NYC Data Science Academy

Best decision I have ever made for my career. If you also have realized that the way we collect, analyze, understand, and utilize data will determine the future and potentially your career path too, this boot camp is what you need to do. I came in expecting a strict syllabus and skilled instructors but what I got was so much more. 

My experience with the NYC Academy for Data Science was fascinating, exhausting, humbling, and rewarding. I learned more than I could have imagined and I made new life-long friends. Your fellows will be a colorful mix from across degrees, disciplines, and nationalities. That also means that you will hear and learn from different perspectives, which will expand your horizon significantly. All instructors and TAs (highly skilled, smart, funny, friendly, and fantastic) are there to support and help you with whatever problem you have and the syllabus is business-oriented to prepare you the best way possible for your future endeavors. After 12 weeks, you will know how to code, how to tackle data science projects, and how to communicate your findings effectively. You will also know how to manage Big Data or how to build complex Deep Learning algorithms.

It won't be easy though and although they give you all the resources you need, it will be up to you how much you get out of it. So expect all-nighters, some frustrating and seemingly hopeless moments combined with desperate runs to the coffee machine. BUT IT IS WORTH IT. You can do anything for 3 months and if you put all you have into it, you won't regret a single minute. 

I would do it again. Like I said, best decision I have ever made for my career. 

Getting straight to the point, this bootcamp is for people who actually want to learn data science, not for people who are looking to get paid more money. If you don't have the passion and grit to handle an intensive bootcamp as NYCDSA teaches, don't bother coming. I am coming from a B.S. in Biology and worked for 3 years at a large company and this is my advice to those who have NO CODING experience.

Advice:
-DO ALL THE PREWORK. This is not a joke, do all the prework as much as you can to be prepared for what's to come during the bootcamp. Yes, it will be disappointing failing over and over again but you need to be okay and comfortable failing in order to be learning the material that is given to you
-SUPPLEMENTAL COURSES. Along with the pre-work, they recommend you take Andrew Ng's Machine Learning course and brush up on your linear algebra because you'll need it for the end of the course and you won't have time to do that during the time of the course
-TRY, FAIL, REPEAT. In order for you to get comfortable with coding, you're gonna need to repeat the same line of code over and over again until you get it in your head. I know, because I had to do this myself throughout the whole course.
-ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR. The first day is always awkward meeting new people, but with how much work you have to do, you'll get over it fast and want someone else's view on a particular matter. The teachers there are great, but sometimes you'll need someone to explain in a new way or you have to explain it to someone else so you can solidify your own knowledge. So do yourself a favor and ask a neighbor before asking the teacher first.
-PREPARE. This course can be a breeze, or this course can be a challenging experiencing. It is so easy for anyone to come and just breeze through all the material they give you, but it is really up to you to make it harder for yourself and learn topics and implementing them right away. If you want to make the most out of it then you need to COME EARLY, STAY LATE, ASK QUESTIONS.

Many think this course starts off slow, but take this time to grab a strong foundation in your coding skills in R and Python because after the first weeks are gone, you're gonna miss it. The course becomes relentless in terms of the material they give you and how much time you have to get it done.

PROS:
- This bootcamp helps those who have no coding experience but does require you to have some knowledge in statistics and linear algebra (if you don't have any of that under your belt, brush up)
-Materials given to learn and understand the material is a great learning experience
-Super friendly and willing to help you
-Upfront about hiring and what you need to do to get hired
-Hiring event was an amazing opportunity to get you started with interviews

CONS:
-Some of the teaching staff know English as a second language, so it may be difficult for some to understand clearly what they are trying to explain. Be patient and ask questions when appropriate if you are confused.
-Space is rather small and does not provide the most optimal space to do group projects.
-Although the hiring event was absolutely amazing, some of the requirements do ask a pretty demanding qualification and a majority of job postings are not entry level/associate positions (keep this in mind)

CONCLUSION
I recommend this course to anyone who is planning to take data science as a new career path. Keep in mind that this field is interdisciplinary and allows for people of all range of backgrounds to be in data science. The teacher, staff, and fellows were amazing and glad I got to learn as much as I did, however, after this bootcamp, it is actually just the beginning of how much you actually can learn of what's out there in the field today.

I took the part time Data Analysis and Visualization weekend course with Tony Schultz. I really enjoyed the curriculum and the class. I did not have any experience with Python before joining his class but had basic knowledge on data structures. The first class is a basic overview and felt a bit rushed for me as I had no previous python experience. However the pre-reading for this class got me upto speed on those concepts. The rest of the classes were well paced and I enjoyed learning those concepts. Tony's curriculum was very hands on and thats the bit I really liked about this class. Would recommend this class to anyone.

(I’m reviewing the 12-Week Full Time Data Science Bootcamp. They offer an identical program online, but there are some benefits to attending the program in-person.)

Background: I received a PhD in chemistry from a great university in 2016 and worked as a postdoc for 2 years. In grad school I learned to code and analyze data extensively with MATLAB and during my postdoc I learned very basic Python. When I reached the end of my contract I realized that I was not enjoying other parts of scientific research as much as programming and data analysis, so I decided to apply to do software engineering science-adjacent companies. With a background only in MATLAB and minor Python, I didn’t get any positive responses. After stumbling across an article about transitioning from scientific research to software engineering, I soon started reading about Data Science which sits at the intersection of my professional experience and my ideal workday schedule (coding over chemistry).

Choosing a bootcamp: I did some research online into free data science courses and bootcamps by reading reviews and talking to a friend who was a hiring manager in software engineering. To save the money, I had considered “rolling my own” bootcamp using open and available courses online, but my friend warned me against this, saying I needed to focus more on building a code portfolio for companies to see and focus less on taking courses. Looking back, I realize she was right. Without any guidance it would have taken me 9 months or more to do what I did in 3 months at the boot camp. I focused my applications on the top-rated programs as well as ones that guaranteed jobs or provided scholarships. After being accepted into two programs (the other offering me a significant scholarship) I based my decision on the reviews of previous students- and NYCDSA had the better reviews. Deciding to change fields after a PhD felt so risky (and even foolish) that I wanted to have no regrets even if I failed. So I picked the program with the most reviews from satisfied students and with the least dissatisfied students.

The bootcamp: The bootcamp is as hard as it should be. If it weren’t hard, employers wouldn’t take the experience seriously. I treated it like a hiatus in the rest of my life to pursue this singular goal. Sometimes you’re drinking out of a firehose, attending 3-6 hours of lecture a day while working on a project and completing the lecture homework. At the same time, it brings you close to the other students because you’re all going through the same thing. Even after doing a PhD at an Ivy League school, this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 12 weeks will feel like 3 years, but I loved the other students that I got to work with. The course material is good as well- most of the lectures are well-polished and the instructors know the material deeply. Occasionally lectures are hard to follow because not all of the instructors are native English speakers, but the material is improved with every cohort because they collect constant (anonymous) feedback from the students. The instructors are constantly available and asking questions in class is highly encouraged due to the shrinking class sizes. The curriculum is set up well, as the first 4-5 weeks are primarily learning to code, the next 5 weeks focus on machine learning, and the last 2 are divided into data engineering tools and deep learning.

The result: The most important thing you do at NYCDSA is build a 4-project portfolio in the form of a GitHub account and blog posts describing your work and best findings. These projects cover a range of skills and demonstrate your experience to potential employers. At the end of the day, there would only one thing that would make this bootcamp worthwhile... Whenever anyone asked me if I liked the bootcamp I would respond, “I’ll let you know when I get a job.” The last several weeks of the program focus on helping you practice interviews and communicate what you already know. I don’t consider myself a confident person, but by the end of this program I felt prepared enough to appear confident to potential employers, and this led to my obtaining 2 competing job offers within 4 weeks of leaving the boot camp and still daily phone calls from recruiters (even having left NYC for a much smaller data science market). In the end, no program will be perfect, but the NYCDSA is so committed to transforming itself with every group and getting students hired I’m confident that it’s at least as good as any other program out there.

I really enjoyed my data science bootcamp experience at the NYC Data Science Academy. I was initially deciding between several other top bootcamps in NYC but decided to join the NYC Data Science Academy because of the comprehensive course material and programming languages (SQL, R, Python) that were taught at the bootcamp.

The structured pre-work courses that were available online for students before the bootcamp started preparing me for a solid foundation in programming, as I come from a background with minimal programming experience.

The instructors and TAs at the bootcamp are extremely helpful and instructive during the bootcamp in addition to the continuous career support after the bootcamp has ended.

I also really enjoyed the environment of the bootcamp. I was able to connect with people who also love working with data and expand my network through building relationships with current and previous students from the bootcamp.

Prior to my full-time 12-weeks DS bootcamp with the academy, I have started taking weekend classes in Python with the academy for my personal preparation. The weekend class is extremely helpful. You spent 5 hours on Sunday and learn as much as you could during those hours. Because it is taught by using Jupyter notebook, it is really easy to follow and to relearn over the following week. The teacher over the weekend is Tony, who is a physicist and has really good understandings of machine learning theories and on the application of data science across different fields. My weekend cohort consists of recent MBA grads who are looking to lead teams that work closely with software engineers and data scientists. You also see people from the risk practice of consulting/advisory companies. You can also see people who are in the IT department making a transition to the field of Data Science. Last but not least, you'll also have people in graduate school or even college who would dedicate their Sunday afternoon to refine their skills in Python. It is an investment that will pay dividends in your career if you are determined to bring some data science to your toolbox and your workplace.

Since I have attended both the weekend class and the bootcamp, I have strong confidence in the quality of the bootcamp (faculty, cohorts, homework, material). I hope in the future the campus will have more offerings in advanced classes, and possibly classes on linear algebra or computer science in general, which are the foundations of data sci

Coming from the finance field, I had very little experience in coding. I had dabbled with a little bit of VBA where I worked, but by no means could I have claimed to know how to code. That being said, I feel this class provided me a great foundation to Python. Tony, the instructor, made sure the concepts were reinforced by easy to understand examples, and even silly examples at times which was greatly appreciated. The in class exercises were also helpful to glue the concepts together and homework was also given for more practice.  The one thing I could have suggested in terms of the weekend class itself is to perhaps allow for a longer day so the teacher do not have to rush over any particular topic. Overall, I really enjoyed this class and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to get their hands dirty with coding and data analysis.

I joined NYCDSA in late 2016, and there is no doubt about that the Data Science Bootcamp had helped me a lot in achieving my career goal. I was looking among several data science bootcamp back then, and my primary concerns were job placement rate, background of people who might join the bootcamp, and what industries had the alumni been working for. I decided to join NYCDSA because it gave me statistical answer of my concerns, not to mention how resourceful it would be speaking of its alumni network. 

The only thing that I felt they could do better, well in 2 yrs ago, would be the career service, and the design of project groups. It would be helpful to arrange people with working experience with those who may not.

The best thing about this program is its brand. I had several final-round interviews and some of the interviewers were from NYC. These interviewers, they know about NYCDSA, how the curriculum is organized, and how much practice students would receive from the bootcamp, so it is not challenging for me to leave some impression on them.

If you are thinking about a career switch, enrichment of experience on resume, or just an investment towards personal skillset, NYCDSA is definitely the place where you would wanna go.

I really enjoyed the Data Analysis and Visualization course.  I took the Intro to Python class with Tony a couple months ago, and this course (also taught by him) was a great next step in my journey towards hopefully becoming an expert in Python.  Whereas the first course gave us a great background in the basics, this one gave us a more concentrated ability to apply what we had learned to real-world problems (analyzing data and being able to display the results, which is more what you would do in a work environment).  Also, the opportunity to put together our own project at the end of the coures is extremely useful.  Highly recommend this course!