Sabio

 

I worked in the Mortgage Industry prior to hearing about Sabio. I was feeling unsatisfied in my current job and honestly quite bored. (no new challenges) I had a friend who completed Sabio and got a shiny new career with Virgin America. I was so impressed and had to go to a meetup. Honestly, I did probably the bare amount of research on Sabio because I had so much information through my friend and once I met Gregorio/Liliana... I was hooked. Their energy was so strong, supportive, and full of passion for all their students. I started Sabio's pre work and I of course struggled a little as this was a field of work I was completely unfamiliar with. With ongoing dedication from my instructors and myself equally, I was able to graduate from Sabio feeling confident and ready to take on the world! I went through the Node route and after applying for countless of jobs and attending multiple interviews.... I am happy to report I was offered (and accepted!) a job from McKinsey and Co! (in the tech department). In my wildest dreams I could not picture this happening for myself. I am so happy I put my trust in Sabio and with their assistance partnered with my relentless perseverance I was able to land a job many people only dream about! I am so blessed and thankful for the experience I had with Sabio. Thank you to ALL Sabio faculty esp Gregorio, Liliana and my bomb instructor Mike! You changed my life. 

 

 

 

I am sure the instructors know how to write code an and develop websites, but teaching students to do the same is not their strong suit. The entire class felt like an online session. Something you didn't need to sit 4 hours in a classroom to learn. In fact, 60% of class time was spent researching the  answers for oneself because the instructions and directions were not clearly written or stated. Receiving any viable information from the instructors about the course material was comparable to grasping at straws.  The instructors seemed to play the course by ear, rather surprising students with tests instead of scheduling them as a professional course in college would. If they spent as much time teaching their students how to code as they do making rap videos for youtube the course would actually be worth the money. I would not recommend this course in the future to anyone else unless under new leadership. 

A quick background... I spent over 5 years working in a sales/operations position for one of the world's largest eyewear companies. After a mass-layoff, and realizing I DIDN'T want to stay in that industry, I started picking up basic HTML, CSS, Javascript, and JQuery courses online to see if it was something I'd be interested in. I really enjoyed it and wanted to learn more, but didn't want to go to college as it seemed like a waste of time and money, and it didn't seem too promising in terms of securing a job afterwards since you don't have any actual work experience in that field. A family member of mine ended up signing up for Sabio, and he convinced me to check it out, too. I did my research and it seemed to be the best option out there, so I made the jump and signed up for the apprenticeship. During the 12 week program you'll be building a real application for a product owner. The product owner we built an application for during the 12 weeks ended up hiring me on afterwords (paid) to continue developing the application while I was searching for a full-time job. Just over 3 weeks out of the program and I received my first offer for a full-time developer position making $70,000 a year.

I went in not knowing what to expect, and really not knowing much. Like others have mentioned, the pre-work gives you a chance to get a good feel for what it's like to code as they teach you a lot of stuff. I went the route of the .NET course in Orange County, with Victor Campos as my instructor/lead. I spent the next 12 weeks of my life doing nothing but coding for 70-80 hours each week. It is really tough at times. You've got to be committed, and whatever you put into the program is what you get out of it. 

The instructors do a great job of helping you to become extremely self-resourceful developers that write clean and efficient code, as well as prepare you for an actual software developer work environment with actual experience. A few mock technical interviews take place throughout the program, and the last few weeks are spent working on resumes, personal projects, and technical interview prep. I would say Sabio is less of a bootcamp and more of an apprenticeship. 

If software development is something you're passionate about, and it's someting you commit your life to, I'm sure you'll succeed. I'm thankful for the staff at Sabio and for the hard work they've put into me and my success. 

Story time! When I finished high school I didn't know what I wanted to do. I tried for a vet tech first cuz it wouldn't take too long to get a certificate and start working. So I enrolled in the classes. But! In the very first class of the very first day, my professor stood up and said, "Alright class! We'We're going to start off by dissecting some cat bodies that were donated by....". So immediately I started panicking and had to leave the room. I did not go back. Next I went for an administrative assistant. It wouldn't have taken too long to get my certificate. So I started the classes. At around the same time, my cousin Karina had enrolled in sabio. Timeskip to about a year later, karina had already gotten a job while I was still taking typing classes! She would talk to me about Sabio and I started asking questions. The next thing I know, I've enrolled in Sabio! It was hard for me in the beginning but that was normal for a lot of people. With hard work, a bunch of studying and messaging instructors with questions, I graduated! The instructors were super nice and didn't mind me going back over and over to answer the same questions. As long as your serious about leaning and ask questions when your confused, then you shouldn't have a problem finishing this course. I'm now a software developer working for Miller Kaplan and I'm learning everyday but sabio paved the foundation for me. Even though i work with Vb.net and asp.net server side controls now, the way that I was taught to research and learn a new language in Sabio helps me everyday. Thank you Sabio!

Sabio is one of the best career moves I've made. I really can't thank Gregorio, Liliana, and the whole staff enough for the invaluable experience. Even after graduating, the job support was tremendous, and helped me land two full stack development job offers within a month of graduating. I am still in daily contact with the staff and the friends I made while attending Sabio.

About me: I came from a tech background doing QA, and had been wanting to become a software developer for years. It had been a long-term goal of mine that I’d work at on a daily basis, but it just wasn’t happening.

I tried making the transition into software development using self-learning for a long time, and felt like I didn't need guidance because of my prior experience. I was wrong.

In my experience, the curriculum and support that the staff provide cannot be replicated by self learning. I learned exponentially faster at Sabio than I had on my own. The topics go deep, and by the end of the program, if you put in the work, you will have the capability to make great applications. If you enjoy building things and making ideas come to life, the tools Sabio teaches are invaluable. 

Why Sabio: I worked hard to get into another top bootcamp, and got in (I won't name-drop). I decided to join Sabio after only a few days of being impressed at prework.

 I joined sabio for four reasons:

1. The instructors all have a ton of experience. Sabio has instructors who have decades of experience, while the other *prestigious* bootcamp I got into hires recent grads as head instructors. Seriously, look into it if you haven’t.

2. CIRR reports. Sabio has chosen to participate in third party audits, so they cannot fake their success numbers.  Few other bootcamps do this, and this was a requirement for me.

3. Sabio won’t kick out students half-way through the bootcamp. And If a student needs to leave for any reason (family etc.), refunds are provided. Other bootcamps are not nearly as flexible. And some even kick out students half way through if they are not able to pass certain tests. Sabio tests you upon entry (after prework), and once a student gets into Sabio, Sabio sticks with them. They are extremely commited, even after the bootcamp ends. Which brings me to my fourth point...

4. Sabio cares. They stick with their students and really really care. They provide a tremendous amount of support even after the bootcamp. Applying for job can be stressful, and they are there for you, until, and even after you get a job. Graduates receive support from instructors and both founders even after the three month cohort ends. I really needed guidance after the cohort ended and it was more than provided.

All and all I did my research beforehand, but even so, I really feel like I lucked out. 

My recommendation is, if anything, just check out prework. I wasn't sold until a few days into prework, and I'm so glad I stuck with it. Sabio's curriculum was a big challenge that I pushed though, and in doing so, it helped me overcome an even bigger obstacle in my life. Thank you

I honestly wouldn't be where I am today without the help, guidance, mentorship and leadership provided to me by Sabio. The daily instructions and random mini lectures provided to me by my instructor played such a key role in my success. Sabio's phililosophy isn't just to help you figure out how to do something, but to also understand the 'magic' that happens behind the scenes. That is why I was able to do so well during my phone screens and interview processes. Being able to articulate intelligibly things like JavaScript event loops, or what asynchronous / synchronous functions are, why use one over the other or what happens during the request/response life cycle like model binding or what data models are really helped validate me to my current employers that I'm not your typical junior developer. I guarantee that's one of the big reasons why I was hired. My transition to this career change was a very progressive one (although that wasn't a huge contribution towards my success, I worked alongside a cohort mate of mine who used to be in paralegal and within a matter of weeks after graduating from Sabio was able to find a great Frontend position working for a well known PC gaming company). I used to be in IT support - over 6 years, and I felt that I had peaked professionally. Suddenly what I used to love, just didn't give me the satisfaction and fulfillment it once did, so I knew I needed to change. I'm a U.S. military veteran and fortunately for me I was able to apply my veteran benefits towards Sabio because of their partnership with Antioch. Now, problem is I'm a person of routine, and taking risks is not something I am comfortable with. I needed so much reassurance before taking that big leap, which i ended finding through my extensive research and I'm so glad that I did. I increased my salary by over 30% and am now in an industry that I love, all thanks to my experience at Sabio. If you're like me, over the age of 30 and are seriously considering another career, particularly in the Web Application Development space, check out Sabio, ESPECIALLY if you're a veteran and still have a few months of benefits left. Don't just take it from me though, do your due diligence and research the other hundreds of bootcamps out there. Picj a fee top performing ones and check out their processes in person. Go to their info sessions, if possible sit in for a few hours during their normal instruction days and see what the class day to day is like. Speak with instructors and students alike, ask questions and see which environment resonates the most with you. Sabio, for many reasons ended up being my choice and I don't want to sound like a broken record with this page's ongoing theme but best decision of my life. You really do get out of it what you put into it and for me, i could NOT be more happier with the choice that i made.

Here's my story, right after high school I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. So I decided to become a server (since they make decent living off tips, sure why not?). After being a server for four years and complaining on why food took so long to come out of the kitchen, I went and became a chef for the next 6 years.

So how and why did I decide to go into software development? Well, one day my computer got a virus. My roommate at the time luckily was really into technology and had a linux USB and told me to install it. After I installed it, my virus went away and my computer was working again. But now my laptop was a Linux machine. How TF do I use this thing? So I googled, and learned Unix commands and Linux CLI I started to feel like some hacker everytime I inputed 'sudo apt-get update'. My terminal just went crazy. But I never delved any deeper than just being exposed to the software. But I really enjoyed technology. (I never wrote any Bash shell scripts, but I'm sure I definitely can now, if I wanted to.)

I then found out my friend did web development and asked him how he got a job doing such things? I asked him if I needed a degree. He looked at me like I was silly, "No, man! If you want to be a developer you just F'in do it!" He gave me some websites to study off of; which I did for the next two years and built some minor web applications. At this point I felt very comfortable with javascript, html, and css. I knew how to use a for loop, while loops, if else statements, ternary if else, arrays, js objects. I felt pretty good about myself. But was I ready to go out there and apply? I wouldn't be a full stack developer. No.. but as cocky as I was(still am, guilty as charged :P), I wasn't ready.

So I looked into bootcamps. Found a few, but I felt something from Sabio. I felt like they actually care. Unlike other bootcamps, I feel like its a pump and dump. And that gut feeling I got about Sabio, really was true! You will learn everything you need to know to get out there and be confident. I know what I'm saying sounds cliche, it's not! LOL I'm super serious! I was super fortunate to have Jeremy Ramos as my instructor! I'm not sure what that guy doesn't know, but he definitely knows coding like a beast.

By the time you graduate, you'll be passing data back and forth in your sleep. I definitely recommend Sabio! I recently graduated August 2017 and got an offer in October. I don't have a degree. I came from a completely different industry. And here I am. I'm going to start my second week of work tomorrow as I type this. 

Ever wanted to be a software engineer? Stuck at a dead end job that you can barely support your family with? Or just want a more exciting job where everyday is a challenge of solving a new puzzle or two? Then I recommend you become a software/web/application (what have you) developer/engineer! And there's not a better start than starting with Sabio!

If you're anything like I was, you have zero experience writing code and don't know where (and if it's even a good idea) to invest your time and money learning to do so. I had plateaued in my previous career and was looking for something that could offer me more, both in personal satisfaction and financially. Working in tech seemed like a far-fetched idea – I had always assumed you had to be some sort of genius to do so. The fact is, you don't. 

Sabio starts you off two to three times a week in Pre-Work. This is where you learn Javascript and C# fundamentals. This is also the hardest part of the camp (though, it's not technically part of the camp) as you have little to no experience coding, and might struggle to build momentum and keep positive. I was surprised to learn that most people attending Pre-Work had already quit their jobs and committed to these sessions full-time. I couldn't afford that and was still working 40 hours a week. Having one foot in and one foot out, I wasn't allowing myself to fully digest the information being presented. Thankfully, when it came time to take the assessment test, I was able to demonstrate enough skill to enter the official camp. This is where you really start to shine.

I mean, you have to. You're writing code all day every day. And that's the beauty of it. On top of that, and one of the reasons why I ultimately chose Sabio, is that you're working on a real-world product. Your cohort is paired with an entrepreneur and his/her pitch, and over the duration of the camp you're developing an MVP (minimum viable product). Your instructor will assign you tasks in various parts of the tech stack, and week after week your product will slowly begin to materialize. You'll be amazed at what you're able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. I believe this to be a huge testament to not only the curriculum Sabio has developed, but the instructors Sabio has chosen to mentor the students. I firmly believe that just because you can do something does not mean you can teach it. My instructor (shout-out to John Lee) was always really good at providing overall context, some direction on what to research, and then sending you off to work through it. 

I'm sure this review echoes a lot of others in this forum. If you're even remotely considering a bootcamp as a means to a career change, I say do it –– it'll change your life. And if you're even remotely considering Sabio as your bootcamp of choice, the best thing you can do is go to one of the info sessions. There you'll meet Gregorio, one of the co-founders, who shoots straight from the hip and will answer any and all of your questions. It was after attending one of these sessions that I knew Sabio was for me. Gregorio is very passionate about breaking down barriers, building community, and getting you to the place you want to be if you're willing to put in the effort.

** if you have your life together this review is not for you but feel free to read it anyway**

In the years before sabio I had hopped from path to path, never fully satisfied with where my life was headed. I had studied accounting, fashion, communications, and felt like i was starting to run out of options. I hated college, and when I got a job in a field I thought I would really enjoy, I hated working too. So I quit my job and was feeling completely and utterly stuck, until I saw a particularly terrible movie in December 2016, where a character in the movie said "Do your self a favor and learn how to code". So I thought, hey I'm not doing anything, why not? I took a code academy module on javascript and had so much fun solving problems with code. Long story short, I found Sabio and their glowing reviews online and about half way into one of their info sessions, I decided that I was going to go to code bootcamp. 5 months later I have a job as a web developer and I couldn't be happier. Was it easy? No. Would i recommend it to everyone? No. Would i do it all over again? Absolutely. I've made life long friends and i honestly truly wake up so happy every morning because I get to do something that i love everyday. I just want to say thanks so much to Sabio, to my Cohort, and to Jeremy, my instructor,  at the Newport Beach campus for everything they've done. 

Summary: Would wholeheartedly recommend. Best investment in myself I've ever made; well employed with a fantastic organization. 

Most enter into a coding bootcamp looking for a second chance, plain and simple. Whether it be to increase earning potential or seek a more interesting field, the core theme that unites the Sabio community is the fact that everyone who comes through this bootcamp is striving for something better. And Sabio's commitment to this community is apparent from the way it operates: (1) hiring senior level developers with a propensity for mentorship to be their instructors, (2) professional development courses after graduation to continually expand skills while employed, (3) extensive job support via resume building and challenging mock technical interviews, and (4) encouraging of fellows to provide curriculum feedback in order to evolve with changing needs. 

Holistically speaking, Sabio was the most complete bootcamp I found when stack ranked against the others I had vetted. From the foundation building prework to the live project experience gained from working on a real proof of concept for an entrepreneur, this bootcamp had already outshined most in the area. However, it was the community Sabio breeds along with their proactive job support after graduation that had won me over. The founders and instructors sincerely care about your success and that's evident in the way they communicate to and guide you. Ultimately though, it's up to you to leverage the knowledge and experience at your disposal to grow yourself; as the old adage goes, "you get out what you put in". Sabio has been a second chance to myself and many others and as such, should be treated as one—work hard, talk code, and forge bonds. Now go make something happen!

Short Version: Top-tier school, incredibly supportive community. I had full-time work within 6 weeks of graduation at $40/hour. Highly recommend!

I spent a while visiting bootcamps before commiting to Sabio. It was one of only a handful of bootcamps that didn't seem a little fishy (e.g. hiring recent grads to teach). Throughout my experience with them, Sabio's program was exceptionally well thought out, explained, and executed. The staff and instructors were uniformly excellent, both in teaching and in creating a supporting community. The mistakes in the program were minor, and when they occured the Sabio staff recognized them and discussed with us how to improve the experience. 

The part-time prework gives you a good chance to sound out the school and its vibe before making a large commitment, and if you're like me and don't have prior coding experience, the prework gives you an idea of whether you like doing it. The coursework itself is very rigorous (I did the .NET course). It's a full commitment during the 3-month cohort period, so I'd only do this if you're able to put most everything aside for 3 months. I was well prepared by the work itself though. When I got to my first contract gig after Sabio, at an investment bank downtown, they decided I knew what I was doing better than the project lead, so they fired him and put me in his place. Along with two other Sabio grads we were able to get the project back on its feet and approved by management to continue.

Sabio does a very good job of transitioning you at the end of the course into job hunting mode. They give you a lot of confidence that it's doable and they actively follow up with you during the job hunt to help you improve. It's during the job hunt that the strength of the community really shines through. There are a ton of people there willing to help and the community of graduates is large enough that you can get a good number of leads through it (that's how I got my first job). I had full-time contract work within 6 weeks at $40/hour and was offered employment after another six weeks at $80K. Even once I was working the staff kept communicating to see how things were going and help when I got stuck.

Summary: I would recommend Sabio in a heartbeat to anyone who can make the 3 month commitment. Really, you just don't find places like this very often. 

It's now been three years since graduating from Sabio, and through the frequent professional development courses, they have been a tremendous help in advancing my career. From fireside chats with the top in the industry (Github, Facebook, and Snapchat just to name a few)  to introducing new languages and methods to improve my skills has been a tremendous help. I'm already enthused for what they do with just becoming a developer, but with introducing use cases for implementing Docker and useful ES2015 tips they continue to show that they value my success long after graduating.