SpringboardReviews of springboard.com

tl;dr The software engineering career track is designed to help grads land great developer jobs (anywhere in the full stack) with great companies and while the program is brand new (I'm in the first cohort of students), I am very confident I'll achieve this outcome. INITIAL IMPRESSIONS I picked this program versus all the other bootcamps for three main reasons: 1) It was remote and fully-online and self-paced, 2) it offered WAY more material than most of the popular but shorter bootcamps, and 3) Springboard has a proven track record of helping students land amazing jobs in their other programs. When I actually began the course, I was very skeptical that I could land a $100k job by the time I was done. I haven't finished yet, but I am far enough into the program and have done enough career research to know that as long as I'm a capable developer, I'll get that job. Also, it is worth noting I got to see the very beginnings of this software engineering program as I am part of the first cohort of students in this program. And, in full transparency, there have been a lot of issues and rough patches during this deployment. However, I have also witnessed stakeholders in this program (Springboard staff, Rithm School staff, Colt Steele, etc.) approach these bumps in the road with an open mind and commitment to fix them. Everything still isn't perfect (although 90% of the specific issues have been ironed out) but Springboard has absolutely demonstrated that they are a learning organization who is really committed to their students' experiences. CURRICULUM I am new to development so I don't have a deep well of experience to draw from but I can say —without a doubt— that this program is very tough but effective... it requires real work! I've seen several experienced developers start the boot camp and immediately start complaining about what they are learning or not learning... if they are so experienced, why don't they already have a great job in the industry? I have worked through the majority of the curriculum at this point and have seen how the material builds and builds and also teaches you how to learn, which is a hugely important skill in the industry. The curriculum is top-notch and all custom written by Colt Steele, Rithm School, and Springboard. It is a lot... these are not Udemy videos that you can binge watch in a weekend... they have real substance. MENTOR The mentor experience in this program specifically is still brand-new and has worked out well for me. Some other students have complained about a mismatch with their mentor but Springboard switched them to someone they were more compatible with. For me, there is a lot of value in being able to pick the brain of a successful software engineer on a weekly basis. They are there for tech help (both big picture stuff and small details) like how to best structure a large program or implement an agile methodology... and they also can answer career related questions like, "how can I best package myself and my background for a career pivot into software engineering?" That is a valuable offering and is up to the student to ask for what's valuable to them. TA / TEACHING ASSISTANTS / TECH HELP Springboard offers real-time help when I'm stuck on a coding problem. Because this course is remote and self-paced, there is the opportunity to feel stupid, alone, and hopeless when you're stuck on a problem. Fortunately, the Slack community is very active and people literally line up to help you get unstuck. Also, Springboard provides staff TAs who work during the days and evenings... you can chat with them, email with them, and I've even used Zoom and Skype to actually discuss these issues in real-time... this really helps this course compete with an in-person bootcamp and while the experience isn't the exact same, Springboard is doing everything they can to make things more effective in this area. I've hit my character limit so I close with an honest, wholehearted encouragement: do it.

The mentor and coach are responsive and always helpful

The Data Analytics Career Track is both engaging and rigorous, and the guidance of my mentor, Sandeep Singh, propelled me to deeper understanding and achievement. The career counselors and the Slack community are also major strengths of this program. And it will only get better as the program is refined in the short term.

Great experience so far! The material is well presented, and the assessments are challenging and push you to improve your skills. Resources are readily available as well, from the TAs, to Katherine, and career coaches. One of the best decisions when I enrolled for Springboard :)

I would review the capstone project approach. Expectations and requirements. What students can do and cannot. Just better to clarify milestones and better to communicate regarding the project's choice. I am as a student have brilliant ideas but I do not know if ideas I have passion for are feasible I only assume. This is very important to decide which one idea is good to do the job.

I am having a wonderful journey learning through Springboard. Student Advisor, Mentors, Responsive mentors in the Slack channel, everything are top notch. A sincere effort from every one in the team is visible. Especially the weekly mentor calls with Wayne (my mentor) are very helpful. Chris and Nelson are always ready to answer any of our question posted in the Slack. Student Advisor, Sophie is very responsive to everything. Curriculum is designed in a great way....A complete package... Thank you so much for all your efforts in making our learning experience great.

Springboard is very responsive and helpful in all aspect of the learning experience.

I love the program but keep in mind that it is very intense. I have a pretty consuming full-time job and it can be challenging to balance both. The team has always been super supportive. We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and they’ve been very flexible with scheduling. The mentorship aspect is the biggest plus for me!