Sabio

Hi, 

My name is Anna and this is my Sabio story:

Ever since I was young, I was told that I was to go to medical school and become a doctor. When you are told to do something so many times, you begin to think that that is what you want too. It wasn't until last year, that I figured out that medical school was not for me. Coming to that decision was very difficult for me to tell my parents, and even harder for them to accept. However, I knew it was the right decision for me.

Long story short, I was talking to a developer friend and after deciding that this was what I wanted to do, he gave me tips to start learning on my own. But very quickly I realized that I would more help than that. So I began my research into coding boot camps. I checked many different boot camps and went to info sessions. Sabio was the last boot camp info sessions I went to (save the best for last, I guess). 

I was very impressed with their curriculum and their approach to learning, which was very different than the typical boot camp. What sold me was that I would get to work on a real project for a real start-up company and get real-world experience. No other boot camps came close to delivering this unique experience. 

Eager to start, I joined their 6-week pre-work in Irvine. There we learned the basics (HTML, CSS, Javascript) along with some C# and SQL. Make sure you do the "homework" and pay attention in class because this is going to be the foundation of the rest of Sabio. 

It might seem like a long time now, but the 3 months that you are in Sabio will fly by. I was so blessed to have the classmates and instructors that I had, because we had a blast (C28!!!). The instructors are very skillful, caring, and patient. I felt confident that all my questions were answered in a way that was tailored to me. Not everyone learns the same way and my instructor definitely knew how to teach in a way that was easy for me to understand. Make sure to put in the time!! When they say 70 hours a week, they are not joking around. Put in the time now and you will be greatly rewarded. No matter what, trust in the system. Rely on your classmates and instructors during the 3 months. They are there for you through thick and thin. They become your second family. 

And so, a week before graduation, I turned down my first offer and a week later accepted my first programming job. Although I had my doubts, once I got that acceptance letter, I knew that I made the right choice. Right now, I am working as a Jr C# Developer, and I am so happy with how Sabio changed my life for the better. On the event that you need help at work, your Sabio fam is there to answer any questions you have(you have access to it for 5 years!!). New to the tech world, but not unarmed, I am ready to expand my horizons and conquer the industry! 

Sabio is great. Like all the other reviews say. I was skeptical going in, but I start my job as a software engineer next Monday making $15k more than before (coming from finance/writing background). So the proof is in the pudding. That said, it's not a magic potion. They provide support, motivation, tools, community, resources. It's up to you to bust your ass and get the knowledge you need. This is not a diet pill, this is not a psychic hotline, this requires discipline and (if you're doing it right) it should be super hard.

Highlights:
-My instructors, John Darragh and Jitin (and Vic Campos) are the best and they know their stuff.
-Gregorio's no bullshit style sets the tone for the whole organization and if you're taking notes, you'll leave the program a more effective, honest communicator.
-Training in the .NET stack
-Prework through Antioch was kind of a mess but Gregorio was responsive to any/all of my concerns.
-The actual text and video training materials are unpolished but the content is solid.
-You're not just pushed through and thrown out. If you value your membership in the community, you will get value in return.
-It doesn't try to wow you with life-sized jenga or beer pong (this is a plus).
-Diversity is a priority.
-The instructors are real-life professionals and want to see you succeed (full disclosure: the *prework* instructors sometimes are Sabio grads, but they're good).
-More disclosure - Antioch credits, as far as I can tell, aren't going to count as coursework toward a CS degree elsewhere (universities want you to take their courses).

Sabio isn't a "slick" place, but in my book that's a good thing. It's just a few people working extremely hard (like to an unhealthy degree) to provide the highest quality training available.

Why not full stars? Because like most things in the world, there's room for improvement. Like I said the actual training materials need polish, some safeguards need to be put in place to prevent potential instructor burnout, class size tends to flex above target numbers, and overall organization (scheduling, communications, structure) could be more efficient (and should be focused on ahead of growth). That said doing this was probably the best decision I've ever made.

I finished Sabio's .NET program in Feb 2017 and it has been one of the best decisions that I have made. I spent my first two years out of college working a job that I did not enjoy and I decided to learn how to code. I first learned of Sabio through Course Report and I was impressed by the consistent positive reviews from past Alumni. After looking into other programs and going to two Sabio info sessions, I decided to enroll in the pre work course that would prep me for the bootcamp.

The pre work course work was very helpful, they really make sure that you learn the basics before starting the 12 week program. The staff was very supportive and I was able to pick up the material with their help. Building a web application for an actual business gives your resume a boost and increases your chances of employment. Gregorio and Lilianna provide support and make sure that you are well prepared for your job search/ interviews. They are very invested in the Sabio community and reach out to alumni after the program + host meetups/ events.

I know it might seem impossible to learn the coursework in a short time frame, but if you trust the system it will be very rewarding. It took me 20 days, after finishing up the program, to land a full time developer position. I just wrapped up my third week at work and the material that I learned at Sabio has all been applicable to my current position. I would recommend Sabio to anyone who wants to learn how to code.

If you have the dedication to learn how to program, Sabio will provide everything else necessary to make you a hirable tech professional. 

Key points regarding my experience and all you need to know about Sabio:

1) I had no technical experience prior to Sabio ... I didn't even know what a div was.

2) The entire process of choosing Sabio, doing the prework, battling through the cohort, job hunting and starting at my new job was about 6 months. 

3) Sabio provides help through the entire process.  Gregorio, Lilliana, and all the instructors have your back.  They know what it takes to get hired and make sure you are on track for success.  You really start feeling the Sabio fam vibe when you are enter the second half of your cohort.

4) I felt challenged 100% of the time.  I was always stressed, confused, and baffled by code but that's the name of the game when it comes to programming. 

5) I applied for hundreds of jobs and within 3 weeks of ending the cohort I received a full time offer (75k) working as a web developer for a popular television broadcasting company in New York.

The Sabio process works.  If you are ready for a new career in tech, Sabio is a safe bet. 

My situation and sentiments are pretty much a composite of the 100+ (positive) reviews posted on here before mine but certain parallels are worth repeating. For one, my concern that Sabio was the right boot-camp to help me transition into a career as a working developer.  Second, for me it was a gut wrenching decision to drop out of the workforce losing months of income.  I’m still not sure how other people are able to afford the time because it took a lucky combination of things aligning themselves just right and me wanting it bad enough to make it happen.  And on top of all that I was going to have to spend a very sizeable wad on the gamble that this investment would pay off.   Sure enough it did. 

Before considering taking the plunge into a boot-camp I romanced the idea of a free online open source web development education to become a professional developer. Free online resources are plentiful and helpful. Using them I took significant steps in my level of understanding programing and web development concepts relative to where I started. The available open-source education materials although great were not enough to truly connect the dots for me in preparing for a job in coding or give me a true working comprehension of full stack development.  In fact, you will still find it necessary to constantly reference online resources over and over even as a working developer. No doubt it’s possible to achieve a free open source education but it’s extremely unlikely that you will be able to do so in the amount of time it takes to get though Sabio.  Doing it on your own would probably take a couple of years at best and with no supportive network to show for it.

Obviously, there is no guarantee that you will find employment but your chances are great. There are intangibles you will get out of Sabio beyond just learning to code that are necessary to become a professional developer. Through it all I was challenged and pushed to dig deep within myself to not only to make it through the boot-camp but to get the most out of it that I possibly could and I loved it all.  Sabio reinforces a practice of coding cleanly, working amongst peers with a minimum level of professionalism, resume building and interview prep. By the time you start applying for jobs you’ll be coding with the kind of confidence that will dictate a great amount of worth in the market place.

The Sabio community that Gregorio and Liliana have cultivated is an invaluable support structure to not only help you get to that first rung on the latter but to keep you connected, curious and inspired to achievement more. I cannot believe how fortunate I was to find this special organization and how it has led me to a rewarding career that also excites me.

I found Sabio from this coursereport website when I was looking for a bootcamp.
I went to the info sessions of two other bootcamps.
I chose Sabio because you get to work on a real project. Not student projects.
This will make a huge difference when you apply for a job.
Sabio teaches you evertyhing you need to land a job.
You will be coding over 60+ hours a week. The program is intense.
Not because it is hard, but because you need to code for long hours everyday.

If you do exactly what they ask you to do, you will be ready to get a job.
Don't worry about what other people is working on.
I thought that I was missing out something important. But that was not the case.
You will work on a number of features of the real website development.
And, you will get full stack experience from front-end to back-end.
Don't get stuck on anything for more than two hours.
Put youself in the queue and ask the instructor.
I wasted a lof of time trying to do it myself. I thought I wanted to be independent.
But you don't get to learn a lot that way. You don't get to work on a lot of features.
You need to work on as many features as possible to show your skill set during the job interview.

They help you build the well-formatted resumes. A couple of my interviewers really liked it.
Those companies were the ones that gave me the offers.
They prepare you well with interview questions.
They do a few mock interviews with you which include whiteboard interviews.
They go over a few sample codes which may show up in the interviews.
They bring in Sabio graduates to share their experiences.
After you land a job, you get 5 years of professional support from Sabio.
So, you are not alone at your workplace. I plan to use this support well in my real job.

My job search began two weeks before the graduation.
During the two weeks, I did a lot of phone interviews and went to a in-person interview.
At fisrt, I was scared to taking phone calls and goint to interviews.
Gradully, I became better and better at being interviewed by companies.
Within a week after the graduation, I got a job offer.
Two days later, I got another better offer and closer to home. I accepted the second one.
Thank you, Sabio, my instructors and my Cohort!

I found the Sabio program when I was looking for bootcamps that accept the Gi Bill. At the time, there was only 2 schools that accept the Gi Bill. Sabio was a choice I selected because it was located in Los Angeles and it had the best reviews on course report. 
 

Overall Experiece: 

The program is designed to get you a job. Sabio teaches you evertyhing you need to learn in order to land your successful first job. You will be challenged in so many ways. You will learn a lot because nothing can replace this fully immersive experience.

Instructors:

The staff treats everyone with respect. All the instuctors bring a unique and positive experience to the campus. Sabio treated us like we were at a birthday party. I mean we had like 4-5 pizza parties throughout the bootcamp. Even our own instructors bought donuts and pizza for all of us. 

Curriculum:

The program is designed to be intense. You will be coding over 60+ hours a week, in fact, you might be dreaming of code while you sleep. You cannot get complacent. You need to be dedicated, determined and the desire to win. 

Job Assistance:

Sabio will build a perfect resume for you. They also, provide you with industry tips and tricks for job opportunities. They also have a huge network in tech space. For example, I got my first job after finishing Sabio in a week.

"So what's the catch?"

"There is no catch. You'll have to put in all the time and effort. You'll work for it, trust me"

That's what Aaron said to me the first time I went in for an info session. I was just like you, looking at course reports to see which bootcamp was right for me. I didn't know if it was worth it, I was skeptical of a school that had almost 100% positive ratings (ironic I know) but $15000 was a lot of money to ask for. But in the end, I saw that Sabio was different from the rest of the other coding bootcamps. They teach you real, enterprise level programming skills. You also work for a real client on a real application. There is no BS here. You are getting real work experience because Sabio does it by the book. 

Again, there is nothing given here. Everything you do must be earned. If you do not show up and give it your 100% you will not gain anything. This is all or nothing, 3 month sprint that gets you up and ready to go out and apply for a job. I was scared they wouldn't deliver about half way through, thinking it was all scam and thought I had wasted my money until this past week where I got my offer. Look, these guys have been in the business for 10+ years and they really know what they're talking about. When they tell you to do something, just do it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you trust the process and give it your all, you will see results. I landed a job out in LA after applying for 2 weeks and I'll be starting next week. It honestly has not hit me yet but I can tell you that I see why Sabio is the best rated bootcamp in Southern California (soon to be Seattle). 

I thanked Gregorio for all his hard for after I got my offer and you know what he said to me? Not, "you're welcome for Sabio!". Nope. He said "you are a product of your own hard work". This man is definition of humble and would not take any credit for success he had a huge part in. Thank you Aaron and Varr for answering all our dumb questions and taking us through this crazy journey. And thank you Sabio for changing my life. I hope this was helpful and if you are thinking about getting into programming via bootcamp, you cannot do wrong with Sabio. Good luck.

After doing much research and attending info sessions, I finally decided on Sabio! I went in for an info session on a Wednesday evening and I was surprised to see Gregorio the CTO and Co-Finder of Sabio there to speak to us. I was definetley expecting a recent graduate like other bootcamps. After hearing him speak to us and answer our questions with so much passion and straightforwardness, I knew I was signing up with Sabio!

I had no computer science or coding background knowledge at all. Sabio provides prework courses to get you up to speed with the basics for the 12 week program. I found the prework classes very helpful. After 2 months of prework on Wednesday and Thursday nights I felt more confident and prepared for the program. 

As for the program itself, go all in! It's a bootcamp, so it's intense. There will be a lot of debugging and time spent on google and stackoverflow but you are learning so much even when you think you are not. Once you've exhausted your options, get in qeue and your very knowledegable instructor will give you the bit of info you need and point you in the right direction to find the answer you've been looking for. 

The community at Sabio is second to none. Six months after graduation and employed, I still get emails/slack from Liliana and Gregorio asking how things are going. I know they are there if I need them. 

All in all, I definetley recommend Sabio! It was a life changing decesion, and I'm glad I made it. Those long days coding will pay off!

I'm sure if you are reading this, you were in a similar position that I was in 6-7 months ago.  Either unemployed, or working somewhere you were unhappy.  At this point, I am unimaginably and immensely thankful for the opportunity I was provided with at Sabio.  Before further elaborating on my experience, I recommend to all of you to do your RESEARCH.  Make the decision yourself.  Most reviews on this site are positive reviews for the bootcamp that a person may have come out from because most experiences were positive.  I didn't go to any other bootcamps, so I have no real comparison to delve into.  However, I did do my own research and I felt that Sabio would be the best fit for me.  Go to their information session.  Speak with the instructor in the area and ask as many questions you may have.  Go to other bootcamp info sessions and make the final decision for yourself.  I am just going to give you my two cents on why I chose Sabio.  It's long so TLDR is on the bottom.

Before starting, I had originally researched all the bootcamps in the OC area as I wanted to stay local.  The thing that stuck out with Sabio is their no BS attitude.  When you go to the information session, they tell you everything you want to know in regards to the job market, job expectations, hiring rates, their program, etc.  They don't hire graduates directly to inflate numbers, and their program has constantly been adapting to the technologies and students that come through the course.  The MAIN REASON I decided to go with Sabio is that you will work on a REAL application.  Either a startup idea some client has, or like my cohort, an MVP for a client who already has a real business.  I guarantee that you will not get the same real world experience, depth of knowledge, or opportunity anywhere else.

Prework was challenging.  I actually had the disadvantage of deciding to start with Sabio a couple of weeks after the Prework had already begun.  It took a lot of self-studying at home and catching up to pass the assessment but I did it!  You need to make sure that you are ready to learn, ask questions, and study on your own.  Do the homework, keep up with class, and you should be fine.  I was lucky to have Komron AND Brijesh as teachers and they were amazing.  Both are very smart and have tons of knowledge to share with you about what we learn at Sabio.

Once we started bootcamp, it was a whole different level of committment.  When they say you need to spend 70 hours a week, they are not kidding.  Obviously, this number comes down to YOU and YOU only.  If YOU do not put in the time and effort, YOU will not come out of the program on the same level of experience and skill as someone who does not.  Nothing can subsitute for the time and effort that you need to put into this program to get the most out of it.  Be ready to do nothing but code.  If YOU do, you will get a job, you will be successful, and you will learn a TON.  

I had Aaron sifu as our bootcamp instructor C28! C28!  He is the coolest, nicest, and down to earth guy you will ever meet.  He is super patient with any question that you have, no matter how stupid.  I also really love that he doesn't try to give you the answer, but always will go over with you the process you need to take to debug any issue.  That way, you can learn to solve things on your own, and start becoming an independent developer.  This, is a HUGE skill in itself as researching and learning on your own are invaluable skills in this industry.  

Other things you experience during the cohort are agile/scrum methodologies, which really help to stay organized and communicative.  You get to talk with the client every week, and get the real world experience of dealing with changing features, scrapping features, or totalling revamping certain pages to fit the client's needs.  You also have the opportunity to work on different API's that exist out there, or work on huge features that the application requires.  This is where PUTTING IN THE WORK AND TIME is important.  The more work you are able to finish, the more work you can do, which results in more real world experience.  You can work on MORE API's, more features, and more experience dealing with issues.  This only gives you a step up on your job search.  

The Job Assistance is also HUGE.  This was actually the most important aspect of a bootcamp that I was looking for.  The thing about Sabio that impressed me was that they fully prepare you for the last 2 weeks of the bootcamp to destroy any interview that you enter.  Each day was different but you go over at least 200 interview questions, go in depth on harder questions/whiteboarding, interview practice, non-technical interview practice, resume reviews/changes, linkedin prep, learn Git and AWS, and more.  I began 2 weeks ago, scared and unconfident, and now I have the confidence to go into any interview and be sure that the experience came out positvely.  I started applying at the end of week 10, and had 5 interviews and an offer by the end of week 12.  Now I am employed and ready to work. The job market is HUGE.  When they say there are a lot of jobs out there, they aren't lying to you.  You just have to be ready to show employers out there that you have what it takes and that you are better than every other person they are meeting.  

I did not expect to have a job, even before the bootcamp ended.  I am a proud, happy Sabio graduate.  

TLDR:  Great experience and totally worth the price.  Do your own research, go to information sessions, and make the final decision yourself.  I guarantee that Sabio will not let you down.  The bootcamp was an amazing experience and it really requires the 70 hours a week they say.  Put in the effort or you won't get the same experience out of it as someone who is.  I got a job before the cohort ended, and now am a happy employed Sabio graduate.  NATION!
 

I cannot think of a better decision I’ve ever made than deciding to join sabio. The consistently positive reviews I saw here 6 months ago convinced me to look into the program, and now I can get behind them 100%. I was reluctant to believe that I would be able to learn how to code with absolutely no coding background and was worried I might fall behind, but after one info session with Gregorio I was quickly convinced. Pre-work is super helpful and prepares you with a solid foundation to get started. The bootcamp itself was one of the best experiences ever. I never would have believed that 12 hour days for 12 weeks would fly by, but there was never a day where I wanted it to end. 

Before starting bootcamp, I was really nervous about the intensity of the program. However, while it is very challenging and takes a lot of time and dedication, I never once questioned my decision to join or felt significantly discouraged. They maintain such a positive environment that I knew I would be able to overcome any roadblock I came across. The hands on learning style is tough, but ultimately really beneficial and satisfying. You are never handed any answers, but always given just enough of a push when you get stuck to keep moving forward. 

The toughest part for me was the job search, but that was mostly just the fear of the unknown. We spent a ton of time at the end of bootcamp preparing for interviews which really helped me to feel more confident and comfortable with the process. It was also extremely comforting for me to have a whole team of people behind me that felt equally invested in me finding the right position. Now three weeks after graduating I have accepted my first position as a software developer where I will be making double what I made prior to sabio.

Gregorio and Liliana are wonderful people who have created an amazing and encouraging community that I am so grateful to be a part of. They care so much about what they are doing and sabio never feels like just a business to them. My instructor Mike is an incredible person and developer who was beyond kind and patient with us. We were also lucky enough to work with Victor who is amazingly dedicated and helpful. OveralI I am constantly impressed by the quality of intelligent and good hearted people that make up sabio’s staff. They are also all extremely accessible and maintain one on one relationships with each of us so nobody gets lost in the shuffle. Even after I've completed my training, I know that I can get in touch with any of them at any time and they will do everything they can to help. 

I could not recommend sabio more. It is a life changing experience that provides the absolute best instruction, support, mentorship, and community. 

Prior to retiring from the Marines last year, I had begun to dabble in tech as I launched a start-up in the SoCal area.  Having not been a tech-guy AT ALL whatsoever.... let's just say some mistakes were made, and I learned the the value and importance of having not just a project-management background, but a development background as well.

My intentions coming into Sabio wasn't necessarily to get a job upon graduation, but to be able to fend for myself in the tech scene, and make a living as a tech entrepreneur.  Looking back to the day I started pre-work, I can say with humility I'm a changed man!  Not only are you immersed in coding all day, you get to see first-hand how project management and client relations are handled in a real-world environment.  The projects we get assigned during the boot camp are actual platforms that mimic the way employees would work in an actual dev shop, with our instructor doubling as our teacher and project-manager.  Having that type of experience right off the bat really made all the pieces come together to understand the dev cycle, user interface, all aspects of the design and architecture, and all the necessary steps it takes to properly build and launch a web-app.  The instructors are high-caliber; coming from well-reputable companies and having years and years of experience in many avenues within the tech scene.

Having barely done anything on a computer other than use basic microsoft office tools, I was nervous coming here, thinking that this trade would go right over my head and I would be struggling to keep up with my classmates.  Fast forward 6 months and I'm able to build fully-functional web-apps, navigate my way through algorithmic-problems, and I feel myself looking at things more so from an engineering standpoint.

If you're looking to get a job in tech, start your own company, or build your own apps, I highly recommend Sabio as your place to kick off.  Not only did they give me the tools I would need if I was looking for employment, but they give you virtually endless resources to help you grow as a developer and land the right job.  Your time with Sabio doesn't end when you graduate either; they keep all resources open to all graduates, and ensure everyone is moving in the right direction.  They had countless employers and affiliates come visit the cohorts on a regular basis to offer free interview prep, resume building, and give us mock interviews to prepare everyone for the job market.

Also, they are super veteran-friendly and the course is covered 100% by the GI Bill, PLUS you earn 36 transferrable CS credits from their affiliate university.  Can't say enough how impressed I was with the staff and the culture here at Sabio.  If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself and I'm sure you won't be dissapointed!