Frequently Asked Questions

We understand you may have a lot of questions about Turing, and hopefully we can answer some of them here. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to us at contact@turing.edu.

Admissions

Is this program fun?

This program is intense, but Turing is committed to the well-being of our students. The program has health and wellness support, opportunities to connect with other students and alumni via Student Circles, and full community events like movie nights, lightning talks, and more.

What kind of projects will I work on?

Students work on individual and group projects, and can expect to complete several projects during each module. You can watch some student demos of projects they've worked on here.

What percentage of your instructors have been developers in the real world?

Usually around 50% of our instructors have been developers before joining us at Turing. All staff receive ongoing professional development, and the majority of us have professional experience as instructors, either teaching K-12 or in college or corporate settings.

Why are there two programs instead of full stack?
What languages do you teach?

Our Back-End program focuses on Ruby, and also covers Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, and JavaScript.

Our Front-End program focuses on JavaScript, and also covers CSS, HTML, NodeJS, React, and Redux.

What is the typical class size and student to teacher ratio?

Typically around 12:1. Each cohort is typically assigned between 2 and 3 instructors who teach classes in real-time and are available through Zoom and Slack.

Do you have to pay for repeating a module?

No, we do not charge a fee to repeat a module.

What if I am not doing well in the classes?

Our program is divided into 4 modules for several reasons, one of which is it allows for very clear benchmarks every 6 weeks. Students who are not meeting expectations are able to repeat a module and review the material they are struggling with.

What facilites and services are available to students with disabilities?

Turing is a completely remote school and does not have facilities that mandate physical accessibility. The classroom lessons, group projects, and assessments are available online via this remote modality. Turing also provides reasonable accommodations for those students with any diagnosis that may recommend that a student seeks a reasonable accommodation that Turing can provide. For more information, please follow the instructions on the attached form.

I have questions about Turing's accreditation. Who do I reach out to?

First, visit our accreditation FAQ document. If you find that the FAQ does not answer your question, please reach out to the Turing enrollment team at admissions@turing.edu.

Try Coding

My children in middle school or high school are interested in coding, should I buy them a ticket?

Generally, individuals aged 17+ can keep up with the class and are very much invited. Our Try Coding workshops are professional, introductory workshops for adults and are not designed to be engaging for younger ones. If you have a child who is interested in coding, we recommend checking out coderdojo.com.

What is the difference between Weekend Try Coding Workshops and Weekday Try Coding Workshops?

At Weekend Try Coding Workshops we cover Back-End Programming on Saturday and Front-End Programming on Sunday. We recognize that not everyone has a schedule where they can spend a full weekend at a Try Coding and offer single day Try Coding Workshops on various weekdays to accommodate all types of schedules. Weekday workshops will cover Back-End or Front-End only, but it will be the same content as the weekend sessions.

What if I already have some coding experience, can I still attend?

Try Coding workshops are designed for people who are brand new to code and have never tried it before. That doesn’t mean that those with some experience aren’t welcome or will not benefit from it, but some parts may be a review.

How much coding experience should I have to attend?

None! Workshops are for individuals with little to no coding experience. However, before attending, you should be more than comfortable navigating the basic operations of a computer, such as copying and pasting text, typing at an average speed, and navigating the internet through a browser.

What can I expect from the Online Try Coding?

Just like Turing School’s curriculum, Online Try Coding events are instructor-led and student focused. There is a pre-work requirement for the online class, which includes best practices for online learning. Staff members are able to answer any questions you might have about the pre-work within the 3 days leading up to your class date. Expect to be in a Zoom classroom collaborating with other attendees and building your own coding project.

Mod 0

What is Mod 0?

Mod 0 is a required course designed to ensure students are ready to begin engaging with technical content on the first day of Mod 1. The coursework is designed to prepare students for Turing by giving them opportunities to get familiar with the tools, behaviors, and mindsets necessary for success in Turing's program.

What are the Mod 0 dates through 2023?

You can find all upcoming Mod 0 start dates on our Mod 0 site. If you register for the Classic format, you may continue to work a full-time job while completing Mod 0, as long as you can still attend evening sessions from 6-8pm MT. If you choose the Intensive format, you want to fully dedicate your time that week to learning for Mod 0. We ask that students plan not to work during that time.

What are the hours for Classic vs Intensive Mod 0?

In both formats, you can expect to spend 50-60 hours on all coursework. However, the timeframe and hours for live sessions vary depending on the format you choose. In the Classic format, Mod 0 students attend five evening sessions from 6-8pm MT and complete all coursework in a 3-week timeframe. In the Intensive format, Mod 0 students attend live sessions during the day with start times at 8am MT and complete all coursework in 1 week.

Why are students only allowed to do Mod 0 in the inning right before desired cohort?

There are a few key reasons for this. First, things change. Tech moves fast and sometimes we need to update content to make sure you are prepared for Mod 1. If you complete Mod 0 six months before you start Mod 1, some of that information may be outdated. Second, Mod 0 is a great opportunity to start building relationships with other students in your cohort. By ensuring that all students enrolled in a Mod 0 section have the same Mod 1 start date, you can start building those supportive relationships before you start the program.

What is the difference between Classic and Intensive Mod 0?

In the classic format, students can expect to work 18-20 hours/week during a three-week period with live sessions in the evening. Mod 0 Classic is recommended for students who desire to continue working a full-time job during daytime working hours leading up to their Mod 1 start date. This is also a good option if your computer skills are below an intermediate level prior to beginning Mod 1, because you have more time to develop those skills.

In the intensive format, students can expect to work 10-12 hours/day during a one-week period with live sessions during the day. Mod 0 Intensive is recommended for students who want to experience life as a full-time Turing student. With live sessions daily, students in this format form close relationships with cohort-mates and gain a more realistic picture of their life while at Turing.

Launch

How is the Launch Program different from Turing’s Front End engineering & Back End engineering programs?

In short, the Launch Program is for career starters and our Front End & Back End Programs are for career changers. The Launch program was built for young career starters ages 18 - 26 years old with an end goal to obtain a paid internship or apprenticeship that converts to full-time employment. While our Front End and Back End programs support training career changers to become software developers. Still not sure which is right for you? Contact admissions@turing.edu for more guidance.

Is the curriculum the same for all three programs?

While much of the DNA is the same for all three programs (including a rigorous technical curriculum, hands-on professional development and world class instruction from developers/career advisors), the main difference between the programs is our intended outcomes. Additionally, Launch is a longer, 9 month program that will have a heavier emphasis on professional development compared to our Front End and Back End programs.

What are Turing’s intended outcomes for graduates after completing the Launch Program?

To obtain a paid internship or apprenticeship opportunity that converts to full-time employment. These opportunities allow younger, less experienced technical professionals to continue to build the real-world skills that will make them more marketable when they search for their first full-time roles. We believe that the combination of graduating from Turing and real-world technical experience in an internship/apprenticeship will lead to a shorter time to hire and higher starting salaries for our younger Launch graduates. For our FEE/BEE programs, our desired outcome is for our graduates to obtain full-time, junior or entry-level development roles.

Why does the Launch Program cost less than the Front End & Back End Programs?

While we carefully considered the cost of tuition to ensure we are delivering exceptional instruction and support for all of our students, we also wanted to ensure that our students received great value for their tuition. As of Q2/2022, the median starting salary for graduates from our FEE and BEE programs was $89,000. We believe this more than justifies the cost of tuition, especially given the fact that the typical graduate pays off their investment in 17 months from graduation and are ahead financially within 2 years of graduating.

Why does the Launch program last longer than the Front End & Back End Programs?

When we designed the Launch Program, we wanted to build off of the lessons we’ve learned at Turing over the last 8 years. One of those lessons was how to best support younger students who come to our program with less professional experience than more experienced career changers. In addition to a comprehensive and rigorous technical curriculum, we wanted to ensure we had enough time and space to incorporate hands-on professional skill development that many younger career starters don’t have access to - such as dealing with clients, managing calendars and competing time priorities, etc. Note: Our FEE/BEE programs also cover these professional development topics, just in less detail than Launch. To accommodate this, we extended the program length from 4 innings to 6 innings.

Why is the Launch Program Monday - Thursday?

We wanted to create a schedule that gives Launch students an option. We believe this adjustment is a step towards building an equitable learning environment for our younger learners. The adjustment was made to better serve the unique needs of younger career starters compared to career changers. Many of our career changers who attend the FEE/BEE have been working in careers that allowed them to save money over time or obtain loans to attend Turing as full-time students, which is not the reality for many of our Launch students. 

  • By not having Friday’s as mandatory attendance, Launch students have the option to work part-time up to 15 hours over the course of Friday-Sunday.
  • If a student does not choose to work part-time, they have an extra day to devote towards solidifying the technical and professional concepts they learned that week and/or take care of other important life-related responsibilities.
Why is the focus on .NET/C#?

Outcomes! Our intended outcome for Launch grads is to start their careers as paid interns/apprentices to gain industry experience before converting to a full-time employee or landing their next job in tech. When we evaluated the landscape, we recognized that larger, enterprise-level companies are the best candidates to hire interns/apprentices and even entry-level developers since they have the budget, bandwidth and initiative to support younger career starters.

When we evaluated the enterprise-level tech space, .NET/C#, which is used in the Microsoft ecosystem, emerged as a great tech stack to teach since it is widely used across many different industries and companies. Additionally, .NET/C# implements many of the core principles of Object Oriented Programming that we focus on heavily in our FEE and BEE programs already.

Will I receive the technical training to prepare me to succeed in any number of positions and tech stacks?

Yes, many of our graduates will go on to work in languages and frameworks that we never cover at Turing. We are training people with the skills, competencies, and mindsets necessary to be a great developer - developers who can learn new skills quickly and self-sufficiently!

I have questions about the Launch Program. Who do I reach out to?

If you find that the FAQ does not answer all of your questions, check out our Launch program webpage. Have more questions? Please reach out to the Turing enrollment team at admissions@turing.edu.

What if I am a younger, career starter and i’m already in the Front End or Back End program - should I drop out and wait to join the Launch Program?

Regardless of which program you are in at Turing, you can count on exceptional instruction and coaching from our world-class team of technical instructors and career advisors. For current students in our FEE/BEE programs who identify as younger, career starters, we advise that you remain in your intended program rather than switch to Launch.

Why should I stay in my current program if I really want to change to Launch Program?

Here’s why:

  • Starting over in the Launch program will extend the time before you are able to earn money as a software developer, either in a paid internship/apprenticeship or an entry-level/junior role. To be clear, Turing is only the first step in your journey to becoming a successful software developer. Our graduates (and all developers) are expected to continue learning on the job. Rather than spending more time at Turing, we recommend you focus on getting into a paid internship/apprenticeship (or a full-time junior/entry-level role if possible) to start your on the job training earlier!
  • Our instructional staff can provide tailored coaching and feedback around the professional development areas you will need to stand out in the job hunt and to succeed on the job.
  • Before the creation of the Launch program, we have a track record of helping younger, career starters launch their careers in tech through our FEE/BEE programs and have the supports in place to help you navigate the nuances of becoming a software developer. We recommend voicing your concerns with your instructors and career coaches to help formulate a plan for success that will allow you to graduate with the skills and competencies to achieve your goals.

What are the starting salaries for the Launch Program graduates?

We anticipate that starting salaries from internships, apprenticeships and subsequent full-time roles within this same window will likely be lower than the salaries our FEE/BEE graduates are experiencing, likely in the $65-$75k range. However, we also expect that Launch graduates will experience the same exponential growth in earnings for their second, third and subsequent jobs after landing their first full-time developer role. Since our Launch graduates are typically younger, they will be in the industry longer than their counterparts from the FEE/BEE programs and will likely earn more over the course of their careers. However, we wanted to build our tuition around the outcome of the Launch program - likely lower salaries to start, but a career trajectory that is even more promising than our traditional career changers from the FEE/BEE programs.

Enrollment

What if I want to change to a different cohort or program?

Email our enrollment team at admissions@turing.edu to request a one time cohort & program change. We will send you a new enrollment agreement and update your enrollment status. All admissions requirements must be fully satisfied in order to change your cohort start date.

How do I get my laptop?

After you pay your deposit, your laptop will be shipped to you prior to your Mod 0 start date. This is yours to keep. Please confirm your physical address to ensure you receive your laptop. Please contact Ramiro at ramiro@turing.edu if you have any questions about laptops!

What does the Enrollment Agreement look like?

You can view a blank copy of our enrollment agreement here.

Do I need to purchase a laptop?

A new laptop is included with tuition, and all students are required to take the laptop we provide. We do not offer credits for bringing your own laptop. As soon as you pay your deposit and we approach your selected Mod 0, a laptop will be shipped to you to the address you provide us when you enroll.

When are enrollment deadlines?

Enrollment deadlines are at least 30 days before classes begin. We recommend enrolling 90 days before classes begin to ensure you have time to choose a Mod 0 that works for you and have a second opportunity in case you are not “Turing ready” after Mod 0.

Can I enroll in the class starting next week?

You must enroll in classes at least 30 days before the first day of Mod 1, to ensure you have time to complete Mod 0. You can find enrollment deadlines here.

When do I pay my deposit?

You’ll pay your $1200 deposit as part of the enrollment process, once you choose your program, cohort, and Mod 0 start date. You should do this at least 30 days before your cohort begins.

I’ve been accepted into the program, how do I enroll?

You will receive enrollment instructions from Turing with your acceptance email. Please email our enrollment team at admissions@turing.edu if you have any questions about enrolling.

Schedule

Is this program remote or in-person?

Our program is fully remote.

Students must live within 2 hours (+/-) MST.

Are there night or weekend classes? Is there a part-time option?

Our programs are only offered full-time, Monday through Friday. We have weekend introductory classes, which you can learn more about and register for here.

Can I work while I’m in the program?

Most of our students estimate they work 60-80 hours a week, including class time, homework, and project work time, so we highly discourage students from working while in the program. Often, students that choose to work repeat a module or defer until they can fully commit to the rigorous schedule.

What is a cohort?

Your cohort is the group of people you will complete the program with. There are usually 30-35 people in each cohort.

Is there any time off in the 7 months?

Yes, there is a one week intermission every 7 weeks. Some work is expected of students during intermission to prepare for the next module, but it is self-paced. For the exact dates of module starts, holidays, and intermissions you can view the Front End / Back End calendar and the Launch calendar.

What is a module, and how do modules work?

The full 7 month program consists of 4 modules. Each module is 6 weeks long with a 1 week intermission in between.

What’s the daily schedule?

Turing students must live within 2 hours (+/-) of MST to be admitted. Turing is what we call "full-time plus". Students are expected to be in class 9:00 am - 4:00 pm MST M-F. Most students estimate they work 60-80 hours a week, including class time, project work time, and homework. For a better understanding of what our online classes look like, check out this blog.

Academics

What facilites and services are available to students with disabilities?

Turing is a completely remote school and does not have facilities that mandate physical accessibility. The classroom lessons, group projects, and assessments are available online via this remote modality. Turing also provides reasonable accommodations for those students with any diagnosis that may recommend that a student seeks a reasonable accommodation that Turing can provide. For more information, please follow the instructions on the attached form.

I have questions about Turing's accreditation. Who do I reach out to?

First, visit our accreditation FAQ document. If you find that the FAQ does not answer your question, please reach out to the Turing enrollment team at admissions@turing.edu.

Is this program fun?

This program is intense, but Turing is committed to the well-being of our students. The program has health and wellness support, opportunities to connect with other students and alumni via Student Circles, and full community events like movie nights, lightning talks, and more.

What kind of projects will I work on?

Students work on individual and group projects, and can expect to complete several projects during each module. You can watch some student demos of projects they've worked on here.

What percentage of your instructors have been developers in the real world?

Usually around 50% of our instructors have been developers before joining us at Turing. All staff receive ongoing professional development, and the majority of us have professional experience as instructors, either teaching K-12 or in college or corporate settings.

Why are there two programs instead of full stack?
What languages do you teach?

Our Back-End program focuses on Ruby, and also covers Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL, and JavaScript.

Our Front-End program focuses on JavaScript, and also covers CSS, HTML, NodeJS, React, and Redux.

What is the typical class size and student to teacher ratio?

Typically around 12:1. Each cohort is typically assigned between 2 and 3 instructors who teach classes in real-time and are available through Zoom and Slack.

Do you have to pay for repeating a module?

No, we do not charge a fee to repeat a module.

What if I am not doing well in the classes?

Our program is divided into 4 modules for several reasons, one of which is it allows for very clear benchmarks every 6 weeks. Students who are not meeting expectations are able to repeat a module and review the material they are struggling with.

Financing

How do I apply for a loan?

Apply directly to Sallie Mae SMART Option Loan for Career Training,  Ascent, or Climb. They will contact us with your information once you are approved for the loan.

Who do I talk to if I have financial questions?

Tamika at tamika@turing.edu can help with financial questions regarding loans and payments. You can also schedule time with her here. For questions regarding VA benefits and the GI Bill email veteran@turing.edu.

Do you take the GI Bill*?

You can read more about exact requirements here.

*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Do you take federal grants like the Pell grant?

At this time we are not able to accept federal grants for tuition.

Can I get a loan for cost of living?

Yes, our lending partners will allow you to borrow cost-of-living funds in addition to the total tuition cost. Sallie Mae SMART Option Loan for Career Training allows up to $18,000. Ascent allows up to $16,000. And, Climb allows up to $12,000. You should apply for the full amount (plus tuition) you need in your initial application.

How do your loans work?

Once students are accepted into the program, you should research our lending partners above and apply to those that best fit your situation. Once you apply, the lender will typically notify you right away if you're approved. If you qualify, your tuition payment and cost of living loan will be sent to us, and we will disburse your cost-of-living funds, if applicable, to you by direct deposit.

How do people pay for Turing?

We work with several lenders; some are credit-based, and one also takes into account your previous grades in school. You can learn more about our lending options here.

Here are some additional funding resources:

Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA)
WIOA offers limited training assistance for short-term training programs that lead directly to jobs identified as “in demand” in the local labor market. Turing qualifies as a training program that they offer financial assistance for. Find the Workforce Center in your county for more information.

Vocational Rehabilitation
This U.S. Department of Education funded program provides career training funding for people with a documentable disability- such as a physical, mental, or learning disability- that impedes their ability to get, do, keep or advance in a job. Reach out to the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation in your area for eligibility requirements.

Do you have scholarships?

Yes, our internal BIPOC & Inclusion Scholarships are open to people who are underrepresented in tech, including people who identify as, LGBTQIA+, People of Color, people with disabilities, and veterans. This scholarship is open to accepted & enrolled students.

How much is tuition?

Tuition is $25,000. Please read below for financing and payment options.

Program Readiness

What level of computer literacy skills do I need to be successful at Turing?

Before starting the program at Turing, it’s a good idea to have an average typing speed of at least 50 words per minute and be comfortable using keyboard shortcuts to navigate basic tasks on your computer (copy, paste, save, quit, find, etc).

What can I do to prepare before my program starts?

Mod 0 is designed to give you all the tools and basic knowledge you need to be successful at Turing. All students are required to complete Mod 0 before starting their program. However, most students find it helpful to have intermediate computer literacy skills.

How do I get access to Slack? How does Slack work?

Once we receive your deposit and you register for a Mod 0 Section, we will invite you to join Slack.  Slack is our main mode of communication here at Turing. Once you join, please expect to check your messages at a minimum of 2 times per day.

Is it required that I take the laptop provided?

All students are required to take the laptop provided with tuition.

Careers

What kind of companies hire Turing grads?

All kinds! Every industry needs developers. Our grads have gone on to work for large technology firms, small web dev shops, retail giants, sports teams, airlines and everything in between.

Can I see your data?

Yes. We publish quarterly reports on our blog. We also are a part of CIRR, the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting, and you can find their bi-annual reports here.

What’s the average starting salary?

$89,000*. This is our average across all seekers.

*Data source: Q2 2022 Outcomes

How quickly will I get a job?

Our average time to hire is 73 days post graduation*. We find the length of the search is greatly influenced by the work of each student. Each student owns their job hunt, with our Employment team with you to support and guide every step of the way.

*Data source: Q2 2022 Outcomes

Do people really hire students right out of Turing?

Yes. Yes they do. The experience you gain over 7 months at Turing prepares you to hit the ground running as a junior developer when you graduate.

Isn’t the market saturated?

Nope! There is still a big demand for developers across all industries. Our Career Development team works hard to develop relationships with employers to help our students get jobs quickly.

Community

Does Turing have vaccination requirements in order to enroll?

No. Turing has a remote first campus. Therefore, we do not require any vaccinations to attend our programs.

Do you have an active alumni network?

Yes. Turing is a close-knit community given our immersive culture. Students at Turing have shared that they form long lasting professional and personal friendships. Alumni participate in our community long after they have graduated as mentors and tech industry partners.

How is Turing financed?

We operate as a nonprofit, unlike many tech ‘bootcamps.’ Our commitment is to our students, not investors.

Does Turing offer healthcare?

Unfortunately, Turing does not currently offer healthcare to students. You can check in your area for Medicaid and healthcare marketplace eligibility requirements.

How is Turing different from all the other coding bootcamps?

We operate as a nonprofit. This means we answer to students first, and are able to focus our energy and resources on excellent instruction and student outcomes. At 7 months, our program is longer than most other code schools. We also offer career support to all students during the program and after graduation, until they find the right job for them.