What is Codeup's Application Process?

Curious about the application process? Wondering why you need to apply so far in advance? You’ve come to the right blog post! From pre-work to technical assessments, to financial aid and interviews, there are a number of reasons you need to apply 1-2 months ahead of your start date. To explain Codeup's application process, let’s start by working backward.

Web Development & Data Science

Note: The tilde (squiggly) means “approximately”.

Pre-work (~1 month)

After being accepted, every incoming student is given a set of pre-work to do to familiarize themselves with some coding basics. You won’t be expected to have everything memorized, but some exposure will be required for you to hit the ground running on your first week of class. Many have likened our bootcamp to drinking out of a firehose- there’s a lot of ground to cover in 5 months! Completing the pre-work is the best gift you can give yourself in order to soften the blow. Take the start date you are considering, and subtract a month. You should be accepted by that date in order to finish the prework.

Tuition Planning (~1 month, concurrent with pre-work)

Once you’re accepted, you’ll meet with our Financial Aid and Enrollment Manager to discuss your financial aid options. She’s also Codeup’s School Certifying Official for VA Benefits, which take roughly 2 weeks to be processed. Scholarships are awarded about 2 weeks before the first class day, so you will need to have applied for any scholarships before then. Grants can range from 2-8 weeks to be processed and secured, but usually take about a month. You will need to be accepted before applying for grants. The tuition process is finalized in the month leading up to the start date, while you’re also working on prework.

Behavioral Interview (~30 min)

Think of this as a casual job interview. We want to make sure you are culturally and behaviorally cut out for Codeup. The intensity and rigor is not for everyone. In this step of the application process, we’re looking for motivated, positive, hard-working, and dedicated character traits. Bonus points if you read our blog post about tips for nailing a video interview!

Technical Assessments (~1-2 weeks for Web Development, ~1-4 weeks for Data Science)

For Web Development, we will give a couple of technical assessments to test your problem-solving skills. They are not necessarily pass/fail tests, but rather, they help us see how we can best prepare you for class. Those who do not do well on the first challenge have additional opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills. We want to be sure you are set up for success in class! For Data Science, the technical assessments may take much longer as there are more prerequisites, but it varies from person to person. We require a basic level of Python, math, and stats prior to being accepted. How well versed you are in those subjects determines how long this process takes. Could be a week if you were a math major in college, could be months if you’ve never heard of Applied Statistics. Plenty of our students knew nothing about stats or Python before applying but worked through our recommended resources (tutorials and workshops) in order to get to the level they need to be on. Don’t count yourself out! But do be realistic about how long it will take you to learn. If you were to apply for our Data Science program a couple weeks before class starts, knowing nothing about Python or stats, our Admissions Manager will be happy to provide all the necessary resources you need for a future start date, but you may not be qualified in time for the next class start, considering you’d also have to finish pre-work in that limited time. For both programs, we have weekly study sessions with our Teaching Assistants to help you with any material that’s causing you trouble!

Campus Visit (~1 hour, same week as application)

We may be virtual right now, but we’re still doing virtual campus visits! You can think of this as a program overview. We’ll discuss the admissions process, the curriculum, the schedule, how things are looking now that we’re remote, and any questions you might have.

Phone Call (~15-30 minutes, same week as application)

You can think of this as an initial admissions consultation or phone interview, but really we’re just making sure it’s the right fit! Some people think applying for Codeup means getting paid to learn to code, some people think we teach medical coding. This call is just to introduce ourselves, make sure you’re crystal clear on what Codeup is (a full-time career accelerator that trains and places data scientists and software developers), and to answer any questions you might have.

Application (<5 minutes)

The first step in your application process is your application! It’s basically just sending us your name and contact info so we can get the ball rolling on making you a Data Scientist or Software Developer! How exciting!Now, are you pumped to begin your own application process and experience all this in action? You can fill out your super quick application here. Our (helpful and friendly) Admissions team will be in touch ASAP to help you change careers. Even if you’re not sure if Codeup is right for you, we can help you work through your doubts and hesitancies in your initial phone call. With an Admissions Manager as your guide, our Teaching Assistants as your personal tutors, and our Financial Aid and Enrollment Manager as your tuition planning assistant, you’ll never have to go at this alone! Apply now!