SwitchUp

SwitchUp is an online platform that helps students find a technology, data science or coding bootcamp for their transition into a technology career.[1] Students use the website to research online and offline programming courses by reading alumni reviews, connecting with mentors in the forum, taking an online quiz, and reading industry studies.[2] SwitchUp only accepts reviews from verified alumni and has a very strict verification process. They have no affiliation with

Mission: SwitchUp wants potential bootcamp attendees, current bootcamp attendees and graduates to have access to everything they need to begin a tech career. As tech continues to evolve, SwitchUp hopes to be at the forefront of student searches for the best training programs.

SwitchUp
Type of business Private
Founded 2014
Headquarters Boston, United States
Area served Worldwide
Founder(s) Jonathan Lau
Industry Internet
Services Technology education
Employees 3
Website https://www.switchup.org/
Commercial Yes
Launched August 2014
Current status Active

History

SwitchUp, was started after Jonathan Lau, an MIT alum, attended a Coding Bootcamp in Boston. He left feeling he could have gained more from his bootcamp experience. He noticed a quickly growing industry with little oversight, where it was difficult for students to identify high-quality programs. This industry was becoming saturated, and he wanted to find a way to help students easily access information and advice about tech bootcamps. He launched SwitchUp with a small team, and left the very first code bootcamp review on the site.

Since SwitchUp’s founding, the industry has only grown more quickly. SwitchUp aims to add transparency to the technology education industry.[3] It is imperative now, more than ever, to have a site like SwitchUp available to prospective students, free-of-charge. The website was launched in August 2014.[4]

Product

As of January 2018, the site had over 10,000 reviews of 1000 different programming bootcamps and courses across 30 different countries.[2] The platform helps connect potential students with mentors, find jobs, and choose an appropriate educational program.[5] Switch guides students on the right career path, recommends bootcamps, and aggregates alumni reviews.[5]

Research Publications and Rankings

SwitchUp regularly publishes industry research[6] and bootcamp rankings.[7] They also put out data science,[8] cyber security,[9] and web design[10] rankings.

They also offer scholarship information[11] and listings for bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.[12]

In a job outcomes study conducted by researchers published on Dec 1, 2016, the following trends were found:[6]

  • 63% of graduates reported increase in salary
  • 80% of graduates reported they were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied'
  • Average class size is 30 students with a 1-to-3.8 student instructor ratio
  • A one-tailed paired-difference test showed that the increase in salary was statistically significant at the 95% level

SwitchUp also published the 2018 best coding bootcamp rankings on December 31, 2018.[7]

Reception

SwitchUp has received significant media coverage upon its launch, including articles in the Wired, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, FastCompany, and LifeHacker.[1][2][4][5][13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Switch Recommends a Coding Career for You and Matches You to Courses". LifeHacker. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Find the Perfect Coder Boot Camp for You With This Handy Site". Wired. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "MIT Alum Launches a Yelp for Technology Bootcamps to Help Students Switching Careers". BostInno. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Switch Is TripAdvisor For Finding A Tech Bootcamp". Techcrunch. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "Take this quiz to find out which coding bootcamp to attend — if any at all". VentureBeat. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Coding Bootcamp Study". www.switchup.org. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
  7. 1 2 "Best Coding Bootcamps". SwitchUp. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  8. ↑ SwitchUp. "Learn Data Science - 2018 Guide To The Best Data Science Bootcamps". SwitchUp. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  9. ↑ SwitchUp. "Cyber Security Training Bootcamps - The Best of 2018". SwitchUp. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  10. ↑ SwitchUp. "Best Web Design Classes - The Comprehensive 2018 Guide". SwitchUp. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  11. ↑ SwitchUp, Hannah Rose,. "Bootcamp Scholarship List - Apply Now for 2018". Switch. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  12. ↑ Switchup, Erica Freedman,. "Coding and Data Science Bootcamps That Accept the GI Bill". Switch. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  13. ↑ "Financing-a-coding-school-education-with-peer-to-peer-loans#comments". FastCompany. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
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