General Assembly Seattle

Our company had the opportunity to serve as a client for one of the final client projects that General Assembly students work on at the end of the immersive courses. We worked with four students in the intensive user experience design immersive (UXDI) class to design interactive wireframes for a geographic analysis and design software. Working with the students, who served as pro bono consultants for us, was worth every minute of our time. They provided thoughtful new insights, significant findings based on extensive and thorough user research, and ultimately delivered a product that helped propel us forward. We were very impressed with the quality of work, and would highly recommend the experience of working with the students to any other companies looking to engage in the client projects. Very unique and worthwhile!

Took part of the first Web Development Immersive (WDI) cohort in Seattle. Prior to the course my background was in engineering so I had some experience in coding but it wasn’t enough to prepare me for what General Assembly (GA) had to offer.
At GA during the 3 month course it was information overload, we learned everything from the basics of JavaScript, Ruby, HTML, and CSS to full on frameworks that enabled us to create our own web apps. It was a lot to process in a small amount of time. Expect a typical day to be at least 10 – 12 hours reviewing, learning new material and performing coding labs /​working on homework.
During the cohort I had to miss some time due to an unexpected event and doubted if I
could continue on and finish, however the staff at GA and my classmates were very supportive and accommodating and at the end I was able to complete the course.
After completion of the course the staff worked with us individually and helped us promote ourselves to tech companies who were in pursuit for web devs and how to interview for them. In the end because of my engineering background and my newly acquired knowledge of coding, I was able to find a job within couple weeks that was a mixture of both worlds.
GA WDI has been a great decision, not only was I able to learn such an extensive knowledge of multiple languages and frameworks to build web apps, but also being a part of an awesome ever growing family. I would highly recommend GA WDI to anyone.
«Believe in your abilities and the staff and there’s no limit to what you can accomplish»

I just finished the FEWD part-​time course at GA Seattle and had a great experience! I love everything about the community. Everyone is very helpful and open to sharing their experiences. The atmosphere is energetic and «neatly appointed», to boot (the Brooklyn, NY wallpaper in the bathroom stalls is always fun).
I am a graphic designer who wanted to get Front End Development skills. I checked out other Seattle locations as well as online courses and GA just made sense for me. This FEWD course focused specifically on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. As a designer who was skeptical about learning code, I only wanted to focus on these three languages as a way to introduce myself to the world of code. I also have tried online courses only to be distracted while taking them. I figured being accountable to show up for a class two times a week for 10 weeks was the perfect way to go for me.
My instructors (you get two!) were VERY knowledgable AND passionate about what they do. You could ask them anything and they knew the answer. They were very generous with their time and answering questions outside of class as well as during. I can’t recommend Steve Minor and Noah Collins enough.
One caveat — as a designer whose brain is less wired for code than it is for design, this class moves FAST. Be prepared to put in a lot of time outside of class.
It was clear to me that General Assembly is heavily invested in their community and making sure their students get the most out of their experience. Also, they provide a TON of info sessions, workshops, bootcamps — they have a lot to choose from if you are looking to get involved in the tech community and the Seattle community in general. Check it out!

I completed the General Assembly Web Development Immersive earlier this year, and I’m so glad I found GA. Before starting the course, I had hardly any coding experience and only had a vague idea of what HTML, CSS and JavaScript meant. In three short months, I gained the skills, experience, and tools to confidently call myself a full-​stack developer. I hardly believed it possible before the course, but I can honestly say that if you work hard and soak in all the information, you will become a strong entry-​level developer in three months.
A large part of what made my General Assembly experience so enjoyable and worthwhile is the community. The instructors are passionate about their work and have a wealth of knowledge. They’ve been working in the industry so they know all the latest technologies and trends. The producers and staff are compassionate, welcoming, and really want to see all the students succeed. The students and alumni are awesome — and a great resource for finding work post-​course! You will likely be able to find a GA alumni to talk for advice or career connections in any size company you’re interested in, from large tech companies to small start-​ups to more entrepreneurial roles.
After graduating from the Web Development Immersive, I was a TA for the next two cohorts since I wanted to give back and stay connected to the GA community. I was also offered a great contract role within two weeks of graduating.
It really is possible to completely and successfully change your career through General Assembly! You do need to fully commit (i.e. General Assembly/​coding will become your life for three months). If you’re ready to work incredibly hard, immerse yourself in tech, and meet some awesome people along the way, I highly recommend GA!

I loved taking the FEWD class with General Assembly. My teachers were the head developers at Nordstrom and such cool guys! In just a 10 weeks I learned how to code HTML, CSS, and intermediate JavaScript. I wish we had spent more time with GitHub but apparently all future classes are using it for every homework assignment so that’s good to hear. I would recommend GA to anyone serious about learning a difficult 21^st century skill like web development or user experience or digital marketing. I got so much more out of it than I feel I would have with any online course.

My background before I started my journey into web development was in documentary production, journalism and education. I had no clue about where to begin coding digital experiences. Sure, I have some experience with CMS (Content Management System) and some HTML and CSS, but not to the extent I needed in order to build my own web app. Which is where my journey began: I wanted to build a journalism education game app and pitched it at my previous company’s internal hackathon. It was chosen as one of the winning apps, and I got to work with a team of developers producers, and engineers. From that point on, I was hooked on working in the world of apps!
Before attending General Assembly’s Web Development Immersive (WDI) course I looked into other institutions and I’m very happy that I chose GA. Not only do I feel like I belong to a strong community of intelligent, hard-​working, and supportive employees, students and alumni, I feel like a successful student! I knew about General Assembly while I lived and worked in NYC, and because of my fiancée, who TA’d for the first General Assembly UXDI (User Experience Design Immersive) course in San Francisco. So even though I kind of knew about the great community, I experienced it firsthand when I started the WDI program in Seattle.
It was an intense and sometimes scary ride, but it was worth every moment. I made great friends, colleagues, and had sympathetic course producers and instructors. My instructors have both professional and educational experience. They were very good about gauging class participation and pacing of lessons. I knew that the material being taught is based on what’s being used the in the professional world and the latest technology, so I knew I’d be getting a great return on my investment.
After my course, I was offered the Developer-​in-​Residence (DIR) fellowship and gladly accepted it. I’m very proud to be able to give back to the next cohort and pay it forward using my newfound knowledge and skills.
After my DIR fellowship, I’ve been asked to come back as a TA for the 3^rd cohort and am thrilled to have recently accepted a full-​time Associate Technical Product Manager position at Expedia. Because of General Assembly, not only have I been able to transition into tech, but I have also learned skills I can combine with my previous experiences as a producer to advance my career. Thank you GA!

I recently completed GA’s Web Development Immersive and am so incredibly glad I discovered the program. For me, it was a positive, uplifting environment where I made incredible friends and connections. The instructors and staff are truly dedicated to helping change peoples’ lives and give them valuable, marketable skills.
I had researched other coding schools, however, none seemed as personable and prestigious as GA. Also, no other school’s curriculum or course format seemed to fit my needs quite as well.
That being said, it was no cakewalk; I had very little trace of a life outside of GA for the duration of the three-​month course. 10 – 12 hours each day (in order to successfully retain most of the concepts) is no exaggeration.
I’m currently in a full-​time three-​month contract position, and because of the effort I put forth in the immersive, I have very few concerns about attaining my next role. A big theme at GA is «growth mindset» and this is an especially helpful thought pattern for when you’re feeling less-​than-​capable.
However, before you decide to take the plunge, ask yourself: do I love learning constantly, do I have emotional fortitude (e.g. being comfortable with struggling through concepts daily), am I doing this for the pure joy of building/​creating/​designing, and am I willing to dedicate three months of my life to coding and sleeping? If yes, then I highly recommend! Good luck!

I went to GA Seattle WDI (Web Development Immersive) course. It changed my life. Within 1 ½ months of graduation, I was offered a great job at a company that’s considered one of the top 5 to work for in the pacific NW. Starting next week I’ll be a Software Engineer making more than twice what I made in my previous career, and I enjoy the work much more. I can’t heap enough praise onto the General Assembly Web Development program. Like I said, it’s changed my life in ways I didn’t think possible.

I was in the first Web Development Immersive (WDI) in Seattle. I am now a Front-​End Web Developer at a consulting/​creative agency. Before doing this I was in healthcare and I decided to make a career change. I did research on other coding bootcamps around Seattle. I decided to go with GA for a number of reasons. First, the course curriculm was amazing. I learned 3 different stacks in 3 months. Second, the career/​networking help they provide during and after the course. Third, the community that GA has in Seattle and around the world. And finally the people that work at GA Seattle. The entire staff at GA Seattle is there to support every student part time or full time. I can now say that I love my job and I am making more money than I ever have thanks to GA. I can say without a doubt that GA changed my life.

I’m reviewing my total experience with GA, which started with a Product Management part-​time course I took in NY. It was a complete waste of $ 3,000. I wrote about my experience on Unilocal and was contacted months later. I was impressed by the detailed, genuinely concerned response, so I wrote back and told them I’d be happy to try out GA again in Seattle. They gave me a $ 35 credit toward any class. I didn’t know how I felt at the time (I’m after all, Asian, and we tend to bury all our feelings… until they implode), but then as I walked into class today, I realized I was a tad pissed off.
Let me put this in perspective: imagine you’re dining at a fine dining restaurant (say, Per Se), for which you’ve made a reservation months in advanced, and you spent $ 300/​person for the meal. The food was so inedible you left halfway through your meal (after paying, of course). Management apologized, and gave you $ 3 in restaurant credit. You came back and had an excellent espresso! But, would you change your mind about the restaurant based on that $ 3 experience? No. If I can come up with $ 3,000 to pay for your course, you should be able to come up with at least 20% of that in credit.
I decided to redeem my $ 35 voucher toward UX Design Intro with Carin Dow. I’d give that class a 4.5. It’s hard to assess the class because it doesn’t have a single objective. I enjoyed it and learned something new. Let’s start with the good: Carin was the perfect combination of encouraging, informative, positive without being saccharine sweet, and simply affable. She also carried the class at a good pace. We didn’t go into much detail (we only had two hours), which was totally okay and expected. At the end of the class, there’s a list of best practices and resources, and I thought that was great.
Ironically, my biggest feedback point is that the entire experience should have been more user-​centered. There’s a disconnect between the course description and the class itself, and my experience felt a bit disjointed.
— For example, here’s a line from «key takeaways» for the class on the course description: «Use the Five Core Components of Usability to evaluate web and mobile experiences.» I don’t remember the five core components being discussed. Plus, this description isn’t very useful to me. I wish it was written in a way I, as a customer, care about. Such as: this class gives you an overview of UX responsibilities and common methods, so that you can better understand how UX fits into your organization and what value it delivers. That’s one small example and there were a few more things in the class material that felt fluffy (consistent to my prior experience).
— At the end of the workshop, we were (hopefully) curious to further develop our newfound knowledge. It would’ve been helpful to give a couple of examples on how we can do this on our own. Such as: you should apply these tools we just learned toward imaginary cases where you’re trying to design a clone of your favorite apps. How would you go through the steps? Wireframe that shit.
— I realized as I was driving to WeWork that I didn’t know what to bring, because it was not specified. Should I bring a laptop? Should I bring a notebook and a pen? I know you guys do classes all the time, but this is the only class I take — don’t make me think, tell me everything I need to know.
One thing I thought was cool: Carin and «the other person who works there and opened the class and whose name totally escapes me» gave their email address out to the class for questions and comments (I didn’t write down the email, because someone didn’t tell me I needed to bring notebook and pen). I’m rounding it up to 3 stars for the interactive workshop and because those whiteboard tables are such a good idea! Although I nearly got into a turf war with my neighbor when she tried creeping on my turf.

I’ve taken a few classes at GA now since they opened in Seattle about a year ago. The class space at WeWork is awesome although it can be noisy at times depending on other classes taking place at the same time.
The current courses are focused on web development, product marketing, social media and a few others — I hope they expand their offerings soon because the class format is straightforward and easy to digest.

General Assembly has no reviews?! I was introduced to the space last night for a talk/​learning session on Machine Learning. The venue was organized, clean, modern and our General Assembly host treated us graciously and warmly. We had a great buffet of drinks –there was beer-​, sandwiches and cookies. The event was well organized, did not go overtime and provided us with ample opportunity to network. General Assembly, color me a fan but I also have one request… the email notification that confirmed me signing up for the event kills my outlook. I had to delete the email confirmation to get outlook to work again. Please, help?