New York Code + Design Academy

NYCDA's Web Development Intensive is sometimes stressful, often frustrating, and 100% worth it. If your goal is to learn how to code, and to pursue a career in web development/software engineering, I couldn’t recommend NYCDA more highly. The instructors (I had Orlando), and Outcomes Coordinator (Krystal) work hard to put you in position to succeed, and to help you get the most out of yourself and the experience as a whole. Come ready to work, and this program is every bit as good as advertised.

Background - I had graduated from college in January, but realized I wanted to work in tech shortly after graduating. Needing a quick way to enter the field, I did a search for coding bootcamps after hearing about it from my friend in college. After looking at a few, I chose NYCDA for being one of the least, if not, the least expensive bootcamp as well as having noticed the friendliness of the staff at one of its Open Houses before I put my deposit. 

The Program - The 12-week program teaches you full-stack development, meaning you will learn both front-end (for visuals) and back-end (for functionality) programming. The typical day consisted of 2-3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of lunch, and then the rest of the day devoted to workshop to apply what was just learned or getting a head start on a project to be completed each week. The first 2 months were a little more strict on that schedule while the last month is mostly project based, so the schedule becomes less strict as you go on. The great thing about the curriculum is that while you will learn a core group of languages, the instructors are constantly thinking of ways to improve the curriculum so that you are well equipped with as many skills.  They also gave various presentations from different speakers in the industry to talk about design, job preparation, coding interview prep, and tech industry updates.

The People - I came in the program thinking that the people I would be learning with would not be that important to my experience, but that thought was quickly changed. I was in a cohort of about 20, and while most of us struggled during the course, there are multiple instructors there that do well in offerring support (both academically and emotionally). Many stayed after to get extra help to ensure they understood the material. I was blessed with awesome and talented peers of all different backgrounds (think college students to mid-llife career changers) and while it was slightly awkward to make friends in the first week, it eventually became so natural to ask anyone for advice or to talk to them about anything. The instructor, Orlando, made it clear what was needed to know for each lesson and frequently drew upon his 10+ years of programming experience to offer valuable advice about the industry. Krystal Kaplan, the Outcomes Coordinator, was an awesome resource for career readiness and helped me a lot personally in finding a job by providing job resources and resume/Linkedin/and portfolio website sessions. There are also multiple T.A.s to help tutor during or after class and even the program administrators introduce themselves at the beginning and make it clear that they are approachable for any questions as well.

Summary - It is a tough decision for anyone entering a bootcamp as people face uncertainty with how they will do or what will happen after you finish. I left with many transferable skills, friends I will talk to for probably the rest of my life, and an entry-level full-stack programming job 1 month after graduating. Even if it isn't your goal to get a job in tech, this program is great to learn a skillset that will help you immensely either for fun or for other job industries, but you must work diligently and not give up easily to understand what you are doing. The difference between NYCDA and other bootcamps is, besides being significantly less expensive, the friendly culture - you can talk to most anyone there knowing that they will gladly in any way help you in your journey to learn how to code.

Let’s face it, the U.S. economy sucks right now for young people.  We don’t live in the same era as our baby boomer parents did, where graduating with a B.A. in some worthless degree would still present you a plethora of job opportunities.  This isn’t the case anymore.  After making questionable career choices in the past, I decided that my career was in dire need of a reboot as badly as Batman’s film career did in 2005.  Pursuing a STEM career is one of the few (and best) choices a millennial could make in the current economic climate.

The New York Code + Design Academy is one of the less expensive options for a coding bootcamp in the NYC area.  While it doesn’t have the same prestige (yet) as The Flatiron School or Fullstack Academy, it provides a good education at a cheaper cost than other coding bootcamps in NYC.  You will learn enough programming languages and frameworks to call yourself a full-stack web developer at the end of the Web Development Intensive course, but expect to be more of a Jack of All Trades/Master of None type.  The school will offer you the basic skill-set, but it is up to you to keep refining your skills.  Look at what skills are in demand, and focus improving on those.

Do note that because you will be learning 2 years worth of computer science material in 3 MONTHS, this class is going to be INTENSE.  I was literally working on a homework assignment or project every day of the week, even showing up to school on weekends to get assistance from the TAs.  But at the end of the course, I felt like a champion.

The staff was pretty friendly and was always willing to lend a helping hand.  Krystal Kaplan, the Career Services coordinator, really cares about the students’ success.  We still keep in touch months after my graduation.  Some of the students in my class complained about the teaching methods of our classroom instructor.  However, one thing I noticed about this was that the students in question who complained the most were also having the toughest time in class to stay ahead, whereas the best students in class didn't say a word.  Crabs in a bucket mentality.

As far as job hunting goes, getting your foot in the door as a developer with 3 months of coding bootcamp won't be enough.  Sure, there's always those one or two kids who somehow get jobs right after graduation, but this won't be the case for most.  I even know graduates who moved back in with the parents after failing to find a job within months of graduating.  I have some advice to counter this.  One, you can find some sort of non-developer tech position, such as a project manager or QA analyst, and transition into a developer role that way.  I like this method because you will have income rolling in while learning tech skills on the side.  Another way is to pursue a freelance career.  You may not make enough money right away to live in a major U.S. city like NYC or SF, but you have the option of living anywhere in the world (with good Wi-Fi, of course).  The key is to live in a lower cost-of-living area while making a U.S. salary.  This is what I'm doing now.  You can do this short-term while still looking for work in the U.S.

At the end of the day, investing in a coding bootcamp was one of the best decisions I ever made.  Before NYCDA, job hunting was the most painful, miserable experience of my life.  Employers couldn’t care less of my existence.  Now the tables are turning.  Shortly after graduating, I’ve had a few interviews and even rejected a job offer from a start-up for not offering me market-rate salary.  Finding a good job is still difficult, but not as bad as what it used to be.  For now, I am living the digital nomad life of travelling the world, working remotely on freelance projects, and upgrading my skills.

TL;DR: NYCDA's WDI class is great, Career Service Department is awesome, but you must work hard and teach yourself to become a great programmer.

I recently graduate from the WDI class, and it was definitely one of the best decisions I ever made. 

I had no prior experience in programming (of course I did some Codeacademy, but that's it), but I was always interested in the digital field and I was ready for a career change. I chose NYCDA because of their interview processes. Compare to other big institutions, NYCDA was more personalized and focused on my stories instead of their strict interview guidelines. I just thought that I could attach more to this institute than others when learning. 

During the course, I had a great cohort and I had fun. I do better when I am in a comfortable environment, and our class definitely made me feel comfortable. I think people in NYCDA are great and they will help you if you need help. Curriculum was okay, I knew that I was going to learn Ruby and Javascript. I can't say it is the best, but I knew that even before I came to this course, so not a big problem. Also, in the end, it is not about what they teach you, but it is about how much are you willing to Google and learn yourself. I must say this again. You MUST know that there is no end of learning in this field. They will only teach you basics of the programming. However you will learn to teach yourself, so It is upto YOU to improve and be great programmer. 

What I like the most about NYCDA is the career service department. The Outcomes Coordinator, Krystal Kaplan, is super great at her job. I can tell that she puts a lot of her time to bring recruiters and find opportunities for students. She also brought in graduated students to have a QA sessions with current students, which helped current students to briefly figure out which path they should focus on. Even after graduation, she keeps contacts with all of the students and share all the resources that she finds. I personally had a great experience with her, and I think she is the best. I know some graduated students from the other institutions and they did not have career service departments like NYCDA's.

Please note that great Career Service Department is not equal to job gurantees. However, it definitely helps, and I have to appreciate her hard works. It really shows. 

Most important thing about attending a programming bootcamp is that everythign is up to you. Before I came in I thought taking the courses would make me a super great web-developer who can build anything. However, you have to know that there are so much things to learn in programming and you will have to learn new things every single time you build an application. If you are considering to take the WDI course, make sure you are ready to enjoy the hard work! :) 

I graduated the Web Development Immersive on December of last year. I had Orlando Caraballo and Jen Shannon as my instructors and Krystal as my outcomes coordinator. All three are exceptional at their job as they all hold the student's best interest in mind. I know the curriculum and job assistance has come under some flack, but these three people have made the overall experience much more rewarding.

Orlando and Jen are very experienced instructors and definitely put me in a great place by developing my skill sets towards a professional career. Both are very experienced and able to communicate complex programming concepts into a simple, digestible form. Both are humble, as well as continuing to learn by themselves, so they are fluent when it comes to the language of learning.  Their dedication to teaching and growing students are unparalleled when it comes to programming. Both of them understand that learning programming is hard, really hard, and they offer the academic, and moral support throughout the entire program. 

When it comes to job assistance, I have never met a more talented and caring outcomes coordinator than Krystal Kaplan. Krystal has a keen eye for matching students with ideal professional environments. And that ability comes from the inordinate hours she puts in to really get to know the students, as well as reaching out towards building hiring relationships with companies. She gave me more of her time and effort than I honestly thought I deserved. When I was laid off she worked as hard, if not harder than I did, to find a good job fit for me. She changed my life from being unemployed to working at one of the biggest ad agencies in the world. 

 She has changed the careers services aspect of NYCDA for the better. I am excited to see what other positive changes she will bring to the NYCDA community. 

There are many ways to go about your tech journey, but NYCDA stands apart from them all.  It’s been less than a year since I have graduated from this school, but in that time it has expanded to several different locations.  This growth is a testament to the type of value NYCDA brings to its students.    

One major highlight is the community that has been set in place by the instructors and employees.  The environment is supportive and encouraging for a student to succeed in whatever it is he or she is working on.  As a beginner, you can reach out to any instructor or peer and they will be more than happy to help you any time of the day with any issue.   

Another reason why NYCDA stands apart is because of the Career Services Team.  After your coursework ends it’s time to find an opportunity that is appropriate for your goals and the Outcomes Coordinator Krystal Kaplan has proven to me that she genuinely cares.  She supported me after I graduated by helping me refine my resume, encouraged me during my search for employment and ultimately referred me for an internship which aligns perfectly with my goals.  

NYCDA is there to help you foster intellectual development in the field of tech and help you with your journey thereafter.  The motivation to succeed ultimately comes from yourself, so have goals in mind and put in the work!  

Ultimately, I am very happy that I made the choice to pursue learning at NYCDA !  

December 2014: My contract at a large pharmaceutical company as a data analyst was coming to an end. I was scrambling to find a job with my experience at a Fortune 500 company backed by a business degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Come March 2015, I’ve sent out metaphorical stacks of job applications with little prospects. I stopped what I was doing and began pursuing skillset that had more demand, computer programming.

After extensive research on coding boot camps, I found information about New York Code & Design Academy. I went to one of their open houses in Center City Philadelphia and was quite impressed with the way the Chief Academic Officer, Zachary Feldman, described his program and the skillsets the class would produce. This reinforced my confidence in my decision to change careers and a few weeks later I was having an interview with the Director of Admissions, Nathan Conn. Nathan answered my questions and quelled the rest of my remaining uncertainties.

August 2015: first day of classes. I was feeling good with my shiny new Mac Book Pro and revving and ready to learn. First two weeks were learning how to develop the front-end of the internet. The front-end is the pretty stuff that you see and the elements you interact with with your mouse, finger, and keyboard. The HTML. The CSS The JavaScript. I loved this stuff because I’m a visual learner.

The next few weeks were harder. The program teaches you the back-end. The database side holds all of your Facebook Posts, your Twitter Tweets, your Instagram Grams. I had difficulty learning this stuff because it was a different way of thinking. But I understand the importance of being able to construct database tables and Creating, Reading, Updating, and Deleting data. Our instructor, Jon Wexler, is an amazing teacher and was able to break down concepts so that even a simple business major like me could understand and digest.

Throughout the course, the program’s Development Manager, Constance Ip, was constantly connecting with outside companies. We would have a speaker once a week and sometimes more because of her hard work. Speakers would give us insight into their role at their company and how our skillset could be applied into the job market once we graduated.

November 2015: My favorite part of the course was the Meet & Greet. This was an NYCDA event that is held for graduates to present their projects to a large group of prospective employers and tech recruiters. I met some really cool people at this event and a few of them worked really hard to help me find a job.

March 2016: I am employed at a large health insurance company with a highly marketable skillset.

June 2016: I finish a personal side-project making a website and physical menu for a small dessert shop in Chinatown. I show off the website to my classmates from August like a kid who just learned how to do a wheelie.

Job assistance post course needed work. I received very little assistance in the job hunt from the program post course work.

Summary: I believe I made the best decision in my life enrolling into this program. I often compare how value of 4 years of business school and vocabulary words I never use is nowhere close to the value I received in 12 weeks at NYCDA. My personal development has never been at a faster pace. I believe that the implicit problem solving abilities that I picked up programming has accelerated my ability to learn. I feel so much more empowered and able to express myself with this skillset.

I attended the web intensive programs at NYCDA, It was hard but totally worth it. The professors are great, the staff is really helpful and specially Krystal Kaplan from the Career Service department who helped me to network with awesome people throughout the course, build my resume and gave me tons of advice, I was able to find a full time developer position a week after I graduated.

I learned so much about programming, enough to be confident and overcome any programing challenges, NYCDA gives you all the tools to succeed and all you have to do is to use them wisely. 

I was very hesitant when coming to this campus. Having had a terrible experience with another bootcamp that was in its inception, NYCDA, has the full-fledge support system that makes sure that you leave knowing how to create well-done web applications and also knowing how to learn.  

The intensive typically consists of daily lectures from 10-6pm, and to say that they throw info at you is an understatment. But luckly the support system is activated long before class even starts.  A month prior, the admissions councelor gave a thorough asessement of my skills (nothing to difficult). They basically want to know if you could follow directions and do basic arithmetic.  After that, you get a confirmation within three days. Once you pay  your deposit, you recieve a link to their video archives (which is massive), they also give you materials to study the basics of HTML/CSS.  You also have connection to their student network via slack, where you can ask all the preliminary questions and get all the nervous gitters out.  Very friendly and very informative. Topping that off..you also get access to your own mentor (my mentor was an instrcutor for the weekend kids class they established). All in all the support system is there.  Also, its important to keep in mind that the intensive covers the main topics of the language. They don't cover everything within the three month span, but you can always reach out to any one including the CEO, for any questions and tips on any missing pieces. 

Week 1 : HTML/CSS

Week2 : JavaScript/ Jquerty

Week3 : Ruby

Week 4 : Sinatra

Week5 : Ruby on Rails..

Week 6 : More Rails/ SaSS

Week 7 and On: Rails projects, incuding group work, and peronal project.

Just to emphasize: you get in what you put in. But during the massive span of time you realize that your ability to retain info increases exponentially. You have to put in the time after-school and you will get it. Also there are people from all walks of life, from those with no exp, to some who are already established but just want to learn Rails, but all of the info eventually clicks.  The T.A. attend class and help you when you're completely stumpted.  There's also a job support system via their job councelor.  He does weekly presentations  and 1 on 1's to develop a plan that's feasible to what you're trying to do after the course is over. They don't promise a job, but they do help you to get there. 

And if you attend their monthly open house before you start the intensive you get 10% off tutition. Not bad at all...

They also started an intensive in Amsterdam, in which they'll have student housing so that's a plus as well!

All in all I'm very satisfied I chose this school. They know what they're doing. 

Despite being a huge Unix geek and learning how to program a bit here and there, I ultimately decided not to pursue a career in software development. Around 5 years ago I realized it was time for a change and I started to learn Ruby / Ruby on Rails in my spare time. I eventually transitioned into working as a Junior Jr.™ Rails developer, getting freelance gigs when I could.

I knew that I needed some more formal education in order to progress in my career, but the typical “coding bootcamp” was not for me. I was already very comfortable with more or less all of the topics that most fully immersive programs would cover in the first six weeks. After spending months weighing my options I discovered the New York Code and Design Academy on Reddit. I took a look at their website and sure enough they had an Intermediate Rails course.

I ended up not taking the Rails course, because after sitting in on the iOS Development with Swift course one evening I decided that for me, programming a pocket-sized computer to do my bidding was infinitely more exciting than web development. I dedicated a tremendous amount of time to studying outside of class and learned a ton. By the end of the class I built a working app that used Core Data, MapKit and UIImagePicker.

Shortly after I finished the class, Jeremy Snepar (CEO and co-founder) contacted me with a potential job opportunity. To make a very long story fairly short, myself and another student who was in my class ended up developing the app together. Developing the application was true baptism by fire, we worked 60+ hours a week for four months and we had a great time. I’m happy to say that the app is available on the App Store for download. I could not have done that without my time spent at NYCDA.

So that’s my story, but I’ve yet to tell you what makes NYCDA so great. There are a lot of reasons, but one word in particular that comes to mind is community. From the first moment that I walked in the door I was genuinely treated like a friend. The staff goes out of their way to make sure that you’re having the best experience possible and is always their to help you with anything. You can stop in any time regardless of whether or not you have a class that day and get help or use the facilities to work (including Saturday’s and Sunday’s, they will actually give you a key if you want to use the space on Sunday when the staff is not there).

Zach Feldman (Chief Academic Officer and co-founder) is some how always available to give you a hand with your work, give advice or just to talk in general. Victor Wang (Business Development Manager) is one of the most helpful people I have ever encountered in my life, he was like my personal liason during my time at NYCDA and he is a good friend.

The instructor I had for my iOS development class was very professional, knowledgeable and dedicated. She is a true master of her craft but on top of that she is an excellent teacher which is a rare combination.

While NYCDA offers the “typical” Ruby on Rails immersive-style program, they also offer classes that focus on new and exciting technology including Angular.js, React.js and Go. I’m considering taking the upcoming React.js course.

Today I am proud to say that I am an iOS developer. NYCDA made that possible and I am eternally grateful.

I had been a coder as a high school kid but since then, moved into the health field and into teaching. Now I wanted back into development. 

I took their web intensive course and came out knowing my way around code once again with solid background in Ruby on Rails and Front end technologies but more importantly, I had the ability to learn more on my own and the understanding of how today's environments work. 

From there, at our class' Meet and Greet, I got my first job as an implementation engineer and from there have moved on and now am a full time front end developer!

I can tell you that all their instructors and supportive personel are all knowledgable in the field and will always go the extra mile for you to help you understand something, including giving you tips on topics after you graduate and get a job. The CEO Jeremy Snepar, even teaches a few classes on his experience at creating NYCDA as a startup and what those who want to create a startup can and should do.

They also have plenty of meet and greets / information sessions with folks who tell you more about the field and give you advice on getting a job. They even invite quite a few job agencies in that give you even more of an education on what you're doing right and what you can do better. 

When I decided to switch back to technology, development in particular, I wasn't sure I could do it. I knew I wanted to do it, and for me, I knew it was fun. I also knew I couldn't do it alone. NYCDA helped me a lot and I'm knee deep where I wanted to be in a little over a year.  That's right, in less than a year, with NYCDA and a lot of leg work on my side as well, I'm in developement, making apps and web pages and working with great people everyday. 

I recommend NYCDA wholeheartedly. If you remain deligent and do what you have to do, they will teach you the skills and get you where you want to be.

I have taken classes a few other places and NYCDA is the best! I started out with Web 100 and then moved on to the Frontend class as well as Angular. I loved it! Not only did I learn a ton, but they helped me land a job post taking the classes and I'm still working there today. Every class is what you put into it, but not only are the teachers great here, but the staff is attentive, checks in with everyone and makes a point of ensuring that you are getting what you need to be set up for success.