Launch Academy
Launch Academy Bootcamp Reviews and Complete Guide
Launch Academy offers intensive bootcamps designed to help you learn web development and land your first job as a software engineer. Launch Academy offers both on-campus and remote classes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, all classes have moved online. In this Launch Academy review, we explore everything you can expect from the coding school.
What Is Launch Academy?
| Launch Academy Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Cost | $17,500 |
| Start Dates | June 7, August 30 |
| Locations | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Courses | Full Stack Development |
| Available Programs | Online, Remote |
Launch Academy is a coding bootcamp that teaches students or “Launchers” fundamental programming skills through immersive teaching practices. With practical hands-on exercises, Launchers build real products that help prepare them for the job market.
The coding bootcamp offers a comprehensive learning experience that builds integral web development skills. The curriculum covers a wide range of programming languages, including JavaScript, React, HTML5, CSS3, and Ruby.
Is Launch Academy Worth It?
If you are interested in a career in software engineering, Launch Academy is worth it. This is because Launch Academy places a high emphasis on immersive learning. The school ensures students gain experience through hands-on projects, allowing them to make mistakes, and learn from them.
Launch Academy Job Placement
Launch Academy has a very high job placement rate. There is a strong emphasis on student-mentor relationships and a hands-on learning experience, ensuring the success of its students.
Graduates will also have access to hiring partners and networking events. And the post-grad kickoff provides further exposure for graduates, as well as an opportunity to showcase their skills and talent to potential hiring managers.
Does Launch Academy Offer a Job Guarantee?
No. Launch Academy does not offer a job placement guarantee. However, the school works hard to equip you with all the important skills needed to be successful in your career and provides the best instructors.
Launch Academy also offers post-grad support for six months after graduation. Graduates will have access to the academy’s learning management system. And graduates benefit from advanced skill-building projects, code reviews with instructors, and career guidance.
How Much Does Launch Academy Cost?
The Launch Academy bootcamp costs $17,500. There are a couple of different ways to pay for coding bootcamps, and below we review the methods that Launch Academy advertises.
How to Pay for Launch Academy: Scholarships and Loans
Launch Academy provides various financing options for students to help them cover the cost of tuition.
Scholarships
Launch Academy offers a $500 scholarship to women, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and members of the LGBTQ community. Military veterans in the tech industry are also eligible for the scholarship.
Additionally, students who are new to coding can qualify for a scholarship if they enroll in Launch Academy’s Pre-Flight Challenge.
Loan Financing
Skills Fund provides loan financing options to help students cover their fees. There are interest-only loans, immediate repayment loans, and 30-month and 60-month deferred payment options.
Launch Academy Locations
Launch Academy is located in Boston, Massachusetts. Its classes are currently remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launch Academy Courses
Launch Academy offers various courses to students a seeking career in software development. The school also offers pre-bootcamp courses that have been designed to prepare students for its main bootcamp.
Launch Academy Prep Courses
Launch Academy offers two prep courses. These courses help students prepare for the 10-week immersive learning of the bootcamp.
- Pre-Flight – The Pre-Flight course is designed for students who are not familiar with coding. This program provides extra practice for new students to prepare them for the challenges of bootcamp.
- Ignition – This is an 8-week pre-work program that focuses on foundational learning. Through a series of videos, exercises, and readings, Launchers can prepare themselves for the main course. Even if they have never written code before, students will learn the basics of JavaScript and Ruby.
Full Stack Development – Online
This full-stack web development course is a 10-week bootcamp designed to equip students with all the tools necessary to become a qualified software developer. The course will cover in-demand technologies and focus on the best practices in programming. Students will learn sought-after coding skills in JavaScript, React, HTML5, CSS3, and Ruby.
Launch Academy teaches students using the Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach. A key benefit of TDD is that it teaches focus and clarity to students who build with code. Not many coding bootcamps use this approach, making Launch Academy unique in this respect.
What Is the Launch Academy Schedule?
Launch Academy is a full-time immersive program. Students will build their coding skills during a 10-week rigorous bootcamp. The class schedule is Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Students will learn to code by reading code, doing code reviews, participating in competitions, collaborating with peers, and giving presentations.
The challenge-based curriculum is facilitated by a dedicated full-time staff, focused on delivering a collaborative learning experience for students.
Launch Academy’s career services team spends time with students to learn about their interests and backgrounds and helps them identify their career path. This gives students an edge in the field as they prepare to interview with top companies.
How to Get Accepted into Launch Academy
Launch Academy has a carefully crafted selection process, and only the top candidates are accepted in the web developer immersive program. A strong emphasis is placed on the interview phase as it will determine if you are a good fit for the program.
To be accepted into Launch Academy, you do not need any prior coding knowledge. However, a technical background can improve your chances of acceptance.
Launch Academy Acceptance Rate
Launch Academy does not publish its acceptance rate. Some previous estimates, however, have placed it in the range of 20 to 30 percent.
Application Process
The application process for Launch Academy is quite simple. It involves a written application followed by an interview.
- Fill out an online application form. You will need to provide basic information and answer a few open-ended questions.
- Admissions will contact you with the next steps.
- Prepare for your interview. Don’t forget to study up on common bootcamp interview questions.
- After your interview, you will find out if you were admitted into the program within a few business days.
Interview Questions
Launch Academy will schedule your interview via a Zoom video call. The interview can last up to 60 minutes and will cover both technical and behavioral questions. Below are some of the questions you should prepare for.
- The interviewer will be interested to learn more about you and your goals.
- The most important question you need to answer is why you want to learn to code, and what motivated you to decide to join a coding school.
- Part of the interview is a “Lightning Talk” where the interviewer will ask you to explain a certain subject you are passionate about. Through this exercise, the interviewer wants to gauge your ability to explain a subject clearly and succinctly.
- The last part of the interview is a logic exercise, which involves a series of multiple-choice questions. Through this exercise, the interviewer wants to determine how open you are to development and growth. This is also a chance to show the interviewer that you are not only passionate but are also a team player.
- The interview will also be your chance to learn about the program, so feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Is Launch Academy Right for You?
One of Launch Academy’s core principles is the desire to help students become their absolute best. The school strives to teach at a higher level than other bootcamps and expects a lot from its students.
With a focus on long-term goals rather than short-term, Launch Academy provides ongoing support to its graduates. The Career Kickoff is a great way for students to network with potential employers.
The Greater Boston Area is a hotspot for tech companies and more students are showing interest in gaining software development skills. Launch Academy prepares students for critical internships as well as full-time roles, teaching in-demand skills in Python, .NET, JavaScript, and Ruby.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the software development field is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2019 to 2029. In terms of salary potential, the Bureau lists the average salary for web developers at $107,510 per year, which comes out to about $51.69 per hour.
If you are an aspiring software developer who wants to get hands-on learning experience with high-end tools, this coding bootcamp might be the right fit for you.
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Anonymous
Launch Academy changed my life. It is what you look for in a boot camp. The instructors are super helpful, career services is great and helps you out even after you graduate, and the launch alumni is always trying to help one another. Before going to Launch I didn’t have a clear path for myself. I had a full time job but I wanted a career that was more rewarding and something that I could feel proud to be a part of. If you are setting your sights on becoming a software developer, I would highly recommend this course. Keep in mind this is no walk in the park. You must be 100% committed to the task at hand to truly succeed. If you are driven and passionate and ready to take the leap to jumpstart your career in the world of software development then Launch is for you.
June 13, 2020
Anonymous
Pros:
– Full support from staff throughout admissions, during the program itself, and post-graduation
– Informative staff with relevant industry experience and passion with many professional connections
– Small class size (~23 students)
– Budget friendly compared to a computer science degree
– Great location in the heart of Boston
– Positive atmosphere and safe space for all learning types
– Lots of support from alumni, including alumni network events hosted on-campus
– Emphasis on best practices in the industry, including technical and “soft” skills
– Access to hiring partners and other professional help through Career Services
– Constantly updating the curriculum to reflect needed skills in the field
I looked at other boot camps and felt that Launch Academy had the most human-friendly approach. They have created a boot camp that teaches the technical and problem-solving skills needed in a high-demand industry, yet have pinpointed the importance of collaboration, teamwork, and taking care of yourself with concerns of mental and physical health. As someone who came from a non-technical background, it felt daunting to come into a completely new world with completely new people. The staff at Launch Academy welcomed all of us with open arms and embraced us as individuals, while tailoring guidance to ensure that we are successful. Some of us needed more time than others, more support than others, and the staff took no hesitation to ensure that we understood the material.
Cons:
– Intensive material in a short period of time
This is very important for anyone who’s coming into a program like this: Boot camps like Launch Academy are designed to be short so there’s A LOT of information being taught. This may be particularly difficult for students who are new to programming in general, unfamiliar with time management and/or their own work style, and those who are not serious about finding a job in the industry post-graduation. This is not a program meant for the casual learner, but for someone who’s looking more for a career change. Due to the rigorous nature and short time, it’s also important to note that asking for help is CRITICAL. (This part in general isn’t a con about the program – More like a recommendation for those who are on the fence about programming boot camps.)
August 17, 2020
Anonymous
I attended Launch Academy in the fall of 2019 and have nothing but good things to say. My cohort learned Ruby on Rails and React.js over a period of 18 weeks, with the first 8 being part time off campus and the final 10 being full time on campus. The mentors/teachers at Launch were all very dedicated to my success and were extremely capable at communicating complex ideas in an understandable manner.
Additionally, Launch Academy has two full time staff members who run their Career Services department and who work very hard to make sure you get a job post graduation. They work with you on interview prep, resume writing, cover letter writing, and even help facilitate some initial meetings with companies that are currently hiring junior developers.
October 17, 2020
Anonymous
I went in to Launch Academy a little hesitant. I didn’t think a short 18 weeks would give me enough time to learn what I needed to land a web developer role. Turns out I was pretty wrong.
The first few months of ignition totally helped me get over those fears. I learned at a very rapid pace, and I quickly understood that Launch Academy’s style of teaching is very similar to how an actual developer job would be. I learned the basics of ruby, javascript, HTML, CSS, and principles of object oriented programming in the first 8 weeks. Those initial weeks really fostered a strong foundation for what I would need to know for the much more intense on campus portion. It is worth noting that ignition is tough, but some people were able to hold down part time jobs as they completed that experience. Ignition is also a great experience for total beginners, and it will provide a super strong foundation for what you’ll need to know for the on campus experience.
The on campus experience is much, much tougher than ignition and quite different. I would say the on campus portion was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. If you are considering Launch Academy, just know that the amount of work is no joke – you may even wish to consider somewhere else if you aren’t going to dedicate at least 60-70 hours of work per week for 10 weeks straight. With that said, the instructors were almost always available to assist in our learning experience even when they technically weren’t on the clock. And my cohort was a fantastic group of people, so I really, really enjoyed going in to the space every single day. I didn’t miss a single day.
When on campus, you’ll learn a lot more practical skills, like moreso the relationships between the things you learned in ignition and various frameworks that people use to make working with those languages more streamlined. You’ll also learn how databases work, specifically how information is stored in and access from them, and how they communicate with a Rails backend and React front end. You’ll of course learn React.js, Ruby on Rails, and how you can build a full stack application by the final two weeks of your cohort.
If all of this sounds promising and realistic to you, I say go for it! Attending Launch Academy has been one of the greatest descisions I’ve ever made and would do it 1000 times over.
Just a few weeks after graduation, I am happy to have landed a role at a small company in Boston with good pay, good benefits, and a similar code stack to what I learned at Launch. I couldn’t have done it without the amazing team at Launch Academy and my fellow launchers!
Special shoutouts to Dan, Nick, Pat, Cassie, Brianna, AmyLynn, Alex, and Corinne for making it all possible!!
November 15, 2020
Anonymous
I couldn’t recommend Launch Academy enough! This program really can get you where you want to go if you put in the work, and the team there are so compassionate, caring, and genuinely invested in your success. It is a difficult program, but well worth the investment. They have great connections, an amazing list of hiring partners, a robust alumni network, and will teach you both the hard and the soft skills of being a software engineer. I went in with really no technical background, and I got a job offer within a week of finishing the program 🙂
December 18, 2020