Skill Distillery

Skill Distillery Bootcamp Reviews and Complete Guide

Are you thinking about a career change to tech? You might be considering attending a bootcamp as a starting point. But how can you choose the right one? In this Skill Distillery review, we will cover everything you need to keep in mind, from scholarships to income share agreements and curriculum, to decide if Skill Distillery is worth it for you.

Skill Distillery is a coding bootcamp for people who want to become software engineers. Its programs teach students the skills they will need to start a career in tech. This bootcamp mainly focuses on front end web development and Java.

What Is Skill Distillery?

Skill Distillery is a coding bootcamp in Denver, Colorado. Its intensive programs last 16 weeks and follow a project-based curriculum. Like many other bootcamps, these programs are suitable for people with little to no coding experience. If you want to develop skills to land a web development or software engineering job, this bootcamp may be a good choice.

Programs are currently offered online due to COVID-19 restrictions. Students will have to devote at least 40 hours per week to study. At the end of the course, graduates of Skill Distillery will be ready to take the Java Oracle Certified Associate (OCA) exam and start a career as a full stack web developer.

Is Skill Distillery Worth It?

If you are looking for an immersive coding bootcamp in software or web development, then Skill Distillery is worth it. Although the program is just 16 weeks, students will have enough time to learn fundamental concepts through projects, lectures, and review sessions.

However, Skill Distillery only offers two courses. If you want to explore another area of tech, like data science, you’ll have to find another bootcamp. When it comes to web development and software engineering, Skill Distillery has you covered.

Skill Distillery Job Placement

This coding bootcamp reports that 92 percent of its graduates get jobs within three months of graduation. Many graduates are employed at top tech firms such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Accenture, and Genova Diagnostics. Other organizations that hire Skill Distillery graduates include Rocky Mountain Arsenal and iQNavigator.

Does Skill Distillery Offer a Job Guarantee?

Skill Distillery does not offer a job guarantee. However, the school’s curriculum will sufficiently train students for a tech career. The institution also holds job preparation workshops covering interview skills, resume writing, how to effectively search for jobs, and LinkedIn best practices.

How Much Does Skill Distillery Cost?

Skill Distillery’s two courses are priced differently. The Java Full-Stack bootcamp costs $19,950 for upfront payment, while the Web Development with Java course is $14,950.

Aside from tuition, students must also pay $245 for OCA exam fee. They are also responsible for procuring their own MacBook Pro to use during the course.

How to Pay for Skill Distillery: Scholarships, ISAs, Installments

Skill Distillery has many financing options to help students pay for their courses. Possibilities include income share agreements, scholarships, and installment payments.

Scholarships

Skill Distillery offers scholarships covering half of the tuition for students who cannot afford their program of choice. Interested students must first write a personal essay and attend an interview. Then, they can apply for the scholarship.

ISAs

The coding bootcamp also offers an income share agreement. This means that students do not need to pay tuition until after they have secured a job that pays at least $50,000 per year. Students who select this option will then pay back 12.75 percent of their annual income for about three years.

Loans

Skill Distillery does not offer loans.

Installments

The coding school’s installment payment option starts with an initial deposit of $1,000. The remainder of the tuition balance must be paid by the start of the program.

GI Bill

As one of the best bootcamps for veterans, Skill Distillery accepts both the GI Bill and VET TEC. This means that qualified veterans or family members of veterans can receive full tuition coverage.

Skill Distillery Locations

Skill Distillery has only one location, which is in Denver, Colorado. With its classes having shifted online due to COVID-19, Skill Distillery now welcomes students from all over the world. That being said, if you’re interested in working for tech companies in San Francisco, New York, or elsewhere, you should check out coding bootcamps in those locations first.

Skill Distillery Courses

Skill Distillery has two courses in web development and software engineering, plus a short course on coding basics.

Skill Distillery Prep Courses

Even though students do not need coding experience to apply, Skill Distillery requires that students complete prep courses before starting their bootcamp.

This includes 40 to 60 hours of online work. The prep courses cover the basics of Java programming, Java libraries, object-oriented programming, and other software skills.

Web Development with Java – In-Person | Online

This program lasts 16 weeks, with classes held on weekdays. In it, students will attend lectures, participate in speaker events, group review sessions, and group programming exercises. The main focus of the course is lab work, hands-on programming, and coding projects.

At the end of the course, students will participate in a final project in which they will use their newly-acquired Java skills to develop a web application from scratch.

Full-Stack Java – In-Person | Online

This course covers object-oriented programming, Java, Java libraries, Spring, JSP, HTML, Spring MVC, SQL, CSS, Angular, JavaScript, and RESTful.

The teaching methods used include story-driven modeling, pair programming, and stand up exercises. Throughout the program, students will prepare for their Java OCA exam.

What Is the Skill Distillery Schedule?

This bootcamp has a limited schedule, only offering full-time courses.

Full-Time

Skill Distillery’s programs have always been intensive and full-time. Students need to devote at least 40 hours to study during the week as well as time to complete assignments on weekends. The coursework will be as time-consuming as a full-time job, and there is no optional part-time or self-paced schedule.

How to Get Accepted Into Skill Distillery

Skill Distillery is not easy to join. Each class is capped at 20 students, so the acceptance rate is quite low.

Still, you will be accepted if you meet the requirements and pass the interview. Dedicating time to learning coding basics before you apply will give you an edge.

Skill Distillery Acceptance Rate

Skill Distillery has not published its acceptance rate.

Application Process

Skill Distillery’s application process is simple. First, you will fill out an application form online, then complete an interview and a test. The process takes one week.

1. Visit the school’s website to fill out the application form, providing your basic information such as name, address, location, and veteran status. Ensure that you carefully fill in all the necessary information.
2. Candidates will then complete a behavioral interview. In this stage, interviewers will check whether you are a good match for the program by asking questions about your experiences.
3. The next step is a logic test. During this stage, interviewers expect applicants to answer questions on logical reasoning.
4. The school will contact successful students who they feel have the right personality and the determination to succeed.

Interview Questions

Skill Distillery only conducts one interview session per applicant. The admissions interviewers will ask questions related to the student’s technical skills, passion, motivation, and logical thinking to see whether they are a good fit for Skill Distillery.

Below are some questions you can expect to be asked during your Skill Distillery interview session.

• How do you handle challenges?
• How do you set goals?
• What are your goals when it comes to coding?
• What are your overall career goals?

Is Skill Distillery Right for You?

If you want an immersive coding bootcamp that focuses on web development and software engineering, Skill Distillery may be right for you. Now that its courses have gone online, you can join even if you’re not in Denver.

Around 92 percent of graduates from Skill Distillery find a job within three months, demonstrating its success. The coding bootcamp also offers need-based scholarships and income share agreements to make sure that those who are accepted will be able to afford tuition.

Class sizes at the school are small to promote one-on-one instruction and ensure that students are learning the skills they will need to land a job after graduation. Within a few weeks of finishing this bootcamp, you can expect to land a top job in tech.