Software development (Back-End)

Curriculum / Details

Overview

This course teaches the same software programming language used to build companies like Facebook, Yahoo, Wikipedia, and WordPress where students learn all the syntax, problem-solving skills, and more importantly, how to put it all together by programming an MVP of Facebook and the backend software that powers it.

Become more competitive on the college app

Skill development

Complete all-in-one PHP/MySQL software development course (Learn More)

Leave the class having built an actual web application and the backend software that powers it from beginning to end (Learn More)

Gain experience in software development (Learn More)

 

Who is this for

  • Students who want to learn how to actually become a programmer/engineer
  • Students who are interested in applying as a CS / Engineering major in college
  • Students who want to stand out on the college app
  • Students from other majors (business/economics/healthcare) who want to add to their diverse skill set and not have to rely on technical people
  • Students who like to solve problems and make useful things
  • Students who are not 100% sure they want to do computer science

Curriculum Highlights / Benefits

“Academic criteria are important to Yale’s selective admissions process, but we look at far more than test scores and grades”

“Every applicant brings something unique to the admissions committee table. Perhaps one application stands out because of sparkling recommendations, while another presents outstanding extracurricular talent; maybe your personality shines through a powerful written voice”

“Even perfect test scores don't guarantee admission. Far from it: 69 percent of Stanford's applicants over the past five years with SATs of 2400 — the highest score possible — didn't get in”

“Of course academic credentials are important, but we're also looking for evidence that this young person has a passion, that he or she will bring something to our community that is unique.”

Become more competitive on the college app

1. Differentiate yourself in the extracurricular section of the application

All universities, especially the top ones, are looking very closely at the extracurricular section of the application to differentiate candidates. In many cases, as publicly stated by Yale and Stanford, students can beat students with higher GPAs/SAT scores by demonstrating outstanding extracurricular abilities. Admissions officers want applicants that can demonstrate their real world talents and ability to grow beyond the school classroom. This is what our software development class does. There’s no other better way to demonstrate a student’s outstanding extracurricular talent then by being able to take a blank text editor and building an MVP of Facebook before the age that Mark Zuckerberg did.

2. Write an essay that stands out to a college admissions officer

Almost every student writes about the same things for their college admissions essays: volunteering, leadership, family experiences…To stand out, an admissions officer must be able to envision what a student can achieve after graduating from the university, and that means students must write about their proven ability to achieve into the future. This is why we focus on having students build real world projects, over just simply memorizing syntax. This is the foundation to gaining more achievements, doing better in competitions, and landing an internship at a young age, which means more meaningful experiences to draw from on their essays.

3. Stand out on the college app by landing internships

There is nothing more impressive on a college app than landing a real internship at a real company doing real work – not filing papers and getting coffee. The problem is that it’s very difficult to land internships doing actual programming, especially in high school when students haven’t had the right training. We provide that exact training. This is why it’s important that students not only learn syntax, but be able to build an actual software/web application. This way, companies will want to give them an internship since they’ve already been trained. This in turn will show that they can be outstanding in the real world and not just in the classroom, which is very important to universities.

4. Gain outstanding recommendation letters from highly credible people

Recommendation letters are one of the most important differentiating factors to being accepted into a university. A good one can help a student stand out and a mediocre one is just as unhelpful as a bad one. This course is a safe and fast-paced learning environment where students are learning very intense material and more importantly, making their mistakes with us. This way when they are in moments where it counts (internships, other extracurricular, competitions, in front of coaches) they aren’t learning, but instead are focused on impressing.

5. Win more competitions, scholarships, and grants to increase your credibility with admissions officers

Doing well in hackathons and coding competitions or winning highly coveted scholarships or grants, are important in the eyes of a college admissions officer because it gives a student’s application credibility. Credibility is one of the best ways to stand out and give them an edge. Our programs are designed to sharpen their thinking skills and also provide them with valuable information that they can use in turn to win more competitions, scholarships, and grants – and ultimately help bring more credibility to their college application.

6. Show universities you can pass a rigorous course

The whole point of AP and Honors classes is that a student can show universities they are capable of material above and beyond their current age group. This is no different. This course is based on building an MVP of Facebook where they learn how to build the backend software that powers the Facebook application. This means solving real problems, and working on real solutions. This is beyond college level material. This truly involves pushing their thinking skills, learning skills, and intelligence to a higher level. When a student passes, they will be able to demonstrate to universities that they have the ability to think and work at a much higher level than other applicants. This in turn helps them stand out where it matters most – in the eyes of the admissions officer.

Skill development

1. Have the foundation to build any web-based software application after going through this class

This class is project based, where they learn how to build an MVP of Facebook and the back-end software that powers the Facebook application. By going through and building it from scratch, they’ll gain direct experience solving problems, coming up with solutions, using syntax and all the most important concepts they have to know in order be self-sufficient and build any web-based application in the future. This way they never have to rely on anyone else and be able to take what’s in their mind, translate it into code, and put it on a screen.

2. Full learning experience

There are so many students taking programming classes right now who can write code, but can’t build anything. There’s a difference between being able to know the definition of what something is versus being able to use it to construct an MVP of Facebook or any other type of web application. Unfortunately, most students receive an incomplete understanding of the language from other programs because they are never taught how to use it to build something. In this course, we not only teach the syntax but how to use that syntax to build a complete web application and the backend software that powers it - that way it completes the full learning cycle of the student.

3. Sharpen and highlight your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

No matter what a student does in life, it will for sure involve problem solving and critical thinking. These are skills that need to be practiced, honed, and challenged in order to grow. Our classes exercise that part of the brain heavily. Students leave our class better problem solvers and more creative critical thinkers based on the fact that we solve real problems involved in programming.

Complete all-in-one PHP/MySQL software development course

There are so many programming classes out there, but no matter how many students take, they learn the same thing over and over again without being able to build something significant. In this course, we are the one stop shop. After taking this course, students will be completely self-sufficient in all the important concepts of PHP and MySQL. We teach all the fundamentals, advanced concepts, syntax, and more importantly, we teach you how to use all of this to build actual software/applications.

Leave the class having built an actual web application and the backend software that powers it from beginning to end

The reason why students tend to get bored in other programs is because it’s very difficult for them to see the purpose of what they’re learning. This new generation of students are not engaged in the learning process unless the question of “what is the purpose of what I am learning” and “why am I learning this” is answered. If these questions are not answered, students are left with a sub-optimal learning experience because of the fact that they’re not engaged in the learning cycle. This course helps answer these questions for students by building an MVP of Facebook and the backend software that powers it. This way a student not only learns the syntax, but becomes engaged and excited about the class because they understand how to use what they’ve learnt by building an actual web-based software application.

Gain experience in software development

Have an experience that is personally useful that a student can have underneath their belt and rely on. Since the students focus on practical programming, they leave the class with truly valuable and marketable skills that they can rely on for the rest of their life. It’s not something like memorizing a date- they actually leave with tangible skills.

Curriculum

  • Class 1 - Introduction / Set Up Server & IDE

  • Class 2 - PHP Fundamentals

  • Class 3 - PHP Fundamentals

  • Class 4 - PHP Fundamentals

  • Class 5 - SQL / MySQL Fundamentals

  • Class 6 - SQL / MySQL Fundamentals

  • Class 7 - Facebook the Project Begins / Creating Registration & Log In Function

  • Class 8 - Creating Registration & Log In Function

  • Class 9 - Creating the Profile Photo & Personal Info Function

  • Class 10 - Creating the Profile Photo & Personal Info Function

  • Class 11 - Creating the Profile Wall & Search Function

  • Class 12 - Creating the Profile Wall & Search Function

  • Class 13 - Creating the Friend Request & Public News Feed Function

  • Class 14 - Creating the Friend Request & Public News Feed Function

  • Class 15 - Creating the Like Functionality

We encourage parents to enroll their students early as we are fully booked quickly. Once you click Enroll Now, you will be given exact instructions on how to become enrolled in this class.

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Class Times & Locations

All of our classes are done completely online, fully remote. We have class options on both weekdays & weekends. Classes can be done in small group (2-5 students) or 1-on-1. All depending on availability.


There are 10 classes total in the entire course, and each class is 2 hours 15 minutes Classes during the school year (Fall/Winter/Spring) are typically 1x/week for 15 weeks Classes during the summer are typically 3x/week for 5 weeks

Timeline for our Next Expected Class:

  • Last day to register: Monday, June 14th
  • Instruction begins: Monday, June 21st

Class time options

All of our classes are done online and are backed by our 100% Money-Back Guarantee. Classes are possible all days of the week, during all times of the day (morning to evening), and can occur as frequently (1x,2x,3x/week, etc.) as requested, and happen throughout the entire year - depending on availability. All you need to do is fill out the form below, and our team will do our best to find a time that works for your schedule.

Money-Back Guarantee Policy


For group classes, students must attend at least 80% of the classes in a course. For 1-on-1 classes, the request must be made prior to the start of the fifth class.

How To Enroll

Enrolling your child is simple!

1. Use the enrollment form below & fill out your information

2. Tell us about your student's profile and what class options you're looking for

3. We'll recommend the right course and class options for you

After that, consider your child enrolled!

*We strive to accommodate all students. However, due to the popularity of our programs, we enroll on a first come, first served basis — no exceptions. Thank you for understanding.

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