Starter League

Location

Chicago, IL

We have the pleasure of sharing space in 1871, Chicago’s new 50,000 sf. startup hub located inside the Merchandise Mart. 1871 currently hosts 150 startups and TechStars Chicago. Join us in the heart of the Chicago tech and entrepreneur scene.

Community

The Starter League will give you access to some of the best developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and investors in Chicago. Our network of companies, meetup groups, conference organizers, and advisers will provide you with a powerful system of support as you start new careers, products, and companies.

Not only will you be working in the heart of downtown Chicago next door to one of Chicago’s top digital agencies, you’ll also be surrounded by people just as passionate as you 24/7.

Tangibility

Learn the fundamentals of launching a product and the essentials of web design and development. After three months, you’ll have a foundation that will instill the confidence, resources, knowledge and support you'll need to turn your idea into something tangible and real.

Expert Instruction

Our instructors are also practitioners. They’ve executed and have learned what works and what doesn’t. They’re constantly pushing to keep their knowledge on the precipice of what’s new and exciting.

Testimonials

The Starter League is an awesome way for people to get into programming that didn’t come from computer science.
– JC Grubbs, Co-Founder of DevMynd

I’ve known entrepreneurs who’ve taken books and taught themselves programming in their basement. And have built businesses a couple years later. If they could’ve had the Starter League to speed that up, it would’ve been an invaluable service.
– Bill Pescatello, Investor & Principal at Lightbank

As a Computer Science student I was skeptical that this course would be mind blowing for me at the beginning. I thought that it was just a good way for me to learn the syntax of RoR and to organize myself to work on my project so I thought why not just do it with a group of passionate people. But after the first class I knew it was the best decision I ever made. I remember in the first class, Jeff said that he wants to help us to become not only developers but contributors to the community, although there were people who’ve never seen a snippet of code in their life. It made me think: “Damn, this guy is serious!” As we covered more material, it was harder for me to leave The Starter League for my classes at UChicago.
– Salta Muslim-Ali, Inaugural Starter League Member

Back when I graduated from business school, I NEVER thought I’d take another class. Not only was I wrong but I’m ecstatic that I’m wrong. In 4 classes, I’ve learned how to launch web apps and build my own database. What?? I know…it’s hard to believe.
– Jin Hwang, Inaugural Starter League Member

As we are really ramping up, it is impossible not to want to spend every possible minute working on all things Starter League. The class is starting to see how the programming will fit in with their startup visions and the excitement is explosive. The excitement every day is something you can feel in the air. We celebrate everyones victories and rush to help anyone who needs a lift. I can only imagine that this is what it feels like to be on a Super Bowl team destined for victory.
– Tom Cullen, Inaugural Starter League Member

The biggest takeaway I have from the first week has absolutely nothing to do with coding and everything to do with the people. I am absolutely astounded by everyone else in the class – their stories, motivation, and determination – and am slowly finding the courage to dissolve a business that I worked 1.5 years to build. This is a class built on passion – people have quit jobs and traveled across the nation (and globe!) for The Starter League – and it’s time to take a cue from my classmates and follow what my (geeky) heart is telling me to do.
– Danica Tiu, Inaugural Starter League Member

Deadline to apply for Summer Quarter is Sunday, May 26th at 11:59pm

What are you applying for?

Web Development July 1^st – September 14^th Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays $8,000

Learn the practical components of Ruby on Rails that go into building real-world web applications in this immersive 3 month program. No previous programming experience is required.

HTML & CSS July 1^st – September 14^th $2,000 $1,750 $1,500

Implement beautifully styled and semantically structured websites using the latest HTML5 and CSS3 techniques.

Beginner Mondays from 6pm – 9pm Advanced Tuesday from 6pm – 9pm

*Schedule subject to change

Total: $0.00

The Starter League Application

* Required

Who are we accepting?

People that are passionate. You care about doing meaningful work. You have a burning desire to solve problems. You want to do great things and make a dent in the universe.

People that are tenacious. You can withstand the demand of a fast-paced learning environment. You are diligent, focused and persistent. If you're quick to give up, this isn't for you.

*Why are you applying to the Starter League? *What is the one problem in your life that you are burning to solve? Why? *Tell us a story that exemplifies who you are. Tell us more about yourself by sharing a link to your blog, a video or your site

Wrap Up

*First Name
*Last Name
*Email
*Phone Number
Twitter
*Age
*Where do you currently live?
School
Work
*What will your time commitment for The Starter League be? The Starter League Full Time Working Full Time + The Starter League Working Part Time + The Starter League School + The Starter League
How did you hear about us?

Our UX instructor will be taking a break for Summer Quarter. Sign up here to get notified when we're offering it again.

Our Visual Design instructor will be taking a break for Summer Quarter. Sign up here to get notified when we're offering it again.

Next quarter copy here

Deadline to apply for Summer Quarter is Sunday, May 26th at 11:59pm

Total: $0.00

* Required