Hack Reactor

Hack Reactor will exceed your expectations. You’ll become a solid software engineer, you’ll meet amazingly talented and empathic people who will be your best friends, and you’ll get an exceptional job searching support.

To put it simply I give my experience at Hack Reactor 5 stars because it was hands down the most straightforward, no-​nonsense, valuable and fun approach to objectified (i.e employment) learning that I have ever encountered. HR has done more for me than any other educational program or school. I am very grateful and I am also touched that they saw my worth when no one else did or cared to try.
I have seen other reviews that give HR 4 stars because there is still room for improvement and while I agree that Hack Reactor can improve itself what I feel inclined to point out is that they do too. In fact their entire philosophy is based around rapid iteration and self improvement.
If you get in, go. It could change your life. I know that it has changed mine and strictly for the better.

mind. blown.
everything about this place blew my expectations out of the water. i learned more than i expected, it was harder than i expected, i worked way more than i expected.
this place is not for the lighthearted. be prepared to be thrown into the deepend from the start. dont let this scare you either — upon graduation, you will be a full stack engineer, without a doubt.
also, if you are in the application process and dont get in during the first shot, keep trying! some of our best engineers, including myself, had to apply twice. they want to test your perseverance and determination… because these are the skills you will need to survive at hack reactor.

Your goals for going through Hack Reactor are: A) to learn software engineering or B) to get a job in tech … or both. Hack Reactor does an excellent job on delivering on both of these goals.
I’ll break down my experience into the two areas.
A) LEARNING SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
PROS:
The curriculum at Hack Reactor is very well thought out, tested, and true. You’re introduced to ideas and concepts in a well thought out, guided way to maximize your learning. If I were to go at it myself, I would have struggled with the same concepts a whole lot more and made far less progress. Now, don’t get me wrong, you’re mostly likely still going to struggle with the material presented in the Hack Reactor curriculum; however, know that the struggle you experience is constructive struggle. You’re struggling to wrap your head around difficult concepts, learn new things, and move forward. There’s an boatload of learning jammed into these short 3 months! You’ll come out with a solid set of skills to take an idea and actually build out a working application.
CONS:
The program is very intense and you won’t have time for much else during those 3 months.
This is the thing that bothered me the most while going through the program: you sometimes get the feeling that Hack Reactor is a giant machine and you’re a cog. It didn’t interfere with the results they delivered, but it just didn’t feel good sometimes. Yes, Hack Reactor is working to optimize the aggregate outcome of its students; however, that focus on optimizing for the big picture can sometimes feel impersonal. Room to improve here. Given the fact that for most students, Hack Reactor is one of the largest investments they’ve made in their lives, a bit more of a human touch would be appreciated.
Since it’s impossible to teach everything you’ll ever need to know about software engineering in 3 months, you’ll need to keep learning after Hack Reactor. Based on the curriculum I went through, two areas where you’ll need to spend more time learning are scalability (e.g. when you need to support lots and lots of users) and good code patterns (e.g. not just writing code that works, but writing it in a pattern that’s modular, logical, and easy to maintain)
B) GETTING A JOB IN TECH
PROS:
The stats speak for themselves and based on the outcomes of the students in my cohort, the stats are holding up in real life. The outcomes team at Hack Reactor does a great job supporting you with the job hunt.
CONS:
Be mentally prepared for the job hunt, which in and of itself is like another bootcamp of sorts. It’s a mentally and emotionally challenging process: phone screens, coding challenges, technical interviews & the like. Don’t expect to graduate from Hack Reactor and just have job offers thrown at you (a select few graduates will get lucky). You’re going to need to work for it! But know that in the end it’ll all be alright. All the previous graduates have done well for themselves.
SUMMARY:
I’d definitely recommend Hack Reactor if your goals are to A) learn software engineering or B) get a job in tech… or both.

Hack Reactor is an amazing place. If you’re reading this review, I’m sure you’ve already done your research and are well aware of Hack Reactor’s reputation as the premier JavaScript immersive program in the country. I would like to reiterate that sentiment. Hack Reactor is absolutely the best. The instructors are world class, the atmosphere is hard-​working but always upbeat and positive, and the people I’ve met at HR are some of the smartest and most talented people I’ve ever been around.
In addition to learning technical skills, you’ll forge some incredible relationships and strong bonds with your cohort-​mates, and will be introduced to a community of engineers who are passionate about what they do, and who are usually willing to help fellow HR grads. I would absolutely recommend Hack Reactor to anyone who knows that they want to get in to programming and is ready to put in the time to become the best engineer he or she can possibly be.
One caveat: Hack Reactor is a catalyst for learning and will push you to excel in the quickest amount of time possible, but don’t expect HR to do the work for you. Getting into the program is just the first step. While there are an incredible amount of resources to help you along the way, the responsibility of learning, building projects, broadening your network, and especially, getting a job after graduation, ultimately falls on you. Although there is a lot of guidance if you seek it out, do not expect HR to hold your hand the entire way. This is a place where you will make exponential gains in your skills and in your career, but only if you buy in to HR’s method of teaching, and invest the necessary time and effort.

I wouldn’t think twice about recommending a close friend to Hack Reactor, and here’s why:
The people:
My fellow cohort-​mates, and virtual every other HR alum I’ve ever met are all phenomenal people. Extremely intelligent, enthusiastic, motivated, and just a lot of fun to be around. Furthermore, the instruction team at Hack Reactor are constantly going above and beyond to improve the quality of the experience.
The program:
The course is not about learning everything there is to know about software engineering. This would be impossible in a traditional 4 year CS program, let alone a 3 month intensive course. Instead it focuses on creating competent and autonomous engineers, capable of finding the relevant information quickly, synthesizing it, and using it effectively.
The reputation:
Hack Reactor is increasingly well regarded and trusted in the industry, with alumni working in highly desirable roles for the top companies, big and small. For those interested in beginning a career as a software engineer, HR is an amazing stepping stone.

Best three month decision of my life.
Rapid Immersion Teaching is really the educational wave of the future. With an intensive like HackReactor, you can achieve expert status in months, rather than years. Hack Reactor also has enough to teach people with less experience, and resources available to challenge those who want to take their skills to the next level.
While the course might seem a little rough around the edges to some, this is by design — it is quickly iterating and improving. Feedback is acted on quickly, unlike a traditional educational system.
I enjoyed the HackReactor culture so much, I decided to stay an extra three months and contribute part time!
So TLDR… if you want to get good at Javascript/​web programming as fast as possible, this is the most effective route I’ve personally found. If the thought of achieving expertise through diving in head first into 3 intense months of long hours and challenging projects excites you, then you’d probably love it here!

I chose Hack Reactor because of its reputation and clout in the industry and it hands down lived up to my expectations! The quality of the students and curriculum is unrivaled and it has become the school’s biggest asset. If you can get in, past the interview, you 100% should go!
About me: I needed a way to pivot from my uninteresting programming job and update my industry knowledge in the shortest amount of time that would be reasonable. I also had this insecurity about what the difference in my mind between a programmer and a software engineer and whether I qualify as the latter. Hack Reactor offers an immersive program that dives deep into the areas I needed to build my understanding, JavaScript fundamentals & Comp Sci, in preparation to land a kickass job as a software engineer in any tech hub in the world!
So worth it.

What an experience. I liken it to parenting: exhausting, frustrating, demanding when all you want is another hour of sleep, etc… but totally worth it.
The program is exceptionally well planned. The curriculum teaches you new concepts and refreshes «older» ones over and over again. The format of each sprint’s exercises is different. It’s certainly never boring, and with lots of extra credit and other optional activities, it works for both seasoned engineers and noobs. No one coasts through the program, but importantly, no one drowns either, with plenty of one-​on-​one help if you feel yourself slipping behind.
Staff is as hard working as the student body. They have lots of rules and enforce them, but balance this by being truly approachable and personable. No one is off limits if you have a question or concern.
H/​R constantly solicits feedback from students, even if (true story) all you’re able to come up with is that there aren’t enough spoons in the 6^th floor kitchen, or that the ventilation isn’t working as well as it should.
Really couldn’t possibly recommend it enough. It requires *tremendous* sacrifice, as others have said, but if you want to be a productive, full-​stack engineer in 3 months (3 months! There’s a reason you’re working 60+ hours a week), I can’t imagine a better program.

Here’s what you want to know: yes, it’s worth it.
This program will beat the hell out of you and you’ll love every second of it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wish there were special hours in the night that only appeared when you were sleeping so you could actually get enough to feel like a human instead of a walking JavaScript-​spewing robot.
You will literally dream of code. Or have nightmares. That’s if you can sleep at all – I kept myself up several nights, unable to tear my mind off a particularly vexing problem.
But at the end, you’ll know more than you thought possible, you’ll have made a boatload of amazing friends, and you’ll have a great job in an awesome field making incredible money.
Do it. Now.

SHOULD YOU TAKE THE PLUNGE?
If you know you want to be an engineer…
If you get in…
… you should definitely go.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
— 11 hours a day (at least), 6 days a week (at least), for 13 weeks
— No personal space or free time
— Say goodbye to your social life
— Exhilarating and joyous
— Exhausting and frustrating
— So glad I did it
— So glad it’s over
PROGRAM SUMMARY
You only work alone once for two days in 13 weeks. Otherwise you’re paired up or in a group. Not only do you learn on a technical level, but you learn to navigate relationships in a very intense and intimate environment.
6 weeks worth of two-​day sprints covering the topics and lessons necessary to develop full-​stack JavaScript applications.
7 weeks worth of developing a handful of full-​stack applications, preparing for technical interviews and the job search.
MY PERSONAL FEELINGS
I feel equipped with the knowledge and tools to do well in a professional environment as a software engineer. I feel empowered after this experience and look forward to whatever challenges may come next.
The people I’ve met in the program are motivated, generous, ambitious, and tenacious. It can feel a little cultish, but is a cult I’d be glad to be a part of. This community is one in which I want to be a part of long after the program ends.
The staff are lovely, and they’re hard asses. They make it their job to know you and care about you personally. It can at times feel paternalistic, but if you’re responsible, accountable to yourself and to the people in your cohort, you’ll be fine.
It’s 3 months of incredibly hard work. It’s incredibly rewarding. It will be hard on your relationships because you won’t physically be there for them all the time and it may be hard to be emotionally supportive when you’re so emotionally and mentally drained yourself.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of your physical, emotional, and mental heath.
Take breaks.
Get to know the people in your cohort – you’re with them all day everyday for the duration of the program.
Don’t forget to laugh and have fun. You’ll need it after a long day of working.

Hack Reactor is creating the future of education.
I wrote my first lines of code when I was 20. Going from complete noob status to a competent engineer was a big mountain to climb. Hack Reactor is the jet pack with landing gear that got me where I needed to be.
I’m going to describe my experience. This won’t be an accurate representation of what Hack Reactor is currently like because they’re constantly, methodically improving everything about the program. It’s also a bit of a blur to me. Time has no meaning at Hack Reactor. Everyone there is spending all of their waking hours working insanely hard so the days blend together.
Before my technical interview they gave me suggestions for concepts to understand. I didn’t get in the first time, but that fueled me to work harder and level up my understanding so that I was ready to rock on my next interview.
Once I did get accepted, I joined my cohort’s Slack group where everyone was helping each other study and sharing resources. It’s an amazing group of people and I’m lucky to have them as friends and allies in the industry.
The pre-​course work is no joke. We immersed ourselves in the world of JavaScript, becoming intimately familiar with composing functions, recursion and manipulating the DOM. By the time we actually got to Hack Reactor we were ready to start implementing data structures like hash tables, linked lists and graphs.
After building a solid base of knowledge around data structures and algorithms (which we continued to practice at least 1 hour a day for the rest of the 3 months), we moved on to the practical skills required for building web applications. Creating client-​side interaction (with and without frameworks), making HTTP requests to a server, writing the server in raw Node, creating separate background processes, setting up and interacting with databases, implementing user authentication, all the while using git, npm and industry practices like pair programming and test driven development.
The second half of the course is less structured, which really puts you to the test as an engineer. You end up unexpectedly learning a lot more about the «soft skills» required to be an effective team player: precise communication, managing feature scope, dividing up the work, developing a consistent workflow, etc.
You also get to explore the technologies that interest you. For me those included React, React Native, WebSockets, WebGL (using Three. js), Gulp, and embedded microcontrollers.
While the second half was less structured, it was still insanely structured by most standards. The staff holds you accountable to a high level of performance while giving you as much support as they can. Everything runs on schedule like a German train station. You don’t have to think about anything but building your projects and being an awesome engineer.
You also end up learning a lot about teaching from the instructors, the structure of the course and the way it’s rapidly iterated.
Towards the end you’re coached through creating your new resume, curating your online presence and getting ready for the job search. The staff is insanely committed to doing everything in their power to help you find the right job.
I could ramble on about Hack Reactor for a long time but I think that’s enough for now. If you’re serious about leveling up your skills quickly, and you have the resources to attend, just do it.

I am giving Hack Reactor a ⁴⁄₅ star because I believe 5 is reserved for perfection and the truth is that there’s always room for improvement.
That being said, Hack Reactor has far exceeded my expectation in many ways:
1) Curriculum — I was skeptical about whether it is possible to learn the technical skills in 3 month. I was an engineering undergrad and no technical subject too less than 3 month to learn, let a lone modern web development which could have been easily a year or two curriculum at an uni. The jam packed schedule that Hack Reactor brings drills the necessary knowledge into its students.
2) Community — My classmates were very bright and capable which made the course work as well as off-​work activities very enjoyable.
3) Continuous Improvement — I find their concept of continuously improving /​tweaking their curriculum fascinating, and it is what education should have been at all learning institutions.
There are some things one should be aware of:
* Course work is definitely very intense, and be prepared to sacrifice your social life for a good 3 month.
* Be ready to be proactive in your own learning. While HR does a good job of preparing concepts for you, it is up to you to take initiative and research concepts/​technologies.
* Be ready to clock in 80+ hours a week
All in all I am very satisfied with my investment and my learning at Hack Reactor. I’d recommend this program to my friends who want to become Software Engineers.

When I first heard about Hack Reactor, I was skeptical of the claims about the school. Three months of CS training (no matter how intense they claimed it was) for a near-​certain shot at a Software Engineering position seemed not just too good to be true, but so out of sync with everything I’ve been taught about how you get a job/​get into an industry that I was pretty incredulous they could deliver on even a portion of what was promised.
Unhappy with my current job in the legal industry and disillusioned by the prospect of racking up even more debt getting another BA, I started taking coding bootcamps as a serious alternative to going back to college after hearing about a few friends who had landed great jobs after completing other courses. After researching as many bootcamps as I could, Hack Reactor stood out as the best, though I thought it would be wise to apply to a few other bootcamps as well.
With minimal prior formal coding experience, I thought I would maximize my chances of admission if I seriously studied on my own for a couple weeks, so I quit my job, moved back in with my parents, and started learning JavaScript in preparation for applying to the course. After a month or so of study, I had my admissions interview and was accepted. Even though I had been in the process of applying to Dev Bootcamp, App Academy, and Maker’s Square, I immediately dropped all of those after finding out that I had gotten in to HR.
The three months at Hack Reactor itself felt strangely warped — the 11 – 12 hour days flew by, yet when Sunday came it was as if every week had been a month. I got used to the long hours surprisingly quickly — the passion and energy that seem to radiate from students and staff make what I thought would be miserable, interminable slogs go by in a flash. This isn’t to say the program wasn’t difficult — I am not being hyperbolic is saying that this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. The whirlwind pace and long hours are definitely not for everyone, but if you can handle it you’ll find yourself with a crew of likeminded men and women just as passionate about coding as you are.
I won’t waste characters telling you about the specifics of the JavaScript deep-​dive we did, as other reviews go into that in pretty good detail. One thing that did surprise me that I think is worth mentioning was how closely I bonded with teachers, staff, and fellow students during the course. Not only did we learn how to code together, but I formed relationships that feel as deep as those I made during undergrad, and I’ve no doubt that some of my fellow cohortmates will be counted among my lifelong friends. At the risk of sounding corny, I’ll say that Hack Reactor feels more like a clan, tribe, or family than it does a school.
TL;DR An amazing, life changing experience.

As other reviews have suggested, Hack Reactor was one of the most intense experiences of my life. 13 weeks flew by and I learned more here than I ever thought I could.
I was rather skeptical of Hack Reactor when I first heard about it. I couldn’t believe that you could learn to be a software engineer within 13 weeks. However, after reading positive articles and many blogs on the Hack Reactor experience, I bit the bullet. And I am very glad I did.
Hack Reactor teaches you a lot of things about computer science (focused exclusively in JavaScript) in a short amount of time. But you need to have the right attitude going into this. There’s no magic happening here. If you’re in it for the salary expectations as opposed to a love of programming, Hack Reactor won’t transform you into a highly paid software engineer. However, Hack Reactor does place you in an environment where you have the resources and guidance needed to make the most out of your time. I occasionally worked for over 12 hours a day but it never felt like work.
Also, the curriculum carefully transitions from teaching you a lot of material to teaching you how to teach yourself. By the end of Hack Reactor, I was able to teach myself new frameworks almost as quickly as the carefully crafted lessons for the frameworks that Hack Reactor taught us.
If you’re looking into a software engineering career accelerator, you should go to Hack Reactor if you can get into Hack Reactor.

** Full-​disclosure: I was selected by Hack Reactor to work as a Hacker-​in-​Residence after I completed the program.
Not for the faint of heart
Definitely one of the most intense 13 wks of my life.
It’s a rare opportunity to find yourself so intellectually stimulated and surrounded by so many driven and intelligent people with similar goals as you in one place. My colleagues include those who graduated from MIT, Stanford, and Brown just to name a few. I was constantly challenged and inspired to collaborate and build amazing projects with them.
Hack Reactor doesn’t just teach you JavaScript and the hottest, newest development frameworks. Yes, they teach data structures, algorithms, time-​complexity, computer science concepts, full-​stack development, and more. However, the most valuable skill you will develop is problem-​solving. You learn to analyze problems, identify constraints, pick the right tools and seek mentorship necessary to achieve your goals.
After Hack Reactor, I am even more inspired to learn.
I am doing a deeper dive into more complex data structures, algorithm analysis and full-​stack development. I am also planning to Python when I have extra time :)

I made a deal with myself that I would not make a Unilocal review for Hack Reactor until I received an offer. This way I can confidently say that the process worked. Here is my experience:
I come from a technical background, having studied Electrical Engineering in undergrad and also having had software engineering experience through my previous job. I think everyone has different reasons to join Hack Reactor. For me, I wanted to affect more than just my immediate team. I wanted to build things that everyone would use. At the same time, a large reason was motivation. I had grown so comfortable at my previous job it was difficult to find the willpower to enrich myself rather than just chill. This is what we call inertia. So I made a risky decision and left my position to attend Hack Reactor. Absolutely no regrets.
Hack Reactor offers so much more than just an education. If I were to look back and say, «Would I pay $ 18,000 for the 7 weeks of programming instruction?», I would say «No». That’s a ton of money to pay for a bunch of material that I know I could have learned on my own had I known what to study. The caliber of education is great, don’t get me wrong, but is it justified by that price? For me, I cannot say it was. I mean, compare that to a year in grad school at a top university. So come around week 2, I am sitting in class and thinking to myself, «I have learned this material already in school, is this really worth it?». After I had finished the program I now realize just where my money went into.
You see, it’s not just the education you are paying for. It’s the network of people that surround you, who encourage you to work till the late hours of the evening; who encourage you to learn new things and challenge yourself; who give you confidence in your ability when you doubt yourself; who teach you just how little you actually know; who are just as invested as you are in finding a job. You’re paying for the exceptional guidance provided by the teams responsible for maximizing the efficiency of your job search. You’re paying for a place you can call home even after you are done. A place and a network of people who you can really call family and rely on to help you work through your future problems. I also picked up some better habits along the way such as exercising regularly and eating healthier. I got more experience working in a team and collaborating with others.
You will meet so many kinds of people. Some will be smarter than you, and some will have less experience. However, each person has something else to offer. You will find that when you take all these talented people and place them into a space where they can all collaborate, theres this wealth of knowledge just sitting at your disposal. It is just up to you to take advantage of it. So if you are the kind of person who wants to just do a program, finish it, and then expect results, well I don’t know if I can recommend it to you. You will learn the most by interacting with your peers.
Fast forward to now. I graduated about 3 weeks ago. I was ready for a 3 month long process until I received an offer. First 2 weeks, I was applying through the front door. 0 replies. But, you see, Hack Reactor does this awesome thing called Hiring Day, basically the career fair at the end. It’s like a speedway into a company. I seriously lucked out and a few of them were interested in me. I managed to do well enough in the interviews such that I received offers. And that statistic you probably read about $$$, lets just say there is a ridiculous amount of money in tech. So the pull that Hack Reactor (or rather anyone who can get you in the front door) has is incredible.
Everyone will have a different experience but overall, I think most of us were confident about finding a job after graduating. For me, I can say without Hack Reactor, I don’t think I would have been given the opportunity to interview at some of these companies. And I am so glad that the instruction was strong such that when I was placed in those on-​sites, I was able to prove my ability. Is the program perfect? No, but what is? As with anything in life, you will have times where you will feel like Hack Reactor can improve upon. But it’s growing and constantly being iterated on.
Everyone will get different things out of Hack Reactor, and this is what I got. I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about making the leap to attend. You may think you know what you’ll get out of this. But you really don’t until you have gone through it.
(Also, you get this hoodie for writing a review so…)

Hack Reactor provides a great educational experience that not only produces solid software engineers, but also provides educational opportunities to people who aren’t satisfied by the traditional educational programs. There is a focus on constantly refining the program to provide the maximum benefits to the students who go through the program, and there is no other program out there that does this as well as Hack Reactor does.
The experience of being surrounded by a mix of the most amazing people in my cohort for the past 12 weeks has been life changing, and what I took away from meeting and getting to work with them is just as important as the technical skills that I picked up.
Where Hack Reactor as an institution still needs to improve, and the reason for the 4 star review, is in how it handles supporting students emotionally, and in maintaining appropriate communication with students when crises do arise. There were times where our cohort had crises come up, and we had to rely on each other for support to make up for the inadequacies in support and communication from the staff.
Based on the organization’s responsiveness to feedback, and its focus on constant refinement of the program, I’m confident that things will improve for future cohorts, but currently this is an area for improvement.
The bottom line is that as long as the program continues to improve its communications with and support of its students then Hack Reactor is still the best educational opportunity available to become a good software engineer, and the experience of going there can be life changing.

I came to Hack Reactor because I wanted to learn how to build cool things, and that was exactly what I learned.
Coming into Hack Reactor, I had huge expectations and Hack Reactor blew them all away. The material they teach you here is the most relevant and top notch information you can get. If you have ever dreamed of a computer science education without the unnecessary classes (math, biology, and all that other nonsense), Hack Reactor is the place for you. Never have I met a group so freakishly smart and hard-​working in my life.
You really get what you put into Hack Reactor, and if you are not giving it your all to understand the material, you will have a hard time in this program. If Hack Reactor sees that you are not able to make the cut, they WILL remove you from the program. This has happened to multiple people in my time here as a student, so bring your 110% if you are here!
One thing I will say though, is that I think Hack Reactor is trying to expand too fast. Our cohort felt many effects of the growing pains and missed out on lectures with some of their quality instructors, which were replaced by new instructors they were training instead.
Other than that, Hack Reactor really is a dream come true. Their job search and alumni support is amazing, and they will not stop helping you until you find a job. If you have second thoughts about this place, DON’T. Seriously, do their coding challenge on their website and apply now.

Easily the best decision of my life. I really believe this is how CS program should be done, even that I already finished one just before Hack Reactor.
While lots of alumni have commented on the well-​structured curriculum. I would like to highlight more about how the environment and people here can really help you succeed on your software engineering career development.
Instructors, mentors, Hacker in Residence… etc. There are so various resources and routes you may approach when there is any doubts. Students make immediately impact to the curriculum and the experience. Feedback sessions were held every other day. Issues usually would be solved several hours after them being addressed.
The admissions team done a great job on finding the right fit for the program. Every single person in Hack Reactor I worked with was super bright and thirst for knowledge. If you have an opportunity to do this, you are very fortunate and don’t hesitate. Happy hacking!