Penn Boot Camps

The instructor was an industry professional with 20+ years of experience who managed large dev teams at an enterprise scale. I've taken other courses where the people teaching you are the ones who have graduated from the course only a couple weeks before you started. Not the case here. 

Given his experience, our instructor was able to get his points across and elaborate on more of the why/how behind things that other instructors couldn't. He was able to paint the bigger picture which was super helpful. I think in programming especially you end up in scenarios where you can't see the forest for the trees. which didn't happen here.

The Penn course curriculum was also great. They were teaching full-stack Javascript which made going from frontend to backend much easier. The only downsides I see there is that Node.js is still fairly new, and isn't super widely adopted. You also don't touch on a lot of the concepts that many of the backend languages share like type-safety. However, since you spend less time learning a second language you get to do more, and ultimately I think you're better off. You can always learn a second language pretty easily after learning a first.

The other thing that was nice was the schedule. A lot of courses/bootcamps involve fulltime class work (which I don't think you really need anyway), but since the course was at night you could keep working while you took the class. I ended up getting a dev job (not a Javascript job) about a month after the course finished, but it was nice knowing that you didn't have to gamble everything in order to learn some new skills.

The job search is really on you though. They have a mixer type thing at the end, but it was pretty much just other students that showed up. I doubt that anyone got any real leads from that. 

All-in-all I thought it was great. I would tell others to really make sure that this is something that you're interested in first though. Take some free online courses first and see if you enjoy it and can teach yourself things. You're definitely not going to be an expert by the time the course is done, but it's a good way to get you started. Ideally, I would go into this with as much background knowledge as possible so you can hit the ground running. Starting from zero would be a bad idea.

I am a current student in the Fall/Winter 2018-19 cohort with Penn LPS Coding Bootcamp (run by Trilogy Education Services). I began looking for a coding bootcamp after my sister completed ZipCode in Wilmington, DE and loved it. I currently work as a Speech-Language Pathologist and am looking for a total career change. My current profession has left me so stressed and burned out. I've always enjoyed technology and take to it pretty easily. The problem for me was that I wasn't able to quit my job and go back to school full-time - even just for 3 months like most bootcamps require. 

I loved that Penn offered a part-time program with evening classes. There were 2 options: Tue/Thur or Mon/Wed evenings. Both cohorts meet together on Saturdays. I was able to change my work schedule so that I could attend classes Tue/Thur evenings.

In contrast to Penn, ZipCode Wilmington offers to cover your tuition (minus a deposit) if you get placed with one of their partners at the end of the program (not guaranteed). Penn does not offer this. However, the price of the bootcamp seemed comparable to others in the area. The billing is flexible - which is great - and they offer a couple different financing options. Overall, I'd say I'm very satisfied with the value of the program.

Penn LPS's strength lies in its academic support and network. You will have TA's and instructors who work in the local industry and really care about your growth and success. Many of them have been through the same program you are going through. You will have opportunities to meet people from a variety of industries and backgrounds. 

The class itself is very mixed: all ages, all experience levels, all walks of life. You won't feel isolated, alone, or weird. I myself had some experience with HTML and coding from many years ago. There are some in my cohort who came in with much more experience than me and others who had none. The instructors do a wonderful job of making sure they assess everyone's comfort level and understanding as you go. Your in-class and homework assignments offer different levels of challenge: typically a basic option, a challenge option, and a more advanced option. So no matter where you are in your abilities, you will feel like you're being challenged, learning something new, and yet able to keep up. 

As with any young program, there have been some growing pains - but they've all been understandable and Penn has dealt with them graciously. My only gripe about the program would be Career Services. It seems to be a mostly "hands-off", impersonal part of the program. If you want career "help" from them, there will be Milestones you need to meet and submit materials for. They said they would provide feedback for these materials. However, I didn't find them very helpful or timely. And the people providing the feedback have never met me personally. They send blast emails with advice and guidance. There are, however, ongoing free workshops and events like interview practice that you are able to attend. My issue is that many of them occur on Tue/Thur evenings - which is when my class meets. So that is one area where I feel they could definitely improve.

For me - someone who has 10 years of work experience, has gone on countless interviews, created numerous resumes, been involved in interviewing job candidates, and served in leadership roles - I don't feel like this has ruined the experience and value of the program. I feel pretty confident in my own job-search skills. However, I could see how for someone much more green and inexperienced, career services may be something you highly value in a program.

With regards to the actual curriculum itself, the staff say that it changes based on local and national industry trends. My cohort in particular has focused on the MERN stack (Mongo DB, Express, React, Node). It is very Javascript heavy. You will not be learning Java, Python, etc. - which may be a disappointment to some. However, I agree with the instructors that one of the biggest things you learn from any coding bootcamp is "how to learn" - specifically how to learn programming/coding languages. I'd personally prefer a bootcamp (like Penn) that has more of a focus - where I can really spend time understanding some tools, languages, and frameworks - rather than spreading myself too thin. Not to say that other available bootcamps don't have focus, but, for me...this was a great experience overall.

So far i am enjoying the experience I’m have at this bootcamp.  Everyone genuinely want to help you in whatever it is your trying to do after graduating or any random project your trying to do for your portfolio or even for outside clients.  The course is hard at times if you have a full time job to balance but with the flex option Penn Bootcamp have its not impossible anymore to work full time and also go to a bootcamp.  I'm not currently using any of the job assistance options for the program but i hear good things from the other students.  I’m constantly struggling between wondering is it better to spend more time getting better at the topics of the class or is it better to spend most of my time applying and trying to prep for getting a job.  My free time is very limited so I still haven’t figured this out yet.  Currently I am halfway through the program.  

Bottom line, I feel very fortunate to have made the decision to join the Penn LPS Bootcamp. The topics covered in this course, and the activities and homeworks that we go through in order to learn them are many and in-depth, and I won't deny feeling unsure if I was really getting the hang of it in the beginning.

With that said, the resources provided by the program-- a highly qualified teacher along with four dedicated TAs for each cohort along with free personalized tutoring sessions every week--  along with the attitude of students from various backgrounds with a genuine desire to learn a new field, and the experience of being in a classroom going through each step of every new language and concept in detail, convinced me that this was, at the very least, a solid introduction to a quickly developing and exciting field. 

As a student currently enrolled in the course I have admittedly not taken much advantage of the career services aspect, which is optional, and my sense is that you get back as much as you put in.

You will need to put in between 10-20 hours outside of class per week to complete the homeworks, which are designed to go over the material covered in that week of class, and in the process of trying to complete them you get a chance to really put what you have learned to work. 

Overall, the experience is definitely worthwhile, both for the structure it gives you in learning a lot of what I understand to be key concepts in web development (HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, Node, SQL, etc.) as well as the support from faculty and staff if you seek it out.

Have you ever quietly thought to yourself, “I can do more”?  This thought led me to where you are right now, scouring reviews for answers to that omnipresent question—is [a coding boot camp] worth it?  I started this program on little more than a hunch, a lot of faith, and ZERO coding experience.  Fourteen weeks ago, I didn’t know how to execute a callback in javaScript, or clone a git repository using the command line in my computer’s terminal.  Fourteen weeks ago, I would have told you, “That’s not possible.”  I’m here to tell you that 14 weeks later, it is possible, because this curriculum works—the pedagogy is solid and the academic support is outstanding.  Trilogy wants you to succeed, but the key is your motivation.

Think about your intention before joining a coding boot camp.  You will need this during those times when you want to give up and when you doubt yourself.  Mine was stated on the outset—“I can do more.”  I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.  That meant being ruthless with how I allocated my time.  Social life? Gone.  Free time? Gone.  If you are working full-time, which I am, that means you must to allot 10 hours a week in-class, including Saturdays (say sayonara to your weekends for the next 6 months), plus 15-20+ hours minimum outside of class.  You’re probably thinking, “That’s not possible.”  I’m here to tell you that it is possible, because I am living it.

This program teaches you how to learn these languages, but that doesn’t mean you will understand them right away.  The accelerated pace means you will have to fill in the gaps yourself.  I did this through tutoring, forming study groups, watching videos, etc.  Just keep showing up and be patient with yourself.  Understanding is delayed when you learn at lightning speed.  I’m here to tell you that you can learn something even when you don’t understand it.  Nothing is impossible. 

Is this particular program worthwhile?   YES. 

Is a coding boot camp worth it?  You will have to answer that for yourself.

I am in the part-time full-stack program at Penn/Trilogy and graduate in ~1.5 months.  Thus far I think its been worth it and can be a valuable asset if you want a career in tech. The MERN stack is surely in demand but outside of that marketing yourself as someone capable of diciplining yourself to learn such a large volume of information in webdev can be a great way to show what you are capable of. I have a lot of experience on the business side as a business/data analyst at JPM and have been able to show the SE's I work with on a daily basis my ability to learn compex code in a short period time. The plan is to roll-over to the SE side of the fence and this program has been a great tool to help me get there. 

To those wanting to apply I recommend that they constantly practice javascript outside of the classroom (specifically for the MERN stack). The better you can master JavaScript whether it be through Edabit, Leetcode, etc the more you'll be able to grasp as you start using more and more javascript technologies. If I am not doing homework/review my time is spent doing practice problems.

If you are in a place where you can afford to take a leap and prefer the in-person learning environment this is a solid program with qualified instructors, just know that you will not have any downtime for 6 months. Outside of the 10 hours in the classroom I am behind the computer 20-30 hours a week doing homework and reviewing old topics (the review is often embedded into the assignment which is great).  This is a great foundation but note that it is just that - a foundation.  Coding does not stop upon graduation and the diligence you gained needs to be harnessed when you start building upon the blocks that this bootcamp gave.

I am a current student, slated to finish the bootcamp in May 2019. I have a BA in History and spent the past 10 years as an office assistant, and I decided I needed a complete 180 career change. I came into the program knowing a basic amount of HTML and CSS, and some basic concepts of programming from taking Visual Basic and Java classes in high school, 11 years ago.

Many of my developer friends told me that all of this information is available online for free, so I should just do that instead of spending all this money on a course. However, the bootcamp provides so much more than just the information. For one, the academic support is a huge benefit to taking this in-person. Not only do you have the support of the instructor, teacher assistants, and career coaches, but you also have access to one-on-one tutoring as often as you like and a whole network of classmates going through the same thing as you.

Aside from the academic support, the regularly scheduled assignments and projects keep you on track, whereas at-your-own-pace online courses wouldn't provide that rigorous structure. You attend classes three days per week. The in-person classes hold me to a higher standard than online courses would. This is one of the main reasons I chose an in-person bootcamp.

There are three group project assignments, which prepare you for the real world of web development. The individual assignments are great, but knowing how to develop on a team is a very important skill in this field.

After spending 5 months in the bootcamp, many of my friends who work in this field full-time have told me that they can tell this program is absolutely worth the investment. I'm amazed that this bootcamp has brought out skills I didn't even know I had, and in such a short amount of time!

I am working full-time while I finish this bootcamp. It isn't a walk in the park, but it hasn't been impossible. Before the course they help you with time management strategies. For me, the bootcamp has been a roller coaster between feeling overwhelmed and feeling incredibly bright, but mostly the latter! It definitely requires determination, but if you stick to it, you will for sure get your money's worth.

The Penn Boot Camp was a life-changing experience for me. It gave me the opportunity, the tools, and the confidence to pursue and fulfill a dream of mine. The staff was awesome, the curriculum was strong, and the relationships I've made along the way have been incredibly meaningful. If you have the desire and the determination to push yourself, I would highly recommend this program. You'll learn the in-demand skills of full-stack web development, and you'll walk away with a portfolio that is ready for any interview.

Don't expect to skate through by just attending class. The program is intense, and you should be fully prepared to put in a lot of long nights -- but the outcome will be totally worthwhile. So make extra sure that this is something you want to pursure before committing to it.

One area I would like to see improvement for future cohorts is around job placement -- it would be nice to see some partnerships with local businesses that allow graduates a direct line to interviews. The toughest part of this program for me was when it ended -- the stress of finding a job in the industry can be a bit overwhelming. Work with your career services team as much as possible so that you are fully prepared to hit the job market (if that is your goal) as soon as you graduate.

Overall, the Penn Boot Camp exceeded almost all my expectations. If you are ready for a new challenge professionally, personally, and creatively, I would say go all in. Shout out to Anthony, Eric, Bernard, and the rest of the instructional staff!

I had followed along with FreeCodeCamp prior to joining the Penn/Trilogy (PT) program, completing the front-end portion of the curriculum.  Even though FCC offered a track for back end, I felt that in order to best learn how to make a full-stack app, I needed the formality and structure of an in-person class.  PT also adverstised the use of a modern stack, MERN, so after some time, I decided to sign up.

So far, so good.  You most assuredely will have to work outside of class to get the most out of this, and that would be true of any educational venture, so expect to be quite busy.  Now, if you do go ahead and do what I did, learning before even starting the program, you will be very well positioned to maximize your return on investment. You can come in with no knowledge of even HTML (mostly), but do yourself a favor and follow along with FreeCodeCamp/Codecademy/Lynda at least a little to orient yourself to the ways of the web.  If you had to focus on only one language beforehand, it would definitely be Javascript. Again, this isn't isn't necessary and the course is well-designed, allowing you to fairly quickly acclimate and begin immersing yourself without getting too lost too quickly. In all, if you're motivated and genuinely want to learn, you'll have no trouble getting yourself to learn on your own while following along.

I'm currently enrolled in the program and graduate in May 2019. When I started self-teaching myself intro HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through free online resources at the beginning of 2018, I honestly wasn't too sure that I would join a coding bootcamp. But I'm so glad I did. It's a life-changing investment on my future and it is definitely worth it. 

The bootcamp is pretty fast-paced, but we receive a lot of support. We meet three days per week, totalling 10 hours per week. It's recommended to spend minimum 20 hours outside of class reviewing activities, doing additional research, and completing homework and projects.We also have office hours before and after class to ask questions about homework or anything that we might need help with. We're given homework assignments weekly and three group projects as well through the course of the program.

I've had a really amazing experience so far. Our instructor, TAs, Career Coaches and everyone involved in the program have been supportive and really care about us learning the material and succeeding as web developers.

I would highly recommend this bootcamp!