Make School Reviews and Complete Guide

Make School is a college in San Francisco, California, that offers a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a liberal arts focus. Unlike a traditional college, where you attend class and do homework afterward, Make School’s curriculum was created to resemble the workweek of a professional in STEM.

In this Make School review, we’ll look at everything this college offers, from courses to career assistance.

What Do You Need to Know About Make School?

Make School is not a coding bootcamp. It is a college that offers a two-and-a-half-year bachelor’s degree program in computer science. The school features a project-based curriculum that allows students to build a well-rounded skill set and graduate fully prepared for a career in technology.

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It is worth noting that Make School alumni have gone on to work for top tech companies such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Lyft.

Where Are Make School’s Campuses Located?

Make School offers online classes and also has one campus in San Francisco. Attending classes in-person alongside your peers will give you a more traditional college feel.

• San Francisco
• Online

Whether you decide to study online or in-person, the curriculum will remain the same. You can decide whether you want to study on-campus or in-person after you have been accepted to the school.

How Much Is Tuition at Make School?

The tuition for Make School varies slightly by semester. The fall and spring terms are $15,000, while the summer academy costs $10,000.

The total for two years of study is about $70,000, not including living expenses. You may need to study an additional semester on top of this, depending on your course load for each term.

How Can You Pay Make School Tuition?

Make school offers many financing options to help cover the cost of tuition at Make School. Among them are two income-based options. However, the school is in the process of shifting away from ISAs in favor of EIBR approach.

Make School Scholarships

Make School doesn’t offer its own scholarships. However, it does accept third-party scholarships, grants, and fellowships.

ISAs

Make School has offered an ISA since 2014. With this option, students don’t pay a dime until they graduate and secure a job.

They then must dedicate a portion of their salary toward tuition each month until their tuition is paid off. Unlike a loan, with an ISA, you don’t have to pay until you have a job.

Loan Financing

Make School has come up with an algorithm that students can use to see which type of loan will result in a lower overall cost. Options include federal loans, parent plus loans, low-interest private loans, and high-interest private loans.

Installments

Make School does not give students the option to pay for their course in monthly installments while going to school.

EIBR

This EIBR plan caps loan repayments at a percentage of the student’s income after graduation. This means students will be able to afford their monthly payments, and will not have to pay anything if they are unemployed.

Can You Use the GI Bill at Make School?

Make School does not accept the GI Bill.

What Courses Does Make School Offer

The Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Science Program has a modern research-backed curriculum. Your curriculum will be unique to you because you can choose from a range of courses that fit into three categories, as listed below.

To graduate, you must complete a total of 124 units, 48 of which must be upper-division courses.

Students will also need to complete five required terms and three required intensives per year. Intensives are 1-2 weeks long, where students will work on a single project and afterward will be able to add it to their portfolio.

Technical Curriculum – In-Person | Online

The technical curriculum features a foundational curriculum, four possible areas of concentration, and electives. The possible concentrations are Mobile, Front End, Back End, and Data Science. As electives, students can take entrepreneur courses, supervised intensive studies, and advanced technical seminars.

Software Product Development – In-Person | Online

These software development classes allow students to use their technical skills to complete projects that they can then display in their portfolio. Among the possible courses offered in this area are Introduction to Product Development, Testing & Architecture, and Agile Development & UX/UI.

Science and Letters – In-Person | Online

These courses are meant to expand students’ creativity and critical thinking ability. They will learn to develop these skills and apply them to their programming work. Some sample Science and Letters classes are Effective Communication, Civic Knowledge & Engagement, Quantitative Literacy & Social Issues, Artistic & Creative Expression, and Science for Global Citizens.

How to Get Accepted Into Make School

Make School is relatively hard to get into. Only 200 to 300 people are admitted in each cohort. The school is looking for more than just proof of academic excellence. Make School accepts hard workers, problem-solvers, and those who have an interest in software engineering.

Make School Acceptance Rate

As of 2015, Make School had an acceptance rate of around 10 percent.

Make School Application Process

Make School’s application process varies slightly depending on whether you are a first-year student, transfer student, or international student. Below is the normal process for first-year students.

1. First, submit an application on the school’s website, and make sure you have met the deadline for the semester you want to enroll in.
2. Once your application has been approved, you will need to log in to the application portal and submit all other required documents. Previous education transcripts are required. ACT or SAT scores as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course reports are optional.
3. You may be required to complete additional steps, so keep an eye on the application portal for further notifications. You may be asked to supply a letter of recommendation, complete a phone interview with an admissions officer, or complete a coding prep course if you have little coding experience.
4. After you have satisfied all of Make School’s requests, you will wait for a decision. This can take two to three weeks. If you are accepted, you will be asked to complete the final enrollment steps, like making a deposit and choosing courses.

Make School Interview Questions

Make School doesn’t include a formal interview in its application process. Only some candidates will have to complete a 15-30 minute phone call with an admissions officer. Make School describes this phone call as “super-relaxed.” Below are some key points that may come up during your discussion.

• Your ability and desire to work hard
• Your dedication to learning new things
• Your problem-solving skills
• Your passion for tech

How Can You Prepare for Make School?

If you want to get more familiar with programming before starting at Make School, you might want to take a free, self-paced course in the college’s Online Academy. These courses will teach you the basics of web and software development and will prepare you for your first semester at Make School.

Below are a few of the courses offered in Online Academy.

1. Intro to CS – In this course, you will learn fundamentals including Xcode, variables, functions, conditionals, and loops.
2. Build IOS Games – Learn how to use Apple’s SpriteKit game engine, and how to ship an app to the App Store.
3. Build iOS Apps – In this class, you’ll practice building basic apps like Notes and Tip Calculator using Git for version control, and will also touch on artificial intelligence.

Is Make School Worth It?

If you are interested in becoming a well-rounded software engineer or web developer, then it’s worth it to get a bachelor’s in applied computer science at Make School. Employers are familiar with the school’s ability to produce top tech talent.

Furthermore, Make School alumni receive an average starting salary of $100,000 and work for companies including Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Microsoft.

Make School Job Placement

Make school does not make its job placement rate public. However, it does offer career placement services such as coaching and mentorship, and a demo night for recent graduates to show their portfolios to potential employers.

Students will get resume feedback, interview prep, and opportunities to network directly with top industry executives.

Does Make School Offer a Job Guarantee?

Make School does not offer a job guarantee.

Should You Apply to Make School?

Make school is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and has connections in all areas of the tech industry. It is one of only 12 colleges that are part of Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute extension program, and its graduates can be found working at all of the US’s top tech companies.

If you’re interested in an innovative college education that combines liberal arts and computer science, Make School is the place for you.