Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI Forum

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:12 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Missed bidding on a firm at both PLIP and my school's OCI, how should I approach sending an app to them now? I shunned them twice blah blah I know my mistake, I'm looking to the future now. Should I mention that I failed to bid on them, but am now interested? Or act like all of that never happened? I figure they're going to figure it out either way, and at least in the long shot they're interested I could then make myself known at PLIP or OCI.

Any ideas?
I wouldn't go the "I failed to bid on you" route. Immediately shows lack of interest. Instead, opt for a "I am interested but unfortunately did not get an interview during OCI" route. Write a targeted cover letter expressing said interest and enthusiasm and hope for the best.
"Did not get an interview" seems to imply that I did bid on them...or is it better if they think they already rejected me rather than I rejected them?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:40 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Missed bidding on a firm at both PLIP and my school's OCI, how should I approach sending an app to them now? I shunned them twice blah blah I know my mistake, I'm looking to the future now. Should I mention that I failed to bid on them, but am now interested? Or act like all of that never happened? I figure they're going to figure it out either way, and at least in the long shot they're interested I could then make myself known at PLIP or OCI.

Any ideas?
I wouldn't go the "I failed to bid on you" route. Immediately shows lack of interest. Instead, opt for a "I am interested but unfortunately did not get an interview during OCI" route. Write a targeted cover letter expressing said interest and enthusiasm and hope for the best.
"Did not get an interview" seems to imply that I did bid on them...or is it better if they think they already rejected me rather than I rejected them?
Depends on how your school does OCI. We have a 100% lottery and kids usually get around 50-60% of their bids. If you have a system where you aren't batting 1.00 (every firm you bid you get an interview), firms will know that kids can miss out on getting selected. Either way, don't say you didn't bid.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by drmguy » Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:45 pm

I have a writing sample question. Which would be better, a 1L summer opinion that I can say that I "substantially contributed to" or a LRW brief/memo?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:30 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Missed bidding on a firm at both PLIP and my school's OCI, how should I approach sending an app to them now? I shunned them twice blah blah I know my mistake, I'm looking to the future now. Should I mention that I failed to bid on them, but am now interested? Or act like all of that never happened? I figure they're going to figure it out either way, and at least in the long shot they're interested I could then make myself known at PLIP or OCI.

Any ideas?
I wouldn't go the "I failed to bid on you" route. Immediately shows lack of interest. Instead, opt for a "I am interested but unfortunately did not get an interview during OCI" route. Write a targeted cover letter expressing said interest and enthusiasm and hope for the best.
"Did not get an interview" seems to imply that I did bid on them...or is it better if they think they already rejected me rather than I rejected them?
Depends on how your school does OCI. We have a 100% lottery and kids usually get around 50-60% of their bids. If you have a system where you aren't batting 1.00 (every firm you bid you get an interview), firms will know that kids can miss out on getting selected. Either way, don't say you didn't bid.


I did approach it this way and the firm emailed me again EXPLICITLY asking "So did you bid on us or not?"
Can somebody please please help me out?
I don't know how I should respond. I think the firms know whether we bid on them or not....
Any ideas?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by PennBull » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:34 am

Anonymous User wrote:I did approach it this way and the firm emailed me again EXPLICITLY asking "So did you bid on us or not?"
Can somebody please please help me out?
I don't know how I should respond. I think the firms know whether we bid on them or not....
Any ideas?
Ouch, that's tough.

Whether they know or not, your only move is to tell the truth. Fluff it up and give a reason why you're interested now, but you can't lie about it.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:42 am

PennBull wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I did approach it this way and the firm emailed me again EXPLICITLY asking "So did you bid on us or not?"
Can somebody please please help me out?
I don't know how I should respond. I think the firms know whether we bid on them or not....
Any ideas?
Ouch, that's tough.

Whether they know or not, your only move is to tell the truth. Fluff it up and give a reason why you're interested now, but you can't lie about it.

I agree. But I cannot think of any reason, why someone might have been unable to bid on the firm, when that person had been wanting to work for that firm....
Any possible reasons?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by PennBull » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:49 am

Anonymous User wrote:
PennBull wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I did approach it this way and the firm emailed me again EXPLICITLY asking "So did you bid on us or not?"
Can somebody please please help me out?
I don't know how I should respond. I think the firms know whether we bid on them or not....
Any ideas?
Ouch, that's tough.

Whether they know or not, your only move is to tell the truth. Fluff it up and give a reason why you're interested now, but you can't lie about it.

I agree. But I cannot think of any reason, why someone might have been unable to bid on the firm, when that person had been wanting to work for that firm....
Any possible reasons?
I know I didn't bid on some firms I would have liked to work for because they were in markets that I had no ties to, so I didn't think I had a shot.

If it's a firm anywhere other than NY, this could work for you.

Edit: You can also just say you learned X and Y about the firm after you bid, and if you knew X and Y you would have bid. It sounds like this is actually what happened to you, anyways.
Last edited by PennBull on Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:54 am

At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by PennBull » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:57 am

Anonymous User wrote:At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.
What school? You're anonymous...

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by r6_philly » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:39 am

Anonymous User wrote:
PennBull wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I did approach it this way and the firm emailed me again EXPLICITLY asking "So did you bid on us or not?"
Can somebody please please help me out?
I don't know how I should respond. I think the firms know whether we bid on them or not....
Any ideas?
Ouch, that's tough.

Whether they know or not, your only move is to tell the truth. Fluff it up and give a reason why you're interested now, but you can't lie about it.

I agree. But I cannot think of any reason, why someone might have been unable to bid on the firm, when that person had been wanting to work for that firm....
Any possible reasons?
I didn't bid on a few firms because I had contacts with recruiting outside of OCI. I was not asked, and I am getting interviews from them. I don't know your circumstances, but it's a reasonable move to not bid on a firm when you are seriously/legitimately being considered outside of OCI, because there is no guarantee that you will get your bids.

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lisavj

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by lisavj » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:51 am

PennBull wrote: Edit: You can also just say you learned X and Y about the firm after you bid, and if you knew X and Y you would have bid. It sounds like this is actually what happened to you, anyways.
^this. Told a firm I didn't like 'em much until I met one of their SA's who loved their job, made me take a second look, noticed X and Y, liked 'em, applied. Got a callback.

Edit: I haven't gone wrong yet shooting straight, what I like what I don't what my questions actually are.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:54 am

LawIdiot86 wrote: Two friends at my T14, top third and top 10%, neither got offers and both bid wisely on regions and firms they would match well with. The ten percent-er said he had interviewers come out and tell him they loved him, but they couldn't call back someone if the "journal" box wasn't checked.
I call troll.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:15 am

Anonymous User wrote:
LawIdiot86 wrote: Two friends at my T14, top third and top 10%, neither got offers and both bid wisely on regions and firms they would match well with. The ten percent-er said he had interviewers come out and tell him they loved him, but they couldn't call back someone if the "journal" box wasn't checked.
I call troll.
Seconded.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:42 pm

What do you do when you get an interview with a firm that is ridiculously out of your grade range? I bid on it for shits and giggles. I figured what is the worst that could happen? Well, now I have an interview, and I'm wondering if it is because not enough people bidded on that firm's office (D.C.) from my school. Is there any point in going, or did somebody maybe read my writing sample and really like it?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:07 pm

Anonymous User wrote:What do you do when you get an interview with a firm that is ridiculously out of your grade range? I bid on it for shits and giggles. I figured what is the worst that could happen? Well, now I have an interview, and I'm wondering if it is because not enough people bidded on that firm's office (D.C.) from my school. Is there any point in going, or did somebody maybe read my writing sample and really like it?

Was this from lottery assignment or direct reach out?

edit) Oh I see "bidding" - I guess then it is likely to be a waste of time, unless your grade is not THAT out of gpa range... I dont know how far out of the range you mean by "ridiculously out," so.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:24 pm

You had to be selected once you bid. I had not been invited for interviews at the previous six or so firms that sent out invites.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by fatduck » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:38 pm

Anonymous User wrote:At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.
at harvard, all firms you bid on get your resume, so they'd know if you bid on them or not. at georgetown i think your top 20 get your resume. i'm sure other schools operate similarly.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:46 pm

fatduck wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.
at harvard, all firms you bid on get your resume, so they'd know if you bid on them or not. at georgetown i think your top 20 get your resume. i'm sure other schools operate similarly.
I'm convinced none of the firms look at those resumes. But yeah, they could check whether you bid on them or not, so better not lie.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Arbiter213 » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:49 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
fatduck wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.
at harvard, all firms you bid on get your resume, so they'd know if you bid on them or not. at georgetown i think your top 20 get your resume. i'm sure other schools operate similarly.
I'm convinced none of the firms look at those resumes. But yeah, they could check whether you bid on them or not, so better not lie.
Some firms definitely directly contact people who bid them.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by mr_toad » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:53 pm

Arbiter213 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
fatduck wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.
at harvard, all firms you bid on get your resume, so they'd know if you bid on them or not. at georgetown i think your top 20 get your resume. i'm sure other schools operate similarly.
I'm convinced none of the firms look at those resumes. But yeah, they could check whether you bid on them or not, so better not lie.
Some firms definitely directly contact people who bid them.
This is true at Georgetown, I know people from previous years who were contacted through this process.

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 31, 2012 11:58 pm

Arbiter213 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
fatduck wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:At our school, firms know if you bid on them or not.
at harvard, all firms you bid on get your resume, so they'd know if you bid on them or not. at georgetown i think your top 20 get your resume. i'm sure other schools operate similarly.
I'm convinced none of the firms look at those resumes. But yeah, they could check whether you bid on them or not, so better not lie.
Some firms definitely directly contact people who bid them.
At Cornell?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by stewie27 » Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:14 am

Question about transcripts: should it list the classes we're taking this fall? I guess that's a way to show interest in something. Does it matter if our schedules aren't set yet?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Arbiter213 » Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:16 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Arbiter213 wrote:
Some firms definitely directly contact people who bid them.
At Cornell?
Yes. Not me though :-/

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:18 am

Arbiter213 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Arbiter213 wrote:
Some firms definitely directly contact people who bid them.
At Cornell?
Yes. Not me though :-/
Anyone this cycle?

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Re: Things You Wish You Would Have Known Before OCI

Post by Arbiter213 » Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:52 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Arbiter213 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Arbiter213 wrote:
Some firms definitely directly contact people who bid them.
At Cornell?
Yes. Not me though :-/
Anyone this cycle?
Yes. I found it unnerving.

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