Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of web developers and software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my review of 4Geeks Academy.
- What does 4Geeks Academy do?
- Who is 4Geeks Academy for?
- What does 4Geeks Academy cost? How much work is involved?
- Ratings and reviews
- Alternatives to 4Geeks Academy
- How does 4Geeks Academy compare to Pathrise?
What does 4Geeks Academy do?
4Geeks Academy is a coding bootcamp for aspiring software engineers. They offer full-time and part-time courses at their Miami campus and campuses outside the United States. Due to Covid-19, all courses are also available remotely, allowing students to attend live classes with 1-on-1 support from anywhere.
Before starting a software engineering bootcamp, students must complete 2 weeks of self-paced, online pre-work. Topics include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other software fundamentals.
The full-time, 9-week full-stack development course meets from 8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday-Friday. The part-time, 16-week full-stack development course meets 3 days a week, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. All students participate in lectures, discussions, coding projects, and other hands-on activities. Students also have access to 1-on-1 mentoring and classes with a low 1:7 instructor to student ratio.
The full-stack software development courses teach students the necessary skills to land a job as a software engineer. Students learn to work with HTML, JavaScript, React, Webpack, Python, Django, Mongo, and other web fundamentals. The curriculum also includes web architecture, AJAX, APIs, GET, Client vs Server dynamics, data mastery, and more.
The full-time program offers career services. The curriculum includes interview prep, weekly 1-on-1 meeting with mentors, and help with their portfolios. Full-time students get to network with hiring partners including Boats Group, Razz Interactive, BOD, and more.
A 2-week introduction to coding course is also available. This class teaches students fundamental software skills. They build small websites and learn coding fundamentals like loops, conditionals, algorithms, and more. As of August 2020, free online introductory courses are also being offered to give students a taste of their paid programs.
Who is 4Geeks Academy for?
People who have little to no experience in coding and are looking to develop the necessary skills to land a job as a software engineer could benefit from the bootcamp. The program is especially helpful for people who are based in Miami, students interested in traveling outside the United States, and those who value project-based learning with lots of instructor attention.
What does 4Geeks Academy cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition is $9,499 for the full-time software development course. The part-time software development course costs $7,499. Students who enroll in the 2-week introductory to code course pay $400. As of August 2020, new introductory coding courses are also being offered for free in response to Covid-19.
Students can finance their tuition through Climb Credit, Quotanda, and SkillsFund. Interest rates and loan terms depend on an applicant’s previous credit history. A $3,000 scholarship is available for students directly affected by Covid-19. 4Geeks Academy also partners with the Lesbians in Tech program to offer full-ride scholarships to two select students.
The admission process begins with a brief online application. Select students are invited to a behavioral interview. Unlike many other tech bootcamps, students do not need any coding experience before applying.
Ratings and reviews
Reviews for 4Geeks Academy are mostly positive. They hold a 4.4/5 star rating on Career Karma and are rated 4.68/5 stars on Course Report. Graduates praised the program for its practical curriculum and positive environment but had mixed feelings about job placement.
One of the top reviews on CourseReport enjoyed the course’s passionate instructors and learning atmosphere, remarking “the mentors were so helpful and the entire course was very personal.” She also felt “The teachers were dedicated” and that overall it was an “excellent experience.” Another reviewer was impressed with the curriculum, raving “the amount of knowledge and tips based on real-world experience is something I cherish immensely.” However, the grad only rated job placement 3/5 stars.
On Career Karma, reviewers appreciated the dedicated instructors, curriculum, and positive atmosphere. One student felt “their communication and accessibility are what every student needs in learning.” Another grad liked that students get so much 1-on-1 help, commenting that “the instructors were incredible, they knew what they were teaching” and that the teaching assistants were always “there to help you reach your goal.” However, the grad was concerned by job placement, describing the program as “lacking in job support” and that “there is no real guidance on the search for a job or even how to better approach the interviews.” Job placement is only rated 72/100 overall.
The course holds a 4.8/5 star rating on SwitchUp, where graduates were impressed with the passionate instructors and in-depth curriculum. One person valued the 1-on-1 mentorship and support, describing the courses as “perfect for an entry-level coder because of the small classes and the one on one interactions with the instructors.” Another reviewer loved the welcoming atmosphere, remarking “the staff is great, they always want you to feel like home.” One student appreciated that “instructors and TAs will help you in a blink”, but only rated job placement 3/5 stars. Overall, however, graduates were impressed by the course’s practical curriculum, 1-on-1 support, and the tech skills they took away from the program.
Alternatives to 4Geeks Academy
If you decide not to enroll in 4Geeks Academy, there are a number of alternative bootcamps and online resources that can help aspiring software engineers.
- The well-known bootcamp General Assembly offers full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on software engineering, data science, UX design, digital marketing, product management, and more. Like 4Geeks Academy, General Assembly has a campus in Miami. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- The popular Fullstack Academy bootcamp has part-time and full-time software programs for aspiring software engineers. Like 4Geeks Academy, Fullstack Academy is known for its project-based learning.
- Hack Reactor and Flatiron School are both software engineering bootcamps with remote and in-person options.
- Similarly, Lambda School is a software engineering bootcamps renowned for its full-time, hands-on program. They offer an income share agreement (ISA), allowing students to pay after they land a tech job.
- Similarly, Thinkful and Holberton School also provide ISA financing options. They have tracks in software engineering,UX/UI design and more.
- The tech bootcamp Kenzie Academy offers in-person and online courses in software engineering & UX design and front-end engineering. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Covalence and Galvanize have full-time and part-time courses for aspiring software engineers.
- Those interested in learning software engineering online can check out Springboard, an online learning platform that offers career tracks with job guarantees in software engineering and other topics. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
- Students on a budget can check out Codecademy and W3Schools. These free online learning tools offer self-paced courses on software engineering, data science, and dozens of programming languages.
- The online learning platforms Udemy and Coursera host thousands of online videos in a wide range of tech subjects.
- Similarly, Udacity is another online learning resource with courses in software engineering, design, and data science, as well as other topics like product management. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
How does 4Geeks Academy compare to Pathrise?
4Geeks Academy is a bootcamp for people interested in learning the skills needed to become a software engineer. While a passion for tech is recommended, most students start the program with no coding experience. At Pathrise, job-seekers should already have a background in their chosen field so that they benefit fully from our technical interview prep and pair programming sessions.
Our experienced mentors work with fellows on each step of their job search, teaching them lifelong skills so they can find a great job. Fellows in our program work on optimizing their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, building their portfolios, preparing for interviews, negotiating salaries, and much more.
The Pathrise curriculum is tailored to each fellow’s individual needs. We offer a flexible program, with only 4 hours of group sessions per week and 1-on-1s that can be scheduled as needed. Pathrise’s income share agreement (ISA) is 9% of the first year’s salary. We never require deposits or upfront payments.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech through 1-on-1 mentoring and training. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to optimize your job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
