San Francisco
Summer Academy

FAQs

General

• What (spoken) language is the Summer Academy taught in?

  The Summer Academy will be taught in English.

• What (code) language is the iOS app development program taught in?

  The Summer Academy will teach you how to use Swift, Apple's programming language.

• What (code) language is the web development program taught in?

  The Summer Academy will teach you how to use HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

• Who owns the app I build during the Summer Academy?

  You do! You retain 100% of the rights to all the work you do during the program.

• What is a typical day in the life of the Summer Academy?

  A typical day at the Summer Academy begins at 9am, when you'll get to work coding. In the early weeks of the program, you'll go through our online tutorials, learning how to recreate popular apps; in the later weeks you'll be creating your own project. Most students will end their day around 5pm, but the more excited you get about your project, the later you'll want to stay and work on it! The instructor team serves as your guides and will assist you when you get stuck or need help. Instructors will lead small group discussions (~25 students) for concepts that are more difficult to grasp. On some days you'll have a lecture on an interesting topic related to coding or the technology industry. On other days you'll have a speaker from industry talk to you about their story and work. Overall, the experience is very much like a professional startup environment with bright minds using the top technologies to tackle real-world problems with software!

• What is the student to instructor ratio?

  We'll have 1 instructor for every 16 students.

• What is the minimum age for the Summer Academy?

  For legal reasons, you must be at least 13 years old to attend.

• What is the maximum age for the Summer Academy?

  There is no maximum age to attend the Summer Academy. As long as you are passionate about learning, you will be a good fit at Make School!

Tuition & Financial Aid

• What is the deposit & tuition payment process?

  First, enroll online and submit the $100 deposit. This will solidify your spot in the program. At any time before the start of the program, you may submit the remainder of tuition due. All tuition must be paid in full before the start of the program.

• How far in advanced do I need to pay the deposit & tuition?

  Paying the $100 deposit solidifies your spot in the program and therefore the earlier you submit your deposit the better. We ask that you finish paying the remaining tuition within a month of submitting your deposit. All tuition must be paid in full before the start of the program. If you do not pay tuition in full, you will not be able to attend the program.

• Do I need to submit a deposit?

  Yes. All students, including financial aid applicants, are required to pay the $100 deposit. This deposit solidifies your spot in the Summer Academy and will be applied to your total tuition due.

• Is my deposit & tuition refundable?

  Yes. At any time before the start of the program, if you decide you are no longer interested or able to attend, we will refund your deposit & tuition payments in full. If you have to leave the program part way through, we may be able to provide a prorated refund. Please see the full refund policy for details.

• Do you offer financial aid?

  Yes, we do. However, due to the new, lower price point of the program, we only offer merit-based financial aid to a select few students. Look out for an update within the next few months for more details about the new financial aid process.

• What is my tuition covering?

  Tuition for the Summer Academy contributes to creating an exceptional educational experience that will rapidly accelerate your growth as a developer. We hire 1 instructor for every 16 students. Lower instructor to student ratio means more personal attention and guidance. Each instructor is an iOS developer, has launched at least one iOS app (typically more than one!), and most have experience in several other technical and non-technical fields. Tuition also helps to cover the logistics and operations that ensure students have a safe, happy, productive summer!

Levels & Tracks

• What are the different levels of the Summer Academy?

  We offer three different levels at the Summer Academy. If accepted to the Summer Academy, you'll be placed in a level and given the option to level-up by completing prework.

  EXPLORER: For students who have had little to no coding experience but are passionate about learning to code and building impactful products.

  INTERMEDIATE: For students who have taken intro college CS courses, AP CS classes, or online coding classes. You've learned some object-oriented programming and maybe have built small products, but probably haven't shipped anything.

  ADVANCED: For students who've taken advanced CS classes and are well versed in object-oriented programming. Now you want to apply your knowledge to master development and build high-impact apps with several features.

• I've been admitted to the Explorer level, how do I move up to Intermediate or Advanced?

  You will need to complete the necessary prework in order to change your level. See your dashboard for details. If you have any questions, you can email us after you have been admitted at hello@makeschool.com.

• Can I build a game instead of an app?

  In the iOS track, it is best that you focus on building something using UIKit (the framework for iOS apps). We will not be teaching SpriteKit (or other iOS game engines) but some of our instructors do have experience creating mobile games.

Dates & Locations

• Where is the Summer Academy located?

  The Summer Academy will be hosted in San Francisco at 1547 Mission St.

• What are the dates of the Summer Academy?

  The Summer Academy in San Francisco will run from July 2nd through August 11th.

• My city isn't listed, can I participate?

  Yes. Students have travelled to attend the Summer Academy from over 50 different countries, as well as from all over the United States.

• I live outside the United States, can I attend?

  Yes! Students have travelled to attend the Summer Academy from over 50 different countries.

• How many students will be admitted?

  We have space for roughly 120 students at the San Francisco Summer Academy. Space is limited and we accept students on a rolling basis, so if you are admitted you must enroll ASAP to ensure there is a spot for you in your program of choice.

• How many students will attend?

  We have space for roughly 120 students at the San Francisco Summer Academy. Space is limited and we accept students on a rolling basis, so if you are admitted you must enroll ASAP to ensure there is a spot for you in your program of choice.

Housing & Accommodations

• Is housing provided?

  Housing is available for Summer Academy students through our housing partner, Vantaggio Suites, at their McAllister location.
  Students who chose to live in Vantaggio must do so for the duration of the Summer Academy (6 weeks).

  • Move in date: June 29
  • Move out date: August 13

  Students who enroll & pay before May 2nd will be guaranteed housing. Students who enroll & pay after May 2nd can still apply for housing, but it is not guaranteed that there will be beds available.

  You will be able to register for housing from your dashboard during the enrollment process.

  Prices (for the entire duration of the Summer Academy):

  • Triple Room (2 roommates): $1,160
  • Double Room (1 roommate): $1,540

  Location: 246 McAllister St. San Francisco, CA 94102
  To Make School

  • Walk: 13 minutes
  • Bus: 10 minutes
  • Drive: 8 minutes

• What are the approximate living expenses?

  We recommend using this cost of living calculator to understand how expenses will vary between where you live and San Francisco. It has handy comparisons for costs of housing, transportation, food, entertainment, and more.

Requirements & Prerequisites

• What kind of computer do I need to develop iOS apps?

  To develop iOS apps, you'll need a (used or new) Apple computer running macOS 10.13 High Sierra or macOS 10.12 Sierra. Your computer should have at least 8GB of RAM. We'll make necessary updates to the curriculum to support the most up to date App Store version of macOS, Xcode, and iOS, but beta versions will not be supported. Please do not install betas on your development computer or main iOS device!

• What kind of computer do I need to develop web apps?

  To participate in our web track, you’ll need a (used or new) laptop running macOS (macOS 10.13 High Sierra or macOS 10.12 Sierra) or Windows 10. Your computer should have at least 8GB of RAM.

• What are the prerequisites for the Summer Academy?

  Students that are passionate about coming to the Summer Academy to build new and exciting apps that will change their communities are qualified to attend the Summer Academy.

• I've done some programming, is it enough?

  Yes. Apply and we will help you figure out which level is right for you and whether or not you will need to complete prework.

Other

• Can I do this part time?

  No. We expect you to be present Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM. If you need to miss 1 or 2 days, that is acceptable. Please ensure that your instructor knows when you will be absent. If you need to miss any more than 3 days, please speak with our admissions team to make sure this is a good fit for you this summer.

• My family usually takes a vacation during the summer, what if it conflicts?

  This depends on how long your vacation is and where you will be travelling to - mainly if there is reliable wifi where you'll be. If you plan to miss more than 3 days, please speak with our admissions team to make sure this is a good fit for you this summer with your specific travel plans.

• Is this the same as the MakeGamesWithUs Summer Academy?

  Yes, we changed our name to Make School in 2014.

• Is this similar to a coding bootcamp?

  Yes and no. Yes, this is a high-intensity program that teaches you to code. However, unlike most bootcamps that are career-focused, our Summer Academy is product-focused. What does that mean? The Summer Academy dives deeper than bootcamps into the product development process including, ideation, wire-framing, UX, design, monetization, analytics, etc.

• Is this similar to a coding summer camp?

  No, coding summer camps cater to a younger audience interested in a relaxed summer experience. The Summer Academy is an intense program for students who are passionate about learning to code - be prepared to work hard and have fun!

• Can I come with a friend?

  Yes! The Summer Academy is always better with friends! Your friend will need to apply through the normal application process.

• Are there any other Summer Academy locations?

  This year, instead of offering multiple Summer Academy locations, we decided to offer it at a lower price in one location (San Francisco) and make housing easily available. Read more about why we’ve made changes to the program and what those changes are here.