Launch Academy Expands to Philadelphia
UPDATE - 08.17.2017:
Have you ever noticed how time flies when you’re having fun? It’s hard to believe that we recently kicked off our third cohort in Philadelphia! On behalf of our group of instructors and our career services staff, we’d like to thank Philadelphia’s tech community for such a warm welcome. Additionally, we’re so grateful to our Philly alumni and current students, as they took a big leap with us to be pioneers in the Philadelphia tech space.
Additionally, our Philly students really are newsworthy...but don’t just take our word for it. Check out this clip of our first Philly cohort from CBS 3 Morning News:
Interested in joining Launch Academy Philadelphia? Come to our next open house!
*Note: The blog post below was originally written August 12, 2016. Get the latest Launch Academy Philadelphia news on our Philly campus page, or follow us on Facebook.
It's been more than three years since the start of our first cohort in 2013. In those three years, we've empowered hundreds of graduates with the skills they need to take on a new career in programming. To date, we've placed more than 90 percent of our job seekers in full-time positions. Now, we're bringing this jawn to Philly!
Here's our co-founder Dan Pickett to tell you a bit more about it:
Want to be a trailblazing member of the very first cohort in Philly? We'll have lots of news in the next few weeks, so enter your email at the bottom of this page (in the "Get Updated" box) so you can stay up-to-date as the program develops. For now, here's what we can tell you:
Why Philly?
The technology landscape in the greater Philadelphia area is exploding—and there aren't many non-traditional educational options (read: coding bootcamps) to serve the growing need for knowledgeable programmers in the area. But we picked Philadelphia for reasons that go beyond market demand. Philly is a natural fit for us. Like Boston, it's a big city with a neighborhood feel, a place that values substance over flash, where residents are proud of the things that make the city uniquely theirs.
Where is Launch Academy’s Philadelphia Campus?
Launch Academy’s Philadelphia campus is located at Benjamin’s Desk, a coworking space in Rittenhouse Square. (Specifically, we’re at 1701 Walnut St, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103.)
Is Launch Academy Philadelphia Different from Launch Academy Boston?
Over the years, we've been continuously refining the on-campus experience in Boston, and the Philly cohort will be the direct beneficiary of everything we've learned. From a curricular standpoint, the course content, structure, and teaching philosophy will be exactly the same as Boston. The student experience, however, will be a bit different: The cohort will be significantly smaller, meaning students will benefit from an absurd amount of individual interaction with our Experience Engineers (a fancy title for our instructors).
Who Will Be Teaching at Launch Academy Philadelphia?
Most of the instructors will be veteran Experience Engineers from Boston, but we also plan on tapping into the talented pool of local senior developers to round out the Philly staff.
What's the Student:Teacher Ratio at Launch Academy Philadelphia?
Our goal for the initial classes is 4:1, then scale to 7:1.
What's the Launch Academy Philadelphia Admissions Process?
The admissions process is exactly the same as our Boston coding bootcamp. You'll submit an application, schedule an interview, and have an acceptance decision within a few days. The enrollment process will be the same as well.
Will You Have Financing Options for Launch Academy Philadelphia?
Yes. We'll be offering financing plans through Skills Fund just as we do for our Boston program. We still need to dot a few i's and cross some t's with state regulators before we can accept financing applications, but financing will be available before Ignition starts.
Will the Graduation/Placement Rate at Launch Academy Philadelphia Be the Same as Boston?
As of summer 2017, our Philly placement rate is 91 percent; our Boston placement rate is 93 percent.
Jim Bruno is a former senior member of the Launch Academy marketing team.
