Lambda School is located in Silicon Valley, California. However, all of our classes take place entirely online. Various cities have local meetups and gatherings. Students do not work out of our offices, and can take classes from anywhere.

No. The most important aspects of Lambda School happen in small, interactive groups, and require full attendance for all hours of the class. Although we do record and archive all of our lectures, the lectures alone are not what makes Lambda School great.

Lambda School does have some part-time programs that may work better for those that have jobs or are working.

No, we don't control where you work. Since developers tend to get raises fairly quickly, we do recommend not over optimizing your job search and getting a job as fast as possible.

We do everything we possibly can! We have a full team dedicated to career development. They help you prepare a resume and portfolio, practice interviews, and even help you in salary negotiation. At the end of the day though, you're the one who needs to apply, interview, and land the job.

Minimum
1.6 GHz Processor
4 GB RAM
120 GB Hard Drive
Web Cam
Microphone
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Recommended
2 GHz Processor
8 GB RAM
256 GB Hard Drive (preferably solid state)
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Recommended operating systems (in descending order): macOS, Windows 10, Ubuntu

Other versions of Windows work but students should anticipate occasional environment issues. Chromebooks are not supported, as coursework involves installing and running software locally.

For the iOS course, the computer specs are different, as iOS development requires a Mac.

Minimum
128 GB SSD (or Fusion Drive)8 GB of RAM
macOS Mojave 10.14, which is supported on the following:
• MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2012 or newer)iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac Pro (Mid 2010, Mid 2012, and Late 2013)
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Recommended
2 GHz Processor
256 GB SSD

No. Last year Lambda School ran a pilot program where we offered laptops to applicants in need. The program is currently on pause while we evaluate the success and impact of the program. We currently do not have an estimated date for when the program will re-launch.

An ISA is a way to pay your Lambda School tuition. A Lambda School ISA is a contract under which you agree to pay 17% of your post-Lambda School salary for 24 months, but only once you're making more than $50,000 per year (or the equivalent of $4,166.66 per month). The ISA is capped at a maximum repayment of $30,000, so you won’t pay more than $30,000 under any circumstances.

This is our way of investing in you. We select students we believe will be successful, and cover your tuition until you're in a financial position to pay us back.

Lambda School tuition is $30,000. You can elect to pay upfront or via an ISA.
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Because ISA payments are based on income and the maximum number of monthly payments is 24, any one student who elects to use an ISA might pay less than the full $30,000 tuition of Lambda School.  
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If you do not land a high paying job, you do not pay Lambda School anything. If you land a high-paying job, the most you will pay is $30,000.  
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If you use an ISA, depending on your income after completing your Lambda School program, you will pay somewhere between $0 and $30,000, in 24 monthly payments based on your income. 
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After you reach the payment cap or complete your 24th monthly payment, you are free of obligation under the ISA.

For example, if you get a job paying $60,000/year, you’re earning $5,000 per month. 17% of $5,000 is $850, so you pay $850 that month for your ISA. You make 17% payments on your income every month until you’ve made 24 monthly payments.  The total amount you will pay is $20,400.     
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Below is a chart illustrating the total amount you will pay under the ISA payment option in various earning scenarios.  

Yes, you can see a template of the agreement we use with Meratas here and a template of the agreement we have used with Leif here.

ISAs are not loans so they have no interest.

The 17% is a percentage of your gross income, i.e. before taxes.

Your ISA payments start when you’re earning $50,000 a year (that’s $4,166 a month). If you do not make more than $4,166 a month, the ISA automatically expires after 60 such deferred-payment months.

Meratas is a third party provider who services the ISA on behalf of Lambda School in the United States.  Leif is a third party who services ISAs for some existing students.  

The Income Share Agreement requires you to report your job status and income to Meratas, our ISA servicing partner.

You’ll report your income and your job status through your account with Meratas. Meratas also provides customer support to answer more detailed questions.

The Income Share Agreement requires you to submit your tax returns to Meratas. That said, we’re only interested in your personal income. If you provide documentation of your spouse’s income, it won’t be included.

We are aligned for your success and support you every step, but we understand in some cases you may not be able to continue or will want to withdraw from Lambda School. You may withdraw from a program without owing any tuition or penalty before the last class of Sprint 4; see next question for tuition pro-ration policy.

We reduce the total obligation for people who leave Lambda School, based on completion of sprints. For full-time students, a sprint is one week long. For part-time students, a sprint is two weeks long.  If you withdraw or are withdrawn between the end of Sprint 4 and the end of Sprint 10, you will be responsible for a pro-rata portion of your tuition and receive a refund for applicable amounts paid in advance. If you withdraw or are withdrawn after you complete Sprint 10, you will be responsible for 100% of your tuition.

Note that the timing for when your tuition and/or ISA may be canceled completely, versus pro-rated, versus fully due may vary by state depending on the rules in your state and reflect later pro-ration time than in the table above. Please see your Enrollment Agreement for the most up-to-date information. In every state, you can cancel your ISA within 4 weeks of your cohort start date as noted in these FAQs.

Yes. On the admissions application, there’s a box to check to tell us you’d like to pay upfront, instead of signing an ISA. You can make this election up until the first day of classes.

Income Share Agreements are available to people who live in the US who are US Citizens, US Permanent Residents, or DACA recipients. Other people can still attend Lambda School by paying the tuition upfront.
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Almost all courses are taught on Pacific time so it's important to think about how you will adjust according to your time zone.

No. Our ISA requires that you sign no other ISAs. (Also we want to make sure you get a job, not go on to more school.)

Payments are collected on the 1st of the month.

ISA eligibility is not determined on the basis of prior income, sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or protected class. There are certain minimum requirements to be eligible for an ISA. For example, ISAs are only available to people who live in the US who are US Citizens, US Permanent Residents, or DACA recipients. ISAs are also not available to individuals who already have an obligation to pay under an ISA with another institution.

To enroll, you’ll sign an Enrollment Agreement with Lambda School that lays out the basics of the program you’ll take as well as key items to know. If you elect the ISA option, you’ll also sign an income share agreement contract prior to starting at Lambda School.

There are a number of online financial tools you can use to calculate this. We recommend using https://2009-2017.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/79700.htm to figure your annual and monthly expenses, and how your ISA payment would affect your budget (you can enter the ISA amount as “miscellaneous”).

Using a tool to see how your cost of living varies by location is a great idea. Check out this cost of living index to see how your cost of living would change. http://worldpopulationreview.com/states/cost-of-living-index-by-state/

The Lambda School ISA has built-in protection for financial hardship. Should you lose your job or should your income drop below $4,166 per month, your payments will automatically be paused after you’ve reported the change. That said, we understand that unique and unforeseeable financial emergencies sometimes occur.

In this situation please contact your ISA program manager (Leif at support@leif.org) to discuss available options rather than letting your account go into default. While we cannot guarantee your situation will qualify for any changes or deferment, we want you to know that we want the best for you and your family, and will do what we can to help in times of extreme financial hardship.

You’ll find the upcoming start dates for each course on our application page: https://lambdaschool.com/apply/

We offer part time courses for most of our tracks:

Part-Time Schedule
Monday-Thursday 6 pm to 9 pm PST
Plus your choice of either Friday 6-9pm, Saturday 9-12pm or Sunday 6-9pm

Secondary Part-Time Schedule
(currently offered for Web Development only, every other cohort)
Monday-Thursday 4 pm to 7 pm PST
Plus your choice of either Friday  4-7pm, Saturday 9-12pm or Sunday 4-7pm

Students must attend 95% of course hours. Live instruction and real time interaction with classmates is an integral part of learning at Lambda School. Missing class isn’t an option.

If all looks well with your application you should receive an email from our admissions team within 4-5 business days.

Students are allowed on a case-by-case basis to switch to a different course within the first two units of the course, or 8 sprints. In order to switch to a new course, you must go through the standard acceptance process including satisfactory completion of all pre-course work.  Students are allowed to switch courses once.
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Switching between full-time and part-time within the same course may be approved on a case by case basis and will not affect the terms of your ISA.

Since you have a previous application on file, please contact us at admissions@lambdaschool.com for next steps in your enrollment. Please note: If you reapply without notifying us, your application may be withdrawn.

This test (comprised of four smaller tests) help us determine if Lambda School is the right choice for you.The four tests are: Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT), Employee Personality Profile (EPP), Computer Literacy and Internet Knowledge Test  (CLIK), and Typing. They measure aptitude, personality, and basic computer & typing skills. A full description of each individual test is below.

We are currently piloting these entrance tests with our web development students and will roll out to our data science and iOS students in the coming months.

The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) is an aptitude test that measures an individual's ability to solve problems, digest and apply information, learn new skills, and think critically. Individuals with high aptitude are more likely to be quick learners and high performers than individuals with low aptitude. The CCAT consists of 50 items; very few people finish all 50 items in the 15 minute time limit.
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Web development applicants must answer at least 23 questions correctly.
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Lambda programs cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. While we follow the principle of mastery- based progression, it’s important that students are able to learn and apply what we are covering to be successful.

We use the results from the CCAT to project how likely a student is to succeed in learning and applying those concepts.
Not sure what to expect? Check out Criteria Corp’s site which has test prep suggestions and sample questions.

The Employee Personality Profile (EPP) is a general personality inventory that measures twelve personality traits that provide valuable insights into a person's work styles and how they are likely to interact with co-workers, management and customers. It can be used for any position, and contains position-specific benchmarks that allow administrators to compare an individual's scores against composite profiles to determine likely job fit. 

The EPP contains 140 items, takes about 10 minutes to complete, and measures the following traits: Achievement, Assertiveness, Competitiveness, Conscientiousness, Cooperativeness, Extroversion, Managerial, Motivation, Openness, Patience, Self-Confidence, and Stress Tolerance.
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Lambda School students work in a number of groups. As we develop the right matching criteria, we’ll use the personality profile to help us identify the best fit for functional, productive groups that provide the best experience for every student. 
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Web development applicants must take this test. It has no bearing on Admissions and is only used for pairing students in class.

The Computer Literacy and Internet Knowledge Test (CLIK) is an assessment of basic computer skills. It measures a person's proficiency with using Internet browsers and common desktop applications such as email and word processing programs. It is a 10-minute test consisting of two 3-minute task-oriented simulations, followed by ten multiple choice questions.
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Our online learning environment reflects what it’s like to learn in a remote environment while also using the tools of the trade for the industry students are studying. That work requires students to be proficient in using many types of software, managing windows from different applications, finding information online, and general file system navigation. 
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Web development applicants must take this test. No minimum threshold is needed.

The Typing Test measures an individual's typing speed and accuracy. The test-taker is presented with a passage and given one minute to type as much of the passage as possible. The test generates three scores: Words per Minute (WPM), Number of Errors, and Adjusted Words per Minute (WPM - Errors). 
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We cover a lot of ground in each of our guided lessons. We’ve found that students who are unfamiliar with touch typing or maintaining a basic level of typing speed struggle to keep up. While we do provide accommodations and videos are made available for students to work through at their own pace, it’s important for us and for students to understand when this may prevent them from moving at the same pace as the rest of the class.
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Web development applicants are not required to meet any minimum threshold at this time.

These tests are currently only required for web development applicants.
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They are not currently required for data science or iOS applicants who are still required to complete precourse work to enroll in Lambda School.

Yes, web development applicants must meet a minimum score threshold of:
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CCAT: 23
CLIK: No score threshold.
Typing: No score threshold.
EEP : No score threshold. These test results are only used to help us better group students for collaborative project work.

Our goal is to make Lambda School accessible to everyone who is ready to make a significant change in their lives. But Lambda School is not for everyone. It is an immersive and fast paced learning environment that requires 40+ hours every week for 9+ months for our full-time class (or 20+ hours for 18+ months in part time).
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We want every student who begins that journey to do so with the full confidence they’ll be successful and this test is designed to help us deliver programming reflective of their needs.

Our job is to make sure our students graduate ready to get the right job for them. By learning more about our students and their needs, skills, and strengths we are able to better tailor our programs to meet their needs and ensure that Lambda School will be the right choice for them. This series of tests will make this both easier and more effective for us to do.

Lambda chose Criteria Corp because they are a leading providers of pre-employment assessment tests, which are commonly used in job placement and employment staffing. We believe these tests will help us tailor each student’s Lambda School experience to help them to be more successful.

Yes. Lambda School is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at admissions@lambdaschool.com.
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For qualified individuals, the Criteria Corp test may be extended to 1.5x the usual length to provide more time for completion. Additionally, a few of the Criteria Corp tests are screen reader friendly.

Email admissions@lambdaschool.com requesting deletion of your accounts. Please make sure to tell us the email address you used when you applied for Lambda School. Deletion requests may take up to 1-2 business days.

Prior to enrolling in Lambda School you must complete a coding challenge--and sometimes it’s tough! This is intentional and by design.  Learning a new skill is uncomfortable. Don’t fear! Our precourse work will teach you the skills required. 
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We currently can only admit students who are able to self-teach initial concepts via the resources we provide in our precourse work. This is because our classes are extremely fast paced and students who succeed display the ability to self-learn along the way. All of our classes (Web Development, iOS, and Data Science) have 30 hours of self-paced precourse work content you can reference to solve the challenges. 
While we don't spell out how to do everything you might encounter, we do provide you the building blocks and concepts to solve and pass the challenges needed to enroll in school. You'll need to apply these concepts in new ways to pass the coding challenge.
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Still stuck? Here are some suggestions for getting unblocked:
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Lambda School Precourse Work:
‍The precourse work has videos that explain all the concepts you’ll face in the challenges. Re-watch or re-read the videos to refresh your memory and master the concepts. 
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Rubber Ducky Method:
‍While it doesn’t have to be an actual rubber duck, developers are famous for debugging their code by explaining it to something (or someone!) out loud. Find your favorite stuffed animal and explain what you’re trying to do. If you think your code is right, but it’s not passing the tests, walk through each line and character. If you are struggling to explain it, there is a chance you don’t fully understand your code.
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Google, but be specific:
‍Being able to Google specific questions that you have is an invaluable skill as a developer. Googling “javascript help” is going to be vague and not get you what you need. Googling “javascript return function undefined” will yield far more specific and helpful answers for you than a broader search.