SwitchUp
SwitchUp is an online platform that helps students find a technology 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]
| 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 | SwitchUp |
| Current status | Active |
History
SwitchUp, was started after Jonathan Lau, an MIT alum, attended a Coding Bootcamp in Boston. He realized that there were a lot of new online and offline programs that teach programming, but it was difficult to assess the quality of these programs. He decided to start SwitchUp in order to add transparency to the technology education industry.[3] The website was launched in August 2014.[4]
Product
As of December 2016, the site had over 4,000 reviews of 150 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 regular publishes industry research[6] and bootcamp rankings.[7] 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 2016 best coding bootcamp rankings on December 1, 2016.[7]
Reception
SwitchUp received significant media coverage upon its launch, including articles in the Wired, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, FastCompany, and LifeHacker.[1][2][4][5][8]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Switch Recommends a Coding Career for You and Matches You to Courses". LifeHacker. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Find the Perfect Coder Boot Camp for You With This Handy Site". Wired. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ↑ "MIT Alum Launches a Yelp for Technology Bootcamps to Help Students Switching Careers". BostInno. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- 1 2 "Switch Is TripAdvisor For Finding A Tech Bootcamp". Techcrunch. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- 1 2 3 "Take this quiz to find out which coding bootcamp to attend — if any at all". VentureBeat. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- 1 2 "Coding Bootcamp Study". www.switchup.org. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
- 1 2 "Best Coding Bootcamps". SwitchUp. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ↑ "Financing-a-coding-school-education-with-peer-to-peer-loans#comments". FastCompany. Retrieved 25 September 2014.