FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a coding bootcamp?
Coding bootcamps are unique educational programs designed to teach individuals who are new to programming how to become a programmer in a very short period of time. Bootcamps are generally characterized by their immersive and intensive nature as well as their emphasis on practical skills. Our coding bootcamp in Boulder, Colorado is 10-weeks long. It’s also offered in part-time version.
Who is this for? What type of person attends a coding bootcamp?
Coding bootcamps are perfect for highly motivated individuals looking to launch a career as a programmer. However, they take a great deal of commitment and sacrifice.
Many students are college graduates who are looking for better opportunities and more relevant, modern skills. Below is a great article from Bloomberg on this topic.
Bloomberg: Nice Ivy League Degree. Now if You Want a Job, Go to Code School
Do you help me get a job?
CodeCraft School is committed to helping our students launch the career they desire. One of the best things about being based in Boulder, Colorado is the density of technology companies and startups looking for tech talent.
Throughout your bootcamp journey you’ll not only be learning how to create web applications but you’ll also be building your professional network. You’ll be working with mentors and getting to know lots of other people in the industry. In addition, we hold hiring events throughout the program where we invite our extensive network of industry representatives and recruiters, giving them a chance to see your individual talents and projects.
Finally, once you graduate we help all of our students connect with job opportunities and help them evaluate these opportunities relative to their interests and career goals.
How do I prepare and what do I need to know before applying?
Both our full-time and part-time programs are designed to prepare students for a junior or mid-level developer job with no prior industry education or experience. In order to accomplish this, we must be very selective in the students we accept into our program. Successful applicants demonstrate a combination of technical aptitude, motivation and the ability to learn at the accelerated pace of the program.
Many applicants find it helpful to learn some web development fundamentals prior to applying. Please read our page on this to learn more.
How do I apply, what is the application process?
Our coding bootcamp is intense and accelerated. All prospective students must apply to attend and we only accept students who we believe have an excellent chance of success learning at the accelerated pace and becoming a successful programmer.
Throughout the admissions process, our admissions team will assess your proficiency in programming, as well as your ability to work with other programmers. We select applicants who are both highly technical and collaborative.
- Step 1: Submit an application that includes various aptitude and skill tests.
- Step 2: Once we receive your application we’ll follow up with you within a day or two, and if we think you’re a good fit, we’ll ask you to participate in some coding challenges that help us evaluate your current skill level and aptitude for programming.
- Step 3: Prep for and complete a technical interview (in-person, via Skype or Google+ Hangout).
- Step 4: Receive an admissions decision.
- Step 5: Accepted students complete any additional pre-program learning (either in-person with our partner Boulder Digital Arts, self-guided online, or with one of our mentors.
Click here to start your application today!
How many students are in the classes? What is your student to instructor ratio? Will I get individualized attention?
We limit our “cohorts” to 20 students which is well below the industry average. We do this to ensure that every student has plenty of one-on-one time with our instructors and mentors so they get the most value out of the program, and so that we can truly get to know each of our students as individuals as we help guide them toward their new careers.
Each class has both a primary instructor as well as an assistant instructor. In addition, there are mentors available for one-on-one help when you need it.
Why are you teaching only JavaScript instead of Ruby on Rails or PHP or other languages?
First and foremost, we see many in the industry moving swiftly to an all-JavaScript approach so we’re teaching tools and technologies that are most likely to be used at your new job.
Secondly, there is the practical reason that it is simply easier and more efficient for our students to learn one language rather than two or more when getting started. One of the great things about JavaScript is that it can be used to write both client side and server side code.
In the world of web development, the tools and technologies change constantly. Therefore, we’re passionate about teaching our students how to be a programmer rather than simply mastering a particular technology or language. We teach our students how to think like an experienced programmer so they are successful in crafting elegant solutions to any application requirement regardless of the current state of tools and technology.
All that said, we recommend that our students eventually learn another language such as Ruby, Python or PHP since those are used in so many places. The reality is that once you really understand and become proficient in one language, learning another is vastly easier since most modern programming languages are fairly similar and the fundamental constructs are universal.
What is your refund policy?
Generally speaking, any refunds are proportional to the number of classes you’ve attended. So, if you’re halfway through the program (at week 5), your refund would be about 50% of tuition paid. In addition, we offer full refunds to all customers who withdraw within 3 business days of enrolling.
For details, please read our complete refund policy in our catalog.
How much is tuition?
CodeCraft School is proud to offer the most affordable world-class programming bootcamp in the country. Both of our full-time and part-time JavaScript-Based Full Stack Web Development bootcamps are only $9,500. We strive to keep our tuition low because we believe that these skills can truly transform the lives of our students and we want to make the program as accessible and affordable as possible while maintaining the best outcomes.
Do you offer financial aid or scholarships?
Yes! We also offer a variety of financing options that you can read about on this page.
How Do I Take Free Classes at Boulder Digital Arts
Once your tuition has been paid, CodeCraft students are eligible for all Boulder Digital Arts lecture-style workshops and hands-on classes for free up to 3 months before your cohort begins, and for up to three months after the last day of your cohort! In addition, BDA offers CodeCraft students a 30% discount on registration for any of their Certificate programs during the same time period. Once you qualify for the free classes you’ll be issued unique BDA “discount codes” that you can use to register yourself through the BDA website.
What does a typical day look like?
Our bootcamp is intensive and immersive. There’s a lot to learn in a relatively short period of time. You’ll be spending about 40 hours a week in class or working on projects during the program itself. In addition we recommend you commit another 10-15 hours per week to working on your projects or practicing what you’ve learned outside of class.
Each day is a mix of lectures and practicing what you learned by building actual web applications. Throughout the program we also hold frequent “hiring events” where our students have a chance to build relationships and share their projects with a variety of people in the industry. In addition, we invite guest lectures from the industry to provide their perspective, advice and extra dimensions to the program.
But, you can’t be in Boulder without immersing yourself into all that this incredible city has to offer! So, we organize lots of fun excursions in the evenings and weekends. We’ll go on hikes, eat at fantastic local restaurants, enjoy local beer and attend some of the myriad of startup and tech events.
Do I need my own computer? What else do I need?
Yes, students are required to bring their own Apple Mac laptop computer. Generally speaking any Mac laptop that is less than 3 years old should be perfect for the program. If you have a Mac outside this spec, we’ll discuss its suitability during our interview after you apply. Or you can email us with any questions about your computer at any time.
Students of CodeCraft School can take advantage of Apple’s educational pricing which offers significant discount off retail prices!
It’s also possible to include the cost of a computer into most of our financing options.
Why do you require me to use an Apple laptop?
Having all of our students standardized on the same operating system/platform allows our classes to be much more quick and efficient. In our fast-paced, intensive bootcamps your time is extremely valuable and we don’t want to waste any of it on unnecessary technology friction. Also, for almost all developers using open-sourced technology, Macs are commonly the tool of choice. Working in a UNIX-based environment is a huge asset. The open source and web development communities are invested in tools and libraries that work with Apple’s OS X. In short, using a Mac best prepares our students to work in the development industry. And finally, using a Mac is a great experience and we want all our students to be using the very best tool for their job particularly since you’ll be spending so much time with it!
What type of salary should I expect for my first job after graduation?
As you would imagine the answer to this question varies and depends on many factors including the exact job, the size and scale of the company you’re working for, the geographic location of the job, etc. But, there is no doubt that programming is a financially lucrative and in-demand career. Course Report’s survey of 432 graduates from 48 qualifying programming schools reported the average annual salary for graduates to be $75,965, representing a 44% average increase for those graduates. Below are a few articles that offer more insight into outcomes for graduates.
https://www.coursereport.com/resources/course-report-bootcamp-graduate-demographics-outcomes-study
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/coding-bootcamp-earnest/
Have a question we didn't answer?
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