TurnToTech

They will take your money and not keep their promises. I enrolled in a trial period course, paid was supposed to be a "refundable" fee. Eventually the class never opened. ITS BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF THAT I AM CHASING THEM FOR A $250 REFUND!!!!!! Never saw my money back!! I called, send emails.... nothing! their lousy excuse is that they mailed me a check a year later (which i never received of course). After I threatened them with a lawsuit they said they will write me a check but i have to come down to Manhattan to take it. SHAME ON THEM!! They want me to take a day off from work to pick up their check. They know i wont do it so they can keep my money in their dirty pockets!!!  

TurnToTech is a great place to learn mobile developmet along with general computer science and coding basics. For the most part, it is self taught but, there are instructors there to help when you need it. The curriculum is challenging and you learn a ton in just a few months. You also get the chance to colaberate with your peers during hackathons, which is time put aside where you and a small team of peers can develop a small app. The team that develops the best app wins a small prize and bragging rights until the next hackathon. In the few months I was there, I coded in C, Objective-C, and Swift. The knowledge I gained at TurnToTech definitely helped me attain the job I have today.

As a former full-time Android student and current Mobile/Android Developer, I can confidently say that TurnToTech has played an immense role in starting my career as a Mobile Developer. Their bootcamp offered an immersive hands on course experience which ensured I had the skill set needed to survive in a professional Software Developer environment.

TTT's course was not the typical class room/lecture environment. It was the kind of course which engages you to constantly learn by solving problems and creating projects (I'd like to mention that this was made perfectly clear to me before I enlisted). The hands-on course work included Object Oriented Programming (OOP), problem solving with algorithms, and creating many android applications that centered around specific functions with the addition of an Internship.

As a current Android Developer, I've worked at two companies now since my departure from TurnToTech; and I cant stress how similar the course work is to what I've faced on the job. To clarify what I mean, I'll give a quick rundown of how finding and working at a Mobile/Android developer role is like.

1) To get an interview, you need a resume depicting projects you've worked on as a Software Engineer. Thus my resume (I'll note here that I was a recent Nursing grad and the only job exp I had was at the Home Depot) compromised of small android applications which TTT's course provided to create and that I continued adding onto(polished them and added my own features), the internship project at TTT which I got to work within a dev team of fellow students under the instructor who I say acted as a product manager/lead developer, and my own small application which the instructors were more than happy to encourage/help me create. 

2) To pass the interview, you'll usually need to answer various Android (or w/e you specialize in) questions as well as solve an algorithm challenge/s. Both of these topics I covered within the course. As mentioned, TTT's course includes a dive into solving algorithms and learning about multiple data structures. And besides creating multiple Android apps pertaining to all the major Android components, the course provides multiple quizzes (open ended and multiple choice) to help solidify your understanding over a specific topic. In addition, the intstructors themselves offer mock interviews that are similar to what you'll face in real life. 

3) Once you get a job in any Software engineering role, you'll quickly realize how there isn't a one solution to fix all problems. You'll constantly be problem solving all day every day; and that is what I believe TTT excels at the most. TTT teaches you how to create/find the answers yourself. By being a bootcamp, which encourages students to become self-proficient, they prepare you for the everyday environment where you're expected to produce without much help.

To wrap things up, the experience I got at TTT was great. For the negative reviews regarding the nature of the course,  those people missed the point of the bootcamp. This wasnt a standard college course substitute. TTT was a place that accepted me with zero software development knowledge then prepared me for a software developer job in under a year. So yes, if you attend this course and have a question about a problem you're stuck on and the instructor kindly encourages you to find the answer on StackOverflow, its because thats what you'll be doing every day within your software developer career. 

[My understanding is that since I finished up at TTT, they have changed the way some of their courses are structured, but I think that my review should still apply.]

TurnToTech does a great job of prepping you for the workforce. I had mock interviews, regular programming challenges, hackathons, and weekly classes on actual computer science theory.

I had zero programming experience before TTT. The course taught me C, Objective-C, and Swift. Even though most jobs are looking for Swift, knowing Objective-C as well was a big plus since a lot of major Cocapods are not in Swift yet.

TTT has a great connections and a network of helpful alums. I toured NYC Google HQ and Buzzfeed with TTT, and we got to sit down and chat with developers at both places. Also, there was an excellent graphic designer, Lisa, working there when I attended. Lisa helped me by making a couple of assets for an app I made and helped me with some Javascript on my website.

TTT set me up with an excellent internship that had me on a team making a consumer app. The internship taught me about design patterns, teamwork, the Sprint Method, and communicating with clients.

My only critiques are:

1. My last couple of months there, TTT lost an instructor and was somewhat understaffed, which sometimes meant it could take half an hour to get help on a question. I am sure they have found a replacement by now.

2. About halfway through my time at TTT, React Native got big. (The idea behind RN is you learn one language to make Android AND iPhone apps, instead of needing to know Swift and Java.) Job searching is always stressfull, and there will always be a need for native programmers, but mobile jobs are really starting to prefer people who can do both iPhone and Android. I'm actually pretty lucky at my current job, they're paying for my Java classes :)

So overall, I had a great experience at TTT, it helped me get a pretty great entry level job and I look forward to learning more!

Before I review about the teaching methodologies, I want to say that the environment to learn is usually overlooked. This school has nailed this need, the environment is very inviting and indusive to learning. Instructors and staff are always available and ready to help. TurnToTech is and has been willing to listen to industry professionals and students to fine tune their cirriculum to better adapt.

As for the cirriculum, it is intense and savage as most of the reviewers have mentioned before. You REALLY get what you put into it, my biggest regret attending this bootcamp was not devoting myself 100% throughout its entirety. The lessons are there, you just need to work your way through it and ask for help often. I let my pride and freelances get in the way of this... I am now interviewing 5 months later than I anticipated.

One major advice to anyone who wants to start their career as a coder/programmer. Be mentally prepared to dedicate yourself for a straight +4 months and ask for help when you are stuck on something. Stay positive, don't get fustrated as it will eventually burn you out. Remember every day squandered is another day gone, this easily adds up into weeks/months. It is very easy to de-rail and lose focus, we all have circumstances and that is absolutely fine. Take it from me I am almost 10 months into the program, as per the auto weekly reminders sent to my email!

Also, sometime during the first six weeks do yourself a favor and pick up a coding interview prep-book. There is a general road map to personally ready yourself for that big day. TurnToTech is here and open to listen to any concerns that you may have, I implore everyone to take advantage of their resources early on and pick their brains often.

The iOS bootcamp at TurnToTech exceeded my expectations. I found the instructors to be knowledgeable and friendly. They were always willing to spend extra time explaining anything when I found myself confused or struggling to understand a concept. With there help I was able to get a job a few months after graduating. One of the things that really stands out about TurnToTech is their alumni network. This network provided me with support when searching for a job as well as with mastering advanced iOS material. TurnToTech fosters this network by providing their alumni with coworking space. As a result alumni, are often present to share their experience and knowledge to the next generation of students. 

My experience at TurnToTech was amazing. I have a learning disability but with the help from the staff and the comfortable environment I was able to obtain the skills and confidence I needed for developing android apps. As in anything else, I needed to put in the time in order to understand and develop the concepts that go into coding. I now have the ability to pick up new languages using the learning techniques from TurnToTech. I cannot say enough about the teaching staff at TurnToTech: they are professional, knowledgeable, very helpful and they are full-time employees, unlike some other bootcamps I looked at. 

TurnToTech's environment is a special community where students learn to network, meet people and learn from each other. During the internship, I found working together in groups gave me a greater understanding of what things I need to work on as a developer. My internship app is called 'Voices' where I worked with several other students and the two entrepreneurs behind this app. The experience was great and so was the app. Voices recently won the MobileWeek startup challenge: http://tryvoices.com/blog/2016/5/7/voices-wins-nyc-mobileweek-2016 

If you are looking for a place that will work at your pace, give you personal attention and has a friendly environment, this is it. I highly recommend TurnToTech and encourage you to inquire. I cannot say enough good things about this experience. My employer's quite happy with me and I look forward to my future with my new skills and confidence!!

TurnToTech was an incredible experience. To the reviews complaining about having to search and learn via Google - that is a vital skill for any software engineer. You drill down the abstract concepts and worry about complicated when you need to. As long as you have the concept down, syntax memorization comes fast. Your projects that you finish in class can be transformed into personal projects for your portfolio. It all comes down to how much effort you put into the curriculum. Don't expect to be spoonfed. It's a good quality that every interviewer wants to see - the ability to pick up skills rapidly, even if you are unfamiliar with it. TurnToTech teaches you how to do this. I landed an awesome remote job a month after graduating, and have been expected to pick up the Javascript language in order to help with the backend. I never learned Javascript at TurnToTech, but I have graduated with the ability to pick up new concepts rapidly, and that is one of the most valuable traits a software engineer can have. In the end, the language of a bootcamp is not what's important, learning how to learn is triumphs over everything. As a developer, you will be constantly thrown into new technologies, frameworks, and languages that you are unfamiliar - and maybe uncomfortable with. At TurnToTech, you develop the skills needed to brave the waters post graduation and beyond. I highly recommend this bootcamp. Like my peer has said: what you put in is what you get out.

This place looks good at first, a great way to get into the App development job market but unfortunately the schools curriculum is a bit questionable and that's Turn To Tech's main weakness. There are no real hands on classes. For example its take this free online Codecademy javascript course, read this PDF on Objective C and try to solve these clever questions. A very small flakey staff, internet problems. No incentives for low income or minorities. I think General Assembly does have those. I would pass on Turn To Tech and look elsewhere. It's better that you actually learn something instead of returning to this place for job leads. Ask for their refund policy if you're that desperate. I was able to get a refund when it became obvious that Turn To Tech isn't a great place to learn. The positive reviews are obvious networking by former students. 

I took a look at the recent tuition and it seems like they bumped up the tuition. I would consider looking at other bootcamps with hands on classes. This schools curriculum is questionable. Look at all the five star reviews talking about needing lots of motivation. They should not advertise as a bootcamp then. They should advertise as a part time school and make it clear. They are not a bootcamp, not at all, all self paced, with no direction. If you gotta pay that much tuition at least you should be in a good curriculum.

If you are looking for a curriculum structure similar to a typical "class setting", look elsewhere. The biggest gripe I have is with its website - which, with all its fancy graphics and promises, distorts the truth on many of its offerings.

I hate the star rating system, they seem so one-dimensional. Let me break it down.

Instructors - 4/5:

Nothing to say here. They are very knowledgable, and smart. The instructors and TAs are very good at their craft. Unfortunately, some are not so great at teaching or explaining concepts. 

Curriculum - 1/5:

First, let me help you make a quick decision. If you are looking for a structured, lecture and lab based learning environment with tons of pairing and group projects - look elsewhere. TurnToTech's curriculum is 100% individual and self-taught. You have to teach yourself everything by scouring google or reading books. There is zero structure. Every single student works at his or her own pace - and the resulting space is a very separated learning environment with little to no chance of collaboration. 

A weak structured curriculum is TurnToTech's biggest weakness. It is not the content of the curriculum, rather, it's the way that it is delivered. The method in which students learn the material is suitable for a very specific type of student. If you have the willpower to learn by yourself, then you will navigate the course comfortably. Otherwise, you will waste time being distracted and going on Facebook or other websites. This is not your fault - it is why many of us search for a bootcamp - so that we can conquer this distraction by being placed in a structured learning environment. Unfortuntely, TurnToTech amounts to studying by yourself - with the occasional help of a teacher for a few minutes (they have to help other students too).

Though the website says that each individual receives a customized education, there could be nothing further from the truth. Every single student completes a series of identical PDF files containing instructions on what to do. That's their "project-based curriculum". The website also states that students finish an App alongside the program. This is completely false and is 100% on the student to make that choice. There is no requirement to have an App completed on the App Store, and they do not care either way.

As for the actual curriculum, students are simply instructed to complete a series of PDF's consisting of instructions on what to do. They advertise this as being "projects" on the website, but the actual projects can be found all over online tutorials as well. There is nothing unique about the projects, unlike some other top bootcamps.

Additionally, all the concepts need to be googled and learned by yourself. The teachers do not always have time to explain everything to you. There are no lectures on any of the concepts. Many students development huge holes in their learning process. 

They do have talks (once a week) on topics, but these topics are disorganized and jam packed into one day - not so great for absorbing new information. 

In this way, TurnToTech's curriculum may score higher for certain individuals, but a majority will go through the curriculum feeling like it is a little off. It feels weird to pay so much for a bunch of PDF exercises.

Since TurnToTech operates on rolling admissions for individuals, there are no cohort starting dates. This has it's pros and cons. It is nice to have other students further along in the curriculum to help newer students, but this means that the entire system of TurnToTech is in fact partially a lie. You don't receive personalized one-on-one mentorship that is structured in any way. You simply get answers from students who are further along in the course, or the teachers. Unfortunately, veteran students do not always have concepts down (they themselves are still in the curriculum), and do not always know how to teach. The teachers on the other hand, while knowledgable - do not always give you enough personalized attention as there are many people constantly asking for help (thanks to the learn-it-yourself styled PDF worksheets). 

Job Assistance 1/5: 

Sure, people have gotten jobs after this bootcamp. But people have also gotten jobs studying by themselves without getting in to a bootcamp. TurnToTech offers an internship, which is about the only reedemable value within the Job Assistance that they give you.

They host meetups - but these meetups are open to the public as well. Don't really see the advantage for its students there.

The fact of the matter is this: Their job assistance really only consists of one person. This person has to deal with a ton of students, and the student needs to work real hard to make any progress. This is normal of course - and they should be working damn hard for jobs and interviews, but the way the website advertises its job assistance is false.

There are no doubts that you will have learned something by the time you finish its program. However, you will lose focus as easily as studying on your own - because that is literally what you are doing. You are studying alone, just in another space - with occasional help and small talk from other teachers and students. You will not be asked to pair up, to paritcipate in group projects, to have constant deadlines, or to have daily workshops and labs and assessments.

They are completely lax - which can be good for certain individuals, but it ends up being a very questionable curriculum consisting of a series of do-it-yourself documents.

Also - their acceptance rates are very high - which is something to consider. They also do not publish their percentage of graduates who get jobs, or the average salary. All things to take into consideration.

So here's the verdict: 

If you are an extremely, and I mean - extremely - self motivated and are comfortable with a 99% self taught bootcamp, then go ahead and pay up for TurnToTech.

If you are looking for structure, paired programming, and much stronger and organized curriculum - look elsewhere. Please.

TurnToTech is a self-motivated and mostly self-taught course. Students work through a set curriculum of problems and reading at their own pace.The course is divided into 5 sections full of different app problems. Sometimes the it requires building an app from scratch, and sometimes it requires refactoring. The course is meant to mimic a tech work environment as closely as possible. Because the of the course's individual pace, students can start anytime and move as speedily or slowly as needed. There are assigned readings in the beginning but as the student progresses, the instructors help less and less and guide you towards finding solutions on websites such as stackoverflow using search engines. The idea is to teach students how to teach themselves since tech and code is ever evolving. For some people this may be ideal and for others it can be extremely frustrating not to have the guidance of a classroom style lecture. The second half of the course is an optional internship meant to give students real work place experience to help fill their resume while they actively search for a job. TurnToTech does not have a job placement program like many other schools which also has benefits and drawbacks. There is no guarantee upon graduation that you will immediately have a job, however, most graduates find work quite easy to comeby and often in a position to turn down job offers. The staff provides mock interviews, on campus job fairs, and resume advice. This means that you do not have to get a job through the school to get tuition reimbursement since job placement is not part of thier profit. The staff is constantly supportive and helpful in both the job search, personal app projects, and throughout the course. Depending on what type of learner an applicant is, this could be the perfect school or the worst option. However, no matter, the type of learner the staff will always help guide students toward the solution without doing it for them. This tough love teaching technique produces results.