A Comprehensive Guide to App Academy’s Admissions Process and How to Ace It

The 21st century has ushered in a new kind of revolution: the digital revolution. Once again, the current traditional education system is lagging in providing the needed skills to address the skills shortage in the tech industry. 

To fill the increasing job gap being created by the fast-evolving tech space, an alternative educational system was designed to augment the traditional system: coding bootcamps. 

Coding bootcamps are designed to train students for tech jobs within a short period, and they have risen in popularity within the past decade.

Among those at the top is App Academy, a pioneering bootcamp that offers three main programs: Campus Software Engineering Program, Online Software Engineering Program – Full-Time, and Online Software Engineering Program – Part-Time.

This software engineering school prides itself on producing quality graduates and achieving stellar outcomes— boasting a 93 percent employment rate among its job-seeking San Francisco graduates and 95 percent among its job-seeking New York graduates in 2019.

So how can one secure a seat in one of the pioneering coding bootcamps in the US? In this article, we give you a comprehensive review of the admissions processes for all App Academy programs. Find out if you’re eligible for the programs, what you can expect when you apply, and what resources you can use to gear up for App Academy’s immersive programs.

Who Can Apply for App Academy? 

Before you apply for App Academy, make sure that you meet the following criteria. To qualify for the bootcamp, you must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have a basic level of qualification equivalent or higher than a high school diploma
• Have a laptop or desktop (not a Chromebook or iPad). Supported operating systems are Apple OS 10.15 or later, Windows 10 (most recent update), Linux (Ubuntu or Debian). Ubuntu on Windows 10 is also supported.
• Have reliable Internet connection: at least 10mbps (50mbps recommended)
• Be available during lecture hours (during ALL course hours – classes are LIVE on Zoom.)
• ISA participants must meet the following qualifications:
  • At least 20 years of age
  • Resident in the US
  • A US citizen, green card holder, or holds a valid work authorization document ( valid through the course and job search period).

Regulations for International App Academy Applicants

If you’re living outside the United States, not a US citizen, nor a permanent resident, you can only pay for your training up front and you must be willing to manage your schedule to attend App Academy’s live lectures during Eastern or Pacific time zones. For information about the App Academy admission process for international students, visit the FAQ section on its website.  

International applicants can also check out App Academy Open as a way to start their training for free and at a schedule that works best for them.

App Academy Admissions Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

The entire admissions process at App Academy can last between a few weeks to over a month depending on the applicant. Here’s a guide to the steps you’ll need to take when you start your journey to a tech career at App Academy. 

8 Steps to App Academy’s Campus Software Engineering Program

The Campus Software Engineering course is delivered online for the first two weeks, after which the rest of the program is delivered in person in New York and San Francisco. 

1. Submit an Application Form 

Once you have decided to enroll in the coding bootcamp, you will need to complete an application form on the App Academy website. The application form will require personal information including your name, date of birth, academic and professional experience, among others. You will also be asked whether or not you have prior coding knowledge.

2. Logical Reasoning and Typing Assessment

App Academy also assesses your logic and reasoning ability in this admissions stage. You will be given a typing test as well as an aptitude test designed to evaluate your math skills, logic, and spatial reasoning. 

3. Speak to an Admissions Specialist

App Academy aims to make the entire admission process go smoothly for students. An admissions specialist is usually assigned to help students through the entire process and answer any questions students might have about the program.

4. Receive Study Materials

You will receive study materials in Ruby to prepare you for the coding challenge stage. The material contains about 20 hours of resources. However, if you have coding knowledge in Python or JavaScript, you are allowed to use those for your coding challenge.

5. Coding Challenge

You will be required to take a three-question assessment that will last up to an hour. Your code must pass through all specs, and you can retry up to three times if you don’t succeed on the first attempt. 

6. Attend a Technical Interview

You will be required to perform two coding tasks on your own and a pair programming task under the supervision of App Academy graduates. If you are new to programming, you will receive study materials in Ruby beforehand. You can also take a mock interview before the official interview. This is especially useful if you’re new to technical interviews like many other applicants. 

However, those with knowledge of Python or JavaScript may perform the interview tasks in either language.

7. Complete a Non-Technical Interview

This is like a job interview conducted by App Academy alumni. You will be asked five to six behavioral questions to assess your work readiness. The whole process lasts for 25 minutes and is recorded on Zoom, so you can watch how you performed later and receive feedback. 

8. Get Accepted and Choose Your Cohort

Congratulations! This is the stage where you get accepted, assuming you have passed the technical tests. It means you are a good fit for App Academy’s campus hybrid full-time program. Your admissions specialist will guide you in deciding a start date and the best payment plans suitable for you. 

6 Steps to App Academy’s Full-Time Online and Part-Time Online Software Engineering Programs

1. Submit an Application Form 

Once you’re sure you want to be part of the coding bootcamp, you will be asked to submit an application form on the App Academy website (click here for the part-time online application form and here for the full-time online application form). 

The application form will require personal information including your name, date of birth, and academic and professional experience, among others. You will also be asked whether or not you have prior coding knowledge.

2. Take a Personality, Logical Reasoning, and Typing Assessment

You will be given a verbal and typing assessment, designed to evaluate your math skills, logic, and spatial reasoning. You will need to make use of your problem-solving skills and be able to type information at an average to above-average rate. Most applicants perform well at this stage of the process.

3. Speak to an Admissions Specialist

An admissions specialist will be assigned to help all potential students at every stage of the process. They are available to answer any questions you may have about App Academy. 

4. Complete a Non-Technical Interview

This is more like a job interview. You will be asked behavioral questions to assess how well you can work with others, your understanding of the industry, and the big question, “Why do you want to learn how to code?”. You may also talk about your previous coding experience if you have any.

5. Complete Three Technical Challenges

Since this stage of the admissions process is designed to be challenging, before you begin, you will receive 50 to 60 hours worth of learning materials containing the basics of HTML and CSS, Git, and Boolean Algebra. 

Regardless of whether you have a background in coding or not, these materials should prepare you well to tackle the tasks. You will also have access to forums where you can ask questions and get answers. You will receive feedback along the way to get you through the entire process.

6. Get Accepted and Choose Your Cohort

Congratulations! If you’ve made it this far, it means you are a good fit for App Academy’s online program. Your admissions specialist will guide you in deciding a start date and the best payment plan that would suit you.

Note that App Academy’s online programs are not currently offered to students based in New York, in compliance with state regulations. The full-time online program also requires students to allocate nine hours every day, between Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm PST. 

Students of the part-time online program can choose between 6pm to 9pm EST and 7pm to 9pm PST from Monday to Thursday, in addition to Saturday classes held from 9am to 3.30pm PST for both East and West Coast cohorts. 

Sign Up for App Academy Today

App Academy is an inclusive bootcamp and does not exclude applicants based on their backgrounds. However, the school is dedicated to ensuring students receive high-quality training which is why it only accepts around five percent of the total applications. 

The stringent application process helps App Academy ascertain that candidates who do enroll are serious about pursuing the program they choose. With a high standard in place, you’ll need to bring your A-game during the admissions process. 

If you’re still on the fence about fully committing to App Academy’s immersive programs, you can enroll for free self-paced training at App Academy Open to get your feet wet and equip yourself with the fundamentals of software engineering. 

Otherwise, you are invited to book a call with App Academy’s Admissions Team. Your assigned admissions specialist is ready to answer all of your questions and guide you through your journey, once you have submitted your application form. Good luck!