Metis

 Hi,

I am currently a Director of a proprietary trading company as well as an adjunct professor at the Business School at DePaul University in Chicago.

I took the 12 week Metis data science program between April and June 2020 between the job transition.
I wanted a full-time, in-person data science/coding boot camp.  I had a commitment issue with pre-recorded videos. Also, I wanted a real time interaction with instructors to resolve any issues that I would face as opposed to getting into a rabbit hole trying to find the answer myself, since I sometimes do not even know what the issue is.

While the Metis program was offered through zoom link due to pandemic, I am truly grateful that I chose Metis program to improve my quantitative and coding skills. I had such a high quality and efficient coursework and met amazing instructors, TAs and cohorts.

I am very satisfied with the quality of the program as it covered a wide range of topics covering not just python coding skills but theoretical mathematical and statistical background necessary to become a good data scientist. I have advanced degrees in mathematics from MIT and financial economics from Stanford Graduate School of Business. While I had already learned many of the mathematics and statistics topics such as regression, classification, etc at school, Metis instructors taught the courses much more intuitive and in an engaging way that there were a lot of ‘ah ha’ moments that I realized how intuitive these concepts were, which I did not have back at these top schools.

The instructors were also so good at presentation that it was such a pleasure to learn the way they taught. I learned a lot about not just the course material, but about the way they do presentations. Also, their attitude towards data science and learning set such a high standard that I was very impressed. I could truly see that they did this teaching not just as a daily job, but as their passion.

Finally, I felt so lucky to be with such supportive and friendly cohorts that I would like to keep in touch with them even after graduation. I felt that I was always welcome in the group and wanted to work with them in the future.

I loved the program so much that when my son (currently in elementary school) goes to college and if he decides to pursue a science and engineering major, I will enroll him in the Metis program as a gift for his college entrance. I think all the materials and skill sets that I learned from Metis are so fundamental and critical for any person with a quantitative major or a career path, that I want my son to learn these concepts and skill sets as fundamental building blocks no matter what his major/interest would be.

Overall, there are many data science/coding boot camps or degree programs, and I am afraid that some of them focus on teaching students various technical skills without really emphasizing the fundamental understanding of when and why we use these techniques. I sometimes interview students out of master's programs in data analytics. While they claim they did many projects using many fancy machine learning projects, the majority of them do not have 'true' understanding of why they used the specific methods and why some approaches would work or not work. Some of them do not even understand basic concepts such as 'over-fitting' vs 'under-fitting', or 'R-squared' in regression. When solving real world problems, one has to have a solid understanding of the problem as well as the methodology that they want to apply, so that when a method is not working, they would understand why and what to do next. Just blindly repeating 10 different machine learning technologies without any idea of why they are working or not working is not acceptable. In that sense, I learned a great intuition on topics from Metis class, and am very happy with the quality of the program. It was totally worth the tuition.
 

I attended Metis in the Spring of 2020, and as a high school math teacher for the previous 8 years, I entered the program with minimal coding and data science skills. In my 12 weeks there, Metis transformed me from an apprehensive career-changer, to a confident and competent data scientist. Post graduation the career services team supported my job search, and after 3 months I received two excellent job offers. I ultimately ended up at an extremely successful start-up where I am able to leverage my skills as a data scientist and educator. 

There are many positives to share from my experience, but I will highlight some of the major ones below:

1. Upon graduating you will have a robust data science portfolio: 
Throughout the bootcamp you will complete 5 projects (1 group, 4 individual). Other than a few basic requirements for which tools and algorithms to use, you are in complete control over your project. You come up with a problem, find data, complete an analysis and present your results. Some people may prefer more structure, but if you are uncomfortable with this fluidity then maybe reconsider trying to become a data scientist. The hands on work prepares you for the "real world." 

In addition to the projects, you'll write a minimum of two blog posts and maintain a Github page. Both are instrumental in your job search.  

2. The instructors are excellent and truly care about their students:
The instructors are experts in data science, programming and presenting results. They are always willing to help you scope and debug your projects, but they definitely do not hold your hand. They are also open about some of the personal struggles you may face as a data scientist, such as imposter syndrome and battling perfectionism, and will help you grapple these issues as well.

3. Your python programming skills will improve dramatically 
You will write a lot of python code throughout the bootcamp, which is essential because Python is overwhelming the most common language used by data scientists. By the time you graduate, as long as you put the work in, you will have the python programming skills necessary to perform in the workforce.

4. The career services team is excellent and supports you during and after the bootcamp
They will tell you everything you need to do in order to make you a strong candidate, and they will also help you get there. This includes: updating your resume, encouraging you to write a blog, encouraging you to maintain a Github page, apply to 7-10 jobs per week (or whatever you feel comfortable with), recommending resources to study post-graduation, etc. Again, they can't force you to do all of these things, but if you follow their guidance you will put yourself in a much better position.

They will also coach you through practice interviews (both during and after graduating) and will provide guidance throughout the application process.

I have plenty more to say about Metis, so please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions.

In February 2020, I was a full-time career musician who didn't even know what Python was, let alone how to create neural networks and algorithms using it. On year later, I received a full-time job offer as a Data Analyst (while in the interview process for a separate Data Scientist job) , and that simply would not have been possible without Metis. My case is not typical (I had a pre-existing relationship with the company, but had previously been rejected from the position) but I still credit Metis for giving me the qualifications and confidence to snag this role.

Metis was recommended to me by an alum after my own self study in Python and data science; I could tell from quick research that it was intense, challenging, and well-fit for motivated, self-starting students. The admission process was straightforward, including a technical screening and personal interview. I was  prepared for the technical screening after approximately four months of self-guided study in Python (using Coursera and Udemy), and a bit of linear algebra review. i would suggest doing some Python challenge problems before undertaking the admission exam, especially if you're not very comfortable solving basic to intermediate problems on the fly.

I was accepted to the program and found out that Metis offers a $3,000 diversity scholarship that was a substantial factor in my decision to attend. Basically every protected minority is covered by this scholarship. It was clear on my first day of class that Metis walked the walk on valuing diversity. We were a decently ethnically diverse cohort (starting with about 30 students), coming from many backgrounds and skillsets. My background in the arts and the non-profit sector gave me confident presentation skills, but I was far less skilled than many of my classmates at programming. It became clear who was good at what, and my experience was a cohort of data scientists eager to help each other with our own individual expertises.

Metis utilizes a project-based curriculum, with one group project and four individual projects. The "final project" is emphasized in the promotional materials and talked about a lot, but in my experience so far, all four individual projects have come up in  interviews and are equally weighted. The units are (basically) Exploratory Data Analysis (group project), Linear Regression, Classification, NLP, and a final project that probably (but not necessarily) integrates a neural network or some other sort of deep learning. Although you learn a lot in there, the class felt like it was divided up into these five specific units.

There was a West Coast and East Coast cohort, but we had our lectures and various speaker events together. There were separate instructors and TA's for both, but the lines were blurry and I felt comfortable chatting with both TA's and teacher sets. I found the teachers to be very qualified and mostly very adept - some instructors are more willing to hold your hand through the learning process, and some will basically present you the material and leave it up to you to facilitate your own understanding.  All lectures are recorded and made available. The teachers are responsive to your needs; if someone asked for a lecturer to go a bit slower, they always did.

Career Services post graduation are excellent if you take advantage of them. My Career Advisor, Jen, was such a knowledgeable and confident expert in the hiring process and was helpful whenever I had questions. You are provided resources on Salary Negotiation, Networking, and admission into the alumni Slack channel where jobs are frequently posted. Our program manager, Jesel, was also very personable and excellent at keeping us informed through every step of the process.

I have no complains about my experience, but If you decide to go to Metis (or any bootcamp), your potential success is hinged on your own initiative. Instructors and alumni of the program told me that writing Medium articles and creating public-facing articles for your projects go a long way, and they were 100% correct. My articles came up in every interview I had, and I believe that my Classification project article was what locked in interest for the position I was ultimately offered! Rewatch lectures, find extra resources for things you don't understand, and utilize the brain power of your cohort members. Metis certainly provides all of the tools you need to succeed as a data scientist, but you have to take the initiative to take them.

Good luck! 

The Metis Python course is extremely beneficial to anyone who would like to optimally leverage data in presenting their business results.  The three-week course provided the ideal amount of time to learn the basics of Python. As a human resources executive, I have found that Python is an essential skill to master the intersection of human resources and technology.  Stakeholders consistently depend on utilizing data to best illustrate how to attract and retain top talent, address gaps in areas of diversity, etc.  Globally, as the workforce has been transitioning to work remotely, the ability to use Python has a greater significance today than ever before. 

Can't say enough good things about this program. If you know that you want to be a data scientist and you have a background in programming and statistics, I highly recommend Metis. It's fast-paced and covers a lot of material, but the instructors are amazing and the project-based format really emphasizes understanding the material. You learn data science in a very practical way and there's a focus on best practices and job skills. I honestly wished I could have stayed for another 3 months and just kept learning and working on my projects. The career support is also incredibly helpful. A career change like this is a huge commitment, but if you're sure about data science, this is a great way to go.

This boot camp really is an immersive program to the core. The first few weeks were intense but at the same time rewarding. Keep in mind that nothing is handed to you on a platter and you must put the work in. The instructors were when needed for questions and answers. The curriculum touched on a myriad of topics and it can be difficult to cover everything in detail in 12 weeks. Hence, if something really catches you, go deep in it as a project. The program introduces you to the tools and you have to continue learning right after the program ends.

It may not be for everyone, but before you dive into the program, make sure one actually does complete the preparation for it as it will be crucial to your success. Overall, the program was worth it especially the network of friends that I have made. I will always cherish the times I had at Metis-Seattle.

Metis exceeded my expectations. As long as you are on top of things, you will learn everything you need to know to be fully qualified for a Data Scientist role at a reputable firm. The program is dense, but its structure makes it enjoyable at the same time. Instructors, TAs are amazing and always available to help (and the rest of the staff of course). 

Do not hold back if you do not have previous experience in data or computer science. I did not, I started learning Python 2 months before the program and did not know any other programming language. A quantitative background helps, but Metis still offers a lot of pre-course material to help you. Metis is a great and very efficient place that will help you break into the Data Science world. Needless to say, you will also make a lot of friends and work connections!

I had a great experience at Metis’s Chicago campus. I currently work as a Data Management Associate and can credit Metis for helping me land this opportunity in so many different ways. The course itself gave me great preparation for interviews, but I think I owe even more credit to the incredible support I received from Metis’s staff.
Metis’s entire staff is so incredibly dedicated to the success of their students. This not only allows for fulfilling learning experiences during the actual course, but also ensures further support and guidance after the course ends. I’ve kept in touch with Metis’s staff after the program and am always impressed with how welcoming they are to alumni visits. This welcoming culture has also introduced me to several students who took Metis’s bootcamp during a different session than me.
You are sure to receive great instruction during the Metis’s bootcamp. What really sets Metis apart though is that the entire staff loves helping students realize their full potential.

I just completed the full-time, in person Metis Data Science Bootcamp in Fall of 2019. The course proved to be challenging and effective. I found Metis during my efforts to transition my career from a more operational role to a data science/data analysis role (which I expected to both more challenging and interesting). I had a very limited background in coding and machine learning, and this bootcamp gave me the skills I needed to lock in the kind of job I was going for. The instructors were extremely helpful, encouraging, and patient with my questions. I could not recommend this program more. I'd say it was worth the time and money, and was the most efficient path into the data science world.

I completed Metis' data science bootcamp in April of 2017. Overall, I had a fantastic experience and learned a ton. Don't be fooled by the "bootcamp" style of learning. The curriculum is rigorous and the coursework moves quickly. You'll do well if you come prepared to put the work in. I wrote a full review of my experience at Metis on my blog: https://wellandwired.com/blog/metis-data-science-bootcamp-review

After completing the program I started a job at Amazon and have had the opportunity to be a part of some amazing and impactful projects!