's hard to tell how much screening Launch Academy does of its hiring partners, but I have heard a few horror stories. That given, Launch does quickly addresses these issues and discontinues the relationship with the hiring partner.

SUMMARY
In summary, I still would overall recommend Launch Academy, since it does teach you more than you could ever learn on your own, but you should keep in mind that their marketing is a little deceiving. You are not necessarily becoming part of a community of Launchers, nor are you necessarily receiving more help (in terms of job placement) than any other recruiter would give you. Career Day is obviously the one huge bonus that you don't get elsewhere, but once that is over, a lot of the support ends too unless you really keep asking for it.

I joined Launch Academy in February 2014 after realizing that coding was something I wanted to do. While I had very little experience with coding and most programming languages I was familiar with Ruby by attending free workshops in Boston

I decided on... Read More Launch for a couple of reasons; it's located in Boston, they are active in the Ruby community, and I had met Launch Academy alum who had only good things to say about the boot camp model.

One of the greatest things about Launch Academy are the Experience Engineers who teach and mentor. It's an amazing support system that I don't think I would've gotten at other bootcamps in the city.

By the end of the 10-week program, I had built a couple of apps using Rails and Sinatra and was exposed to many of the methodologies and technologies full-stack developers use. The most important thing was not just what I learned but HOW I learned. I know feel like I have the tools to learn any new technology at an accelerated rate.

I had interviews for 5 different positions and accepted a job offer within a month of graduation.

My experiences at Launch Academy were very positive - I'll talk a little about the curriculum, social atmosphere, and job placement prospects below. To give some background on me, I started the program with a History/English degree and a couple of Coursera... Read More courses' worth of programming knowledge under my belt.

The curriculum is extremely well thought out, starting with Ruby and database basics, then moving on to the Sinatra framework (which forces you to understand the nuts and bolts of web programming), before moving on to Rails. There were a few days of Javascript/CS topics, but those sections were optional in my cohort, and not heavily emphasized. Launch was able to accommodate a wide range of skill levels by having a series of challenge assignments available to go with the 'core' assignments. It is definitely important to come in with a strong work ethic and the ability to independently problem-solve - Launch is very project-based, and you spend most of your day working on your own problems until you get stuck and need help. To get the most out of the experience, if you find the work challenging, ask for help early and often. If you find it easy, ask for more difficult problems or start working on your own projects, and the instructors will provide support for you too.

In my cohort, everyone was very collaborative, pairing on projects often and asking each other for help. It was a great social experience, and I think everyone got more out of the program because they worked together. I think this is pretty true of the Boston Ruby community in general; people are really nice, and it's a good idea to take advantage of that by making friends and going to meet-ups.

As far as job placement goes, Launch has a full-time person who focuses on helping you find a job even after the program is over, and the instructors remain available to help you with programming projects afterwards as well. This kind of post-grad support is extremely valuable. Many of my classmates (including myself) were able to land jobs and interviews soon after the cohort ended. It's worth noting that even though the Launch curriculum is almost totally Ruby-focused, it's entirely possible to get junior level positions in other languages afterwards. I'm working in C# at my new job - Launch teaches you the skills you need to learn new programming concepts fast, as much as anything else.

Dan Pickett is building an incredibly effective educational experience at Launch Academy. Their agile approach to curriculum design will outlast the competition and fulfill the needs of the market as the develop. There is no other bootcamp in Boston that... Read More I'd stake my money on.

As a graduate of the program at Launch Academy, I have been very satisfied with my experience both during and after the cohort. I'll assume you you're familiar with the bootcamp model if you're on this site, and will try to touch on some of the things... Read More that set Launch Academy apartment from other programs (that probably wouldn't fit on a comparison chart).

The staff and instructors are very receptive to feedback, and are willing and able to adapt quickly to the needs of students. During the cohort, the instructors did a good job of identifying areas where the group generally seemed to be struggling, as well as determining subjects that people were grasping quickly. The course teaches us to develop using agile methodologies, and uses those same principles to ensure that it is meeting the needs of the students.

At the conclusion of a cohort, student feedback is solicited to make improvements to the curriculum. These suggestions are taken seriously, and I have seen such changes put into practice in future cohorts (such as introducing JavaScript earlier on and with more emphasis, for example).

Alumni support and community involvement are also areas where Launch Academy is very strong. Launch Academy holds a full-day hackathon called "Ship It Saturday" for anyone in the Boston development community to come in and work on a project, ideally completing it in one day. Current and former students attend, and completing a project in a day is a great way to show how much progress you have made. Alumni are often welcome to attend talks from guest speakers during the week, and can be seen at other Ruby events in the area, such as Boston Ruby Group meetups or volunteering at RailsBridge.

Regarding admissions, I think Launch Academy does an excellent job in ensuring each cohort will be a diverse group of hard-working individuals, all with a passion to learn web development. In my mind, the students you are surrounding yourself with for the majority of the day are just as important as the quality of instructors. They're in the same position you are, and having a good group of people for support can make a big difference. In my cohort, students would always stay late, and were more than happy to help out or work together to figure something out.

Lastly, I think an important distinction to make is that Launch Academy prepares its students for careers in software development, as opposed to simply teaching people to program. There is no denying the importance of communication and working with others, which Launch Academy addresses through pair programming, group projects, and encouraging students to attend community events to share our experiences and learn from others in the industry.

After completing the program, I feel confident that I can continue to advance my skills and learn new technologies. Plus, I have a great network of friends and colleagues to reach out to if I ever need hep with a technical problem, a job reference, or even career advice.

If you've decided that a software development bootcamp is right for you, Launch Academy is a great choice, and you will not regret your decision to attend.

*This review was reposted from Bootcamps.in. The original review can be found here: http://www.bootcamps.in/boston/launch-academy/

I was one of their Winter 2013 student. Prior to Launch I had an Economics background and I was working as a Project Coordinator. I had no prior programming experience.

I learned a ton, but the moment I realized how amazing my experience has been at Launch... Read More was when I was helping someone at a Ruby meetup. I was able to help someone write test and clean code for a forum, written in php, that he wanted to build using Ruby on Rails. I'm very happy with the knowledge I came out with and I am excited to continue learning.

We had an event called Ship It Saturday where people started a new app and had to deploy it by the end of the day. You can check it out http://spacestation.herokuapp.com/. *There are projects that weren't built during the event.

*This review was reposted from Quora. The original review can be found here: http://qr.ae/YGPWb

Hey! So I was a student in the Summer 2013 Cohort of Launch Academy. I had absolutely ZERO experience going into the program, and was a bartender up until I moved to Boston to start the bootcamp.

I've always been a fast learner so I kind of thought that... Read More it wouldn't be as hard as it sounded. I was soooo wrong. It was super hard, probably THE HARDEST THING I'VE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE, and intense, and totally immersive - I was eating, breathing, sleeping code..literally, I dreamed about writing programs. I probably cried close to everyday (not to sound like a baby). I learned SO much and going to Launch Academy changed my life. I went from being a bartender not knowing a single thing about programming, to being a full time developer at a super cool web and mobile apps development company in Raleigh, NC..IN TEN WEEKS.

The instructors and everyone involved are amazing and so invested in helping you learn and have the best experience possible. I am living my dream life right now and it is due in large part to Launch Academy.

I graduated with the Fall 2013 cohort. I completed all the prework. I made sure that I attended class every day. I took notes. I worked 12 hour days. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it. My effort paid off, and now I'm employed as... Read More a software developer, at a company with an amazing culture, working on a product that I can be proud to tell others about.

The team at Launch Academy is constantly tweaking their curriculum to meet the needs of their students. Their goal is to teach you the most relevant skills to make you a successful web developer. It's like distilling all of the relevant information from a Computer Science program into 2 months of prework and 10 weeks of in-class instruction. Your return on investment will be very high if you are willing to put in the time and effort and make the most of the resources provided for you.

With that being said, you also have to plan for the worst. What if you aren't cut out for the programming bootcamp model? What if you don't get a job immediately after completing the program? Do you have enough funds to support yourself for the duration of the program, and then some? Do you have a plan to fall back on? This program is not a golden ticket to an amazing career, nor is any other programming bootcamp. You have to put in the effort. If you are the kind of person that doesn't give up easily, if you are willing to ask for help when you need it, then you will go far.

The development community here in Boston is very welcoming and encouraging. We all want to see our fellow developers succeed. It is really a wonderful city, full of opportunity in this field.

*This review was reposted from Quora. The original review can be found here: http://qr.ae/2m9a3

A year ago I decided to leave my job in social services to pursue a career change, and landed on software development as my path. After looking into many bootcamps I chose to attend Launch Academy. I am originally from New York, but I decided to travel... Read More up to Boston for the program based on my initial experiences with the interview process and their overall curriculum. My biggest concerns in attending a bootcamp of this type were 1) Would I be the only woman in the cohort/ would I fit in? and 2) Would I be successful coming from a non-technical background? As soon as the cohort began (Winter 2013) I knew I had made the right decision and that none of my concerns would be an issue.

When I describe to others what made the difference at Launch Academy, I always say it was the people- both students and staff. Launch Academy recruits a diverse group of passionate and motivated individuals. This also made a huge difference in how I learned, as we pair-programmed daily. Launch Academy's experience engineers are also dedicated to making sure you are learning in a style that suits you best. I discovered that I am a very visual learner, and my mentor group did a good amount of whiteboarding to solve problems and learn concepts. Dan Pickett is also very involved in the Boston Ruby community, and his passion for teaching others to program, as well as give back to the community through volunteer work, inspired many of us to do the same.

Following the program I returned to New York to find a developer position, and as others have said, if you are looking for a job outside of the Boston area there is a lot more groundwork to be done on your part. That being said, Launch Academy did prepare us well for the interview process, and if you are motivated enough to code for 60-70 hours a week, you should be willing to put equally as much effort into finding a position afterwards. Within two months of completing the program I started my first job as part of a software engineering team at a startup in NYC. I believe almost all, if not all, of the students from my cohort have also obtained employment at this point. One of the most important things that I gained from Launch Academy was the ability to continue to learn on my own, and the confidence in my ability to become a great software developer.

I attended Launch Academy November 2013 to January 2014. As a former educator myself, I was very impressed by the way that Launch Academy approached pedagogy. They focused on educational best practices such as group work, higher level thinking, and self... Read More discovery. That said, what you put into it is what you will get out of it. The teachers and mentors were great - positive, clear, thoughtful. In terms of job prospects, Launch Academy has tons of great connections in the Boston metropolitan area. Outside of the Boston metropolitan area you are pretty much on your own in terms of finding a job. The good thing is that you leave Launch Academy prepared to do well on job interviews, its just you lack the warm introductions that Launch Academy can give you with Boston metropolitan area employers.