At MakerSquare, you will be learning using a huge variety of methods including project work, group work, individual work, one-on-one time with instructors, mentorships, presentations, demos, hackathons, etc. A lot of these sessions are meant to be fun from Demo's and Drinks to show hackathon projects to your fellow classmates to MakerStories where prominent members of the tech community stop by and share their experiences. Don't worry, some of these events will be structured around finding you a job after the program, like the Career Day which is attended by MakerSquare's hiring partners.
You will also be well prepared to get on your way. You will learn basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in their preparation work to be complete before day one of class. Once you have begun you will learn Angular, Meteor, NodeJS and Express.
Applying involes an online application, a 30 minute Skype interview, a 30 minute technical interview and a secondary application. In total, it should take you about 3 weeks from start to finish to find out if you were accepted.
Also make sure to check out their DevHouse if you are applying from out of town. It's a house just for MakerSquare students!
To update the information on this page, submit a PR.
MakerSquare programs
| Programs | Cities | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program: Bootcamp | Cities: Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco | Duration: 12 weeks | Cost: $16,920 |
MakerSquare is a premiere fullstack JavaScript bootcamp offered in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin. The program is geared to help students become adept software engineers. At least 96% of MakerSquare graduates have found paid employment on engineering teams after completing their studies. |
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MakerSquare reviews
Verfied answers from graduates of this school will include this badge 
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Loved it. Perfect for someone who has a bit of programming knowledge, but needs a survey of the web development landscape. If you already have experience working as a web dev, you might feel some impatience with pair programming, BUT you are also in a great position to get a lot more out of the program.
Answered by
Anonymous
on August 16th, 2016
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MakerSquare is an incredible place. Never before have I been surrounded by so many people with such passion for what they are doing. From the students to the instructional staff, everyone is caring and supportive. It's not an easy experience, and it's not for everyone. You will most likely be working on campus 70-80hr/week for the majority of the course. While there is no shortage of help and support, if you are not good at problem solving and teaching yourself, it is probably not for you. For those who are ready for it, it is what you make it; if you are dedicated to learning and exploring the material, the experience will be invaluable. You will write more code with more relevant technologies for more hours than you would in attaining a BS in Computer Science at your average University by a long shot, and you'll have fun doing it.
Answered by
Anonymous
on August 12th, 2016
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Great environment to jumpstart a career in Software Engineering! The program is incredibly fasted paced but totally manageable if your mind and heart are in the right place. You will be thrown to the wolves and forced to learn to become resourceful and work in pairs and eventually on a team. Although you will often feel like you are not retaining enough, it will all come together during the second half of the program working on group projects. If you are ready to dive in head first and commit to three months of eating, breathing even dreaming about code, this is the program for you.
Answered by graduate
Robert V
on August 11th, 2016
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I felt Makersquare was great in the fact that they taught mainly the relevant frameworks for Javascript. I felt the curriculum was great, but thought that they could have provided some better instructions considering the amount we paid for the bootcamp. A lot of the information came from videos and any questions we had from watching the videos were generally not answered. The fellows they bring in from past cohort are not selected based on knowledge, which led to our cohort not being able to ask any questions because our fellows knew less than us. Makersquare isn't for someone that doesn't fully understand the core concepts of coding or never written a loop. Makersquare is for people who understand code, but want to become better at Javascript.
Answered by
Anonymous
on August 10th, 2016
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I think it was a worthwhile experience. I would not have studied as hard as I did in any other environment. I felt supported by the staff, however I would have liked more individualized instruction and more content for a visual learner like me.
Answered by graduate
Thomas Sorensen
on August 10th, 2016
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Incredible. It was the best educational experience of my life. I felt like I learned so much more quickly than I did in college. I had no idea what I was capable of before this program. It really stretched my limits and I feel much more confident in my skills as an engineer now. Not only that, but it was just a good experience too. All the people are very smart, and come from unique backgrounds. I learned a ton just from having conversations with people at lunch or during breaks, and I made some good friends from the program.
Answered by graduate
Sergey Piterman
on August 10th, 2016
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MakerSquare delivers on the hype, it was grueling, intense, but I came out of it knowing how to learn and being able to do some amazing things. More important than the curriculum, MakerSquare also builds your engineering confidence. I can proudly say that I can do things that I "don't know" how to do... yet. Careerwise, the support is top-notch, I got a job within 3 weeks of graduation at 1.5x my best salary as a marketer, and I'm continuing to learn. For me, it was life-changing and one of the best things I've ever done. The only caveat: You have to have the passion for coding. Not necessarily self-discipline (the structure of MakerSquare is designed to help with that) but you must love to solve problems and be filled with joy when you can do something new on the computer. If you're just looking for a paycheck, it's not enough. That said, if you have any talent at all for coding, MS well help you hone those skills to the point you can get a job and start making a difference right away.
Answered by graduate
Brian Boyko
on August 9th, 2016
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MKS was a great place for me to start my journey in becoming a developer. I appreciate the time and effort the staff and fellows put to make the experience influential and beneficial to my development. Not only did I learn the best practices in software development, but also got to know people in my cohort that have the same drive and passion as myself.
Answered by
Anonymous
on August 9th, 2016
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As long as you are willing to commit to working hard and learning for 12 straight weeks, you will come out of this experience with a good job (~100k within 3 months), a lifelong experience, and good friends. Makersquare was worth the investment and I learned so much more than I imagined. This program is not for everyone though, it is demanding and grueling but you have a great support staff and fellow classmates that will help you get there. Everything at MakerSquare is a team effort and it will help teach you the technical and interpersonal skills to be successful in the tech world. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world!
Answered by graduate
Darrin Nagengast
on August 9th, 2016
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MakerSquare was a phenomenal experience. Iterative, constantly improving, life-long career placement. The staff is always looking to improve student experience and their own services.
Answered by graduate
Isto Barton
on August 9th, 2016
Talk with MakerSquare graduates
- 1
- What advice would you give a new student?
- How would you describe the culture at Makersquare?
- How effective were your instructors?
Bootcamp grads love to talk. We'll find students from MakerSquare to answer your questions.
Verfied answers from graduates of this school will include this badge:
Get as much sleep as you can. Sleep will make a huge difference in the first half of the program. Take good notes. Spend as much time as you can studying algorithms.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 16th, 2016
A lot of people ask about what/how much prior experience one should have before applying/attending. There isn't a 'right' answer to this one; some students hadn't touched a line of code until a couple months before their interview while others came to the table with years of professional experience. This is my opinion from personal observation: the more experience you have beforehand, the more valuable your experience at MakerSquare will be. That has more to do with ones ability to absorb the content; the more you learn to code, the easier it becomes to learn to code.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 12th, 2016
Learn as much Vanilla Javascript as you can before attending the program. Having a deep understanding of how closures and callbacks work in conjunction with objects and passing data around will make all the curriculum come together. Imposter Syndrome is real, and you will likely get a taste of it throughout the program. Communicate with your peers and instructors if it becomes an issue as they have all likely have gone through or are currently going through the same feelings. The program is rigorous so be careful not to burn out. Only you know how much to push yourself. With that said you will get out of the program the effort that you put into it, so take the time to embrace the ups and downs while loving what you do day to day.
Answered by
graduate
Robert V
on August 11th, 2016
The course is only as good as what you're willing to put into it. Not everyone is going to be a mid level engineer coming out, but you will need to spend a lot of time learning on your own and don't make excuses of why it's someone else's fault you don't know more. Use any free time to go over concepts learned while working on your sprint. Also, only ask fellows and instructors for help after truly trying to figure it out on your own. They teach pair programming, which can be a blessing or a curse. I utilized my free time by redoing the sprints on my own once I completed it with my partner.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 10th, 2016
Relax. Make friends. Talk to students in the other cohorts. Ask questions! Demand more explanation if you don't understand a topic. Be a good pair programming partner. That means if you are "navigating" (leading the pair by verbally explaining the logic and what to type) you only speak, you never touch the keyboard, even "just to try out a quick idea". And if you are "driving" (typing what the navigator says and asking questions for clarity) you type and defend the keyboard with your life.
Answered by
graduate
Thomas Sorensen
on August 10th, 2016
I would just say trust yourself and trust the system. You might feel like there are certain topics you don't fully get or that you want to stay late to go back and review. But my suggestion there would be that sleep is more important studying. Make sure you are well rested so your brain can absorb all the new information being thrown at you. Know your CS fundamentals and your JavaScript. Know functional programming, it’s a VERY important paradigm. Being able to reason abstractly about recursion, data structures, and scope is going to be key, and you can only get those by practicing a lot. So if you are still relatively new to coding start doing practice problems online. This will also be your life for 3 months. Make sure your affairs are in order before you start because you are going to have very little time to deal with anything else. I would also say make sure to really relax on Sundays. This isn't like college where you have to go home and study or do homework. Make sure to unwind and take some time to yourself so you don't burn out. 12 weeks is a very long time and you cover A LOT of ground. There’s tons more to say, but I’ll leave you with that for now. If you have any more questions for me about the program, life after it, or the job search feel free reach out on whatever social media outlet you like. Something I realized about half way through was that I was only just beginning my journey as a software engineer. There was so much to learn about life after the program: jobs, the industry, hackathons, networking, people’s skills, teamwork, advanced topics, application architecture, best practices, specialization… I definitely don’t have it all figured out, but I’m happy to share my experiences.
Answered by
graduate
Sergey Piterman
on August 10th, 2016
* Sleep 8 hours a night. * Don't code on Sundays. Do laundry. Your cohort-mates will thank you. * You *will* have a mental breakdown sometime between week 4 and 6. Just go with it. Learn de-stressing techniques. * Parking downtown is expensive, but it's possible to find other ways to commute - or you can carpool. * It is okay to feel frustrated. It is okay if you didn't think you finished the sprint. * Most importantly: You're going to feel like Daniel-san in the Karate Kid -- wax on, wax-off, sand the floor, paint the house... until you start putting them all together in the later weeks and really start cleaning up. * Before you go in, try to learn basic use of the terminal, as you will be using it a lot. * You absolutely do not need to buy a new laptop. But if you *do* buy a new laptop, either install Linux on it, or go with a Mac. (Oh, and one other thing: Weight is important - you don't want to be lugging around a 10 pound beast of a computer with you every day when a lighter model will do.)
Answered by
graduate
Brian Boyko
on August 9th, 2016
I would tell students to really understand JS fundamentals before stepping into MKS. It will definitely make the experience a lot better. MKS isn't a place to learn how to code, but rather to collaborate and build from what you already know.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 9th, 2016
If you work hard everyday, learn from your fellow classmates, and trust in the program, you will be successful. The next 12 weeks of this program will change your life, so make sure you give it your full attention and you will never regret it. It was by far the most exciting learning experience of my life.
Answered by
graduate
Darrin Nagengast
on August 9th, 2016
This shit is hard. This schedule is fucking insane. But you can do it. And it can change your life in 3 months. Make sure that you take care of your psychological sanity.
Answered by
graduate
Isto Barton
on August 9th, 2016
Intense, but supportive. Different cohorts have different atmospheres. The first half of the program is competitive, even though we are constantly told that we are not competing against each other. There are standards that need to be met to avoid being dropped from the program. The second half is less intense, but it is project-focused, so it's up to you to learn what you need to learn to finish.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 16th, 2016
The culture at MKS is very positive and supportive overall. That paired with a diversity of background makes for a learning environment unlike any other. For three months, the staff and your peers at MKS become your family; getting to know such an amazing group of people so well has been one of the highlights of the experience.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 12th, 2016
The people you meet and interact with during your time at MKS will be you family not only during the program itself but throughout your job hunt and hopefully throughout your career as an engineer. The culture is very down to earth and open. There is a feedback cycle where students can make suggestions, address concerns and keep the conversation open.
Answered by
graduate
Robert V
on August 11th, 2016
The culture at MakerSquare is more about telling us that the program is intense, which it is, but does not really go over each person's own determination to finish the course. There were a lot of people that came in to the cohort with ideas on how the bootcamp would be like, but were disappointed to actually experience the courses. Bootcamps are not for people who need their hands held to learn. The people who understood this were best able to deal with the stressful schedule.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 10th, 2016
It was a very friendly atmosphere. I got to know students in the cohorts above and below mine. I felt like the staff went out of their way to be available whenever possible.
Answered by
graduate
Thomas Sorensen
on August 10th, 2016
It was both casual and intense. But the experience was different for different people, and it largely depended on what someone's previous background was. Some people who had a more technical background had an easier time learning the concepts than people coming from much less technical backgrounds. But we had everything from CS Majors to English majors, so anyone can do this program with the right mindset. With that said, you are expected to keep pace with the curriculum, which moves VERY quickly. I felt very close to the rest of my classmates, fellows and teachers because we all went through so much struggle together. Since every 6 weeks there's a new cohort the teachers get really good at figuring out what works, what doesn't, and what people get stuck on. They were very mindful of things like impostor's syndrome and feelings of inadequacy.
Answered by
graduate
Sergey Piterman
on August 10th, 2016
It was the most fun I never want to do again. Not everyone got along but most of us did, and we really were extremely close together - closer than family - for the three months we went through the cohort. We also were able to discuss ideas and learn from each other as much as from the instruction. Best still, it didn't matter where you came from -- we had a Ph.D., a chemical engineer, a biochem engineer, a political activist (me!), but also a dog trainer, a business owner, and others -- it was all about how we were all becoming engineers. As for ethnic and gender diversity, (if I'm remembering correctly) my cohort: * 85%/15% men to women ratio (my cohort; was 80%/20%) * 50% Caucasian, 15% Hispanic, 20% Asian, 10% Indian Subcontinent, 5% African-American.
Answered by
graduate
Brian Boyko
on August 9th, 2016
Competitive, but friendly. People are open to knowledge-sharing because in the developing world, there isn't one person that actually knows more than everyone. Software development and creation is a product of teamwork.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 9th, 2016
There are some bootcamps that tend to be more of a cuthroat competition, and although it is quite normal to be surrounded by people much smarter than yourself, the culture is all about collaborative learning. Even though the instructors and curriculum are top notch, it is your fellow students who really push you to success and growth, and if you slack off they will be the first ones to tell you about it! On a side note, I went to several events like kareokee, camping trip, and paintball with classmates, and even a year out of school we still meet up for reunion bbq's just so see how everyone is doing. Makersquare really cares.
Answered by
graduate
Darrin Nagengast
on August 9th, 2016
Work-centric, psychologically caring, diverse, iterative, constantly seeking to improve business and student experience, empowering. They do a good job of asking and listening to feedback. They focus on helping you develop social skills that are sorely missing in the tech world.
Answered by
graduate
Isto Barton
on August 9th, 2016
9/10. They all knew their subjects very well. A couple of the solution lectures felt a bit rushed, but there is a ton of material to get through. Looking back, I am amazed at how much I was able to absorb.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 16th, 2016
The instructional staff is phenomenal. They are incredibly knowledgeable in their field and passionate about sharing that knowledge with others.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 12th, 2016
The instructors did a great job of breaking down complex topics and explaining them in a way that would make sense to a non technical person. In addition there were weekly office hours with Fellows, graduates of the program who stayed behind to tutor/mentor incoming cohorts.
Answered by
graduate
Robert V
on August 11th, 2016
Instructors were semi effective. There were two instructors with multiple fellows. Many of the fellows were unable to help as they barely knew more than the cohort. One instructor was more attentive and the other instructor was never around to help.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 10th, 2016
The instructional staff were of high caliber. I felt like they did a good job reading the room to see if people were understanding it, and could tell if students were nodding and saying"Yes I get it" when their faces were saying they were lost.
Answered by
graduate
Thomas Sorensen
on August 10th, 2016
They were great, though there is only so much they can do for you. If you have a question or a problem you need help with, you will get that help. But part of becoming an engineer is knowing how to be resourceful on your own. Knowing how to google, what to google, how to even ask the right questions is a meta-skill that you'll need if you want to succeed here.
Answered by
graduate
Sergey Piterman
on August 10th, 2016
More effective than they often get credit for considering the "practical-to-classroom" ratio. Most instruction happens during the first half of the course (junior), and can be live instruction or pre-recorded video. There is always live instruction at the end of a sprint review to answer questions. Full instructors know their stuff backwards and forwards and know how to explain it to students, and there are also fellows to help. Most of your learning will come from pair programming with another student - a learning by doing mentality.
Answered by
graduate
Brian Boyko
on August 9th, 2016
The instructors were experienced and helpful. They do no hesitate to provide the resources needed to understand the concepts and are always open to answering any type of question.
Answered by
an anonymous graduate
on August 9th, 2016
They were very effective and clearly knew their stuff. They made time for anyone who needed it outside of normal instruction time, and the staff room was always open if you needed to talk.
Answered by
graduate
Darrin Nagengast
on August 9th, 2016
Increasingly so. They continuously asked for feedback and learned the ins and outs of the different classes. They were always very encouraging and took the time to make you feel empowered.
Answered by
graduate
Isto Barton
on August 9th, 2016