Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now software engineering mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream job. Check out my review of Redwood Code Academy.
- What does Redwood Code Academy do?
- Who is Redwood Code Academy for?
- What does Redwood Code Academy cost?
- Ratings and reviews of Redwood Code Academy
- Alternatives to Redwood Code Academy
- How does Redwood Code Academy compare to Pathrise?
What does Redwood Code Academy do?
Redwood Code Academy is a bootcamp for aspiring software engineers. Students can choose between part-time or full-time options in Santa Ana, California. They’ve added a remote option due to Covid-19, allowing students to participate in live classes with 1-on-1 instruction from anywhere in the world.
Before starting the course, students complete self-paced pre-work covering the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Instructors are available virtually to answer questions and troubleshoot.
Students in the 12-week full-time software development bootcamp meet Monday-Friday from 9am to 6pm. The 24-week part-time program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm to 9:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 6pm. Students participate in lectures, programming challenges, group exercises, and workshops. Small class sizes allow for lots of personalized attention and students work 1-on-1 with mentors throughout the program.
The course teaches students how to build web apps using HTML, CSS, Javascript, ReactJS, C# .NET Core, Node.js, SQL, MongoDB, RESTful API, and more. The curriculum also includes the basics of mobile app development, desktop application coding, and cloud services. Students build polished portfolio projects throughout the course to help them land entry level software engineering jobs.
The last week of the bootcamp focuses on the job search. Students participate in resume workshops, build their portfolios, and optimize their online profiles. The job placement also includes mock phone screens and technical interview training.
Who is Redwood Code Academy for?
People with no experience in software engineering but are looking to move into this career path could benefit from Redwood Code Academy. The full-time program is especially helpful for people who are based in Santa Ana and for those interested in a fast-paced, intense learning experience.
What does Redwood Code Academy cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition for the full-time full stack software development course is $13,500. Students who enroll in the part-time course pay $11,000. They offer monthly payment plans and deferred options, allowing students to pay off the tuition in up to 5 years.
Students can also pay through Skills Fund loans. Rates and repayment plans depend on an applicant’s credit history. Scholarships are available to women and veterans.
The application process begins with a brief questionnaire. Next, candidates go on a campus visit with an industry mentor. Candidates can choose to schedule an individual technical assessment or attend a more beginner-friendly workshop. Finally, they have a final interview.
Ratings and reviews
Redwood Code Academy has mostly positive reviews. They hold a 4.55/5 star rating on Course Report and are rated 4.64/5 stars on Switchup. Graduates praise the program’s small class size, supportive atmosphere, and hands-on approach to learning, but some have mixed feelings about the job support.
The top reviewer on Course Report was impressed by the small class sizes and supportive environment. They described the instructors as “fantastic, they truly made my time at Redwood enjoyable.” The grad also appreciated the organized curriculum, raving “lessons were structured very well and the labs helped us further understand what we learned that day.” However, the reviewer was frustrated with the pace, warning “the bootcamp is VERY intensive. There is a lot of material to learn, and there is little time to digest all of it.”
In addition, the grad only rated the program’s job services 1/5 stars, saying “I do not feel professionally prepared for the real world” and “most job postings were links to online job postings.” Another grad agreed and was disappointed with the career services. She wished it had “been more hands-on” and felt “resume help should be in person and not over Slack.”
On Switchup, students described the program as having a “fast pace” with a “very good balanced curriculum.” Another grad valued the supportive community, commenting “The topics can be complex, but there’s a real feel of community where both instructors and fellow students help you out.” One student warns that there is “no job support” and “job opportunities were primarily researched and conducted by myself.” Overall, however, reviewers were satisfied by the program and the valuable software skills they learned.
Alternatives to Redwood Code Academy
If you decide not to enroll in Redwood Code Academy, there are a number of other bootcamps and courses that can help you learn the skills needed to launch a software engineering career.
- Aspiring software engineers can check out Kenzie Academy, a full-time tech bootcamp that offers in-person and remote courses in 2 tracks: front-end engineering and software engineering & UX design. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- One of the most popular bootcamps today is General Assembly, which offers full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics, including software engineering. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- A self-paced coding bootcamp with a full stack development track , CodeX Academy also includes career assistance and 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities like Redwood Code Academy. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- Coding Dojo is a good option for those looking to start a career in software engineering. Their courses focus on the fundamental skills needed to land an entry level job in tech.
- Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
- You can also check out Epicodus, which has online and on-site courses in Seattle and Portland.
- If you are looking to break into tech without coding, consider Bubble no-code bootcamps. Learn more about Bubble in our review.
- Merit America is a nonprofit that teaches tech sales and software engineering to people without college degrees.
More alternatives
- Students seeking small class sizes can also check out Rithm School. The bootcamp offers software engineering courses and has a reputation for low student-to-teacher ratios. People can also consider Holberton School and Byte Academy, which are software engineering bootcamps that provide income share agreement (ISA) financing options.
- The popular bootcamp Thinkful has tracks in software engineering, UX/UI design, and data science. They also offer ISA options.
- For students seeking lower-cost software engineering courses, Simplilearn, Treehouse, and Pluralsight could be worth pursuing. While they may not have the same level of instructor support as small class-size bootcamps like Redwood Code Academy, these programs offer a wide range of courses to learn essential skills for a career in tech.
- In addition, Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. They also offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
- Students on a budget can consider Udemy, which has thousands of affordable video courses on software engineering and data science, along with many other topics. Individual classes cost around $10 each.
- Similarly, Udacity and Springboard are online learning platforms that offer thousands of courses on software engineering, full stack web dev, and much more. Learn more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.
- Finally, edX is one of the largest online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
How does Redwood Code Academy compare to Pathrise?
Redwood Code Academy is a bootcamp for people interested in launching a software engineering career. While an interest in the industry is suggested, most Redwood Code Academy students join the program with no coding experience. Pathrise job-seekers should already have some background in their chosen field to prepare for the technical curriculum.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job. Our full-service program assists with all phases of the job search including portfolio and resume optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and salary negotiation.
Our program is flexible. There are only 4 hours of group sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1 sessions as needed. All sessions are recorded for fellows to review at their one pace. We offer an income share agreement (ISA) so the program is free until you start working at a job you love.
Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentoring and training sessions. With our help, fellows see their interview scores double and their application responses triple. If you want to work with our mentors to land your dream job, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
