Thinkful vs Hack Reactor

Hack Reactor Reviews and Key Information

Hack Reactor is a great coding bootcamp that helps prepare you for a career in software engineering. This bootcamp offers remote and on-site programs in multiple locations such as Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. With both full-time and part-time options, this fast-paced coding bootcamp is an awesome resource for your job search. Check out the rest of this review to find out how Hack Reactor can help you ace your next job interview and land the perfect web development or engineering job.

Hack Reactor at a Glance

Cost of Tuition	$17,980
Financing Options	Upfront Payment, Student Loans, Scholarships, Income Share Agreement
Courses Offered	Software Engineering, Professional Development Courses
Career Services and Job Assistance	Career Services

What Can You Learn at Hack Reactor?

Hack Reactor is a software engineering bootcamp so if you are hoping to learn data science or UX design, this might not be the best school for you. However, it also offers several professional development courses that can help tailor your skills to fit your career goals.

Software Engineering

The software engineering program can be taken full-time or part-time, which takes 12 weeks or nine months to complete respectively. The full-time format is available online and offered at all nine of Hack Reactor’s campuses, while the part-time program is fully remote with live sessions. You will learn full stack JavaScript and computer science fundamentals. The curriculum also consists of pair programming and project-based assignments to build real-world applications. It will equip you with the skillsets needed to start a career in software development or engineering.

Methodologies & Requirement Gathering

This is one of Hack Reactor’s five professional development courses. It covers various certified agile software development methodologies and how to use frameworks to gather software requirements. You will complete numerous projects in this course, all of which can be added to your professional portfolio.

Networking & Reactive Programming

Networking and reactive programming is another professional development course offered at Hack Reactor. Students will learn how to design network architectures, build strong network servers, and complete a number of projects using HTTP servers and the C programming language. Some experience in Ruby, Node.js (JavaScript), Python, C#, or Java is required to enroll in this course.

Computer Architecture & IoT

In the computer architecture and IoT professional development course, you will learn computer science theory, networking, software design, and reactive programming. Projects in this course allow you to design and build a fully functional virtual computer and IoT device. Proficiency in C++, Java, C#, Ruby, Python, or JavaScript (Node.js) is compulsory.

Microservices & Orchestration

This professional development course will walk you through the foundation of computer science before focusing on practical programming practices, software design, and leadership skills. You will complete various microservice-based coding projects prior to completing the course. There is only one requirement to enroll; you need to be able to code a three-tier database-backed Web application.

Algorithms & Data Structures

The algorithms and data structures development course will show you how to critique sort and search algorithms, generate hashes, heaps, lists, and trees, and develop leadership strategies and skills. Projects in this course involve dealing with different volumes, velocities, and variability in data sources. According to the school, this course is ideal for individuals proficient in a third-generation programming language.

Admissions: How Do You Get Accepted to Hack Reactor?

Hack Reactor is a very selective coding bootcamp, with an average acceptance rate of three percent. This may make the application process seem intimidating, but with a good understanding of the entire process, you should be able to have a smooth experience.

Hack Reactor Application Process

The first step is to fill out an online application form. In your application, you will specify the program you are interested in, as well as the location and schedule that you desire. After your initial application has been reviewed, you will be asked to complete a coding challenge. This is meant to determine your coding ability and whether or not you are prepared for an intensive program. Once you passed the coding challenge, you will be scheduled for a technical admissions assessment. A potential student may repeat this step up to three times if needed. After the assessment, you will wait a few days to hear back about your application. Once accepted, the school makes it compulsory for you to take the pre-course work which takes 90 to 120 hours to complete.

Hack Reactor Interview

The technical admissions assessment is an interview designed to test your technical skills. You will be asked challenging questions about your coding experience and background, as well as your career aspirations. You can expect to answer questions that test your knowledge of JavaScript, as well as passing functions as arguments for other functions, and using functions as callback arguments. There will likely be questions specifically related to your coding challenge, so be sure to prepare interview notes beforehand.

Paying for Hack Reactor

Hack Reactor may be more expensive than some of the other bootcamps, but there are a few different ways to finance your tuition. You can either make an upfront payment, apply for loans, or opt for the income share agreement. You can also check if you’re eligible for scholarships.

Upfront Payment

If you opt for an upfront payment, you will have to pay your tuition in full during registration. The programs at Hack Reactor cost $17,980, so you will need to have this amount ready prior to enrollment.

Student Loans

Hack Reactor has partnered with Ascent Funding and Climb Credit to help finance your tuition. The Admissions Team will help you get pre-approved with the lending partners. You can also consult them to find loan rates and terms that you can manage.

Scholarships

Immersive Software Engineering students can apply for the Galvanize Scholarship which will cover the tuition in full. This scholarship is open to both full-time and part-time learners. Meanwhile, the school also offers the We Stand Together Scholarship, which aims at helping tech aspirants who identify as Black or African-American. Five full-tuition scholarships will be awarded every cohort.

Income Share Agreement (ISA)

You can also opt for an income share agreement (ISA) which is a deferred payment plan. This option allows you to go through the course without paying anything until you found employment. Once you’re making above a predetermined amount, you will start paying the school a certain percentage of your salary until the full tuition is paid off.

What Makes Hack Reactor Unique?

Though Hack Reactor is known for offering multiple on-campus courses, it was one of the first coding bootcamps to extend their courses online. With years of experience delivering remote education, potential students can be confident in the quality of Hack Reactor’s courses. If you are interested to pursue a career in software engineering and looking for an alternative to the traditional in-person learning, Hack Reactor is a great option for you. Online graduate reviews and alumni success stories can attest to the standard of this coding bootcamp.