NYC Data Science Academy

NYC Data Science Academy was my first choice because of my interest in data science, and their reputation as the best data science program. They did not disappoint.

As a recently separated veteran with a master's degree in physics, I was looking for a way to renew my credentials for employment in the technology sector. A friend of mine told me about his successful full-stack engineering boot camp experience and subsequent employment, so I began doing some research. I did not know what data science was, at the time, but I read about it on Course Report, and it seemed like a perfect fit for me, so I signed up. 

NYCDSA is exactly as advertised: an intensive program on data science methodology aimed at students from a wide variety of backgrounds. With my background in physics, math, and C++ and Java coding, I felt that the Python and R syntax taught at NYCDSA was not too difficult. Other students were less prepared but often did okay anyhow. The course began with Python and R syntax for handling and visualizing data, and then continued with machine learning methods in both languages as well. SQL and Docker were also covered, but rather briefly. At the end of the course, deep learning and Tensorflow were introduced, as well as Spark and Hadoop. I would have preferred that more time be dedicated to those topics, but this is a three-month boot camp, so time is limited. Nevertheless, given the allotted time, I feel that I have achieved an incredible amount, and I'm very happy with my experience. Boot camp is not cheap in either time or money, but this one was well worth both. I intend to continue building on the knowledge, experience, portfolio, and network that I have accumulated at NYCDSA as a professional data scientist.

I needed the shortest path to pivot from a research position in physics to a career in data science.  I considered grad school, but I have a family, and I need to be there for my kids during their developmental years.  NYC Data Science Academy offered an effective restructuring of skills over the course of three months.  Not only did I learn skills in data sctructures, statistics, coding, and machine learning, but I also learned skills necessary in the job-hunting process.  The support that was given to me during my time at NYCDSA was instrumental in receiving a job offer from a well-stablished company in financial services.

Enrolling in the NYCDSA is easily one of the best decisions I have made, not only in my professional career but also in my life.  Being of a statistics background, I knew that programming knowledge was critical when trying to utilize math to solve real-world problems. During my undergraduate years, virtually everything I did mathematically was done by hand. This was a massive constraint because although one may be capable of solving a problem correctly by hand, it is difficult to truly understand how to it is used in the real-world without any true form of automation. After a lot of research into graduate schools, bootcamps, and program offerings with a Data Science focus, I decided to go with NYCDSA based on the consensus of positive reviews I received. During my time there, I was refreshed on advanced statistics, learned a plethora of programming languages that I now feel very comfortable using to build large-scale projects, and even developed my presentation skills tremendously since every project had to be presented in front of a class that included a panel of highly-skilled Data Scientist. Consequently, this helped me feel confident throughout my entire interview process and land my dream job in Data Science. They say hindsight is 20-20, and although I couldn't have said that I was sure this was going to be the outcome coming into the program, I can say now that it was easily one of the most pivotal decisions I have ever made in my entire life.

I did some research on data science online (Course report and switchup) before I made a decision.  I chose NYCDSA because they covered both Python and R, their instructors are knowledgeable and professional, and comprehensive curriculum. Especially I have to use both R and Python in my work, so I think knowing both languages will open more opportunities when looking for a job.

NYC Data Science Academy did a great job of helping me acquire the necessary skills in Data Science before, during, and after the bootcamp. The pre-bootcamp materials helped me get familiar with the essential R/Python coding skills and speeded up the learning curve during the bootcamp. I highly recommend whoever wants to join a bootcamp should get prepare before the bootcamp, and NYCDSA does a great job in providing necessary materials in R/Python coding.

During the bootcamp, the course work is very intensive. Although I already have coding experience and mathematical background, I still need to spend at least 12 hrs a day to study and finish homework and projects.  However, the instructors and TAs are doing their best to ensure everyone can get the most out of the courses.  As a remote student, I can't meet them in person, and they are still very responsive through messages or video meetings. During the bootcamp, I finished four projects to showcase my skills. One of them is solving the real business problem from the company, which is valuable when I was looking for a job. The academy also teaches you how to express your projects during the interview.

They have a robust professional network and hold a hiring event one week after each cohort. You will have the opportunity to expand your network and show your skills to various companies that are looking for data scientists or data analysts. They also dedicated to supporting you find a great job. Vivian did a fantastic job helping me with my interview processes and giving me valuable feedback.

Overall, I have a very positive experience with NYCDSA. I was suspicious if a bootcamp can make me transit into a data scientist when I looked for a data scientist bootcamp. However, I found a great job a month after I finished the bootcamp. This program is worth the hard work I put. I am glad that I made this decision a half year ago. 

I graduated at the end of March(Cohort 16).
Before having the bootcamp, I have no coding or computer science related background. I thought I would fail and not able to get into the industry.
However, after I took the bootcamp, I learned a lot of coding and Data Science related skills, and this academy has changed my life.
While I was in the Bootcamp, I made a lot of friends and everyone including staff are so kind.
After graduating from the program, NYCDSA still provides the best career support and connection to help every one of us to get a job.
They really care about every one of the students, and this makes me feel like a home.
The feeling here is irreplaceable, and this is one of the important things an academy should have.

After spending 9 years in business sales, I wanted to go back to my technical roots and started looking into data science bootcamps that could help me make a career transition. I looked into all the major schools within the data science bootcamps and finally decided to join the NYC Data Science academy thanks to the reviews as well as the comprehensive curriculum.

One thing that I was very satisfied about at the bootcamp was the hands on help that I got whenever I needed it. The entire school staff wants you to succeed and achieve your goals and they do everything they can do make that happen. Can’t thank them enough for having my back in this journey.

As far as job hunting, the academy provides ample material on how to get ready for the job search process from resume reviews to interview prep to bringing employers in the school for interviews. There are always exclusive job postings on the internal website and the school has an incredible network, so it’s always been easy getting introductions to school alumni or key executives from target companies. I ended up receiving 2 offers, and joined a major tech company as a data scientist.

NYCDSA is highly recommended! It is worth the time and the money in gold!

This bootcamp has comprehensive materials and structures its bootcamp with a 3 hour lecture each morning followed by a 1-2 hour afternoon lab/mini lecture. The pace is extremely fast (We only spent a few hours going over Logistic Regression) and I recommend all students to put in as much work as possible outside of school to maxmize the value of the bootcamp. NYC DSA has a solid environment for learning but MOST of the learning comes from the student putting in effort. It is extremely easy to simply attend the bootcamp and leave with a very bare surface level understanding of numerous topics. I recommend going over lecture notes each night and previewing lectures (watching the full 3 hour video(maybe at 2x speed)) the night before to have a basic understanding to ask questions during class. There is probably nothing more beneficial than previewing the lecture before attending imo. The bootcamp value is exactly what you put into it. 

NYC Data Science Academy is the place where you would learn the niche skill sets required to excel as a Data Scientist or Data Engineer in a friendly environment. This is one of the best investment I have done in my career. Having said that, be ready to learn a lot in just 12 weeks of time. It is an intensive course and you learn proportional to the effort you put. Their pre-work was really helpful in transitioning into the Bootcamp. So I would suggest anyone to definitely do the pre-work before entering the Bootcamp and do the homework during the Bootcamp; they give you a good hands on exposure to what was covered during the lectures. I did four projects which were very rewarding as well. I got to talk about my hands on experience gained doing the projects in the interviews. The instructors and Vivian, the CTO of the academy were very approachable. I felt like family here. They provide a good Resume and interview prep  support. I must mention I was praised on my resume during the interviews and I had a good ratio of interview calls per application. I landed my dream job in just 2 months post completion of the Bootcamp. I you are ready to learn and put effort, you will find plethora of material, guidance and support here. I have had a positive experience at NYC Data Science Academy . I learned, made friends, networked and progressed in my career.

NYCDSA was referred to me by professionals in the industry. I chose the remote bootcamp and learned a vast amount of topics including SQL, R, Python, and Hadoop & Spark. During my studies, I published 4 blog posts of project work ranging from a visual analysis of the American Music Awards to predicting housing prices. I had an assigned TA who I met with weekly to discuss my courses and homework, which was very helpful. Interview prep was also a great asset to the program. Upon graduating I received a grad package with a NY State Board of Education certificate included. I received a job offer within a month of graduating as a Growth Analyst. 

After working as a computer engineer for 11 years, I decided to pursue a career change in to data science. I looked at a number of different programs available across the country, and I ended up deciding to go with the NYC Data Science 12 week intensive program. One of the largest advantages that program had over others is that they teach both Python and R. I think that both languages have their place in data science, but the biggest benefit from learning both is that the core elements of the program were first introduced in one language and were later reinforced in the other language. I found this to be especially helpful for creating a solid foundation during the machine learning portion of the course.

The program was very demanding, but it was definitely the type of experience where you get what you put in. The instructors and the TAs were all incredibly helpful and responsive whenever I had difficulties with the projects or understanding any of the course materials. 

The job assistance resources that the program provided were incredibly valuable, from special sessions that were targeted at helping us create a great resume to a hiring event with a large number of prospective companies. The outreach from the school didn’t end once the program was finished, and they were a very valuable resource while I was searching for employment in my new field.

I would say that overall the program was a great experience, and I am very happy that I decided on attending the NYC Data Science Academy.

Attending NYCDSA was an incredible experience that allowed me to pivot my career from traditional finance into Data Science and land me a great job with a well-improved salary soon after graduation. I chose it over other bootcamps in NYC because it taught both R and Python, had a strong alumni network, and had a collaborate and family-like environment that made every day enjoyable.

Be prepared to work very hard and learn a lot in a short amount of time. The curriculum is intense, covers all major areas of data science and teaches you the most up-to-date tools in data analysis, stats, coding and machine learning. I knew only basic SQL and stats before this so it was very challenging for me to learn more advanced stats, Python, R and machine learning in just 3 months. That being said, I typically stayed at the bootcamp 10 hours a day and often 12-14 hours during projects, which helped me learn faster. The TA’s and instructors were always available to provide assistance which aided in the learning process as well.

Because I spent so much time at the bootcamp around like-minded individuals, I became good friends with many people in my cohort, many of which I still keep in touch with post-graduation. Collaborating on group projects, helping each other with homework, happy hours, and late nights made the experience a lot of fun and made the learning easier.

Overall, you get what you put into it. Even as one of the least experienced in my cohort, I was able to keep up and become proficient in coding R, Python, SQL, and build a strong portfolio with practical experience in machine learning by putting in the time. The job assistance prepared me as well as it could have and helped tremendously in getting me more interviews, and performing to the best of my ability during interview behavioral questions, whiteboarding and case studies. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to get into data science or improve their data science skills.