I was a postdoc at Duke University (Engineering) and my background is control and optimization. I participated NYCDSA Online Data Science Program (10/2016 - 02/2017).
NYCDSA online video lectures have a very high quality. I found that the well-organized class material and lecture notes very helpful to prepare for data scientist job interviews. I can review the material repeatedly until I am ready for the interviews. Also, almost everything I need to pass a data scientist job interview is covered in the program, which can certainly facilitate my interview preparation.
Finally, Vivian and the entire NYCDSA team are extremely helpful for data scientist job searching. From resume/cover letter revision, coding practice, to data scientist technical interview preparation, NYCDSA has enabled me to make a smooth transition from academia to industry.
I found a job at Citibank as a Fraud Data Scientist. Without NYCDSA online program, I would have to spend much more time to find the right direction to achieve what I have been able to accomplish through this online program.
This course was the best thing to ever happen to me. In 20 weeks (4: pre work, 12: course, 4 job hunt) I went from someone who couldn't write 'Hello World' in python to a full blown Data Scientist, making six figures, with multiple companies vying for my interest.
What you should know:
You will get as much out of this course as you put in. I had many, many days where I was working well past midnight and back in class by 9:30am. You learn how to learn, which is THE skill required for any coding job. The curriculum is intensive, and a lot of times I couldn't totally complete the homework without checking for answers from my peers, and that's okay! In the real world, much of your job will be interacting and working with a team.
Course: Go every day, work hard, finish the projects on time, and hold yourself accountable. The lecturers do a great job, but ultimately when you're 24+ years old, nobody is going to spoon feed you. The homework is great, but when you try to put everything you've learned together into a well rounded project (there are 4-5 projects), that is when you really understand what is going on. Throw yourself full bore into the projects, and take pride in your work. 90% of what I learned, no exaggeration, was in the 3-5 days before projects were due. Its one thing to figure out homework by looking at the example sets, and a different thing entirely to apply those concepts to a data set with different structure and goals. If you are proud of your projects at the end, you will get a job. Period.
Job Hunt:
The job is the ultimate goal for 99% of people entering the camp. Unfortunately, there is some confusion about how the search will work. For one, you will not be "given" a job. For most people, the job search will take 1.5-3 months. Vivian has excellent contacts but she also has 40+ students. In order to guarantee yourself a job, you need to approach the process like a data science project. For me, I did "easy apply"s on LinkedIn, 50 a day. These take literally 15 seconds each. I then selected 15 companies a day with a more formal interview process, and sent them a variation of a pre-written cover letter. For my top picks, I tried to find a hiring manager or data scientist on the team, and add them on LinkedIn. I put my name on AngelList, and got many companies reaching out. I humbled myself and told everyone I was more interested in a great learning position, not a great salary. I iteratively changed my own interview methods, including voice tone, inflections, negotiations, honesty levels, until I found a balance that worked for me. You cannot just apply and hope. That is not a method.
Basically, the bootcamp is the first big step. The second big step is learning how to apply and interview. Many people send out 5-10 applications to their top picks (who are often everyone else's top picks as well) and then sit on their hands and wonder why they haven't gotten a job. When entering a new field, you have to make concessions about your salary and place of work, in order to reap the rewards down the line. Also, without multiple options, you will not be able to negotiate because you'll feel this is your only chance. BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS!
Overall:
The camp was the best decision I ever made. I read a book called Design Your Life, which basically said take how you want your life to be, then decide what is necessary to get it there.
I wanted to live in NYC, with a six figure job, working in an office with low stress, and love what I do. NYCDSA made all of that possible. If you have gotten a degree that isn't taking you where you want to be, but you know you're smart and can work hard, I strongly urge you to apply to NYCDSA today.
Honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Yes it’s a reasonably difficult course, but if you are truly interested in data science you enjoy every second of it. Like anything, you get out what you put in. If you’re ready to work as hard as you need to in order to master this wealth of knowledge in 12 weeks, this course is 100% for you.
The instructors and TAs are excellent, all accomplished data scientists with a wealth of skill and knowledge. The resources, from slides to code examples and practice questions, are things I will continue to use throughout my career as a data scientist. There is ALWAYS more to learn in the field of data science.
If you’re thinking about going because you simply want a pay raise, then don’t. The course is relatively difficult, and if you aren’t willing to put in the work to master everything you need to land a job, then you won’t get a job. Simple as that.
However, if you are committed to becoming an expert data science, the job support here is immense. There are mock interviews, code interview practice questions, linkedin workshops, presentations from hiring companies and data scientists etc…I myself recently accepted a dream offer from a company I was connected with through the bootcamp.
You likely won’t get a job immediately, it’ll take awhile and a lot of interview practice. It took me about 3 months. If you haven’t mastered the skills you need to be a data scientist, then you don’t have the skills to pass through the interview process. But again, if you are committed there is no shortage of resources made available to you. If you do not succeed here, it is because you did not put as much effort into them as they did into you.
Finally, an underrated part of the experience is the other students. Some of my best friends in the city I met through the bootcamp, and we still go out for drinks all the time. The course not only provides you with knowledge, but connections. It’s a room full of intelligent, driven and entrepreneurial people. You could expect nothing less.
If you want to be a data scientist, and more importantly you have the drive to learn and succeed, you’ll thrive here. Simple as that.
Overall:
100% YES!!! I wholeheartedly recommend NYC Data Science Academy! If you want to switch into data science, the bootcamp will help you land your dream job. I got an internship offer shortly after the end of bootcamp(~2.5 weeks) through the bootcamp’s hiring partner event, and recently became a full-time data scientist at the same company. All of this would not have been possible without the help of NYCDSA!
Full Review
When I was reading through bootcamp reviews, I personally thought it was more helpful to find people of similar background as mine and see how well they fared. For instance, knowing that people with only bachelors degree attended NYCDSA and got data scientist jobs helped to not only inspire me, but also to set realistic expectations on what type of jobs I could get and how long it could take. So here is a blurb about myself:
TL-DR;
Prior to coming into the bootcamp, I asked myself: “Is the bootcamp worth the $16,000 investment?” Is it going to give me enough skills to find a job as a data scientist?”. If you read my introduction, the ultimate answer is an obvious YES! Below, I am listing the top 7 reasons why I think NYDSCA was a worth investment for me:
If you made it all the way to the end, thank you reading this review! All in all, NYCDSA was great!! It worked perfectly for me as it gave me the skills (both technical and soft) I needed to land a data scientist job. BE PREPARED TO WORK HARD. Treat both the bootcamp and job hunting as a full-time job and you will be rewarded. :)
I attended the Big Data with Hadoop and Spark course, hosted and led by NYC Data Science Academy. My objective was two-fold: first, to gain a deeper and practical understanding on emerging 'Big Data' technologies, more so than what academic publications or industry white papers currently provide; and, second, to familiarize myself with the skill set and experience to expect from the new generation statisticians, or Data Scientists. With a background in Business Intelligence, Architecture, Risk Management and Governance on Wall Street, I find that foundational skills remain the same: mathematics and statistics. However, with the commoditizing of data storage and massively parallel computing, Data Scientist today are capable of solving problems reserved for an exclusive few in decades past. The course did not cover configuration of the Hadoop environment, but thanks to the engaging and knowledgeable instructor, clues on challenges and potential pitfalls were generously shared. I highly recommend this course not only to professionals or recent graduates looking to hone data analysis skills, but to anyone with an interest or stake in Big Data.
Three months ago I had no idea what I had signed up for. I wasn't even sure I had made the right choice--not just with NYCDSA, but data science in general. I didn't know how to code and all my statistics experience came from an academic setting. Three months later and I can hardly comprehend how I got to where I am now, but I know for certain I wouldn't have gotten here without NYCDSA. On the first day it was clear that I was a bit of a minority. It seemed that everyone had more experience than I did--I had been a classroom teacher for 6 years, and an English teacher at that--but this wasn't a time for excuses. No matter what level you arrive at, you can't survive the program without being all-in, and that might be its greatest strength. I (and the rest of my cohort) kissed goodbye to our social lives and fought through three of the most challenging, stressful months of our lives. Suddenly I'm a proficient coder in two languages, I understand the statistical nuance behind complicated machine learning algorithms, and most importantly, I landed a job that is wildly better than what I imagined I could get. Seriously. I took the screening interview just for the practice. And then I got another interview. And then another. And then a job offer. And throughout, I knew the answer the virtually every question they threw at me. And for that, I have to thank NYCDSA.
I had a great experience at the NYC Data Science Academy.
To give you a little background, I have a PhD in Biochemistry and did a Post-Doc in computational biology and bioinformatics and then worked in industry for a couple of years in both technical and non-technical roles. With the recent advent of data science, I made a decision to make a transition to data science and wanted to get up to speed in data science, Python and R, as well as machine learning, in a rapid but focused manner. The NYC Data Science Academy provided the perfect opportunity to do so.
The things that stand out about the Boot Camp were:
A word of caution about participating in the Boot Camp. Be prepared to work like crazy. I worked 12 to 14 hours a day, 7 days a week for three months straight.
I had an interest in data science but was making slow progress learning it on my own. This program gave me a strong foundation to build my future growth upon. It covered all the statistics necessary to apply statistically learning methods appropriately. It taught the most commonly used machine learning methods across industries. These methods were covered in both R and Python. Seeing the material in both languages was great, it gave you two chances to be exposed to each topic. All of the material was presented with clear lecture slides that will continue to be a resource. Each topic was also presented with sample code and exercises to explore the material in a hands on fashion. We also had the chance to work on real world data science projects that applied the material covered, with the assistance of our teachers and TAs. The bootcamp hosts a monthly Meetup that gave us a chance to present our work publicly. We had weekly speakers who were leaders in their respective fields come and speak to the class about different facets of data science. In some instances these speakers also had projects we could work on if we were interested in their field. The bootcamp went to great lengths to get us access to hiring partners, actually bring data science managers/HR managers to us. To be successful in this program you need to work as hard as they work for you. It wasn't uncommon to work with instructors late into the night or on weekends. This has been a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about becoming a data scientist.
I attended the Data Science Bootcamp in summer 2015. It was a very enriching, useful and enjoyable experience. It offered plenty of important things that one couldn't hope to find by taking online courses or reading textbooks. The instructors possessed valuable knowledge and perspectives in the data science industry, and were able to share them with the students through various activities (e.g. lectures, invited talks, meetups, company visits, individual counseling, etc.). Also, students had a lot of opportunities to interact with established data scientists, as well as collaborate with other aspiring ones on real-world projects.
Data Science Bootcamp was the best experience in my career. Instructors were not only helpful in teaching the regular materials but also guide you to establish your confidence in yourself to be a Data Scientist. They will help you even after completing your bootcamp. Nice and honest environment.
I took Machine Learning with R and Hadoop data engineering classes in 2015. They are all well-structured classes with extensive information coverage and concrete learning process design. All the techniques been told in the class are very practical and can be applied to work very fast. In addition, it is also a great opportunity to build your "data science" fellow network because all your classmates are "Pro" in this domain with a lot of wonderful industry experiences to share. I would definitely recommend NYC Data Science Academy to my friend!
Vivian came to our company and taught us five one-day sessions in R from entry level to intermediate level. I had no experience in R before. But I have learned a lot from Vivian and from the resources she provided, both from online and from the books. The homework and the office hour are also very helpful. After the classes, I have started to use R in my job from very basic stuff to more advanced data manipulation and analysis. Vivian is very knowledgeable in R and a warm person to work with. Thank you, Vivian.
I took Machine Learning with Python and Data Analysis with Python in the Spring. I found both course useful and informative. The courses have given me a comprehensive and yet in-depth introduction into Machine Learning and Python. And these skills turn out to be invaluable at work. Most importantly, Vivian is an excellent instructor. She is immensely helpful and supportive which makes the learning process quite enjoyable. Definitely recommend NYC Data Science Academy!
I took the Data Science with Python: Machine Learning course and I learned a lot. This course helped me to improve my data analysis and general Python skills. It introduced me to several new libraries and algorithms, most of which I plan to use at work. Overall, I had a very positive experience.
I took Vivian’s Data Science course and had a fantastic experience. I networked with Data professionals from the NBA, the Federal Reserve Bank, NYC startups, and more. I learned a lot very quickly and had a lot of fun. It’s a nice part of the city and the building has a great startup feel to it. …While I was still enrolled I implemented a hierarchical clustering algorithm and put it into production. I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I hadn’t learned Data Science at NYC Data Science Academy.
Thanks to NYC Data Science Academy, I was able to find a great job as a data scientist at a startup before the 12 weeks was even up. Had it not been for the Data Science Boot Camp, I would still be looking for a job. The Boot Camp builds confidence in data science through exercises, homework, lectures, and personal projects. These projects are immensely helpful when job searching, and students are encouraged to take on as many as possible. Over the 12 weeks, I gained proficiency in R, Python, Hadoop, and SQL, just to name a few. Vivian, the Program Director, is truly devoted to her students’ success. She continuously challenged us to step outside our comfort zone and dive head first into the most difficult concepts. The other staff members at NYCDSA including Bryan and Janet, are also extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Students have the full support, encouragement, and expertise of the NYCDSA staff. This experience, while extremely challenging, exceeded all my expectations. The skills and knowledge gained from NYC Data Science Boot Camp is well worth the price, and the effort.
Great class. For only a 5 week class it is very comprehensive. Covers the basics and commonly used libraries used in python for data analysis as well has how to use them. Notebooks used in the class are a great go-resource after the class ends. Also a great community of data professionals and networking if you are thinking about a new gig.
Vivian led two training sessions for our team at our company location, and covered both introductory and intermediate data analysis using R in five days. We very much enjoyed Vivian’s engaging teaching style and the hands-on exercises. She was able to draw on a broad array of real world experiences she had with clients in many different industries. This helped us feel the excitement of how data science techniques were used to solve challenging problems. I particularly like the fact that she insisted on the post-training projects that were completed by all attendees. It was satisfying for me to see what our team could do in a very short period of time using the skills gained in the training.
Great comprehensive course that give you a thorough overview of Python and how it can be used in the field of Data Science.
As a novice coder, this class was a great way to learn how I can manipulate and analyze data in Python. Would recommend for anyone interested in learning how to use python and apply to daily work.
Excellent 2 days of GIT and GITHUB training! The trainer, Bryan Valentini was very personable and took the time to answer everyone’s questions as well as provide desk-side assistance. Would definitely recommend to others new to GIT and GITHUB!
The intermediate python machine learning course was a fascinating time. It gave me a much better feel for the variety of practical techniques that can be used in the field, and I’m frankly really excited to apply what I’ve learned in the near future. Make no mistake, the course and topics are challenging, but your perseverance will be rewarded.
I found Vivian’s Intermediate Python class to be very refreshing, given the formulaic approach that most books I’ve read on Data Science tend to be. She definitely knows her subject, clearly communicates that to her students, and fosters lively debate during class. Can’t wait to see what my fellow students present for their final projects!
As the business world becomes increasingly data-driven, the Data Sciences classes at NYC Data Sciences Academy are invaluable to driving career success, not only for actual data science practitioners, but those who collaborate with them day-to-day to execute on insights to be gleaned from data sciences. I just completed the Intermediate level Data Sciences with R class and have immediately benefited from the ability to understand the different type of advanced analytic techniques that are available to help my clients with their business issues, to better communicate and collaborate with our Data Sciences team on a tactical level and then to take their output and accurately translate it into our clients’ business language. The course was comprehensive and Vivian brings a lot of passion and dedication to the class and ensuring her students’ success.
It was only a four-day entry-level training, but it turned out that I made the right choice to come along, join Vivian and her talented colleagues, and benefit tremendously from the lessons, discussions and on-site exercises. What’s more, with the encouragement from the teachers, I managed to complete my own small R project, and have been interested in further my studies on R ever since. I strongly recommend any one, who is intrigued by data management, visualization, data mining, statistics, or critical thinking using mathematical tools, to learn R, or preferably, learn R with Vivian and her colleagues, to expand his or her horizon, and make use of R in many ways possible.
I took both the intensive beginner and intensive intermediate R classes back-to-back on weekends over a four-month period. Although 7 hours a session may feel hefty, once you’re in the class time will fly by. Sessions split time between lecture and hands-on exercises, so you have lots of time to ask questions. Homework assignments are manageable – Vivian is very accessible should you have a question by email or in-person office hours. Each class ends with a Demo Day of a project of your choice. You will access real data from the Internet using APIs and analyze this information and ways you never would have thought possible using Excel or even SQL! Because of the initiative I took to learn the material, I have accepted a position as a Data Scientist at Google. A big thank you to Vivian and the team at the NYC DSA for helping me make the leap in my career from business analyst to data scientist!
I took the Data Science by R programming (beginner level) class taught by Vivian. The class material was very well organized and consisted of tips and tricks that only someone who has worked extensively with R would know, some undocumented features included. The course, home work, and project are quite intensive, so be prepared to put the time in; but when you are done, you will be a much more valuable professional! It’s all well worth the effort and hard work. The beginner course has set the stage for me to take the next level data mining class, which I am eagerly looking forward to.
I enjoyed this class — I would give it a 4, only because it went a little too fast for me at some points. I am a beginner of the most clearly beginner level. I had played with some front end programming, but never attempted backend work. The 5 hour classes on Saturdays were tough because it required a lot of homework and studying during the week, but the instructor was good about answering questions and pushing us to keep working on new and interesting things. The program was extremely supportive of me while I was trying to learn new material, I have and will continue to recommend this class/NYC Data school.
I took the first offering of Data Science using Python a few weeks ago, and definitely recommend it to anyone who loves hands-on learning with some guidance. Let me explain: Last year, I took Coursera’s Machine Learning/Intro to Data Science courses and did well, but did not do a hands-on project that would enable me to retain a lot of knowledge. But this course required me to pick a detailed project and present it to a live audience, who then determined whether I did well or not. So I learned how to do web scraping, extract social media API data, write object-oriented Python, utilize a NoSQL database (MongoDB) to store results, and finally create visualizations in D3 and HighCharts. And then the pressure to present well, just to pass the class. Our instructor John was competent, knowledgeable and helpful, and covered a variety of useful tools like Pandas and Scikit Learn, including machine learning algorithms. And Vivian is always pushing us harder to do better. Sounds familiar?
The instructor, John Downs, was very knowledgeable and did an excellent job of providing an overview in the key areas of Python. After the five week class I went from knowing essentially nothing about Python to using it as one of my “go to” tools in which I am able to accomplish tasks at work on a daily basis.
I took the beginner level Python class with John Downs and really had a great experience. John is very knowledgeable about Python and programming in general, and was able to be helpful to students of all levels in the class. The exercises in class and the homework got our hands dirty with the language and the final project was a great way to create a real result by the end of the course. Overall it was challenging, but a valuable intro to a useful tool that was easier to approach with real-life sessions than self-study demos on my own. I’ll definitely take classes with NYC Data Science Academy in the future and would recommend it to my friends.
John Down’s Python for Data Analysis class was a helpful introduction to using python toolkits such as Pandas and Scikit Learn to work with large and complex data structures. John started the class off slowly to get the group adjusted to Python syntax, but made sure to include all of the essential data management/analysis techniques to get started (e.g. dataset merging, manipulation, basic stats/regression, etc). In a short course, John did a great job of including numerous examples in ipython notebooks that he gives to the class– this approach was very helpful for exposing beginners to more complex techniques that they can go back to when they are ready. I definitely recommend this course to any beginner interested in learning how python can help make data analysis faster and easier.
Very informative class. Vivian uses intensive exercises and hand-on practices to make sure you understand how to use the packages she teaches!
I completed the Intensive beginner course for R and I highly recommend it! I’ve learned a lot in 5 weeks and I can say that I am now an R convert (from SAS). I’ve learned so many functions and packages that I am now able to use them confidently at work. Vivian was also a great, hard working teacher who encouraged every one in the class to study harder which means she really cared that that her students would become great data scientists sooner than later. I like the class so much I am now taking the R intermediate class.
I strongly recommend this class to all potential students who have some programming background. The pace at the beginning is necessarily rapid to cover the basics of syntax and structure, so that more time can be devoted to numpy/scipy/pandas/etc. John was a fantastic instructor, and impressively it was his first time teaching the course! Super nice/patient/knowledgeable, and he has a real knack for explaining stuff. Taking introduction to Python for Data Analysis was a great decision for me. In a relatively short period of time, I was introduced to the top analytical code libraries in Python and gained experience using them. Well worth the time and money: I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
The D3 class was a great intro to the library. After finishing the class I can create simple data visualizations (bar, line, scatter, chloropleth, etc) and know some more advanced concepts (brushing, reusable charts). I also know enough about how the library works to continue learning on my own. I’d recommend coming in with some JavaScript knowledge as that will help you grasp the concepts quicker.
As an employer, I have found NYC Data Science Academy classes significantly improved the data science and visualization skill set of our research and business analyst. The courses are practical, compressed and come with lots of support. We sent a motivated team member to the Intensive Beginner R class. Previously he had no R experience and in one month’s time he was able to achieve proficiency. Since completing the course, our analyst has built, analyzed and presented data in valuable new ways.
I just finished the 002 session of the beginner R class. We certainly got a lot of “bang for our buck”, because Vivian is preeminent in the field of data science, and she was able to move through a lot of material very quickly. She worked extremely hard in preparing well organized slides, and for me the key was to go through the day’s presentation, provided beforehand, during the week prior to the class, running all the code and seeing what it does. This allows you to keep up and absorb her lesson when you get into class. In addition to getting a solid start on the use of R, the class also provided valuable insight into the field of data science, which is a career into which I am interested in transitioning. Lastly, Vivian made herself available to us weekly for extra help, either in person or via web interaction, which was much appreciated. Like I said, she is very dedicated and works extremely hard at seemingly everything she does. Thanks Vivian!
I attended the beginner’s workshop for R and I found it extremely useful. The classes were very well organized. The slides were well paced with many practical examples. I especially like the hands on format of the class, you work through the slides on your laptop. I had very little knowledge of R before and I learned many tools during the course. I was particularly interested in the visualization tools. Since the course, I have used some of the charting tools that I learned in my presentations at work as well. Both Scott and Vivian did an excellent job teaching R basics. They were very helpful and answered questions in person, email and piazza (online platform where we would post our solutions). Vivian also shared with the class a lot of material and practical examples. I would highly recommend this course to users who are interested in learning R.
I took the initial version of this class late fall 2013 and found it to be well worth the time. The slides, examples and exercises were well organized. Scott Kostyshak’s presentation style is clear and concise. The second iteration will have twice the classroom hours and cover a lot of material that there wasn’t time for in the initial format. It’s worth the investment if you want to dive into the R ecosystem.
The Introductory R class covered a broad range of information, and for a statistics and programming newbie like me, was indispensable for coming up to speed on a variety of related subject matter. Vivian is passionate about R, open data, statistics, etc.. Her enthusiasm is contagious!
Super helpful. Vivian is a fantastic teacher. She really pushes everyone to dig in and start solving problems.
