75th percentile at GWU Forum

[johansantana21]

I am in the bottom 25% at a top 40 law school and landed BigLaw as a 1L....

Good job on being black, having IP, or having connections.

Don't kid yourself, no one hired you because of your smarts.

[newyorker88]

I am in the bottom 25% at a top 40 law school and landed BigLaw as a 1L....

Good job on being black, having IP, or having connections.

Don't kid yourself, no one hired you because of your smarts.

DAMN

[pballer]

Sounds made up

It ain't bro, so don't worry about it....

connections

Nah...I had multiple offers, but the gist was that I applied early and by the time they saw my grades I wasn't a mere applicant, I was a finalist for the position. I was honest, said my grades were not where I wanted them to be, but if they looked at my undergrad record, previous professional work experience, etc., then they will see that my grades don't reflect my true ability.

Moreover, I went to those "networking" events so I can speak with the Partners and sell myself, rather than wait on a HR to make the decision. A lot of places refused to interview me, however, if you cast a wide net and do the things that other people aren't doing, doors can open.

I did all of those things and had top 10% grades at a top 40 and still whiffed on biglaw for this summer. You're either lying, have obscene connections, or have a PhD in a patent relevant science from an ivy

[GW_Law_Student]

I did all of those things and had top 10% grades at a top 40 and still whiffed on biglaw for this summer. You're either lying, have obscene connections, or have a PhD in a patent relevant science from an ivy

Top 10% from a tier one striking out makes me quiver in fear.

[pballer]

Seems pretty standard for 1L. I'm optimistic about 2L.

[Anonymous User]

Well, I guess you suck at interviewing, bro. I have an undergrad degree (from a Top 100 state school), am not lying and have zero connections. But what I do have is "street smarts," business experience, and initiative. When I'm "networking" and drinking beer with Partners, we aren't talking about grades, we are talking about my work experience or I'm asking them questions, trying to make a connection.

When I'm interviewing, I know the grades are my only weak spot, so I have a canned answer prepared if they bring it up or I bring it up before they do, which is more impressive to them because it shows that I'm not trying to hide from it.

[GW_Law_Student]

Well, I guess you suck at interviewing, bro. I have an undergrad degree (from a Top 100 state school), am not lying and have zero connections. But what I do have is "street smarts," business experience, and initiative. When I'm "networking" and drinking beer with Partners, we aren't talking about grades, we are talking about my work experience or I'm asking them questions, trying to make a connection.

When I'm interviewing, I know the grades are my only weak spot, so I have a canned answer prepared if they bring it up or I bring it up before they do, which is more impressive to them because it shows that I'm not trying to hide from it.

TLS threads so often devolve so fast.

[GW_Law_Student]

You're in the bottom quarter of the class? Screwed out of most everything.

Shockingly, he is not screwed out of PMF, because GWU places the largest number of law students in that program and the evaluators are specifically not permitted to consider grades or school reputation.

What is PMF?

[Anonymous User]

You're in the bottom quarter of the class? Screwed out of most everything.

Shockingly, he is not screwed out of PMF, because GWU places the largest number of law students in that program and the evaluators are specifically not permitted to consider grades or school reputation.

What is PMF?

I had the same question, so I googled "PMF GWU law" and got this: http://www.law.gwu.edu/Careers/currents ... ession.pdf

[LawIdiot86]

You're in the bottom quarter of the class? Screwed out of most everything.

Shockingly, he is not screwed out of PMF, because GWU places the largest number of law students in that program and the evaluators are specifically not permitted to consider grades or school reputation.

What is PMF?

I had the same question, so I googled "PMF GWU law" and got this: http://www.law.gwu.edu/Careers/currents ... ession.pdf

Groan.

[url]http://www.pmf.gov/[/url]

[Clint Eastwood]

I am in the bottom 25% at a top 40 law school and landed BigLaw as a 1L....

Good job on being black, having IP, or having connections.

Don't kid yourself, no one hired you because of your smarts.

[GW_Law_Student]

Anyone else have any substantive commentary on a 1LE 75th percentile passed patent bar, NOT EE/ME/CS.?

[2LLLL]

Anyone else have any substantive commentary on a 1LE 75th percentile passed patent bar, NOT EE/ME/CS.?

Please list your class rank on your resume as "Top 25%" and not 75th percentile so people know what you're talking about

[GW_Law_Student]

Anyone else have any substantive commentary on a 1LE 75th percentile passed patent bar, NOT EE/ME/CS.?

Please list your class rank on your resume as "Top 25%" and not 75th percentile so people know what you're talking about

I'll do that. Just to be clear, though, "top quarter" technically means I might be first in my class. 75th percentile is highly specific.

Is that all the feedback/advice you have?

[Anonymous User]

OP - just curious, how do you know you're top 75th percentile? gw only releases top 15%, top 35%...

anyways, i'm a gw IP 3L. if you're IP, unless you are completely socially inept, you will land something. even if you dont get biglaw, quite a few people i know struck out at OCI and ended up at close-to-market-pay boutiques like stern kessler, oliff, oblon, sughrue mion etc.

[mi-chan17]

Please list your class rank on your resume as "Top 25%" and not 75th percentile so people know what you're talking about

I'll do that. Just to be clear, though, "top quarter" technically means I might be first in my class. 75th percentile is highly specific.

Is that all the feedback/advice you have?

Actually, at GW you can't put either of those things on your resume. So problem solved.

If you want BigLaw, the best advice is to destroy this semester rather than freaking out about 2L summer now. Doing well this semester can raise you up from "maybe BigLaw if you work at it and interview well" (which is where you are now) to "BigLaw, absent bad decision-making or sociopathic tendencies" (where you could easily be if you do well on exams).

[GW_Law_Student]

I derived my exact percentile rank through a mysterious occult method I learned whilst in the company of a coven of demonic witches... they called it Statistics 301.

Thanks anon and mi. I'm going to destroy my finals. If I can drag my GPA up to 85th, am I basically a lock?

[LawIdiot86]

I derived my exact percentile rank through a mysterious occult method I learned whilst in the company of a coven of demonic witches... they called it Statistics 301.

Thanks anon and mi. I'm going to destroy my finals. If I can drag my GPA up to 85th, am I basically a lock?

If it was based on an assumption that the law grades follow the normal curve and that by knowing two points on the curve, you can reconstruct the curve, you are incorrect. While in theory the grades follow a normal curve, in practice they do not.

[Anonymous User]

I derived my exact percentile rank through a mysterious occult method I learned whilst in the company of a coven of demonic witches... they called it Statistics 301.

Thanks anon and mi. I'm going to destroy my finals. If I can drag my GPA up to 85th, am I basically a lock?

if you get your gpa to top 15% you are in LR-range. no IP LRer (that graded on) my year had much trouble finding a job. fwiw, i was close to top 10% when i did OCI and will be at a V10.

[Anonymous User]

Actually, at GW you can't put either of those things on your resume. So problem solved.

HA HA WHOOPS! Guess I missed that rule. Really, we can't even put "George Washington Scholar" or "Thurgood Marshall Scholar"? Isn't that the same thing as putting Top 15% or Top 33%?

Our school is mad lame.

Btw, OP, I hope you know that GW students who land BigLaw do so without the help of CDO which is fairly inept. Students do the independent work, CDO takes the credit (for the 20% that get OCI jobs). That is our contract.

[mi-chan17]

Actually, at GW you can't put either of those things on your resume. So problem solved.

HA HA WHOOPS! Guess I missed that rule. Really, we can't even put "George Washington Scholar" or "Thurgood Marshall Scholar"? Isn't that the same thing as putting Top 15% or Top 33%?

You can put GW Scholar or TM Scholar (and what it means, in terms of percentages). That's all fine. You just can't try to guesstimate your specific ranking and then put it on your resume. There's exact language you're supposed to use somewhere in the CDO's handbook.

Thanks anon and mi. I'm going to destroy my finals. If I can drag my GPA up to 85th, am I basically a lock?

It's my understanding that people who have GPAs in LR range and are IP are generally a lock for firms. Not necessarily your top choice firm, or even your second choice, but no one I know who's on LR hasn't been able to lock something up.

[rad lulz]

.

[GW_Law_Student]

Actually, at GW you can't put either of those things on your resume. So problem solved.

HA HA WHOOPS! Guess I missed that rule. Really, we can't even put "George Washington Scholar" or "Thurgood Marshall Scholar"? Isn't that the same thing as putting Top 15% or Top 33%?

You can put GW Scholar or TM Scholar (and what it means, in terms of percentages). That's all fine. You just can't try to guesstimate your specific ranking and then put it on your resume. There's exact language you're supposed to use somewhere in the CDO's handbook.

You can also put your exact GPA on your resume. So, if you were around the top 16 to 20 percent, it might behoove you to put your GPA on your resume to distinguish yourself from all the other Thurgood-Marshalls. 3.6 is a lot different than 3.4.

[LawIdiot86]

Actually, at GW you can't put either of those things on your resume. So problem solved.

HA HA WHOOPS! Guess I missed that rule. Really, we can't even put "George Washington Scholar" or "Thurgood Marshall Scholar"? Isn't that the same thing as putting Top 15% or Top 33%?

You can put GW Scholar or TM Scholar (and what it means, in terms of percentages). That's all fine. You just can't try to guesstimate your specific ranking and then put it on your resume. There's exact language you're supposed to use somewhere in the CDO's handbook.

You can also put your exact GPA on your resume. So, if you were around the top 16 to 20 percent, it might behoove you to put your GPA on your resume to distinguish yourself from all the other Thurgood-Marshalls. 3.6 is a lot different than 3.4.

Why would you ever leave your GPA off your resume at those levels?

[DrGuano]

Fordham, though a little far behind in the "rankings," but likely somewhat similarly if not better situated then GW, usually places Top 25% in Big Law with very few outliers. Beyond that is slim pickings but all that I know in the Top 25% got big law at 2L OCI.