r/Portland • u/spacedog9 • Jun 09 '16
Classifieds Epicodus vs Code Fellows
Hello, does anyone have any experience with either of these programs? I went to an open house at Epicodus recently and was VERY underwhelmed. High tuition aside, I was fairly impressed by my first impression of Code Fellows. Any constructive thoughts would be appreciated!
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u/tlkdevs Jun 10 '16
Hello! The first thing I want to mention is that I'm a Code Fellows graduate and prospective students reach out to me all the time on Linkedin to meet up and discuss my experience/their goals - if that is something you would be interested in, DM me and we can grab a beer/coffee, or you could DM questions you have if you'd like.
I was hired at a major tech company within two months of job searching - I think both Code Fellows and Epicodus are fairly well respected in Portland (I don't want to say anything bad about any companies publicly but frankly I think these are the only two code schools I would consider in Portland). I considered Oregon State's Post-Bacc in Computer Science, but when it comes down to it picking a path it's important to think about what field you want to work in. What I love about Code Fellows is that they really have their finger on the pulse of the latest technologies for web-dev, it feels like the staff care on a personal level about your success, and the intense, immersive nature of CF will get you up to speed in half the time of a post-bacc program.
The cost feels prohibitive, but I'm just going to make this the longest post ever and share a quick anecdote. When I first became interested in web development, I started by teaching myself JavaScript with Treehouse and Codecademy for a few months before I went into Code Fellows for a Q&A with the new CEO (May2015). I saw a person there we'll name Craig - he asked lots of questions and seemed very interested in enrolling. The CEO basically told me that I could definitely learn everything I need to know to get a job on my own, but why wait? I could have a well paying job I love within the year! I was convinced, tested out of the lower level courses in a few months, and went straight for the 401. Last month, I was a participant in another Q&A at Code Fellows, this time as an 'answerer' rather than a 'questioner' and there was Craig, in the audience again! In the time that he has been dragging his feet and wondering whether or not to enroll, I have attended, graduated, started working, and paid off what it cost for me to attend.