Rithm School

I was nervous about applying for a bootcamp and switching careers, but the entire process for Rithm made me feel more confident. This is a tough course, they cover a lot of material and topics in the span of a couple months. It is a full time commitment,... Read More even after the lectures are finished. They change their curriculum depending on the current environment, which is good for keeping up to date. I believe that in order to make good use of what you learned you have to put effort into understanding the material and topics. I started with almost no prior knowledge about coding, but I felt confident near the end. They also help with job searches post-grad and have check ins to help you stay on track.

I have hesitated learning a trade due to costs, but this was worth it! Rithm school teaches students how to learn, along with the skills necessary to compete in the developer workforce. I am so happy to have a job in tech and know that I will continue... Read More to do software development for the rest of my life!

I decided to stop taking classes at my college due to the lack of infrastructure and the poor transition/execution to 100% remote classes. I wanted to challenge myself, learn applicable material, and feel like I was getting my money's worth. Deciding... Read More to enroll and go to Rithm School was one of the best decisions I've made in my adult life. I got everything I wasn't getting in a traditional college and so much more. Rithm School offered me so much that other Bootcamps seem to lack, from the small class sizes and strong alumni community, the internships working with real-world codebases presenting new challenges and frameworks, to the constantly evolving course material and emphasis on learning how to 'learn' on the fly. If I could go back and start the course over again I would do it, I made friends, mentors, and future coworkers all while gaining the skills to feel prepared for my first programming job. Online, in person, or hybrid, Rithm School offers a top-tier education lead by demanding, compassionate and experienced instructors that will prepare you for the real world and give you a leg up amongst a sea of other Bootcamp grads. The school is worth every penny and I would recommend it to anyone looking to take the leap of faith into programming.

Attending Rithm School was one of the best decisions of my life! Like all bootcamps, it wasn't 100% perfect, but to me, the drawbacks are completely outweighed by the benefits. Here is an honest review of Rithm based on my (REMOTE) experience: Environment/Culture:... Read More Pros: - SUPER collaborative and tons of pair programming experience. It really helped me improve my technical communication, and it was a great way to connect with my classmates. - I thought that the cold calling during lectures would be scary, but the instructors make you feel comfortable so even if you don't know the answer to a question it's not a big deal. - Everyone in my cohort was supportive, friendly, and a delight to work with. Even after graduation, many of us stay in touch regularly through weekly Zoom meet-ups. We all want to help each other succeed! - Zoom + Slack === a near-perfect virtual experience. - Rithm has a strict "anti-burnout" culture, unlike the big bootcamps like Codesmith, Hack Reactor, App Academy, etc. In my opinion, this made learning much more efficient and enjoyable. Cons: - Although the remote environment was as good as I think it could've been, it would've been extra awesome to attend Rithm in person! Instructors: Pros: - The instructors are super knowledgeable and friendly - I always felt comfortable asking questions. Due to the small class size, they were usually very quick to hop into our Zoom breakout rooms when we needed help. - You get assigned one instructor to meet with 1-on-1 every other week. This is a great opportunity to get your code reviewed in more detail, do mock coding interviews, or just chat about random stuff. Cons - Some instructors are more prepared to help with certain topics than others, so the time it takes you to get "un-stuck" may differ depending on who joins your breakout room. Curriculum: Pros: - The curriculum was extremely up-to-date and relevant, and I loved the emphasis on testing, documentation, security, and fundamentals of how the web works. - If you find yourself with extra time, there are PLENTY of "further study" materials that will push you to learn and practice with more advanced topics. - By the end, you'll have built tons of mini projects and a few big ones! Project-based learning is highly useful for solidifying topics that you cover in lectures. Cons: - They would probably need an extra week or two to fit this in, but more of a focus on CSS/accessibility or DSA would have been nice. - "What you put in is what you get out". You do have to meet the minimum requirement of passing the weekend assignments, but you can also learn way more if you put in extra time to ask instructors more questions and/or do the optional "further study". This isn't really a drawback, but just something to keep in mind - knowledge won't just be handed to you, you have to put in the work to make it the best experience possible. Company projects: Pros: - Company projects set Rithm apart from all of the other bootcamps. No other bootcamp that I've heard of does this. It is basically a mini-internship. - You get to work on a team to build some cool things in a complex codebase! By the end I had great real-world experience for my resume and I was a much more confident engineer. Cons: - Instructors are busy during this time preparing for the upcoming cohorts, etc., so they are sometimes spread pretty thin depending on the size of the team (my team was on the larger side with 6 people) and the complexity of the project. It usually wasn't an issue, but sometimes it took a while to get help when I was stuck. - Some of the company projects aren't with actual companies - one of the projects in my cohort was an open-source project. Still a really cool experience, but just a bit misleading. Outcomes and Job Support: Pros: - I got a job at a company I'm really excited about only 3 weeks after graduating! Although a big part of it was luck (I was referred by a friend in my cohort), I owe a lot of my success in the interviews to Zach (the career coach) who helped me prepare for interviewing and negotiation, and the whole Rithm experience for training me to be a skillful and confident software engineer! - After graduating, Zach was always available to answer questions and meet with us regularly. He even found time during his busy day to meet with me right before I had a scary negotiation phone call! You can tell that he loves his job and is passionate about helping us find HIGH QUALITY jobs. - It's been a little over a month since graduation and at least 5 out of the 16 people in my cohort have gotten job offers already! (4 have accepted offers). 1 person went to grad school, so it's more like 5/15 people. - The alumni network keeps growing and is filled with supportive and successful engineers that want to help Rithm grads land great jobs! Cons: - I can't really think of any significant areas of improvement here! If anything, perhaps a few more mock technical interviews would have been useful. * I will also add that they regularly had us fill out feedback surveys. Rithm is continuously improving their curriculum and experience based on the feedback - they truly care about providing you with the best learning experience possible! TLDR: If you're debating between Rithm and the other top bootcamps, choose Rithm for the small class sizes, excellent curriculum, company projects, and overall great learning environment and culture!! You won't regret it.

Rithm is an incredible bootcamp and I had a great experience! The material is very relevant and constantly updating to keep up with the technology trends in the industry. I always felt the work we were doing or the concepts we were learning were highly... Read More practical tools that we would need in the job, and now that I'm in the workforce, I see just how true that is. The work is definitely challenging, but the guidance from the instructors was excellent and the small cohort size made it very easy to ask questions and get hands on assistance with any concept, or project. Frankly, I sought out Rithm because I knew it would push me, and that's exactly what I got. Leaving the bootcamp, I felt fully prepared for both the interview and job search process along with whatever job would come my way. Zach (the Career Coach) did a great job of getting us ready for the job search and was always available for questions and assistance after the bootcamp ended. Overall, Rithm School is a great community of instructors, students, and alumni who genuinely care about getting you prepared for and educated in this industry.

I thought after reading so many glowing reviews that Rithm wouldn't live up to the hype, but it really is as incredible as others say! I received an offer at my dream company, The New York Times, 3 weeks after graduating from Rithm, which I truly don't... Read More think would have happened if I hadn't attended Rithm (side note: this was really fast and I do think part of it was definitely luck, but part of it was also attending a bootcamp that gave me the skills and confidence to succeed in an interview just a few weeks after graduating). Below is a quick summary of my experience: Why I chose Rithm (& would chose it again!!): 1. Small class size & collaborative culture - my class was 10 people with 2 instructors and 1 TA. With pair programming, cold calls, and a great classroom atmosphere, I was able to feel really close to everyone in the program even though it was all remote. Everyone at Rithm is talented and motivated while being caring and pushing others to grow as developers. I was amazed by how often my peers would share tips throughout the program or job openings after the program, and it really felt like everyone wanted each other to succeed as much as themselves. 2. INCREDIBLE instructors - I studied engineering at a good university and have been taught by great professors, but somehow Elie & Joel (& Brit as the TA) exceeded my previous experiences. They were patient, funny, caring, and so talented, and I would join the program again just to be taught by them. The instructors at Rithm are deeply invested in your learning and growth and even check-up on you once the program ends. 3. Curriculum - In addition to what you read online about the curriculum (Python & JS, company projects, etc), I thought Rithm also did a great job of stressing what it means to be a professional developer. During code reviews, the instructors would not only comment on the logic of our code but also on documentation and testing. There is also cold-calling during lectures which terrified me at first, but has improved my ability to speak on technical topics. When I was interviewing for jobs, this proved incredibly useful and has given me confidence starting my first full-time job. 4. Job support - Two weeks at Rithm are dedicated to interviewing and applying for jobs, and I never felt alone in the job search process. Zach (the career coach) is so helpful throughout the entire process, from figuring out when to start applying to reading over your negotiation email. In summary, Rithm is expensive but worth it. I can't think of a negative aspect to write in this review, and I think that says something about how Rithm really has it figured out!

My experience at Rithm School was everything I hoped it would be. Due to the small class size I was able to receive multiple code reviews per day. I felt I learned the most during these code reviews. The instructors always took the time to examine our... Read More code and give thoughtful feedback. We did a lot of paired programming on a daily basis which prepared us well for working in a team environment. I enjoyed working with my classmates to solve problems and get insight to see how they were approaching the problems. The most prominent value add was the internship at the end of the program. We got hands on experience working on a production code base with the team. I was able to secure a software engineering job 1 month after graduating at a startup with a 6 figure salary + equity.

If you are looking for a coding bootcamp to attend, I would honestly just stop searching now and choose Rithm School. I was once a prospective bootcamp student and did extensive research on every bootcamp in the San Francisco Bay Area and I ended up choosing... Read More Rithm due to its small class sizes, well paced curriculum, and most importantly: its company projects. As many of us know, small class sizes means that you are able to get more individualized attention from each instructor in the course. It makes it extremely easy to ask questions and get a response. Many other bootcamps have very large class sizes making it so that when you have questions or need help while you are working, it takes a ridiculous amount of time to get the help you need. If you truly want to take advantage of your instructors, then small class sizes are essential. Rithm paces their curriculum in a way that makes the material digestible instead of having to “drink water from a fire hose”. While Rithm may be longer than other bootcamps in terms of its duration, this added length really helps with truly understanding the material without having to feel like you are being rushed. The longer length also makes it so that you are able to get more support from your instructors over a longer period of time. The most important feature of Rithm is definitely the company projects. I want you to picture company projects kind of like mini-internships. These company projects give you real world experience working on a real live codebase. I cannot stress how much this gives you a leg up compared to all the other bootcamp graduates as you will leave Rithm with actual real world experience that you can then use in your job search. After the main meat of the course, Rithm also prepares you for the job search through their awesome career coach, Zach. Zach does an extremely good job of making sure that you are well equipped for the job search ahead by discussing interview best practices, job search best practices, and even self-care best practices. He will literally teach you how to hack the job search and make yourself stand out in a vast ocean of applications. If you are looking for a coding bootcamp, Rithm School is definitely the way to go. However, I also want to preface this by saying that attending a coding bootcamp requires a lot of commitment and work on your end as well. Do not assume that going into any bootcamp will automatically land you a software engineering job with minimal work on your part. If you are willing to fully commit a few months of your life to learning, then Rithm School will definitely be a life changing experience for you.

I really didn't imagine beforehand what a great experience I'd have at Rithm. What to expect (I think a lot of this applies to most Bootcamps): - You won't be made into an expert, or magically transform into an amazing developer in 4 months. - You'll... Read More be given context on a bunch of relevant web technologies, all while improving your skills as a coder. It's basically accelerated learning where you should come out with many of the tools necessary to get up to speed when you do land a job. - Around 40 hours per week in class (more if you want to do extra), and 6-9 hours on the weekends doing assessments (I spent more to go deeper into the topics). This is something I appreciated about Rithm - the Bootcamp is longer, but the pace is more manageable compared to some others. - Days start with (the numbers could be a little off) ~60-90 minutes of lecture, then 60-90 minutes of pair programming with a random classmate until lunch. 60-90 more minutes of lecture, then pair programming with the same partner until you're ready to go home. - When you get out, depending on where you want to apply you could find yourself behind on Data Structures and Algorithms (only spend a week on it). A lot of companies are not heavy on this stuff, but just something to keep in mind as it can take some time to get up to speed. - You won't be dropped once you graduate, they have office hours every week where you can go get job hunt related or technical advice, and they'll continue to follow-up with you until you get a job! What I loved most about Rithm: - Classmates! I was really impressed with their ability to find so many smart, friendly and motivated people. - Class size - 6:1 student-instructor ratio means you can almost always get help when you need it, and the fact that you're pair programming makes this ratio effectively 3:1 for most of the day. - Company projects - this is a standout feature of Rithm, and owes itself in part to the fact that the class size is small enough that they're able to find enough companies willing to let you work on their codebase. It's a one month internship where you work in 6 person agile teams and put to practice everything you learned during the Bootcamp! - Instructors - all awesome people who really seem to care about your success. You'll have a bi-weekly one-on-one where you can discuss your assessments, talk about how it's going, ask questions, or generally just make sure things are heading in the right direction. - Feedback loop - they frequently ask for feedback, and it really feels like they're rapidly evolving the course and making it better even during your time there. - The curriculum felt very well put together, well paced, and at a good level of depth for you to understand it without being too simplistic. - There is a large and growing community of people whose experiences were similar to my own, who would love to tell you their experiences, give you advice, or maybe even become a referral. Other things of note: - They gave us mentors! A former student now working as an engineer who you can meet regularly with to ask questions or get advice. - They had people come to speak with us and provide advice at the end of the bootcamp. This includes two companies, one of which gave us free interviews and hired 3 of my classmates, and another who offered to skip us past the screening process, and is the company I currently work at! - There's a slack channel where you can frequently find job opportunities post-graduation, including roles opening up at former grads' companies. - One of the underrated things about Bootcamps as opposed to self study is that you instantly get a team of people who can keep you motivated, practice interviewing, answer questions, share advice and generally make the whole job hunt process a lot more manageable.

In short, Rithm school is the best. Previous reviews already point out why Rithm is a great Bootcamp. So, I would like to emphasize a couple of points that deserve more attention. Incredible instructors and a career coach Elie, Joel, and Tim taught my... Read More cohort. Not only they're knowledgeable, but also they're incredibly passionate about teaching and the industry. They were always approachable and they always focused on important fundamentals, tips, and tricks that you can not learn from an online course. They were huge for me to build a strong foundation to start my journey as a software engineer. I really do miss their classes because they are amazing at explaining difficult concepts in a succinct manner. Seriously, my only regret after the Bootcamp is not bugging them more. If you are going to join Rithm school, pick their brain and ask as many questions as possible because they will always have answers for you and sometimes even if they don't, they would go out of their ways to get those answers for you. Also, Zach is the best career coach you can ask for. When you finish your Bootcamp, you are not done. You are just starting and the hard part begins. Job search. However, Zach is always there for you and does his best to help you. Having Zach to rely on, ask questions, and get help from was huge for me during my job search. I can not thank him enough. 2) Students Through interviewing many students, Rithm school not only accepts quality students to each cohort but also Rithm always emphasizes the importance of respect and teamwork. Thus, during the Bootcamp, I was able to learn a lot not only from the instructors but also from the students in my cohort. They were motivated, smart, and personable. I was confident that even if after the Bootcamp, those students will do great and I was excited to grow as a developer together with this group. I was able to become great friends with them and we still reach out to each other. Another thing to note was how helpful the Rithm community was. Whenever I reached out to different alumni, they were always willing to help and I can not thank them enough as well. So in conclusion, go to Rithm if you are willing to work and stay motivated. Rithm school is a place where the more you put in the more you get out.