LaunchCode
LaunchCode Overview and Guide
LaunchCode is one of the few bootcamps that offers free tech training to eligible candidates. The 14-week full-time program doesn’t just offer tech training to students. It also has an apprenticeship program that prepares students to kick-start their careers in the tech industry. Many reviews online sing the praises of the coding bootcamps available at LaunchCode.
Workers can also opt for the 20-week part-time program which offers more flexibility by spreading out the courses. The coding bootcamp teaches students how to code in Python, JavaScript, and CSS. There is also extensive coverage of programming frameworks.
LaunchCode has an online bootcamp as part of its coding program and there are onsite locations as well. However, these locations are currently closed due to COVID-19. All classes at LaunchCode are online at this time.
What You Need to Know About LaunchCode
Unlike other free coding bootcamps that charge you later, LaunchCode is a nonprofit that is funded strictly by donations. There is no hidden tuition cost. Apprentices are trained in tech firms and helped to get full-time jobs on completion of their course.
- Cost: Full-Time: Free, Part-Time: Free, On-Demand: Free
- Schedules: Full-Time, Part-Time, Flex
- Courses Offered: Discovery, C101, CodeCamp, CoderGirl, LiftOff
- Upcoming Start Dates: Varies by course and location
LaunchCode Curriculums: What Can You Study?
Since LaunchCode has a reliable coding bootcamp, most courses are geared toward providing students with web development skills. There are three coding bootcamps and one employment prep program.
Discovery
LaunchCode Discovery is a prep course for students who don’t know the first thing about coding. It is an introduction to computer programming that covers the fundamentals of tech. It is a self-paced program that can last for four to eight weeks depending on how much time students commit per week.
It starts with a class about coding but students are also taught essential math and best study practices. To encourage inclusivity, the course is available at public libraries in St. Louis and Kansas City. You can apply for the LC101 right after you have completed the Discovery program.
LC101
LC101 is the code name for LaunchCode’s web development program for everyone. The course is divided into two units, JavaScript and Skill Track. The class covers front end web development using the JavaScript framework called Angular.
The Skill Track unit teaches proficiency in building full-stack applications with C# or Java. LC101 requires 20 hours of commitment weekly but students are also required to devote some time to homework. The entire class lasts for about 20 weeks.
CodeCamp
This coding bootcamp is an immersive 14-week program for aspiring web developers. You will learn the same courses as students in the LC101 program since the goal is to turn students into web developers. The primary language in this program is JavaScript. The class sizes are smaller than the LC101 classes, allowing students to get more mentorship from instructors.
The instructors will assign individual and group projects. Students in this program automatically qualify for LaunchCode’s paid apprenticeship which almost certainly guarantees a full-time job.
GirlCode
GirlCode is a coding bootcamp at LaunchCode that is strictly for women in tech. The students are taught front-end web development skills and SQL, Java, and C#. Students also learn data science, data analysis, and UX. Students get a salesforce class in addition to the tech skills. However, only women living in St. Louis can currently enroll in this program.
GirlCode has a mentorship program that goes beyond the 24- or 40-week training. On completion of the bootcamp, students remain members of a community of like-minded women in tech.
LiftOff
The LiftOff program is an employment prep course at LaunchCode that is strictly dedicated to career readiness. If you already know how to code, you can apply for this program. It doesn’t matter if you acquired the skills from LaunchCode or not. However, it is important to note that enrolling in the LaunchCode coding bootcamp will increase your chances of getting into LiftOff.
The program runs for eight weeks and it prepares students for tech jobs. Right after the program, students automatically qualify for the LaunchCode apprenticeship.
LaunchCode Campuses: Where Can You Study?
LaunchCode isn’t currently using any of its onsite locations because of the pandemic. However, it has three onsite campuses and one online.
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Kansas City
- New Arkansas
- Online
LaunchCode Schedules: When Can You Study?
Full-Time
The full-time program lasts for 14 weeks with a weekly commitment of 50 to 60 hours minus personal readings and home projects. It is not meant for beginners and only the most resilient students can keep up with the fast pace. The CodeCamp program is the only 14-hour full-time program at this time.
Part-Time
The part-time bootcamp lasts for 20 to 24 weeks. It requires weekly commitments of 20 hours with some extra hours outside the structured learning group. The LC101 and GirlCode coding bootcamps last for 20 to 24 weeks.
Flex
The flex or on-demand learning at LaunchCode is only available to beginners who opt for the Discovery program. The self-paced program is online and it could last for about four to eight weeks.
LaunchCode Tuition
LaunchCode is free so there is no tuition necessary. Yes, you read that right, you do not need to pay a dime.
LaunchCode Financing and Payment Options
LaunchCode is free so students don’t need to worry about financing and payment options. All you have to do is focus on proving yourself during the admissions process.
LaunchCode Admissions: How to Get In
The admissions process is quick and efficient. It starts with a simple 10-second assessment that helps you determine which program is most suitable for you, based on your unique circumstances.
LaunchCode Application
To apply for a bootcamp at LaunchCode, all you have to do is visit the website and click on the Get Started button. When you do, you will be redirected to another page for a 10-second assessment. You will find a checklist of options and a bracket to add your zip code.
If you do not have a high school diploma, you would be asked to get one or at least get a GED (General Educational Development Test) before you can start the program. Everything else will depend on your progress level. Those who have completed LaunchCode coding programs are asked to apply for the apprenticeship. You can subsequently register for the coding program of your choice.
LaunchCode Interview
After you have completed the registration process, sit back and wait for a representative to reach out to you. This process is quick and they will schedule an interview with you. So, make sure that you are prepared.
The interviewer will want to know more about you, your interest in coding, your experience (if you have any), and your career goals. It might be a free program but, just like any other bootcamp, LaunchCode wants to admit only the best students.
LaunchCode Admission Rate: What Are My Chances of Getting In?
LaunchCode does not publish its admission rate after every section. However, the school has a more fluid admissions process compared to many other bootcamps. Even if you don’t qualify for one course, you may qualify for something lower like the Discover program.
The more experienced you are with coding, the higher your chances of getting into the paid apprenticeship program. After the program, you will stand a strong chance of landing employment.
LaunchCode Outcomes: Will I Find a Job?
To increase your chances of getting a job, LaunchCode recommends that students register for the apprenticeship program after completing its coding courses. According to the official LaunchCode website, four out of every five students get jobs after the apprenticeship program.
If you excel during the program, getting a job isn’t going to be an issue. Some students have also progressed to teachers at the tech institute, training new students and preparing them for tech jobs. Others have found high-paying placements in big companies.
Job Placement Services at LaunchCode
LaunchCode has an excellent job assistance service. The entire program revolves around helping students develop professional tech skills and placing them in companies. These companies pay money to LaunchCode to tap into their talent pool for apprentices.
LaunchCode has a career mentorship program that prepares students for their future tech roles. After gaining experience from the paid apprenticeship, LaunchCode graduates get full-time, high-paying jobs in prestigious firms, including Fortune 500 companies.
Should You Apply to LaunchCode?
Yes, you should apply to LaunchCode if you are interested in launching a tech career. You do not need to pay any money for tuition and registration is free. After your apprenticeship, you can aim for jobs in companies like Emerson, Citi, AT&T, Nisa, MasterCard, Accenture, USbank, and a host of others.
- It is Free. Bootcamps are usually incredibly expensive as you probably already know. You will spend between $6,000 to $14,000 to pay for a bootcamp. Some programs even cost up to $20,000, especially when you choose a deferred payment option or loan financing that comes with interest.
- It Opens The Door to Opportunity: The coding bootcamp opens the door to a lot of opportunities and the fact that it is free doesn’t reduce your chances. You will master in-demand tech skills that will make you an indispensable worker in the industry when you get a job in tech.
- You Can Launch a Lifetime Career: The career readiness and job placement services at LaunchCode are amazing. The nonprofit program has support from industry leaders. Students will have networking opportunities and careers in technology that allow you to launch your career.
LaunchCode has an impressive track record. Over the years, the nonprofit has trained hundreds of people and helped them kickstart their tech careers.
Getting a job after the LaunchCode apprenticeship program is almost guaranteed. You will save money on tuition and you will not need to waste time trying to land a job on your own.
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3 Reviews
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Anonymous
I was a Massage Therapist. I found an editors list of the top 10 coding bootcamps from around the country. I did some online work for the number one rated, but ultimately chose LaunchCode, ninth rated, because it is completely free to students and it was local to me (Saint Louis.)
LC101, the introduction class, was HARD and you get out of it what you put in. If you don’t study enough and keep up you will get dropped, only about 70% of my class graduated.
Graduating doesn’t mean job placement, you have to take the skills you have learned and prove you can code projects to completion on your own. They recently added Liftoff (8 weeks), to help with that process, I am taking it and in week 3.
Additionally, once you apply and get into the Apprenticeship Program, you have to be able to prove to companies that your project and your communication skills are good enough to do whatever job they need you to do in the real world. I am the over-achieving type, I coded a project to completion while between Units 2 and 3 and applied to the apprenticeship program with it. Because there are so many people who got into the apprenticeship program before me that they are trying to place, it took them about 7 weeks to get back to me with my first: would you like us to send your resume to company X? email. Then it is up to company X if they want to interview you.
I, apparently, impressed my first company interviewer, but wasn’t offered a job. My second interviewer did offer me a job, and my third interviewer (within days of the second) seems to want to meet with other candidates. Additionally, I graduated on a Thursday, and I started to TA the following LC101 class the next Monday, at the time of writing this, that class is 3 of 20 weeks into their program. Yesterday, I decided to accept the offer from the second interview, I spent part of today doing the onboarding.
In general, the community and atmosphere at LaunchCode is amazing and they are super supportive and helpful, they have an online chatroom that is always busy answering questions, offering support, or just trying to make you laugh: Today in the chatroom: person 1: what if the cheese was shredded? person 2: then the answer would be grate!
The student to TA ratio is about 11 to 1, but the class size is generally somewhere in the 250-350 range, meaning that: if your TA or members of your TA group can’t answer the question, bounce it off one of the other 23 or more TA’s or post it in general chat seen by all. Someone gets back to you fast.
July 10, 2020
Anonymous
I’d considered getting into computer programming for a number of years, but couldn’t afford to go back to college for another degree that may or may not lead to a job, and I had a hard time staying focused when trying free, self-guided programs online. One of my partner’s former co-workers went through LaunchCode’s learning program and was ultimately placed in an apprenticeship, and recommended it highly to her when she mentioned that I’d been interested in programming. Initially I was pretty skeptical. How can a program offer free, no-strings-attached education to hundreds of students a year and be any good?
I realized later that the only way to do that is if your learning program is actually EXTREMELY good. My LaunchCode experience was filled with excited students, talented teachers, and supportive staff. They taught me everything I needed to know to become a web developer, provided resume and job interview support, and introduced me to a community of learners and developers who could serve as support in my job search. I and several of my friends (as well as many of the people I’ve met through LaunchCode) have gotten new careers in technology as a result of LaunchCode’s entirely free programs.
The thing I’ve realized most through my interactions with LaunchCode is that they’re not some for-profit bootcamp or recruiting firm who is just looking to make some quick money or only help the best of the best. Everyone I’ve met who works at LaunchCode is working there because they really care about the organization’s mission and are determined to help anyone and everyone who is willing to put in the effort get their first programming job.
LaunchCode absolutely changed the lives of me and some of the most important people to me, and I cannot possibly recommend them enough.
September 3, 2020
Anonymous
I started LaunchCode in the summer of 2017, I was working a dead end food service job at the time and looking for a way out. LaunchCode’s LC101 course is one of the best I’ve seen, it’s in person, interactive, and most of all it is FREE! That being said I had to work hard in order to succeed and land a job. Everyone at LaunchCode is supportive and wants to succeed but it’s up to you to put in the effort.
I went from knowing only a little bit of HTML to a fully functioning application in Java in just a few months.
Since graduating LaunchCode I have worked for two companies as a software developer and doubled my salary. I am forever grateful for the free education and support that LaunchCode has provided me.
October 16, 2020