Galvanize

I came from an electrical engineering and enterprise software background, but fell in love with data science about a year ago and wanted a change.  I studied online through Coursera, but eventually chose Galvanize to help sharpen my skills after not being selected for a few data science positions.  

It worked.  I landed a data science job with an exciting startup/consultancy within 1 month of graduating, and I will start consulting at a major software company on Monday  

I am just now beginning to appreciate how much I learned at Galvanize.  In just two months I have been able to contribute to a variety of projects with the knowledge I gained from Galvanize; building classifiers, regression models, topic modelers, and A-B testing. We are mostly an Azure ML and R shop, but my new-found Python skills have been very well received here.

The course work at Galvanize was intense, but fun.  The instructors are amazing and the cohort was highly intelligent.  I've never been so intellectually challenged in my entire life (except maybe now at my new job)  Being surrounded by and studying with the Galvanize team  for three months changed my life.  I am doing what I want to be doing.  

There isn't much I can add to the reviews already available which cover most of the important points but I'll add my two cents.

Data Science immersive has hands down been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career and I would do it again without thinking twice. It's a great place to learn and grow and the environment is immensely supportive. The instructors and the DSR's(TA's) are always available to answer questions or doubts which will be in abundance.

You will learn as much from your peers as from your instructors. Be prepared to put in the hours and forgo any social life outside the program for its duration.

I agree with some of the reviews below about working to get your jobs. It ultimately comes down to how much work you're willing to put in by going to meetups, conferences and even cold mailing recruiters. It can take anywhere from 1-6 months depending on the individual. 

I want to give a shout out to the Outcomes team which works hard behind the scenes to help graduates in their job search. They are always available to help you and make introductions wherever they can. They also conduct a weekly outcomes meetup for graduates to come and discuss their interview experiences which in my opinion is extremely valuable. Basic idea here is that you have resources available , its up to you to make the most of them.

Bootcamps are hard work. They require a lot of dedication and effort. For anyone looking to learn how to code that can't or doesn't want to put in that kind of commitment, steer clear of bootcamps in general.

I'd argue that Galvanize prepares their students better than any other similarly structured and timed bootcamp. I've seen this working as an engineer for the past two years while working with graduates from other bootcamps. They've honed in on what works and how to reach the majority of their students with varying ways to teach and learn.

That being said, you get out of it what you're willing to put in. Galvanize will not hand every student a job coming out of Full Stack, nor will they guarantee that you've retained all that they've put out there for you.

Simply put: if you're interested in becoming a software engineer, you have drive and a basic knowledge of computers and do the pre-work, then Galvanize Full Stack is your best bet and will prepare you the in the most indepth way for the launch of your engineering career.

If your ambitions are to make more money, take some time off and discover your passions... Don't jump into a bootcamp. Galvanize is a great program, but it won't give you the basic skills like computer proficiency, that's something you need to come in with. 

Provided you have a legitimate interest in technology, software, and web development, Galvanize is one of the best programs. Like anything else, it's what you make of it. If you put your all into the program, you'll walk out with the basic skills needed to thrive as a junior developer. But what you won't get is the foundational computer science concepts that make you a mid-level or senior developer. That's something you need to develop on your own. I guess what I'm saying is, you need to have a desire to continue learning. This isn't a silver bullet, but it's a fantastic starting point. 

They aren't going to hand you a job, you have to get out there and search for it. I know some people who graduated and didn't find a job for six months, others had jobs lined up before graduation. It's a risk. The marketing for the school isn't necessarily the most accurate, but it's not a complete lie either.  Nearly everyone I know from this program has eventually found a job, though not always the one they wanted or making as much as they thought they should. 

I can't speak to the job assistance, I was in the third graduating class and there was virtually no assistance. Demo days were for family, friends and students. No one was there to hire you. You had to find those willing to on your own. I hear it's better now, but can't speak to it.

The short of this... If you love technology and have the drive to learn, Galvanize is great! If you're looking for money and an easy way out... You're in for a world of pain and struggle. They will direct you to the tools, you figure out how to use them. It's what you make of it. 

I had a very fulfilling experience at Galvanize. The classroom environment is the perfect combination of individual assignments and collaborative learning, and the instructors check in with you personally to make sure you're getting all the help you need if you are having difficulty with any particular subject. This is very much a success-oriented program; the goal is to place you in a data scientist position as soon as possible.

In addition to the programming, probability, statistics, machine learning, and data engineering curriculum, there are one-on-one resume workshops and mock interviews. You learn how to pitch yourself as a data scientist and navigate the interview process down to the negotiation stage. Galvanize hosts many events and talks that provide valuable networking opportunities, and the outcomes team has a roster of companies that come to the Galvanize campus to connect with students (and if you have a particular place in mind, they can help connect you with them directly). 

I enjoyed the experience so much that I stayed around to help instruct the next cohort. Meanwhile, my peers had interviews lined up in the week immediately following graduation. Any time after the program, Galvanize and the outcomes team are still there for you to provide job search support. They're a resources you can always count on, and they really, really want you to become a successful data scientist. 

After reading positive Galvanize reviews and finding multiple job postings in Denver for Data Scientists I decided to enroll in the 3 month Data Science Immersive at the Platte campus starting in February.  Getting in to the program wasn't easy: besides a take-home test there were two online Google-hangout type tests that tested python, programming knowledge, and stats and machine learning knowledge.  I got in but I studied these subjects intensively for a couple months beforehand because I knew that the rejection rate (i.e. "Apply again after you've learned more in these areas..." was high.

I was impressed by the syllabus, the instructors, and the contacts with industry.  This is a vocational school, but there is a serious attempt in the limited time you have each day to dig deep conceptually into the material while you do practical exercises.  It was exhilarating and exhausting.

Post graduation job search support is strong as well. 

Before starting the 6-Month Galvanize Web Development Immersive program in Denver, I was working as a remote representative doing ISP techincal support. Having only a techincal certificate/associate degree from a community college, I felt my career options were limited and I was at a job earning much less than I valued my skills to be worth. I wasn't being challenged and my pay reflected that. I had always been interested in programming but had never written a single line of code.

Enter Galvanize...

One of the best decisions I have ever made! This program was hard but very rewarding. I made really good friends during the course and overcame some very tough challenges. Galvanize has a dynamic curriculum meaning it is constantly being updated to fit the job market. We were the first cohort to have switched to a MEAN/NEAP stack curriculum instead of primarily RoR. I learned more than I thought was possible in that short of time frame. I realized I really enjoyed complex problem solving and learned how to approach difficult situations way more effectively. After the six months, I applied to become a resident instructor at Galvanize, a role akin to a TA. I was offered the position and spent 3 months helping the next cohort of students before being promoted to a full-time Associate Instructor. I am now getting ready to help teach my second cohort and I couldn't be happier. I worked very hard and know I ultimatley was responsible for my own success but I'd be lying if I didn't say I owe a lot of it to Galvanize, their dynamic curriculum, and the incredible staff of instructors. 

Considering that the Data Science program advertises itself as continually updating their cirrculum as to keep up with industry standards, many of the sprints were woefully typo ridden and did a sub-par job conveying what should be learned during the exercise. In this way the learning experience was far less smooth than it could have otherwise been.

Looking beyond this limitation, the program was amazing. The instructing staff was knowledgable and certainly cared about my learning experience. The other students were also a wealth of knowledge and support. Overall, the program was extraordinary, though very taxing. They definitely take the immersive idea seriously there.

I think the biggest thing I got from the program was learning how much there is to learn about data science while getting a great foundation of skills and framework in which to acquire new ones.

If you think that you're going to know all about data science upon leaving this program, or that it's some sort of magic solution that will make you a big shot data sciencist, then think again. No matter what, learning data science takes an immense amount of work and talent, this program ended up being an amazing first step in my efforts to become a good data scientist.