Flatiron School

Over the last several years, I have worked with multiple online programs. In each case, I have found myself frustrated for one reason or another. My experience with Learn Verified has been a welcomed change. The curriculum is clear and concise, while still presenting a challenge. The lab work provides a valuable platform to practice what you have learned. The entire program is well scaffolded, delivering lessons step-by-step, culminating in projects that demonstrate the bigger picture of how all the pieces fit together. The curriculum is open-source, so it is constantly being improved by students with the approval of instructors. The program has a valuable feature where you can ask questions and get answers from other students and instructors in a real-time chat session. The process of talking through a problem with another student or instructor as it comes up is a tremendous improvement from the message board approach I have seen in other programs. The feedback at Learn comes live, and prevents the types of roadblocks that lead to frustration and disinterest. One of the co-founders of the school is incredibly involved in the program. He typically gives three live lectures per week based on topics the students have requested. He’s active in the Slack channel and is constantly offering to help students with whatever they need to succeed. Even though this is a remote program, you really get the feeling that you are part of a community of students eager to help each other get through any roadblocks they encounter. I had considered attending an in-person bootcamp, but the flexibility afforded by Learn lets me move at my own pace. This lets me re-visit topics that I need to spend more time on. This would not be possible if I was attending an in-person bootcamp. I can efficiently breeze through topics that are more intuitive to me, while spending more time on ones that are more challenging. You still get the same material that students in the in-person Flatiron bootcamp get, but you can navigate at your own pace. Most importantly, I have learned more in the past few months with Learn than I learned in two years of self study. This program has focused me on the right topics to study, and the right order to study them. Finding individual free resources is easy, but figuring out how to combine them into a worthwhile lesson plan is nearly impossible. This program sets you up with exactly what you need to learn, providing a great foundation of knowledge that is setting me up to code in the real world.

Saw these reviews and thought I'd share as well. I've been in LV for about 4 months, so I feel like I can accurately speak to the program's strengths and weaknesses.

I found out about Learn while I was interviewing with in-person bootcamps in San Francisco. I definitely had a negative bias toward online bootcamps (Bloc and Thinkful in particular), but the Learn platform really impressed me. It was incredibly addictive working through the lessons. The curriculum is a treat- it's timely and funny stuff (Grumpy Cat, Kanye, etc.). I also felt better about the program because they make you complete a ~30 hr Intro to Ruby course before you can even apply. And it's hard. That's a good sign.

Beyond that, the burgeoning community atmosphere online is really nice. It's positive, encouraging and inclusive. People are really trying to help each other succeed.

Oh, also - in general, an online bootcamp fits my learning style better. I can speed through things I already know, like SQL, and spend more time really digging into trouble spots. There are multiple weekly live lectures that you can drop into if you need a review.

Of course, there are the usual problems that one might associate with learning online. This program might not work for you if you aren't good at pacing yourself. Also, the program's hours revolve around the east coast, so if you're on the west coast like I am, you may be out of luck if the “Learn experts” aka TAs have gone for the night. Oh also - Avi is awesome, but the TAs vary in their helpfulness/knowledge level. 

Another issue some might have a problem with is the fact that this program is still so new. There are typos, there are bugs. Sometimes the TAs become overwhelmed with questions  so responses take a while. If you don't have a Mac, working through this program may be technically annoying. It’s been an issue for me so much so that I’m considering biting the bullet and switching over as soon as the new Macbook Pro comes out. However, I feel like the LV team has been honest and responsive about these issues so I cut them some slack.

Overall, I'm really happy with my choice to go with this program. It works for me.

I enrolled in the online version of the Flatiron School three months ago as I was looking to transition into a career in full-stack web development. I am currently in the program. In the past three months I have gained a ton of proficiency in programming, and I feel that I am being well-prepared for the job market. The instructors are really helpful, and the people at the Flatiron School do a great job of making the experience immersive. The Flatiron School's online bootcamp is also one of the only bootcamps which offers job placement assistance, which was a big factor in my decision to choose Learn over other bootcamps. I will update this review after I graduate to reflect my experience with placement services. Overall, I think Learn is a great value and that I have learned a lot from the program. 

Started the Learn Verified program in November with absolutely no coding experience. I like that you can try the free Intro to Ruby course before applying to get an idea of how the program works. It is a very comprehensive curriculum with descriptive lessons and challenging projects and labs.

Since I haven't completed the program yet, I can't speak for the job assistance aspect; however, their jobs report is available to view. From the looks of it, it's very encouraging.

The staff is top notch and available to answer questions and help at any time of the day. You can tell they really care about each and every one of us. What is really awesome is that Avi is so accessible and can break down the most complicated concepts into easy-to-understand pieces. Even though he's the Dean, he takes the time to explain and help us, and it makes you feel like you matter. It's like getting on-the-job training from the CEO.

I love the community and feeling of connection as we all share code and vent our frustrations and cheer each other on from all over the world. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Flatiron School rocks!

Note: I am a current student and have not graduated yet. If track record is anything to go by, alumni validation, and judging by my experience so far, I vote 5 stars for job assistance. I will edit by June 2016 if I find otherwise.

For me, choosing a program to get into web dev came down to these factors: credibility, quality, cost. Here is what I found.

Credibility:

The first factor was easy to tackle. If you go to learn.co you can read the jobs report. It’s an independently audited report that contains job placement (99%) and average salary for graduates. I called-up a friend of mine who is an alumni of one of their in-person programs to get more info. She vouched, and gave a great review.

Now take it from me. This is a great program.

One of my former colleagues joined another popular program (without me knowing, or I would have persuaded her otherwise) and is now hoping that she can find a job. I, however know that the school’s reputation is on the line over me. They very publicly advertise their audited placement rates.

Quality:

The curriculum is based on the in-person program. So, not only are the instructors good at coding, the actual material has has proven itself several times (results seen in jobs report). Not just that, but there is material that is not included in the in-person program. You are simply exposed to more content, and one could argue that this will make you a stronger job candidate.

What’s more, I encourage you to actually do the free coursework. It will only cost a little of your time, but you can see what the program is all about and why students are so addicted. Yes, I said addicted.

A note here on quality. The Flatiron School selects students in what I consider a unique fashion. There are people in the program who have tech backgrounds, have worked with big data, or majored in math, and there are artists, writers, comedians, etc. I say this because the curriculum  is extremely accessible. Everyone can get through it, and everyone becomes stronger from it. This is largely due to the content and the format, but also due to the community. At the end of the day, despite their different backgrounds, everyone I have come into contact with loves the program.

Cost/Pace:

You go at your own pace. If you finish in 4 months, good for you. If you finish in 8, fantastic. For the most part people don’t pull out their rulers and start comparing. And why should you? However everyone’s budget is always at the back of their mind.

The team recently launched a second version for $500 instead of $1000 per month. The $500 version is just the Premium version with some support services stripped away. I am glad to be in the Premium version because it suites my needs, and I budgeted for it. However, the basic version students are by no means treated any differently in the community. Honestly most of us don’t know (or care) who is in which plan.

Added bonus: Community

This is a big one. Communities are not perfect. Anywhere. But having been on several on-line learning platforms before, and having worked in education, I can say that the community that is cultured here is very supportive and open. Whether you are outgoing or reserved, you can find a place here. There are virtually no rules to follow though. It just seems to be a product of the people who are admitted, and of course the tone set by the community leaders.

Before coming to Flatiron I had spent 4 years in college to get a degree in Game Design from a school with a less than reputable reputation. After achieving the degree, I was left with no actual programming skills, no job, a ton of debt and no will to get out of bed in the morning. After moping around for a while I stumbled across Flatiron schools learn verified program and it has completely transformed my life. I have gone from knowing the bare bone basics of programming, to being able to develop complex applications and soon I will be ready to start looking into the working world and turn my life around.

The coursework has proved to be challenging but not overly so. It is well written and easily accessible to those who have no background in coding in the beginning. It slowly builds up and things do become more abstract and difficult as time goes on, but still nothing that we can’t handle. The “ask a question” feature is very useful. During typical east coast working hours experts can answer within seconds to help you with your program. Students may also help other students if no experts are available.

The community is real tight knit. We all do the best we can to help each other, after all we are in this together. Every thursday we have something called “Thoughtful Thursday” where we express our feelings as a group. It is really helpful to hear that others are struggling the same as you. Or that someone finally got over that hump and is doing well this week. When someone is really struggling with a program, students also tend to collaborate together using screen sharing as well.

As of right now the Learn program is still very new and ever evolving. The developers and staff are always asking for our feedback and opinions and integrating it within the platform which is a huge plus.

Avi, who is the Dean of Flatiron School will often make time to assist students whenever they need help or offer words of encouragement. His lectures are a huge help to the lessons that are difficult and unlike many other professors there are no stupid questions for Avi. Each question is treated with the same respect and answered thoroughly. During assessments (which we get after every major section) he will often provide positive feedback on what we could do to improve our code and ourselves. He is always very warm and will never yell or belittle you. He really wants to make sure you succeed.

Around March of 2015, I was unemployed and lacking any semblance of direction in my life. A friend (an Alum of the Flatiron School) recommended the program and seeing as I had nothing else going on - decided to take the leap for the sake of change. 

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would be taking the first step towards a career where I genuinely love the work that I do and the people that I work with. 

From the first day, you will truly understand the word "Immersive." Laying out the foundations of their guiding principles, they set their students up not just as wonderful developers, but people. Nearly every student came from a different background and one of the fundamental principles was the idea of always supporting each other.

The instructors and staff at the Flatiron School do an exceptional job at fostering a true sense of community at the program - and it was so easy to get wrapped up in the culture that you'd find yourself just hanging out sometimes (without coding!). From class outings and workshops - it was never just about the code (and that was 100% intentional). 

Post-graduation, there are tons of resources available when you go job-hunting and the staff are always just a Slack message away! Any issues or concerns, no matter how small are overlooked by the staff who are truly there to help - they want you to succeed, and it shows.

If you're expecting to come out as a top-rate professional developer, make no mistake - it's possible, but not likely. BUT, trust me when I say this, you will come out armed with the knowledge to create amazing things and if you take nothing else away from this review - the Flatiron School teaches you how to learn. 

I'm currently an iOS Engineer based at a development shop in Brooklyn, and I wake up every morning excited to go to work. Think about that.

I was part of the on campus web development immersive this year and my life has trasformed in ways I could not have imagined. Here's my review broken down into different aspects that you may be interested in:

Curriculum: When I took the course the curriulum was based on ruby and built up to ruby on rails. We started from writing basic ruby, into object orientation, then sinatra, and eventually to RoR and javascript for client side interactions. The really nice part about the curriculum is that we start at a lower level to understand how some of the abstractions work. An example is when we built our own ORM which mirrored the pattern of Active Record. Another example is building our own log in system that used the same implementation as the Devise gem. Since there are a lot of abstractions in programming, its a nice way to introduce newbies like us to a large framework like RoR. Oh, and of course, we were always using git like a real developer for version control :)

Content delivery/organization: Obviously I haven't gone to any other bootcamps, so I don't know how they deliver their content, but at Flatiron School, we used a system called Learn that had our daily schedules each morning, our assignments and "readmes" that explained the concepts we were going to cover, and any announcements from our instructors. The tool has all of our labs organized by topic and you can also see who else is working on it so you can group up and code together. It also has a built in chat system so you can ask for help from instructors or other students! Outside fo the tool, we had lecture and lab reviews everyday up until project mode. Those were pretty helpful to ask as many questions as you needed until you understood the lab.

Community/student support and growth: One of the reasons why I chose the Flatiron School over other schools is because of the student support and community involvement. And I must say, they definitely delivered! For community involvement, Flatiron hosts a meetup every Tuesday where students present a project of their choosing. It's required to do this if you enroll, but it really expands your ability to talk about technical stuff in a concise way. At the meetup, current and aspiring developers show up so there's time to talk to them before or after the presentations. There are also a lot of guest speakers that come in and talk about their experiences as a developer, CTO, product manager, etc. Another awesome part about Flatiron School is that they provide tutoring and mentorship for students that need/want it. Unlike some of the other schools, Flatiron won't just kick you out because you don't understand something. They'll help you out and make sure you get the support you need. The only reason why a student might be kicked out is if they do something really stupid like steal monitors or punch another student in the face.

Job Assistance: I think this is one of the biggest questions for most applicants coming into the program. How long will it take for me to get a job? What's the most effective way? Who's gonna help me out? All these are legit questions. What I will tell you is that you're in great hands. During the semester, you build at least three projects to have in your portfolio (1 from the Flatiron Presents project, and 2 project mode projects) and they are all on topics that you want to focus on. There's also a dedicated Placements team that helps you in numerous ways ranging from resume reviews, mock interviews, or how to interact with potential employers. There's also a speed-interview session during the last week of the semester so you get to interact with people that are looking to hire developers. I could probably keep going on about the placements assistance, but you can see how great of a job they do by looking at their jobs report on their website.

In summary, Flatiron School is filled with people that truly care about your well-being and are interested in your success to switch your career from whatever you were doing to a developer. I highly recommend Flatiron School and hope that you have a great of an experience as I had. 

The best thing about FIS is the quality of teaching. This comes from both the instructors who are very helpful as well as your peers. They do a great job of selecting the students and forming well-balanced classes. I learned a ton from them. 

Other great things are:

-Teaching you programming concepts that are transferrable to any language. We learned Ruby but you can take the methodologies they teach you and apply it to any programming language.

-The placements team is awesome. They do a great job prepping you for interviews and connecting you with lots of job opportunities. 

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is serious about becoming a web developer.