Grade distribution guesses/firm chances at yls Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any guesses where 2H's/2P's or 3H's/1P would put you on the curve after 1L at yls? Also any guesses what kind of firms in NYC and dc this would land you?


My impression is that the very elite firms like wlrk and wc would still be out, but do you think urm status and YLJournal membership could put these in reach?

[Anonymous User]

do you think urm status and YLJournal membership could put these in reach?

Yes, absolutely.

[rajesh88]

Anyone have any guesses where 2H's/2P's or 3H's/1P would put you on the curve after 1L at yls? Also any guesses what kind of firms in NYC and dc this would land you?


My impression is that the very elite firms like wlrk and wc would still be out, but do you think urm status and YLJournal membership could put these in reach?

ylj membership? no

[Anonymous User]

This is OP--it is 3Hs, 1P

Does anyone have any idea what approximate class rank this is and which firms to bid on?

Perhaps the anon. guy who modeled the HLS curve could help me out here? Our first term is entirely credit fail, so people have very few grades at this point. Maybe that makes it easier to calculate an approximate class rank?

Thanks

[Anonymous User]

I have no idea about the distribution... especially since some of us took only three for-credit classes where others of us took four, but I think even elite firms would be in reach with three Hs.

For comparison purposes, though I doubt you'll get enough data points to make any sort of curve, I ended up with three Hs, and only took three graded classes. I know someone else who took three graded classes and got 2 Hs and a P. There was another post not to long ago about getting Ps across the board (though I don't recall whether OP had taken three or four classes).

Like everything else at YLS, I'm assuming that OCI is more squishy here than at most schools. Interview skills, interest in the firm/biglaw etc. probably count more than they would elsewhere, while our grades count a bit less. I'm guessing that firms will also look at what courses we were in. Tax and Bus Orgs probably look better than something with Social Justice or Literature in the title:)

Career services has a chart at the end of their OCI brochure that shows the number of bids, callbacks and offers from 2009. Of course, that doesn't help with your curve question, but it should help in building a bid list.

Also, do you know about YLJ already? I thought we had to wait until the end of July?

[tinman]

So, we don’t have a curve, but I would have to say that the probability is strong that you are well above median with three H’s and one P.

Here is some simple math to back up my thoughts.

Professors Choosing Grades by Throwing Darts

Assuming you chance of getting an H is one class is independent of getting an H is another (assuming H’s are randomly distributed in each class), we can use the binominal distribution: (n choose k) times (p to the K) times (one minus p) to the (n minus k).

Chance of getting an H = p
Number of graded classes = n
Number of H’s = k

For n=4 (four classes) and p=0.3 (30% chance of getting an H in each class)
You chance of getting three Hs (k=3) is 0.0756. Your chance of getting three or four H’s is 0.0837.

For four classes (still assuming 30% H’s per class), your chance of getting

0 h = 0.2401
1 h = 0.4116
2 h = 0.2646
3 h = 0.0756
4 h = 0.0081
For three classes …
0 h = 0.343
1 h = 0.441
2 h = 0.189
3 h = 0.027

Assuming the chances of getting H’s is significantly easier (say, 70% of each class), the chance of getting three or four H’s (out of four classes) would be much higher (0.2401 + 0.4116) = 0.65.

Assuming a 50% chance of H’s in each class, you would expect 31% of students to have three or four H’s out of four classes.

In sum, if grades were randomly assigned and you got 3 out of four H’s, you would be in top 10% of class and if 30% of each individual class gets H’s; in top third if 50% of each class gets Hs; and in top two thirds if 70% of each class gets Hs.

A Non-Random World

Now, let’s assume that grades are not random and the maximum number of people fall in the class of 3 or 4 H’s out of four. In that case (assuming the each class awards 30% Hs), it is possible that 40% of the class has 3 H’s and the other 60% of class gets no H’s (I think this is right, doing this math on intuition). So you would still be above median and no one would be above you.


In sum, OP, I think you are fine.

[Anonymous User]

Also, do you know about YLJ already? I thought we had to wait until the end of July?

The only people I know who know about YLJ already are those who "noted on."

[Anonymous User]

OP here--the YLJ comment was hypothetical. Don't know about it but was curious about how that could change the game.

We find out in late July.

[abl]

Where's the HLS curve breakdown?? Thanks!

[doyleoil]

ITT: fascinating navel-gazing and incontrovertible evidence that yalies don't know the difference between "medium" and a "median"

[Anonymous User]

Regardless of grades/journal (and yes, I think both DO matter, as does URM status), one thing that definitely affected placement last year was whether or not you had something - anything - on your resume to show you weren't just a public interest person looking to try out a firm for the summer. People who had private sector experience of any kind didn't have to answer awkward "You're a Yalie - why do you want to work at a firm?" questions nearly as often.

And yeah, you're totally fine with 3 Hs. I'm kind of embarrassed for you (us, collectively) that you would even ask.

[Anonymous User]

What's the situation like for recruiting for 1L summers? Are these gigs basically nonexistent these days?

[Anonymous User]

what if you are the opposite of OP - 1H/2P?