Code Fellows Review and Guide

If you are searching for a coding bootcamp to help prepare you for a career in the tech industry, this Code Fellows review is a great place to start. With courses designed to prepare you for careers in software development and cyber security, Code Fellows is a great bootcamp to attend for any aspiring tech professional.

Code Fellows offers a menu of programs, financing options, and even career coaching services. Many Code Fellows graduates find jobs in major tech companies during their post-graduation job search. In this review, we give you all the information you’ll need to decide whether Code Fellows is the right bootcamp for you.

What You Need to Know About Code Fellows

Code Fellows is an awesome and relatively affordable coding bootcamp. It offers a range of options for the courses and learning schedules, making it easy for anyone to attend.

• Cost: $99 to $12,000 per class, approximately $23,100 for full course
• Schedules: Daytime, Nights & Weekends, Self-Paced
• Courses Offered: Software Development, Ops and Cybersecurity
• Upcoming Start Dates: Varies by course and location

Code Fellows Curricula: What Can You Study?

Code Fellows offers two different fields of study: software development and ops and cyber security. Both areas of study consist of programs that are tailored to your level of expertise. Each program is further divided into courses.

The programs are designed to be taken in sequence, serving as a prerequisite to one another. That is, you can’t advance to a higher-level program without taking the one before it, except if you test into the program. The more programs you complete, the deeper your understanding of the field gets and the more skills you earn.

Software Development

The software development program consists of five programs, which can be alternatively called by their program codes. These are the Beginner (100), the Foundations (200), the Intermediate (300), the Advanced (400), and the Continuing Education (500). Taken in sequence, these programs are designed to transform you into a professional software developer.

The Beginner’s program consists of Codes 101 and 102. Code 101 is a one-day workshop that gives you a peek into software development, specifically on the relevance of HTML and CSS and the career paths within the field. If you find yourself wanting to learn more after the workshop, sign up for Code 102, a week-long introductory course to software development.

Code 201 (Foundations of Software Development) and Code 301 (Intermediate Software Development) teaches you the foundations of software development. You’ll learn how to code in languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as learn about data structures.

The Advanced (Code 400) program comes with five Code 401 courses that you can choose from depending on a specific skill that you wish to train for. You can choose to specialize in advanced software development in full-stack JavaScript, Java, Python, or ASP.Net Core to name a few.

Lastly, the Continuing Education (Code 500) program offers eight Code 501 courses designed for working professionals looking to upskill. Code 501 (Intro to Data Structures and Algorithms) is the only Code 501 course that is followed by a Code 502 course, titled the Master Data Structures and Algorithms.

Ops and Cybersecurity

The Ops and Cybersecurity program follows a very similar path as the software development program. However, this one helps prepare students for careers in IT support, network operations, and systems administration. It also does not offer a Continuing Education (Code 500) program. The classes you will take are Ops 101, Ops 102, Ops 201, Ops 301, and Ops 401.

Ops 101 is a one-day workshop that demonstrates what it is like to work in this field. Ops 102 (Intro to Computer Operations) teaches you the basics of ops and cyber security, focusing primarily on how to configure and work with computers.

Ops 201 (Foundations of Computer Operations) and Ops 301 (Networking and Systems Administration) are the more intermediate-level classes. In these two, you will learn about IT support operations and how to solve common technological issues.

You will also get to practice using and resolving issues in different operating systems such as Windows and Linux. By the end of Ops 301, you should be able to do a lot of the work systems administrators do.

Finally, Ops 401 (Cybersecurity Engineering) develops your skills in performing cyber operations. You’ll learn how to conduct risk assessment and management and finish off with a full penetration test.

Code Fellows Campuses: Where Can You Study?

Code Fellows only has two locations, with one of them being onsite. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Code Fellows temporarily moved all of its instruction online.

• Seattle
• Remote

Code Fellows Schedules: When Can You Study?

Daytime

The daytime program schedule is an awesome option for anyone who wants the feel of working a full-time job. As long as you don’t have anything going on between 8:30am and 6pm, you will be good to go. This schedule requires you to be in class for a full nine hours, five days a week, for approximately four to 10 weeks per program.

Nights and Weekends

The nights and evenings schedule is the best option for those who work during the day, or simply prefer studying in the evenings. You will spend four days a week in class from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, and on Saturdays, you will be in class from 9am to 6pm. Because the classes are shorter, this schedule typically takes a bit longer to finish. Nonetheless, it is a good option for those with busier schedules.

Self-Paced

Code Fellows offers several self-paced class options, which are completely online and allow you to study when you have the time and energy to do so. This option is fantastic for anyone who works full-time or simply cannot get away for an entire day at a time. Unfortunately, it is typically only the beginner-level programs that come with a self-paced format.

Code Fellows Tuition

Completing a full deck of programs, from the beginner’s to the advanced level, costs roughly $23,100. You can also enroll in the programs independently, and spend anywhere between $99 and $12,000 per program.

While these are much cheaper than a four-year college education, they can still be quite expensive to some. Luckily, the bootcamp offers different ways to finance your tuition.\

Code Fellows Financing and Payment Options

• Upfront Payment. The most straightforward way to pay your tuition at Code Fellows is through an upfront payment. This means you would pay the entire cost of your tuition upon registration for the programs.
• Income Share Agreement (ISA). Income share agreements, or ISAs, are becoming a very popular form of payment at coding bootcamps. This financing option allows students to pay only a deposit to complete the program, and then pay the rest of the tuition once they have found a job that pays above a specified income threshold.
• Private Loans. Code Fellows has partnered with Climb Credit and Skills Fund to help students more easily finance their tuition. Apply for either of these loan providers for interest rates below 10 percent and loans as low as $3,000.
• Deferred Tuition. The deferred tuition option allows you to make no payments at all until three months after you graduate from the bootcamp. Then, you will begin making monthly payments until you fulfill your obligation.
• Interest-Only Payments. Described as one of Code Fellows’ most affordable payment plans, the interest-only payment option allows you to make low interest-only monthly payments during the program and three months post-program. After this, you start making full payments.
• GI Bill & Scholarships. Code Fellows allows veterans to use their benefits through the GI Bill. Students are also encouraged to apply to one or more of the scholarships available through the school’s scholarship fund.
• Course Bundle Discount. If you plan to take all the programs in your chosen field of study, contact one of Code Fellows’ advisors about the course bundle discount. This allows you to bundle all of the individual classes into one cost and saves you a bit of money.

Code Fellows Admissions: How to Get In

Code Fellows is a relatively easy coding bootcamp to be accepted into. The application and interview processes are quick, especially in comparison to other coding bootcamps. The entire process is built around ensuring student success.

Code Fellows Application

The first thing to do when applying to Code Fellows is to contact an advisor with the name of the program and course you want to enroll in, as well as the schedule you prefer and the start dates you are considering. You will then be contacted for a phone interview, which typically lasts between 15 and 30 minutes.

After the phone interview, you will be asked to complete an entrance test. This test is designed to measure your abilities in the program’s study areas and help determine if you are a good candidate for the program. Once you complete this test, you will be contacted for a technical interview to discuss the entrance test. You will then be notified if you are accepted or not.

Code Fellows Interview

In this first interview, you will be answering very general questions about yourself. The interviewer will likely want to know about your background, how you got into coding or cyber security, what previous experience you have, and what your career goals are. They may also ask why you chose Code Fellows and what you hope to gain from your chosen program(s).

The technical interview gets a bit more difficult. You will likely be asked to explain any code you wrote and used for the entrance exam, and the interviewers will critique your work. Be prepared for questions about code stacks and basic knowledge of the program’s study areas, as well as your coding skill set.

Code Fellows Outcomes: Will I Find a Job?

Code Fellows reports an impressive job placement, with 93 percent of its graduates currently finding employment in the field of their studies. In fact, out of the 93 percent who are currently employed, 77 percent are salaried employees.

Job Placement Services at Code Fellows

To help students in their job search, Code Fellows offers an abundance of career services. In your classes, you will receive career coaching that covers everything from professional etiquette to networking and job readiness. After you graduate, you will have access to the Career Accelerator services, offering job search preparation services, mentors, mock interviews, and connections with hiring companies.

Should You Apply to Code Fellows?

Making a decision about which bootcamp to apply for can be difficult. While Code Fellows is a fantastic bootcamp, there are a few things to consider prior to applying.

• Programs Offered. If you are pursuing a career in software development, cybersecurity, or a related field, the programs offered at Code Fellows should be more than enough to help you find a job.
  However, if you are pursuing a career such as becoming a machine learning engineer or technical project management, consider applying for bootcamps with a dedicated program for these fields.
• Locations. Though there is an onsite location in Seattle, it is currently closed due to COVID-19. While Code Fellows hopes to begin in-person learning again soon, there is no definitive date for when this may begin. If you are unsure of your ability to learn in a virtual environment, this may not be the best option for you.
• Program Schedules. All of the schedules at Code Fellows require a lot of your undivided attention. If you work a full-time job or have kids to care for, gauge whether you can commit to the intensive learning hours that coding bootcamp requires.

Ultimately, the decision comes down to you. Are you pursuing a career in cyber security or software development? Can you learn in an online environment? Do you have the time to spare for learning?

If you stumbled on one question, don’t fret. There are plenty of other bootcamps to explore, from data science bootcamps to web development bootcamps. But if you answered yes to all three, then consider enrolling in Code Fellows.