Lambda School vs Flatiron School

Flatiron School Reviews and Key Information

Flatiron School is one of the most exclusive and prestigious coding bootcamps in the United States. This school has one of the best feedbacks on all bootcamp review lists. The curricula, the programs, the projects, and the experience are designed to ensure students can reach their full potential in the tech space. This Flatiron School review will walk you through the courses, schedules, payment options, and much more.

Flatiron School at a Glance

Cost of Tuition	From $0 to $18,900
Financing Options	Income Share Agreement, Upfront Payment, Private Student Loans, Scholarships
Courses Offered	Coding, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Engineering
Career Services and Job Assistance	Career Coaching, Job Guarantee, Network of Industry Partners

What Can You Learn at Flatiron School

Flatiron School offers intensive courses in software engineering, data science, and cyber security. In addition, you can access free prep courses and exploratory courses to help you understand the fundamentals before taking the immersive program. The school has eight campuses across the US including in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Denver, with a remote learning option. What can you learn at Flatiron School? Let’s break down the course offerings below.

Software Engineering

This 15-week program covers everything from the basics of coding to industry-level projects. You can take this course on-campus or online. The first topics will be the fundamentals of SQL and Object-Oriented Programming, Ruby tools, and JavaScript. In the following weeks, you will start working with front end frameworks like React and Redux, and then you will present your portfolio consisting of individual and group projects. Throughout this journey, you will have career support and professional counseling to improve your software development performance.

Data Science

Before starting the Data Science course, you must attend prework modules to build a strong foundation. After that, you begin to learn and process data with Python and SQL. Three weeks later, you will use statistics, A/B Testing, and Linear Regression. This is a 15-week course, available online and on-site. Each module consists of specific content for 15 days. You will learn about machine learning, big data, deep learning, and advanced data projects in the final three modules. At the end of the course, you will be working on advanced projects that demonstrate your proficiency in the concepts that you have covered.

Cybersecurity Engineering

Cybersecurity Engineering is a 15-week full-stack program where you learn and work with in-demand cyber security tools. In the first few weeks, you learn the fundamentals of network security protocols like Ethernet, HTTP, IP, DNS, ICMP, and many more. In the following modules, you will work with basic Python scripting and cyber security applications. Next, you will learn about Crypto and OpenSSL. You will also focus on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Threat Intelligence, applied cryptography, and other current web security topics.

Cybersecurity Analytics

One of Flatiron School's newer programs is Cybersecurity Analytics. It is a 12-week course where you learn advanced network administration techniques and analysis strategies. You will learn about Security Intelligence and Event Management (SIEM) Administration, hunt skills, and threat intelligence in the final modules. You will also engage the enterprise, deliver system security, and develop plans and policies. This full-time program requires a minimum of 40 hours per week which includes readings, labs, conferences, and assigned study hours. This course can be taken online or on-site.

Explore and Prep Courses

Flatiron School offers free options for beginners and people who are interested in learning the fundamentals of coding or data science. You can also access foundational courses such as Hacking 101, How to Land a Tech Job, Introduction to JavaScript, and Ruby. They are available in a part-time format.

Admissions: How Do You Get Accepted to Flatiron School?

Potential students must meet several requirements to be accepted into Flatiron School. It has one of the most stringent admissions processes with a low acceptance rate of below six percent. It is advisable that you prepare adequately to improve your chances of enrollment.

Flatiron School Application Process

To become a Flatiron School student, you must complete a four-step process. Each of these is essential for you to have a successful admission. Below you will see the steps to follow to enroll in a Flatiron School program.

• Apply: Visit the Flatiron School website and browse through your options. Once you have decided on a program, click the Apply Now button. Then, you must fill out the form with your personal information and location.
• Admissions Interview: This is a simple conversation with the Flatiron School admissions staff. It is an opportunity for you to formally introduce yourself and share your motivation to study at Flatiron School.
• Technical Review: This is one of the most important parts of the admissions process. After the standard interview, you will have to take a practical exam where Flatiron School professionals will evaluate your technical abilities. You will hear back from the school around four days after the test.
• Prework: If you passed the technical test, you will be accepted into Flatiron School. Before your first day of classes, the last step is to complete the prework stage which will be based on the course that you signed up for. In this module, you will be introduced to the basic tools and technologies that your respective program will cover.

Flatiron School Interview

The Flatiron School interview is an essential part of your admission. According to the school, it is looking for students with a strong passion and great aptitude, who can fit well with Flatiron School’s culture. If you can demonstrate these characteristics during your interview, you’d have a higher chance of getting accepted.

Paying for Flatiron School

Flatiron School offers a variety of financing options to ensure that students would not have to worry about their tuition, and instead, focus on obtaining new skills.

Income Share Agreement

An income share agreement (ISA) is a form of deferred payment plan. If you opt for ISA at Flatiron School, you only need to pay a deposit of $2,850. You will pay the rest of your tuition only when you land a job earning more than $40,000 a year. Monthly payments will be 10 percent of your salary.

Upfront Payment

Students who wish to pay their tuition in full must make an initial deposit to reserve their place at Flatiron School. The rest of the tuition is required before the first day of classes.

Private Student Loans

Flatiron School students can apply for loans with SkillsFund and Climb Credit to fund their education. You can choose up to 36 months of installments with SkillsFund or up to 42 months with Climb Credit. Payments begin after graduation.

Scholarships

Flatiron School currently offers two scholarships. In efforts to make the tech industry a more inclusive space, Access Scholarship is open to underrepresented communities, women, people with disabilities, veterans or British Armed Forces Service Leavers, and LGBTQ+. Students who earn less than the minimum regional thresholds may also qualify for an additional grant. The school has also partnered with the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) to offer full-tuition scholarships to students in Michigan and Alabama who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary.

What Makes Flatiron School Unique?

Flatiron School strives to offer quality education for all. Evidently, its graduates have gone on to explore opportunities at some of the biggest companies such as Facebook, Salesforce, Wunderkind, NBA, Twitter, among others. The numbers also speak for themselves; nearly 90 percent of its students found employment in less than a year after graduation. The graduates reportedly make an average starting salary of $70,000 a year. If you’re interested in taking that first step toward a tech career, Flatiron School may be the best option for you. Coding bootcamps, in general, are slowly becoming the preferred choice for career-changers and school-leavers for many reasons. They are cost- and time-effective, and they help prepare students for the workforce. If you wish to explore a career in software engineering, data science, or cyber security, Flatiron School has just the right programs for you.