What is the Selection Sprint?
Intense, fun, and three weeks long. Here is what actually happens — and why so many people say it was the best time of their life.
sprint · learners working
Intense but fun — three weeks
The Selection Sprint is a 3-week coding bootcamp — 2 weeks on-site, 1 week remotely — with daily tasks, exams and teamwork. We test the candidates and their determination to succeed. The best will reach the finish line and grab a spot in the school.
This is a double-sided test. For the students it’s a way to try out the self-learning methodology, to see if they like programming and their peers. For the school it’s a way to identify the most capable future students.
The school puts candidates through a proper challenge to make sure that the people who can study without teachers are the ones who are accepted. This is definitely not a methodology for everyone — but what we see at //kood is that a lot of students say they’ve found the perfect methodology for them.
Why it’s hard — and why that matters
The 3-week Sprint is intense. The pace is fast and there are a lot of tasks to get through. Some participants have commented that they got as much practical programming knowledge from the Sprint as during a year of university study.
We usually see about 15% of candidates leave during the 3 weeks — and that’s expected. The Sprint is designed to require maximum effort and put candidates under pressure, so they know exactly what they’re getting into. This also significantly decreases the dropout rate later in the programme, because the most motivated candidates are the ones who make it through.
Okay, it’s hard — but something else?
Yes. Next to studying and learning new skills, you’re surrounded by like-minded people who all want to reach the finish line. You need to learn to co-operate in order to succeed, and to help each other out of tricky situations.
To make sure communication between all sides works well, the //kood team organises events — but that doesn’t mean you can’t take matters into your own hands. We’ve had board game nights, morning runners, and a lot more. Why not start a tradition?
When reminiscing about previous Selection Sprints, almost all students agree it was an amazing experience. For a lot of them, it was one of the best times of their life. Connections, friends, good times, and sometimes even relationships. You never know what’s going to happen.
What’s actually happening?
A series of 5–15 exercises around a particular concept, to be completed over the course of a day. All tasks are in Java or using the terminal.
Closed-book exams with internet access, to assess how you’ve developed during the Sprint. There are no mandatory exams during the actual school programme.
A group project each weekend, where participants develop problem-solving skills and co-creativity around a common challenge.
Check the admissions page for dates and eligibility.