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 Savvy Coders.
- What does Savvy Coders do?
- Who is Savvy Coders for?
- What does Savvy Coders cost? How much work is involved?
- Ratings and reviews
- Alternatives to Savvy Coders
- How does Savvy Coders compare to Pathrise?
What does Savvy Coders do?
Savvy Coders is a bootcamp for people looking to learn the skills they need to launch a career as a front-end software developer. Their flagship bootcamp usually offers both remote and on-campus learning options in Chattanooga and Nashville (TN), as well as St. Louis. However, courses are currently exclusively online due to Covid-19.
The 12-week flagship course meets Monday through Thursday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Students learn to structure, build, and style web pages. The curriculum covers HTML, CSS, git, Github, and object oriented JavaScript. Students also work with underscore.js, JQuery, APIs, Node.js, MongoDB, Heroku, and even some UI and UX design. The curriculum even includes practical web topics like SEO, social media marketing, business finance, and business operations.
The bootcamp is instructor-led, usually held in a small virtual or in-person classroom with no more than 15 students. Classes include lectures and hands-on assignments as well as access to a community Slack channel. Students build web dev projects throughout the course, adding to their portfolio along the way. The course culminates in a Demo Day where students show off their capstone Single Page App (SPA) projects to recruiters and potential employers.
The course also includes job support. Students participate in career planning and job search workshops to help them post-graduation. Career coaches also work 1-on-1 with students on their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and interview techniques.
Who is Savvy Coders for?
If you are looking to transition into a front-end web development role but you have no experience, you could benefit from the bootcamp. The program is especially helpful for people seeking small class sizes as well as students based in Chattanooga, Nashville, or St. Louis.
What does Savvy Coders cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition is about $2,999 for their flagship web development bootcamp. Scholarships are available for students who live in the St. Louis or Chattanooga area. Students can also choose a monthly payment plan to cover tuition.
The admissions process begins with an online application. Students then move on to a final behavioral interview. While no prior coding experience is required, class sizes are still capped at only 15 students, which means admissions can be competitive.
Ratings and reviews
Reviews for Savvy Coders are mostly positive. The program holds a 4.83/5 star rating on Course Report, where grads praise the comprehensive curriculum and the supportive small class environment. One grad was impressed with the “condensed curriculum” that packed lots of key topics into each class. She also valued the personalized support, commenting that “instructors are SO helpful and really care about your goals.” However, the top review was more critical, describing the course as “too advanced for beginners.” The grad was also frustrated by how quickly they move through the curriculum. They warned that the “pace itself is flawed” with too much “cramming” and not enough “learning checks.”
The program is rated 4.8/5 stars on Switchup where it was listed among the best bootcamps of 2021. One student appreciated the support available in the small classes, satisfied that “I never had a question go unanswered.” The student also felt the instructors were “very knowledgeable” and that they “adapted well to the students’ learning styles.” The course also holds 4.5/5 stars on Indeed, where grads were impressed by the “hands-on-training” and “positive environment.” However, one grad was frustrated that the course “moves at an intense pace” and warned “don’t fall behind or it will be difficult to catch up.”
The bootcamp holds a perfect 5 star rating on Google Reviews, where students praised the positive environment and the career prep. One student described the course as an “excellent introduction to front-end web development” although they also mentioned that it was a little “fast-paced.” Overall, graduates were very satisfied by the course’s hands-on learning, comprehensive curriculum, and supportive small class environment. However, there were many grads who would have liked a more relaxed pace.
Alternatives to Savvy Coders
If you decide not to enroll in Savvy Coders, there are a number of alternative bootcamps and online resources that can help aspiring software developers.
- The popular bootcamp BrainStation offers programs in web development, web design, and many other tech subjects. Like Savvy Coders, BrainStation emphasizes project-based learning and collaboration with students and TAs.
- Aspiring software engineers and web developers can also consider CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp with mentoring. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- Students seeking an intensive online bootcamp can look into Lambda School. Their full-time web dev course is project-based with career coaching, industry mentoring, and even income share agreement (ISA) options.
- Similarly, Thinkful, Byte Academy, and Holberton School also provide ISA financing options. They have tracks in software engineering, web dev, UX/UI design and more.
- Another well-known bootcamp, General Assembly, offers full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on software engineering, UX design, digital marketing, and other tech subjects. Their program is hands-on with student mentoring and over 19,000 hiring partners.
- Bloc teaches online courses in web development and web design. The program emphasizes student support, with real-time instructor feedback and weekly 1-on-1 mentorship meetings.
- The full-time 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.
- Students on a budget can also check out Udemy, an online program hosting thousands of affordable self-paced video courses on web dev, cybersecurity, data analysis, and much more. Classes cost about $10 each.
- Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They offer free courses on front-end web development plus dozens of programming languages and even data science. They have membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for greater course options and more support.
- Similarly, Coursera is an online learning platform that hosts thousands of videos on tech topics like web dev and software engineering. Many of their courses come with university-branded certifications.
- Another online project-based learning program, Springboard has tracks in software engineering, UX/UI, and more. If students don’t land a great job within 6 months of graduating, they get a refund. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
- edX is another popular online learning platform with university courses. Their self-paced courses come from top schools like Harvard and MIT, and tech major companies like Microsoft. Students can choose to learn the fundamentals or focus on specific topics, like front-end web development. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Students seeking self-paced learning can also check out Udacity, an online resource with tracks in data science, web dev, UX, and more. Students work with a technical and career mentor while building a polished project portfolio. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
How does Savvy Coders compare to Pathrise?
Savvy Coders is a bootcamp for people who are interested in learning the skills to launch a career in software development. Their course is designed for complete beginners and for students who haven’t coded in a long while and want a refresher. Pathrise fellows should already have some experience in their chosen field to get the most out of the technical workshops.
While Savvy Coders teaches students key tech and job search skills, the program does not help graduates during the job search. Pathrise is a full service organization that helps with all phases of the job search, including resume & portfolio building, cold emailing & reverse recruiting strategies, behavioral interview preparation, salary negotiation, and more. Our experienced mentors have helped 1,000+ students and professionals land great tech jobs.
Pathrise is a flexible program. There are only 4 hours of group sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1s as needed. All of our sessions are both live and recorded, so fellows can review previous material at their own pace. Pathrise’s income share agreement (ISA) is 9% of the first year’s salary. Fellows in our program triple their application response rate and double their interview scores.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech through 1-on-1 mentoring. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to optimize your job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
