Codesmith

TL; DR;

Codesmith will be tough to get in to and tough to complete! You will be a mid-to-senior level software engineer by the time you graduate with a production-level project on your resume. The Codesmith team will go above and beyond to provide the highest quality education and help you find an amazing job with an amazing salary. The hours will be long, but the people you will spend your days with are amazing, both personally and professionally.

Acceptance

Acceptance to Codesmith is an educational journey in itself. You must already have some solid foundational programming knowledge just to make it through the interview process. The acceptance rate is lower than that of most Ivy Leagues (~4%). I attended a bootcamp long before I found Codesmith, which puts me in the rare position to be able to draw from actual experience in order to compare Codesmith to other programs. Looking back, I realize that all the knowledge I gained from that bootcamp really only prepared me to be eligible to interview with Codesmith. In addition to the substantive Codesmith interview, there is also a cultural interview. This ensures that the people you spend the next 3.5 months with are people that will facilitate your success as much as the staff and curriculum will.

Curriculum

The curriculum that I experienced in my previous bootcamp provided me with a great coding foundation that made me a great junior developer; however, the knowledge that I acquired there was not sufficient to elevate me to the skill level necessary to join the highly competitive work force as a mid-to-senior level software engineer.

Codesmith residents are held to an extraordinarily high standard of technical excellence and communication. The curriculum is extremely challenging and vigorous. We learned the essentials of computer science (algorithms, design patterns, big O notation), as well as the latest technologies such as React and Redux. As challenging as the coursework is, however, you are not on your own. The one-on-one support from the resident fellows is incredible (think TAs, but they care a lot more). Each person on the staff at Codesmith does everything within their power to ensure success during and after the program.

During the second half of the program, we build production-level projects in small teams. These projects are the best projects coming out of immersive programs in both caliber and quality. Production projects from Codesmith have been acknowledged by the inventor of Redux, Dan Abramov (React Monocle), featured at the Google I/O developer conference (web-dsp) and, on more than one occasion, drawn enormous interest from the React community. My own team's project, Reactide, was the #1 trending app on Github and gained over 5,000 Github stars in the first week of its release. None of these projects were promoted in any significant way; they have all stood on their own merit and ingenuity.

Day to day

An average day at Codesmith consisted of a daily coding challenge, multiple lectures, a lot of pairing, more lectures, and the occasional game of nerf war! What surprised me most about Codesmith was the time commitment required to complete the program. At a minimum, we were there for about 10-14 hours per day, 6 days per week, which is far greater than the time commitment required at a traditional bootcamp. The extra time adds up to at least 2-3 weeks more than you will get anywhere else. The days passed rather quickly, however, given the high expectations and quantity of work required of each of us each day. As I said before: this program isn't for those on the fence about their engineering career!

Classmates

My cohort was a really fun, hardworking, collaborative and supportive cast of characters. Completing a program consisting of over 1,000 hours together created a strong bond between us as a group. To this day, we continue to help and support one another by answering coding questions, giving one another job leads, or just solving interesting challenges together. We even go camping as a group, now and again.

Outcomes

Finding a job, no matter how substantively prepared you are, can be an arduous undertaking. During the last few weeks at Codesmith, there is a lot of focus on preparing for job interviews (including rigorous mock interviews and white-boarding), perfecting your resume, and developing job hunt strategies. This support does not stop when the program ends (as is the case with traditional bootcamps). After completing my previous bootcamp, I was grossly unprepared for the job hunt with absolutely no support from the staff after graduation. This is absolutely not the case at Codesmith. If anything, support in the job hunt increases post-graduation. Staff from Codesmith continued to help me research jobs, prepare for interviews, and keep my coding skills sharp long after graduation day. They even helped me negotiate my salary when I received my first offer. Codesmith students routinely receive offers right out of Codesmith that are $100,000 or more, which is anywhere from 1.5 to 2 times what you will receive as a junior developer coming out of other immersive programs. I can attest to both numbers from experience as my current salary is literally double the salary I was offered after my other bootcamp. 

Conclusion

Not long after I graduated from Codesmith, I landed my dream job. I'm a software engineer (with a highly competitive salary) in New York City, building software to help cities and organizations provide coordinated public services for veterans, families, and low-income individuals.

If you are able to be accepted to Codesmith, go! Do not hesitate! It will be the best decision you can make for your career. 

Codesmith provided me with exactly what I needed. The curriculum was set up to cover some of the most prevalent concepts and technologies in the industry, and what I left with was a strong foundation to stand on, a solid understanding of how to grow moving forward, and the dedication and confidence to do so. Since graduating, I've stayed in contact with my cohort mates and other people I met through the program (all excellent good-hearted people) and continued to learn and expand my skill set and capabilities. Recently I realized my goal, and with the help of the Alumni and Job Support Team (shoutout to Eric Kirsten), I landed a job as a Software Developer! 

Attending Codesmith a few years back was one of the best decisions I ever made. The supportive community made learning possible since the web development world can be vast and confusing. The curriculum was well-structured for the most part, with hands-on projects that solidify your understanding and prepare you for real-world challenges.One of the best parts was and is the amazing hiring support. The career team offered personalized guidance, from resume building to mock interviews. Even now, a few years later, their support has been invaluable. I recently landed my second job and I was able to negotiate better with their help (thanks again Eric and Annie!).The alumni network is also a fantastic resource, full of people eager to help each other succeed. I’ve stayed actively engaged in this community and have met many amazing people.Of course, it wasn't without its challenges. The program was intense and demanding, which can be stressful at times. However, the effort is worth it, and the payoff is huge.Overall, Codesmith continuously exceeds expectations. The combination of a great community, thorough education in this space, and exceptional hiring support makes it a top-notch program for aspiring software engineers. However, it is important to note YOU need to put in the work and trust in the process, as well as stay resilient during tough times. Though this review is overdue, I'm incredibly grateful for my time there and the lifelong and new friends I've made.

I attended Codesmith in 2022 fully online after growing disillusioned with the Biotech industry. I had already had some past experience in software engineering in college, but spent the majority of my time doing repetitive work in labs. I'd had some prior experience in web development as a hobby as well.

Attending Codesmith was and will always be the best decision I made for my career. Codesmith isn't just a bootcamp or a way to "level-up" your coding skills. It's a roadmap to a new way of thinking and transformed my understanding of software engineering. They don't just teach you the skills you need in the job market, they teach you how to learn anything you need to in order to succeed in any position. Since attending Codesmith, I've worked as the solo developer on a Nuxt frontend and Node.js middleware. Despite having no prior knowledge of Nuxt, I was able to jump right in and solve session related issue day 2 of my employment. By month three, I had used what I'd learned in Codesmith to completely refactor the Node.js middleware, improving response times by 50% and cutting the lines of code by 80%. By the end of my first year, I'd refactored the frontend and improved loading performance from 2-3 seconds to 200-300 milliseconds. All of this was only possible because of my education at Codesmith. 

Pre Codesmith Profession
Prior to attending Codesmith, I pursued a career as a healthcare professional, investing seven years of my life to earn an advanced degree. However, upon venturing into the real world, I was taken aback by the rapid pace at which healthcare companies exhaust their professionals for the sake of financial gains. Overbooking, subpar care quality, inadequate compensation, and stymied long-term growth opportunities left me disheartened with healthcare as a whole. The whirlwind of COVID-19 served as the final catalyst, prompting me to seek an alternative path. It was during this time that one of my closest friends, a Senior Software Engineer, recommended a switch in careers. He recommended that I pursue a boot camp, and after conducting thorough research and considering various factors, I found that Codesmith consistently delivered the most exceptional outcomes, making it the clear frontrunner in my rankings.
Pre Codesmith Prep
During my search for programs, I simultaneously pursued Harvard's CS50 course. As I delved deeper into the requirements for admission to Codesmith, I shifted my focus from C to Javascript, immersing myself in the fundamentals through CSX and Eloquent Javascript. Additionally, I dedicated myself to self-teaching data structures and algorithms by solving Leetcode problems, laying the groundwork for a successful job search after graduation. Months of consistent effort in preparation for the technical interview paid off, as I was fortunate enough to secure acceptance on my initial attempt—a noteworthy achievement given the high selectivity of Codesmith. Recognizing the program's rigorous standards, I made the decision to invest in a new Macbook Pro, a decision that proved invaluable, as I encountered no compatibility issues throughout the duration of the program. 
During Codesmith
Life during Codesmith offers a profoundly distinct experience. It demands unwavering dedication and investment in personal growth, as well as a collective commitment to the success of one's peers. It is a journey that requires pushing oneself beyond perceived limitations and persistently striving to overcome obstacles. Days consisting of 10-12 hours of intense learning and perseverance become the norm, with some individuals choosing to extend their efforts beyond the structured schedule. The program unfolds in two distinct phases: the initial half, characterized by structured classes and learning modules, and the latter half, where the true essence of learning emerges through project work. My overall experience with Codesmith was truly exceptional. From day one, the atmosphere fostered empathy and kindness among the cohort, and this sentiment resonated with my personal encounters. Whether offering assistance or receiving help, each interaction was infused with a sense of fulfillment and compassion. The main instructors, mentors, and teaching fellows showcased exemplary skills and dedication. I attribute the extraordinary quality of my experience to Codesmith's meticulous vetting process and the nurturing environment they cultivated. Our class made it a collective goal to ensure that every individual felt comfortable with each topic, readily providing tutoring and support to one another. The unwavering commitment to high standards and positive vibes permeated throughout, leading to a transformative and life-changing experience.
Post Codesmith
Upon graduating from Codesmith, one swiftly realizes that the journey has only just begun, and it is an exhilarating prospect. The growth potential that lies ahead over the next 3-6 months is nothing short of inspiring. Personally, I was picky with the roles I applied to and only did 200 applications, which ultimately led me to secure my first role. In contrast, some of my peers took a more extensive approach, submitting 2-4 times that number. Unlike traditional universities, Codesmith does not simply hand you a diploma and bid you farewell. It is more akin to an anti-university, placing little emphasis on pedigree, titles, or mere pieces of paper. Instead, Codesmith's core values revolve around tangible outcomes. Remarkably & deservingly, many individuals in my cohort have successfully secured senior positions or are earning annual salaries exceeding $150,000. The support provided by Codesmith extends far beyond your initial job search. They offer comprehensive career assistance, regardless of whether you are seeking your first job or embarking on your third. While there were moments of discouragement during my own job search, they were fleeting thanks to the unwavering encouragement and motivation provided by the support team and my fellow peers. Eric Kirsten was of immense help during the process, providing positive encouragement and real-life stories to aid in the hunt.
Summary
Overall, if you are looking to change careers to be a Software Engineer, I give Codesmith my highest review. Keep in mind it will take a long time of grit and grind, but it will pay dividends. If you are interested in pursuing software engineering, I would teach yourself a first language and dig deep into if this is something you want to pursue. Allot at least a year for the full transition, and expect to give it your all each and every day. 

Codesmith was better than I could have possibly imagined. It has skyrocketed my career and income! Now I am doing work I am more passionate about and getting paid WAY more. Totally amazing. And I was already a software engineer before joining Codesmith.
The community is incredible, really supportive and I feel I have some friends for life even though the course I did was remote.
The instructors are passionate and genuinely care about the students, pushing you to go the extra mile and helping out those who are struggling.
The best thing about Codesmith though is how intelligent their approach is. I went to another bootcamp before Codemsith and the results were mediocre. Then I saw how Codesmith do things.
They get you build something cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of programming in the field. This helps you distinguish yourself as an engineer and innovator. It puts you apart from the rest in the field.
Then there is the job search support which is par excellence. They teach you how to sell yourself, communicate and negotiate in industry in the right way. This is so powerful, and now I feel like I am “in the know” as to how the industry works.
Before I was sending out all the wrong signals when interviewing and marketing myself. Now I know how to position myself as a high value engineer.
They also give you access to incredible people like Eric Kirsten, he helped me to negotiate an extra $25k on my salary before I had even finished the course.
And then I have reused what he taught me in regards to negotiation to earn many multiples of that since.
So just that advice alone was worth significantly more than the whole cost of the course.
But I am also a much stronger engineer technically thanks to Codesmith. It taught me to be more ambitious technically in what I am building, so that keeps paying dividends.
Most of all Codesmith was great fun (though challenging too). I did it during the pandemic remotely, and while most everyone else’s pandemic was terrible, mine was amazing thanks to Codesmith.
It was one of the most productive and high growth periods of my life.
And also the connections I made with other cohort members has continued to help advance me in my career long after finishing the course.
So big shoutout to the whole Codesmith team, I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for what they do.

After dedicating 12 years of my life to nursing, I made a decision to pivot my career and pursue my true passion - technology. The experience provided by the full-time immersive  proved to be both challenging yet immensely fulfilling. It pushed me beyond my limits and helped me realize my true potential, showing that with  determination, I had the potential to be a talented engineer.

For those who are considering a career shift to technology, I highly recommend  Codesmith. The supportive and helpful community offered here is exceptional - before, during, and even after completion of the program. I'm grateful for the lessons learned and the lifelong friendships I developed along the way. They truly changed the trajectory of my life and that of my family.

Going to Codesmith was one of the best decisions I have ever made! As I am writing this I just finished my first day as a software engineer making 3 times more than I have ever made! So I can tell you that Codesmith really does what they say it does.

The tuition alone is worth it for Codesmith's hiring program. They help you hone a resume that you can be proud of! They teach you how to reach out and get interviews even in a horrible job market. And they provide continued support after you graduate. I did not come from a tech back ground either. I mostly worked in the service industry and government. 

The thing that impressed me most about Codesmith was that it wasn't designed to take you from zero to hero. You actually have to work hard to get in. They have a free program called CSX and weekly free trainings that will get you to a junior level skill set. Once you are in the program you hit the ground running and they start developing the skills that will take you to a mid to senior level engineer. You learn the stuff you really can't get from YouTube videos or medium articles. You work with other humans and develop technical and empathic communication skills. As you grow as an engineer the challenges get bigger and bigger. Then to cap it all off, you and a small team of engineers build a production level application that is designed to impress other engineers. I can guarantee that you will look back on your journey and be shocked at who you have become and what you can accomplish! 

It is not an easy program. It is not easy to get into Codesmith. You will work your ass off and you will hit a lot of blocks that you have to work through. But those challenges literally made me a better man and they made it so that I could handle the challenges of the job hunt and now the challenge of onboarding as a Senior Engineer (I don't know how it happened, I wasn't anywhere close to the smartest in my cohort, but I landed a Senior Fullstack Engineer roll - I am still in shock). I was in the part time program and it was a wonderfully fulfilling nine months that I will always cherish. I made life long friends. And honestly, it is the fact that it is not easy that makes Codesmith so valuable. I genuinely feel like this tuition was the best money I have EVER spent!

This is a long review, but I know how intense this process can be for those of you looking at attending a bootcamp. It has now been about a year since I decided to attend a bootcamp to change careers. I looked everywhere online when I settled on going to a bootcamp; I read every review, I watched every video on Youtube, I even messaged alumni of different bootcamps on LinkedIn, and eventually, I found my way to Codesmith. For the last 3 months since the program, I’ve considered myself lucky everyday I made the choice I did.
 
 Codesmith is without question, the best educational environment I’ve had the privilege to learn in. I’ve been lucky enough to go to good schools in the past, but I’m really proud, frankly, to say that this online bootcamp has really left them in the dust in key ways. I’ll make a note here that I was hired as a fellow by the program after my time in the immersive program, so if you need a grain of salt to start, there could be one. 
 
 - Admissions: It is worth making a comment right away that getting into Codesmith is not easy, but it is NOT an unjust process like I experienced in other programs. I speak from experience as someone who applied elsewhere, tried to go through admission processes at other places (everyone should have options), and eventually conducted the literal technical interviews for Codesmith myself, the admissions process is doing its job well. I won’t get too lost in the details, but I will say that if you can pass the Codesmith technical interview, you have what it takes to become a software engineer. They test on every quality and detail that I was tested on in a real technical interview for the job I have now. That all said, don’t rush into this process. It is possible, having seen both sides of admissions, to brute force your way through, with time. Do NOT throw $20k into something before you are ready. If you understand, for example, how to add methods to a prototype so they can be inherited by other objects, you could be ready. If you have no idea what I mean by that, do not stress even a little bit; just take your time to learn is my point (:
 
 - Curriculum: The curriculum is fantastic. You will touch all the technologies you need to get a full-stack developer position: Javascript (you’ll be a pro), React, Node.js, Git/Github, etc. However, what you come to appreciate and feel confident in by the end of the program is that you could see any tech, any framework, even any new language, and given realistic timelines / expectations by your team “in the wild” could learn what is needed to solve a problem in whatever tech stack. This is really because — Codesmith doesn’t create cookie-cutter engineers; Codesmith creates first-class problem solvers who communicate empathetically and technically like senior engineers. If you want to understand why outcomes seem so high for this program compared to others, the answer begins with these 2 qualities above all the rest.
 
 - Portfolio: Not a ton to say here, although a ton could be said. It is worth noting that you will have a better time job hunting when you have real open-source products on the resumé. And Codesmith focuses on making you build real, open-source projects before you leave. You don’t want to pay for a program that is tutorial style really, because why not just spend $2k (at most) in Udemy courses and be done with it? Codesmith makes you build in small teams of engineers (like in the real world), on projects that are technically impressive and that are REALLY challenging. You’ll hear “hard learning” thrown around a lot in and out of the program, and there is no form of better learning than solving a bug you’ve been stuck on for 6 hours with a team; this makes a good portfolio for sure.

- Hiring Support: I have so much love for the hiring support team answering every ridiculous, anxious question I ever hit them with, day or night. Codesmith really points you in a direction at the end of the program and teaches you how to carry yourself in interviews in the tech industry. Tech interviews and getting hired generally as a software engineer is honestly very formulaic. It’s almost entirely behavioral / very ceremonial, which was somewhat surprising to me. Codesmith guides you through all of these processes and really do their best to ensure you have support networks (during and after the program) to guide you through the idiosyncrasies of the tech industry. I would NOT have gotten a job as smoothly as I did if it wasn’t for their mentorship.

- Management/Team: This part could be a never-ending rant. I think what you will find, even will find just by attending the free workshops, is that Codesmith is a community of really passionate people that are putting in the work for the right reasons. I truly believe Codesmith only works because the instructors and the management of the organization are people who are passionate about seeing people change their lives. Will Sentance is the founder and owner, and not only will he give your cohort a lecture at the end, but you will get several chances to hear from him throughout the program; could not be any more apparent this person cares about fostering a space for people to change their lives. Eric Kirsten is a senior board advisor that will lead you through the hiring program. Eric is another huge element of the “secret sauce” of success at Codesmith. Takes a certain level of tailored mentorship to get an engineer to negotiate $15k in base salary after only 8-12 months of studying the industry, and Eric will take a hands-on approach to make sure you get that. Phillip Troutman, he’s the chief academic officer, is another key player you’ll hear from often. Let me tell you, part of the secret of Codesmith is convincing students every day they can do everything and anything so that they actually go out and attempt insane feats of engineering; Phillip is the key to that happening. Every program has different instructors, but in the central remote program — Katrina Villanueva and Jared Lewis are *the* reason students understand the core curriculum so well. Their compassion and attention towards student success is without question what makes the CTRI immersive so effective. For the sake of not making this piece of the review endless, I’ll stop here, but yes, there are that many incredible people in this organization.
 - School / Life Balance: There is very little balance. This is my very real, very difficult con for the program that I would not hide from anyone. You will eat, sleep, and breathe Codesmith, which at times will be a lot to handle. This program is hard. You will watch your cohort go lows and highs of imposter syndrome almost daily. It can even feel a bit cult-like, I suppose, at times. But what can I say — you get a room of intelligent people together every day who want to change careers in a (seemingly) impossible time frame into a field that is really challenging and competitive. It isn't crazy to assume that process will be hard, but if you put the work in you’ll be so glad you did it one day. It took me about 10-11 months, from start to finish, from the day I decided to attend Codesmith, to the day I got a job offer.
 
 There are other great programs out there for sure, but if I was to do this all over again, I’d be right back at Codesmith.

I've been working as an engineer in the industry for over 3 years now. Whenever I needed help/advice with negotiating my salary Eric Kirsten has ALWAYS been there for me. I've been able to negotiate upwards of 15K on my first job acceptance, and 15% pay bumps every year after (thanks to Eric's advice). Not only that, as of my latest job hunt I was able to negotiate over 15K just on the base (not including bonuses and pay bumps)! Eric is an absolute gem of a resource, his advice has already paid Codesmith's tuition 2-3 times over! 

I chose Codesmith because I perceived it to be the most rigorous program out there with regards to curriculum, portfolio, and job support, and it absolutely delivered on these promises. Here's a breakdown of how each manifested:

– Curriculum: the first part of the program is built around hard learning, challenges, and pair programming. Most units are taught over the course of a few days, which start with lectures and then continue with challenges meant to push you to learn and develop as an engineer. You do these challenges with a pair programming partner and also engage in other common practices like code reviews and collaborative coding. Not only are you developing your coding skills, but you are also learning how to interact with other engineers and problem solve through tough technical challenges. You're killing two birds with one stone.
– Portfolio: I believe Codesmith stands out the most from other bootcamps in this area. During my program, I worked on a variety of projects across the full stack (frontend, backend, DevOps, etc.), and this is where you get to put your skills to the test. You learn what it takes to break down complex applications to their component pieces, plan out how to approach the implementation, and then work through bugs and issues. The cornerstone of the program, the Open Source Product, pushes you to solve complicated engineering challenges by finding and solving pain points in the developer community. During this phase, you explore new tech, face challenges you can't just Google away, and gain a deeper understanding of the ambiguous problems professional engineers face.
– Job support: you receive career support from the Codesmith team for life which is a fantastic perk. If you feel like you need more resume help, they'll do as many iterations as you need. If you want more mock interviews, they have that covered too. If you just want to talk about the emotional struggle of job searching, you can talk to the staff or you can lean on your cohortmates or post-grad hiring group. They have all the bases covered and will continue to support you as long as you need or want it.

For anyone wanting to take the leap into the world of software engineering, this is a rigorous program that delivers on its results and is there to support you in your journey.

I got into Codesmith with 2 months of studying while working full-time, pulling 80+ hour 7-day weeks & attending every Hard Parts workshop they had. At one point I stood outside a packed workshop room with my ear against the glass just to catch bits and pieces of what was being taught. I got in. It wasn't an easy full-time immersive experience - a lot of personal mistakes & challenges, but I came out on top. I slept on the couch just to dedicate the 1.5 hour commute time into the city on studying (I wasn't the only one). I graduated with an offer thanks to Codesmith's Hiring Day, started working a different job the week after graduating, then finally landed on a consulting gig for the Google Cloud Platform a month and a half after graduating. I doubled my salary in 6 months.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm now a tech lead at a start-up. So far in my career, I've worked alongside Google engineers, built cutting edge AI multi-platform apps for Point72, co-founded a software development agency where I hired engineers, and have mentored other aspiring engineers into their first roles. 

It hasn't been without its challenges but looking back I know that life happens for me, not to me, and that change is an opportunity to reach higher to become more. I'm grateful.

Pros
- The best 0-to-bootcamp trajectory on the market
- Unique community focused on excellence in an "in it together" culture you won't find at other bootcamps
- Rigorous full-stack JS course focusing on the capacities that make you an engineer, not just a developer
- Multi-disciplinary curriculum spanning design, AI, dev-ops, security, etc.
- Paid post-graduate opportunities
- Post-graduate support is lifelong, consistent & growing
- They see potential in you - sometimes before you see it in yourself. They take a chance on you.

Cons
- Can be cult-like, but the best companies & cultures usually are. 
- Post-graduate support isn't industry-leading yet (emphasis on "yet" - they're the type of people to make it happen)
- Their taking a chance on you can sometimes lead to prematurely entering into a full-time immersive program which can lead to a rough during-Codesmith & post-Codesmith experience. Mental health can take a toll, but last I heard Codesmith offers support throughout. This applies to SOME non-technical aspiring engineers, not all, and is rarely the case with residents with some past technical experience or those who've spent more time studying