Hack Reactor

Hack Reactor is a 12-week software engineering Coding Bootcamp ^[2] education program originally founded in San Francisco by Anthony Phillips, Shawn Drost, Marcus Phillips, and Douglas Calhoun in 2012.^[3]

Cofounder Drost has described the program as, "optimized for people who want to be software engineers as their main, day-to-day work. Their life's work."^[1] The curriculum focuses on JavaScript and associated technologies including the MEAN stack, React and Backbone.^[4][5]

In 2015 Hack Reactor acquired Austin-based MakerSquare as "their first deal in a plan to develop a network of coding bootcamps" in an effort to "make a large dent in transforming the old education system into one that focuses on student outcomes."^[6] The following month, a pair of Hack Reactor alumni partnered with the company to open Telegraph Academy "to teach software engineering to under-represented minorities" and create a "growing community of diverse software engineers."^[7][8]

Admissions process

Hack Reactor’s admissions process consists of a simple coding challenge, followed by a technical interview. The coding challenge focuses on basic JavaScript concepts, such as objects, arrays and functions. The technical interview is more involved and tests both technical skills and soft skills, such as the student’s willingness and ability to learn.

The admissions standard has been described as "highly selective, only accepting ten to fifteen percent of applicants for each cohort."^[3] Though most applicants who do not pass the first admission interview are encouraged to try again when they feel they are better prepared.^[9]

Hack Reactor has created financial partnerships with Pave and Climb Credit and to assist students with paying tuition.^[10] As of 2016, WeFinance and Reactor Core (Hack Reactor's parent company) have launched a platform that allows anyone to lend to incoming students.^[11]

Course Structure

Accepted students are assigned pre-course work, which takes "at least 50-80 hours" and is due prior to the start of their cohort.^[12]

Hack Reactor’s course is 12 weeks long. During the first half of the program, students work in pairs on two-day “sprints.” Pair and group work helps teach communication and collaboration skills. During this part of the course, the day typically starts with a “toy problem,” which is a programming challenge designed to illustrate core concepts.^[13] This is followed by a lecture in which the instructor frequently checks in with students to assess how well they understand the material.^[13] The JavaScript tools and technologies taught at Hack Reactor include Angular, Node, MongoDB, Express, React, Backbone and ES6.^[5][12] The goal of this part of the course is for students to become “autonomous learners and programmers.”^[14]

The second half of the course focuses on projects. Students complete “increasingly elaborate” coding projects of their own design, using whatever languages and frameworks they choose. Students often adopt technologies not taught in the course using “fundamentals and self-teaching methods” taught in the first-half of the course.^[15]

Student Outcomes

Hack Reactor tracks and records its student outcomes under the Standard Student Outcome Methodology (SSOM), a protocol released by Reactor Core. This methodology creates standardized systems for capturing data on student graduation rate, placement rate and average starting salary.^[16] The 2015 SSOM report stated that Hack Reactor has a 98% graduate placement rate and graduates have on average a $104,000 average starting salary.^[17]

Hack Reactor Remote

In July 2014, Hack Reactor launched an online program, Hack Reactor Remote Beta. This program has the same curriculum, course structure and teaching method as Hack Reactor’s onsite program. Students attend and participate in the lectures at the same time as the other students, work on the same assignments, and benefit from the same job search and placement resources as the onsite program.^[18] Hack Reactor Remote has a 95% placement rate, and graduates have a $94,000 average starting salary.^[19]

MakerSquare Acquisition

In January 2015, Hack Reactor acquired coding bootcamp MakerSquare, which had locations in Austin and San Francisco.^[20] MakerSquare has since expanded into Los Angeles and New York City.^[21][22]

MakerSquare has the same admissions process, hiring partner network, and the same curriculum with a few small modifications.^[12]

Social Responsibility

Code.7370

In collaboration with The Last Mile, Hack Reactor launched Code.7370, a coding program in San Quentin State Prison. Inmates have to apply to be a part of the program. Once accepted, they learn HTML, CSS, Python and JavaScript for 8 hours a day, 4 days a week.^[23] Hack Reactor instructors volunteered as teachers. In addition to class time students are also given time to work on personal projects.^[23] Because inmates are not permitted access to the internet, Code.7370 operates by a proprietary programming platform that simulates a normal web environment.^[24] The goal of Code.7370 is to reduce recidivism and help felons reenter the workforce.

ReBootKAMP

Hack Reactor helped launch ReBootKAMP, a coding bootcamp in Jordan that focuses on Syrian refugees.^[25] ReBootKAMP uses Hack Reactor’s curriculum, and received volunteer assistance from Hack Reactor staff and alumni.^[26] ReBootKAMP executives also received training on coding bootcamp best practices from Hack Reactor and Reactor Core.

See also

• Web Development
• MakerSquare

References

External links

• Official website
• Hack Reactor Interview Process