Lambda School vs App Academy

App Academy Reviews and Key Information

App Academy is a coding bootcamp with locations in New York and San Francisco. App Academy offers instruction in your choice of 16 or 24-week immersive bootcamps. Students can also take the entire curriculum for free in App Academy Open, the school’s self-paced option. Throughout this App Academy review, you’ll learn why students who put in the work earn a strong advantage. This bootcamp teaches students everything they need to find a job in a modern software development environment.

App Academy at a Glance

Cost of Tuition	$17,000 - $20,000 Upfront
Financing Options	Income Share Agreement, Upfront Payment, Private Student Loans, Payment Plan, Scholarship
Courses Offered	Full Stack Web Development
Career Services and Job Assistance	Career Coaching, Network of Industry Partners

What Can You Learn at App Academy?

App Academy offers two different curriculums, depending on whether students take the in-person 16-week or the 24-week online course. No matter which course you pick, you will be learning how to build web applications from professionals. In addition, you will experience the same job search services to help you land a dream job at some of the best tech companies around.

Software Engineering (16 weeks)

The Software Engineering Immersive Course teaches students the Ruby on Rails and JavaScript stacks to help them build websites quickly. You will also learn how to use HTML and CSS to make responsive sites, SQL for data structures, and React and Redux frameworks. The latter will help you to enhance your JavaScript projects. Students learn all of these tools over the course before combining their skills in a final full stack project. After completing this project, students learn a new backend framework in MERN to bolster their server-side skills before preparing for their job hunt. The 16-week in-person course is usually available in San Francisco and New York, and the hiring partners for the program are also based in those two cities. However, the course is currently available online due to COVID-19.

Software Engineering (24 weeks)

This version of the Software Engineering Immersive Course replaces Ruby on Rails with Python while keeping the same JavaScript instruction. During the online course, students still learn how to build full websites on their own. However, they get to dive a bit deeper due to the longer length of the course. You will start with bootcamp prep work and then move into programming fundamentals before learning the basics of computer science. Then, after mastering both the Python and JavaScript stacks, you will finish a portfolio project and prepare for the job hunt.

Admissions: How Do You Get Accepted to App Academy?

App Academy applicants must be over 18 and have a high-school diploma or equivalent education. App Academy accepts students without any prior coding experience. However, you have the chance to strengthen your skills after applying. This takes the form of a two-week course to learn Ruby for free, and a paid one-month JavaScript course.

App Academy Application Process

Students start their application process by filling out an online form with basic information about themselves. The application then changes depending on which program you’re applying for. Students applying for the 16-week program receive prep work materials and practice problems to prepare for a coding challenge and technical interview. Students applying to the 16-week bootcamp can choose to take their coding challenge and technical interview in either Ruby, JavaScript, or Python. As App Academy offers prep courses in Ruby and JavaScript, you should be able to learn everything you need to succeed before the tests. Applicants for the 24-week bootcamp experience don’t have to demonstrate any coding prowess. Instead, they complete self-paced learning challenges on HTML, CSS, Git, Boolean Algebra, and Digital Logic after admittance. The admissions process takes anywhere from two to six weeks, and there’s a rolling roster of classes starting every month.

App Academy Interview

As we’ve previously mentioned, students applying for the more intensive 16-week program will have to demonstrate coding skills during a technical interview before admission. Students who are applying for the more spaced-out 24-week program don’t have to demonstrate these coding skills. However, no matter which program you choose, you will have to show specific qualities that App Academy looks for in all of its applicants. App Academy is looking for students who are highly motivated and disciplined. You must demonstrate a clear and strong conviction for transitioning to a career as a software engineer.

Paying for App Academy

App Academy offers generous payment structures across its programs, and options differ depending on which program students select. Students in the 24-week program can choose to either pay upfront or with an income share agreement (ISA). Students in the 16-week program can also choose to pay upfront, but they also have access to several payment plans.

Income Share Agreement

Students in the 24-week program can choose to pay for their education with an ISA. This option requires no down payment, and you don’t pay any tuition during the program. After you find a job making over $50,000 per year, you will pay back 15 percent of your monthly income for either 36 months, or until you reach the ISA maximum of $31,000.

Upfront Payment

The upfront payment option is the fastest way to pay for the coding bootcamps. The 16-week coding bootcamp costs $17,000 upfront, and the 24-week program costs $20,000. Both require a $5,000 payment within seven days of acceptance into the program, and the rest at least one week before the start of your cohort.

Payment Plan

Students in the 16-week option can choose to finance their tuition with three different payment plans. The deferred plan lets students pay a $3,000 deposit, then $1,250 seven days after acceptance, and $1,750 one week before the cohort begins. Then students pay 28 percent of their first year’s salary, capped at $28,000. The hybrid plan calls for a $9,000 deposit upfront, with $3,000 due seven days after acceptance and $6,000 due a week before the cohort starts. You will pay 23 percent of your first year’s salary, capped at $23,000. The final option is the Upfront Plan Plus Living Stipend, which comes with a Climb Credit loan. This loan gives students up to $8,500 in living expenses to help with their costs during the bootcamp.

Scholarship

You may qualify for App Academy’s Deposit Assistance Program (DAP) if you come from a community that’s historically underrepresented in tech.

What Makes App Academy Unique?

App Academy offers two distinct ways to learn software engineering that help students build different skill sets. If you are interested in building responsive websites only, you can take the 16-week program. If you want to add some versatility to your skillset, the added Python instruction of the 24-week program will deliver the goods. App Academy also offers a completely free self-paced option with no application process. It’s called App Academy Open. If you’re interested in studying on your own to swerve the tuition fees, this is a great option. App Academy Open teaches the entire App Academy curriculum with over 1,500 hours of online content. Couple the versatile immersive options with top-notch career services, and you have a recipe for success. App Academy is one of many great options for students who want to enter the booming tech field.