UT Lottery vs. Pre-Select Forum

[Anonymous User]

Are there any Texas students who can explain the lottery system at UT. What it means to be pre-selected versus lottery selected. What the breakdown of lottery to preselect is. TYIA

[Anonymous User]

Are there any Texas students who can explain the lottery system at UT. What it means to be pre-selected versus lottery selected. What the breakdown of lottery to preselect is. TYIA

Ditto this. Also, what are one's chances of actually getting a callback from a lottery pick, if I am within their requested grade cutoff?

[Anonymous User]

UT 3L here. Too late to be asking now that bids are out, but it works like this. It is possible to bid a firm highly enough to receive a lottery interview slot, even though the firm would not have chosen to interview you via preselect. I don't know the ratio, but I don't recall getting more than a few lottery picks.

Firms vary in terms of how they treat their lottery students. I used my lottery picks to get interviews with firms whose GPA cutoffs I was slightly outside of. In my experience, some treated me like any other screener, including inviting me to the happy hours/dinners after interviews, etc. Others made it very clear that they had no interest in talking to me (e.g., interviewing partner leaving the interview room before I came in, leaving me with only a first-year associate; partner suggesting other firms for me to consider early in the interview). I did not receive a callback from any lottery pick.

[Anonymous User]

i received a mix of lottery, preselects and alternates (with a handful of other unassigned alternates).

do they view alternates like lottery picks where your chances are shot before you even walk in the door?

[Glock]

i received a mix of lottery, preselects and alternates (with a handful of other unassigned alternates).

do they view alternates like lottery picks where your chances are shot before you even walk in the door?

Unless there is some UT-specific crap, no. Alternates are people that are acceptable but they did not have enough interview slots. They would not pick an alternate that they strictly would not hire. If you are an alternate you have a shot.

Also, they may not even know or remember that you are an alternate. It could have been picked by someone else or they might not even care to look at their preselect list.

[Anonymous User]

I received 31 preselects and was scheduled for my top 25. However, some of my lower bid preselects were pure reaches and I'd love the opportunity to interview with them. Is there any way, if I cancel some of my interviews, that I could interview with some of the firms for which I was preselected but did not receive interviews for due to the 25-interview cap?

[Anonymous User]

Did anyone get preselected for a firm but not scheduled? I have less than 25 interviews and yet I was not scheduled with two firms that preselected me.

[Anonymous User]

I received 31 preselects and was scheduled for my top 25. However, some of my lower bid preselects were pure reaches and I'd love the opportunity to interview with them. Is there any way, if I cancel some of my interviews, that I could interview with some of the firms for which I was preselected but did not receive interviews for due to the 25-interview cap?

Did anyone get preselected for a firm but not scheduled? I have less than 25 interviews and yet I was not scheduled with two firms that preselected me.

Call and ask Drew. Or email. I talked to him earlier today and he was extremely helpful.

[bob sacamano]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

[Anonymous User]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

i was wondering that too. i mean, i understand if you're well outside their typical range, but what if you still fall within the range. could you then win them over from the interview? or have they pre-written a rejection before you even step foot in the interview suite?

[jsarna1]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

i was wondering that too. i mean, i understand if you're well outside their typical range, but what if you still fall within the range. could you then win them over from the interview? or have they pre-written a rejection before you even step foot in the interview suite?

I would also like to know if anyone has been successful (been able to get a callback) from the lottery. Otherwise, it just seems like the lottery system is in place to placate people and give the impression that you have a shot at OCI when you do not.

[JordynAsh]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

i was wondering that too. i mean, i understand if you're well outside their typical range, but what if you still fall within the range. could you then win them over from the interview? or have they pre-written a rejection before you even step foot in the interview suite?

I would also like to know if anyone has been successful (been able to get a callback) from the lottery. Otherwise, it just seems like the lottery system is in place to placate people and give the impression that you have a shot at OCI when you do not.

+1!

[Anonymous User]

Same 3L anon here. I should clarify that my experience via lottery was exclusively with NY/DC firms. They generally state something like top 10-15%, LR preferred. At the time, I was top 25%, LR, MC/MT. If you are 10%+LR you may fair better, but if you have those numbers I think you'd be preselected not lottery. Texas firms may be more generous, especially if you are at/near the cutoff and are from Texas. I found Texas firms as a whole hostile to me as a non-Texan, even when my numbers exceeded their expectations, so once again my advice is limited.

[jsarna1]

UT 3L here. Too late to be asking now that bids are out, but it works like this. It is possible to bid a firm highly enough to receive a lottery interview slot, even though the firm would not have chosen to interview you via preselect. I don't know the ratio, but I don't recall getting more than a few lottery picks.

Firms vary in terms of how they treat their lottery students. I used my lottery picks to get interviews with firms whose GPA cutoffs I was slightly outside of. In my experience, some treated me like any other screener, including inviting me to the happy hours/dinners after interviews, etc. Others made it very clear that they had no interest in talking to me (e.g., interviewing partner leaving the interview room before I came in, leaving me with only a first-year associate; partner suggesting other firms for me to consider early in the interview). I did not receive a callback from any lottery pick.

Thanks for your help in this thread. I can't believe the interviewing partner would actually leave the room. Talk about being transparent.

[Anonymous User]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

i was wondering that too. i mean, i understand if you're well outside their typical range, but what if you still fall within the range. could you then win them over from the interview? or have they pre-written a rejection before you even step foot in the interview suite?

I would also like to know if anyone has been successful (been able to get a callback) from the lottery. Otherwise, it just seems like the lottery system is in place to placate people and give the impression that you have a shot at OCI when you do not.

+1!

Rising 3L UT here. Got a callback from a lottery last year. Was right at the GPA cutoff.

[Anonymous User]

UT 3L here. Too late to be asking now that bids are out, but it works like this. It is possible to bid a firm highly enough to receive a lottery interview slot, even though the firm would not have chosen to interview you via preselect. I don't know the ratio, but I don't recall getting more than a few lottery picks.

Firms vary in terms of how they treat their lottery students. I used my lottery picks to get interviews with firms whose GPA cutoffs I was slightly outside of. In my experience, some treated me like any other screener, including inviting me to the happy hours/dinners after interviews, etc. Others made it very clear that they had no interest in talking to me (e.g., interviewing partner leaving the interview room before I came in, leaving me with only a first-year associate; partner suggesting other firms for me to consider early in the interview). I did not receive a callback from any lottery pick.

Thanks for your help in this thread. I can't believe the interviewing partner would actually leave the room. Talk about being transparent.

Happened to me too. I can name the partner and firm, too. Unbelievably classless.

[Anonymous User]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

i was wondering that too. i mean, i understand if you're well outside their typical range, but what if you still fall within the range. could you then win them over from the interview? or have they pre-written a rejection before you even step foot in the interview suite?

I would also like to know if anyone has been successful (been able to get a callback) from the lottery. Otherwise, it just seems like the lottery system is in place to placate people and give the impression that you have a shot at OCI when you do not.

Rising 3L UT here. Got a callback from a lottery last year. Was right at the GPA cutoff.

Mind elaborating? I'm just trying to figure out if I should incur the expense of coming back to Austin early, before my lease at my new place starts, if I don't really have a shot. I'm technically within their requested GPA, although their requested GPA only works out to about top 1/3rd or so, and I suspect they want much higher grades than that.

(I'm a 3L and only applied for this one interview, thus the concern about the expense of coming back early)

[JordynAsh]

UT 3L here. Too late to be asking now that bids are out, but it works like this. It is possible to bid a firm highly enough to receive a lottery interview slot, even though the firm would not have chosen to interview you via preselect. I don't know the ratio, but I don't recall getting more than a few lottery picks.

Firms vary in terms of how they treat their lottery students. I used my lottery picks to get interviews with firms whose GPA cutoffs I was slightly outside of. In my experience, some treated me like any other screener, including inviting me to the happy hours/dinners after interviews, etc. Others made it very clear that they had no interest in talking to me (e.g., interviewing partner leaving the interview room before I came in, leaving me with only a first-year associate; partner suggesting other firms for me to consider early in the interview). I did not receive a callback from any lottery pick.

Thanks for your help in this thread. I can't believe the interviewing partner would actually leave the room. Talk about being transparent.

Happened to me too. I can name the partner and firm, too. Unbelievably classless.

PM me the info if you don't mind. Very interested to know if it's a firm I got a lottery interview with.

[Anonymous User]

Mind elaborating? I'm just trying to figure out if I should incur the expense of coming back to Austin early, before my lease at my new place starts, if I don't really have a shot. I'm technically within their requested GPA, although their requested GPA only works out to about top 1/3rd or so, and I suspect they want much higher grades than that.

(I'm a 3L and only applied for this one interview, thus the concern about the expense of coming back early)

Sure. What information are you looking for?

[Anonymous User]

Mind elaborating? I'm just trying to figure out if I should incur the expense of coming back to Austin early, before my lease at my new place starts, if I don't really have a shot. I'm technically within their requested GPA, although their requested GPA only works out to about top 1/3rd or so, and I suspect they want much higher grades than that.

(I'm a 3L and only applied for this one interview, thus the concern about the expense of coming back early)

Sure. What information are you looking for?

Basically, since you say you got a callback off a lottery interview, I'm just wondering what your grades were relative to their requirements, if you did anything unique/different during the interview, and the geographical location of the firm.. . . also any clues as to which firm it was?

Thanks so much

[Anonymous User]

UT 3L here. Too late to be asking now that bids are out, but it works like this. It is possible to bid a firm highly enough to receive a lottery interview slot, even though the firm would not have chosen to interview you via preselect. I don't know the ratio, but I don't recall getting more than a few lottery picks.

Firms vary in terms of how they treat their lottery students. I used my lottery picks to get interviews with firms whose GPA cutoffs I was slightly outside of. In my experience, some treated me like any other screener, including inviting me to the happy hours/dinners after interviews, etc. Others made it very clear that they had no interest in talking to me (e.g., interviewing partner leaving the interview room before I came in, leaving me with only a first-year associate; partner suggesting other firms for me to consider early in the interview). I did not receive a callback from any lottery pick.

Thanks for your help in this thread. I can't believe the interviewing partner would actually leave the room. Talk about being transparent.

Happened to me too. I can name the partner and firm, too. Unbelievably classless.

Please out this firm.

[Anonymous User]

So basically, lottery = no shot, even if you're technically within the firm's requested numbers?

i was wondering that too. i mean, i understand if you're well outside their typical range, but what if you still fall within the range. could you then win them over from the interview? or have they pre-written a rejection before you even step foot in the interview suite?

I would also like to know if anyone has been successful (been able to get a callback) from the lottery. Otherwise, it just seems like the lottery system is in place to placate people and give the impression that you have a shot at OCI when you do not.

+1!

Ditto this

[Anonymous User]

I received a call back and offer for a SA position from a lottery pick. I split the summer and was offered and accepted a position after graduation with that firm. I was just barely outside of their GPA requirement.

[Anonymous User]

Basically, since you say you got a callback off a lottery interview, I'm just wondering what your grades were relative to their requirements, if you did anything unique/different during the interview, and the geographical location of the firm.. . . also any clues as to which firm it was?

Thanks so much

It was for the Houston office of a bigtext v100 firm. I was right at the GPA cutoff for the firm (top 1/3) but I also had an upward trend in grades (top 10% grades in Spring semester). I thought the interview went smoothly and I could tell that the interviewers were trying to sell the firm to me halfway through the interview. As far as I can tell, I didn't do anything different from my other interviews. With that said, I also had bad experiences with other firms where I was lottery picked (partner checking his phone for about half of the interview). Hope this helps.

[Anonymous User]

it has started. shall we make this the UT OCI thread? to share information on call backs, receptions, etc?


good luck, everybody!