Admissions at Eleven Fifty Academy: What You Need To Know

Non-profit coding bootcamp Eleven Fifty Academy has helped over 1,300 beginners successfully change careers into tech. But what does it take to get into the bootcamp? Dave Brunner, Director of Admissions at Eleven Fifty Academy, breaks down the three-step admissions process and what applicants can expect in the admissions assessments. Dave shares his tips for coding beginners, what the ideal candidate for Eleven Fifty Academy looks like, and the job outcomes that bootcampers can expect after graduating! 

Eleven Fifty Academy’s 3-Step Application Process

The admissions process at Eleven Fifty Academy includes: 

1. A short application process.
2. The completion of three assessments, which aim to prepare students for this immersive experience and help them gain a greater understanding of their technical and behavioral strengths. 
3. A robust interview with an admissions advisor, who spends time getting to know each candidate to have a better understanding of their goals. 

In addition to admissions, we use our application process to determine funding for our students. As a non-profit coding bootcamp, Eleven Fifty Academy can draw funding for our students from a variety of sources in Indiana.

What can students expect in the admissions assessments? 

The three assessments that students complete include: 

• A behavioral assessment, which helps candidates learn about their personality traits and patterns. Candidates will typically see themselves in ways they did or didn’t know after completing this assessment. 
• A cognitive assessment to ensure they’ve been paying attention and have an understanding of the tech field. 
• The job readiness assessment provides insight into the individual strengths and interpersonal skills of candidates. 

How long does the admissions process take?

The application is short and should take around five minutes to complete whereas the enrollment process can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days. Applications are typically reviewed within 1-3 business days by our admissions team. It can take longer if a candidate needs to speak with a support member, discuss options with family members, or to attend one of our free introductory courses. Additionally, timing can vary based on the amount of time needed to secure funding for a student.

Technical Skills vs. Soft Skills: What You Need to Get In

There are two ideal Eleven Fifty Academy applicants: 

• A candidate with little to no background in technology is an ideal candidate for Eleven Fifty Academy. This candidate has typically experienced challenging times with education and/or their current employment status and is looking to transition their career. This applicant may be under- or unemployed and is looking for a long-term career and a better financial situation. We have found that these candidates have the grit and focus to change their current circumstances and excel in the bootcamp. 
• Candidates who use technology in their leisure time, such as gamers, are ideal candidates. They don’t realize it, but they are building transferable skills that can be used to get a job in the tech field. These candidates typically love and are interested in tech and want to develop more robust networks for people to use.

How technical does an applicant need to be to get into Eleven Fifty Academy?

Our program is designed for total beginners. If you can type, follow instructions, enjoy problem-solving, and are willing to be studious, you’ll do well in one of our immersive bootcamps. You don’t need to be a computer wizard to enroll!

For example, we had a 61-year-old bootcamp graduate who spent the bulk of his career as an accountant. Before attending our coding bootcamp, the most he did with computers was input data. He did well at Eleven Fifty Academy because he was a serious student. 

Does Eleven Fifty Academy consider soft skills when evaluating applicants? 

Soft skills are essential in the tech field, and it’s the one thing we can’t teach. We joke about how difficult it is to find good instructors because you have to find someone who has mastered the material and is extroverted. Those in tech are typically introverted; however, if you are looking to be a manager, teacher, or in a role that provides customer service, you need to be personable and have good communication skills. Those who come to us with some soft skills have greater employment and compensation success.

For Applicants with No Coding Experience

If you are a beginner at coding, we recommend attending one of Eleven Fifty Academy’s free introductory courses. These courses are offered once per month and are typically three hours long. They are targeted towards folks who have never coded in their life and are a great way for students to assess their interest in tech. By the end of the introductory course, students will have built a small project with their instructor using foundational programming languages. 

Eleven Fifty Academy’s 3 Badge System

Eleven Fifty Academy’s bootcamps are now following a modular badge system. What do students learn in each badge?

We recognize that our bootcamp students are learning two-year, associate-level knowledge in the span of 3-6 months at our bootcamps, so for that reason, we use a badge system. The curriculum is broken down into three badges that allow students to learn by doing. Students need to complete each badge in order to matriculate to the following badge. 

1. The first badge focuses on mastering the basics, where instructors will teach the fundamentals. 
2. In the second badge, students begin to dive deeper into their programming languages with support from instructors and peers. 
3. In the third badge, students work on projects to prepare for a final presentation. 

Student Outcomes at Eleven Fifty Academy

Some of our student outcomes include: 

• A six-month job placement rate in the low 70th percentile.
• An average starting salary of $55,000.

Our career services team have helped our alumni land various tech jobs, including Web Developer, Junior Designer, QA Tester, Junior Software Developer, Data Analyst, and Information Security Analyst. Eleven Fifty Academy has several employer partners, and graduates have gotten jobs in top companies, such as Salesforce, Infosys, Geico, and Genesys.

Find out more and read Eleven Fifty Academy reviews on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with Eleven Fifty Academy.