When Austen Allred founded Lambda School in 2017, it was with the firm goal that it should be possible to get a high paid job in the tech industry without amassing a lot of education debts.
While Lambda changed its name to Bloom Institute of Technology, they still have the same aim: to provide hands-on experience in computer sciences.
As a tech education provider and online coding boot camp, BloomTech offers a variety of data science and web development programs with a difference.
They have a different approach when it comes to tuition fees and learning.
We had a closer look at their online courses, high-paying job search prospects, and sharing agreements. Here is our Lambda school review and lambda school worth.
What Is The Bloom Institute Of Technology?
BloomTech is an online coding school that doesn’t require its students to pay upfront tuition fees.
Instead, they charge their Lambda students once they found well-paying jobs in the technology industry.
This is one of the key elements that sets BloomTech apart from many other coding boot camps on the market.
But it’s not just the financial difference that appeals to many students. Also, the education approach with the solid curriculum that BloomTech offers means that their student numbers grow each year.
BloomTech offers courses in full-stack web development as well as data science. Both of these courses are life which means you will need to attend your classes every day.
You can choose between full-time or part-time which allows you to fit the online coding boot camp around your life.
Another big plus with BloomTech is that they also have a career service, so you are almost guaranteed a job when you complete your course successfully.
BloomTech Courses
In the early days of Lambda School, the coding school only offered two courses: full-stack web development and data science.
As Lambda school alumni keep growing, they have extended their course range with a few new courses, including linear algebra, natural language processing, backend development, and WEB3 development.
If you are not sure what course would work best for you, BloomTech has a great course comparison list on its website as compared to a high school diploma.
Full Stack Web Development Course
BloomTech’s full-stack web development program and software engineer teaches both front-end and back-end development.
This means that students learn languages for backend development (such as Python and Java) as well as frontend development (such as React and Javascript).
Graduates with this certification will be able to find jobs in software engineering, computer science, backend technologies, and mobile development.
Data Science Course
BloomTech’s data science program teaches students to organize, analyze and store data with different data structures.
Data science graduates will also be able to clearly communicate data insights as part of their jobs as data scientists, business analysts, data analysts, or machine learning engineers.
Backend Development Course
If you don’t want to go into a frontend development career but you prefer to develop your backend skills, then BloomTech also offers a specific backend web development course.
This program was developed jointly with Amazon and it covers almost 1,500 hours of course material.
The course prepares students for entry-level engineering and tech roles at different size companies.
Web3 Course
This course isn’t as extensive as the other BloomTech coding courses. The Web3 course offers online, on-demand videos to switch from Web2 to Web3.
Students will cover topics, such as DeFi, Ethereum, blockchain, and Solidity as part of a project-based curriculum. The course lasts 10 weeks.
How Does BloomTech Work?
We have tried a few different tech boot camps before but Lambda School has a different approach when it comes to studying.
You can complete the program either as a part-time or full-time student.
If you choose the full-time program, then you need to join classes from 8 am to 5 pm (PT) from Monday to Friday for six months.
If you prefer the part-time option, then you attend classes from 6 pm to 9 pm (PT) from Monday to Thursday for 12 months. You will also need to show up for a weekend afternoon.
Saying this, BloomTech is relatively flexible when it comes to part-time programs, so it’s a good idea to check with them directly.
Once you decided on your course and if you want to join the full-time or part-time programs, there are a few steps to get you started.
Submit Your Application
First, you will need to register for a BloomTech account and submit your application.
In the application form, they ask you for your email address, name, the computer science course you want to join, and when you would like to start.
Take The Assessment
Once you submitted your application, you’ll be invited for an assessment that will identify if you are a good fit for the program.
The test covers different topics, including math, spatial reasoning, logic, and verbal skills.
If you applied for the Data Science course, then you will also need to complete a skills challenge.
BloomTech also asks some students to show proof of their education so far and you may also have to submit a video interview (depending on what country or state you live in).
Join BloomTech Launch
If you passed the assessment successfully, then you will need to pick a start date and sign all the important documents.
For any students who have chosen the full-stack web development program, they will need to take a coding test before they start.
This helps the school to get an overview of their current coding skills.
Once all the enrollment procedures are out of the way, all students need to join for the student orientation.
Attend Your First Classes And Finish Your First Sprint
On the very first class day, you are sorted into your team. Then, you will meet your team leader and you will learn more about the usual workflow.
Generally, the curriculum at BloomTech is divided into units that are separated out into so-called sprints.
For a full-time course, you complete a sprint within one week. If you are part of the part-time course, then you complete a spring in two weeks.
Your daily schedule is dependent on the program you have chosen but you start off with reviewing the day’s objectives and materials.
Then, you’ll have a few live lectures with your instructor, project managers, and other students.
After a lunch break, you will be working on your daily project to try everything you learned in the morning.
The afternoon is all about completing your project. There is also time to ask questions to fellow students and the project manager.
You will need to complete a regular survey about your learning progress each day.
Complete The Sprint Challenge
At the end of each sprint, you will need to take an assessment, a so-called sprint challenge.
This usually takes place on a Friday, and the three-hour exam will test your knowledge of everything you have learned during the sprint.
The test is reviewed by your instructors and your team leader. If you don’t complete the exam, then there are a couple of options.
You will either have to retake the entire sprint or you will need to work extra hours. The decision is made by your team lead.
It’s important to remember that the sprint challenge is about ensuring that you have the knowledge you need to get a well-paid job at the end of the program.
Join In On Build Week
After the completion of each unit, there will be a further assessment of your skills. This test is called Build Week and it takes a maximum of 4 days.
At the beginning of Build Week, you are allocated to a team that is made up of other students.
Your team will need to build an MVP (minimum viable product) in the space of four days.
Participate In BloomTech Labs
When you get to the end of your program, you are required to take part in BloomTech’s in-house apprenticeship, called BloomTech Labs.
You will work on a real project which is designed and developed for an external or internal client.
Receive Your Certificate
Once you successfully completed your sprints, Build Week, and the apprenticeship, you will receive the official completion certificate.
As BloomTech prepares you early on with real-world coding skills, you will be ready to look for a job. Their career service also supports you with interviews and job negotiations.
BloomTech Costs And Income Sharing Agreement
What makes BloomTech so unusual is that the school allows you to sign an income share agreement (ISA), instead of paying tuition fees.
An ISA is similar to a student loan as a student is required to pay a part of his future income when his salary exceeds a certain amount.
If you land a job that pays $50,000 or more a year and you signed an ISA with BloomTech, then you will need to pay 17% of your salary for the next 2 years.
Another advantage of this way of paying off your education fees is that if you still haven’t found a suitable tech position after 60 months, you don’t ever have to pay the fees back.
In addition, if you start a job but lose or leave it after a while, then BloomTech pauses your payments without any interest.
However, there is a caveat with ISAs. They are only accessible to US citizens, DACA recipients, or US permanent residents.
Students who live in some states, such as California, are also not eligible for ISAs.
While these students have access to other finance options, many of these options expect students to pay their fees no matter how long into the future.
Other Payment Options
If you don’t like the option of deferring your tuition fees, then you also have the option to pay the fees in three installments or as a full payment upfront.
The individual tuition fees depend on the US state where students live.
Pros Of BloomTech
While there has been a lot of debate about Lambda School being legitimate, this coding bootcamp is definitely a career booster.
Here are some of the advantages of BloomTech that we particularly liked.
Part-Time And Full-Time Courses
If you find that studying eight hours every day for five days a week doesn’t work for you, then you have the option to complete your course part-time for over a year.
This is a great alternative for any students who also have other responsibilities but still want to push their careers.
No Upfront Costs
If you sign an ISA then there is no Lambda school cost, then you don’t need to worry about paying tuition fees upfront. Instead, you will need to pay off the fee with a part of your future salary.
Solid Curriculum
There is no doubt that BloomTech is a tough tech program, but each curriculum of the program consists of industry-leading material.
There are also a lot of real-world projects that help you gain experience and develop your skills.
Make Money While You Study
If you opt for the full-time program, you’ll struggle to make money on the side. However, BloomTech offers some students the to become team leads.
Team leads check in with students, answer questions, and facilitate team discussions.
Cons Of BloomTech
No coding bootcamp or online educator is perfect, and there are a few improvements we’d think could make BloomTech better.
Large Cohorts
Students have reported in the past that teams and cohorts can be made up of up to 100 students.
That’s a big number which makes it difficult for individual student feedback.
Highly Competitive
BloomTech is very specific about who can join their boot camp. That’s the reason why their application process is so rigorous.
Usually, under 10% of applications are also admitted to the school.
Final Thoughts
BloomTech is a great concept for everyone who is motivated to develop their career.
Saying this, it isn’t for everyone. The education provider has a solid structure that you will need to follow, and you will need to stay on the ball with your learning.
However, if you focus on your goal, then BloomTech is a good option to land a very well-paid job in tech.
