3.4 at M, OCI prospects Forum

[Anonymous User]

Have a 3.4 at M, I'm wondering what my chances at OCI are like for NYC biglaw. Pretty bummed with this gpa because I was expecting closer to a 3.5.

I've heard that applicants interested in corporate work tend to do better at OCI because so many other students want lit, is there any truth to this? I'm interested in PE, Bankruptcy, and to a lesser extent M&A.

No substantive work experience.

[Anonymous User]

3.2 at M. I'm pretty bummed because apparently 3.2 is awful if this guy is bummed about a 3.4.

Given the general feel of his post I imagine I have no chance at getting a litigation SA jerb in DC.

[thelaststraw05]

This is a bit of a LMGTFY.

Go here on OCP's website: http://www.law.umich.edu/careers/studen ... fault.aspx

Click into On Campus Interviewing.
Click Employer GPA Qualifications Profiles for 2Ls.
...
Profit.

[Anonymous User]

This is a bit of a LMGTFY.

Go here on OCP's website: http://www.law.umich.edu/careers/studen ... fault.aspx

Click into On Campus Interviewing.
Click Employer GPA Qualifications Profiles for 2Ls.
...
Profit.

I've seen that doc and looked it over several times. I was hoping that some 2L and 3L students would post about how many CB's to expect, bid strategy, etc. With a 3.6-3.7 I'd imagine that CB's fall in your lap, with a 3.4 I'm not sure how it will play out, which is why I made the thread.

[Anonymous User]

This is a bit of a LMGTFY.

Go here on OCP's website: http://www.law.umich.edu/careers/studen ... fault.aspx

Click into On Campus Interviewing.
Click Employer GPA Qualifications Profiles for 2Ls.
...
Profit.

A couple of Mich students who have already done OCI claim that this data is overly optimistic because it includes a few years of pre-recession data.

[thelaststraw05]

It was a little optimistic. It is a three year rolling average. Now it includes only 2009, 2010, 2011. I believe that makes it all post crash. Correct?

[Anonymous User]

It was a little optimistic. It is a three year rolling average. Now it includes only 2009, 2010, 2011. I believe that makes it all post crash. Correct?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is a 5 year rolling average so we would have 06-11.

[thelaststraw05]

It was a little optimistic. It is a three year rolling average. Now it includes only 2009, 2010, 2011. I believe that makes it all post crash. Correct?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is a 5 year rolling average so we would have 06-11.

You are absolutely correct I misread it. It'll be interesting to see how it bears out this year. Given that many are expecting OCI this year to be better than last (which was in turn better than the year before it). Does the good data and bad data weigh out to about right? None of this answers OPs question though, so if anybody has a decent answer... feel free to chip in.

[Anonymous User]

Is anyone else on this thread still waiting for grades? I haven't even gotten my first grade back.

[thelaststraw05]

Is anyone else on this thread still waiting for grades? I haven't even gotten my first grade back.

IJKL buddy?

[Anonymous User]

yup.

[Anonymous User]

I went through Michigan OCI during the fall of 2009, and I know several people with 3.4 GPAs who did fine in NYC (as in multiple callbacks and offers). New York City was one of the few markets where 3.4 GPAs had a decent chance of success in 2009.

Hope this helps tamp down the anxiety.

[Anonymous User]

@ the anon above. Thanks, helps quite a bit.

[Anonymous User]

must be EFGH to know complete 1L gpa, IJKL is rofl and MNOP is waiting on two.

a 3.4 is pretty good brohan. I'm not going to speculate on where you are percentage-wise, but just look at the clerkship letter the dean hands out to students who need to show a rough estimate of their place in their class. You can give yourself a little boost because the letter is for 3L's after they've taken classes off the curve. maybe you're in the top 1/3. either way, I also know lots of people who banged out a couple callbacks and offers in NYC with those stats.

most of them were k-jd too.

[Anonymous User]

#

[Anonymous User]

3.26 for DC? Pipe dream? Paralegal experience and semi-interesting, semi-competitive 1L summer work. What should I be doing to increase my chances?

DC BigLaw? You are kidding right? You are below median I believe and want to target the hardest market. You should be targeting your hometown and NYC.

[portaprokoss]

#

[Anonymous User]

3.26 for DC? Pipe dream? Paralegal experience and semi-interesting, semi-competitive 1L summer work. What should I be doing to increase my chances?

DC BigLaw? You are kidding right?

I thought median was 3.25. And I'm in the minority that snagged a paid competitive, interesting, summer gig, so I assume that will look good. Looking at the numbers it seems like a tough goal, but not ridiculous.

AFAIK, 1L summer gig will give you little to no real advantage other than something interesting to talk about during interviews. It will not help improve your GPA.

And regardless of whether you are slightly above or slightly below median, I would give your chances at DC at best 5%. Median is danger zone for not landing a BigLaw job at all, let alone one in DC.

[Anonymous User]

What do you think the lowest someone should be aiming at DC should be? 3.3? 3.4?

[Anonymous User]

3.26 for DC? Pipe dream? Paralegal experience and semi-interesting, semi-competitive 1L summer work. What should I be doing to increase my chances?

DC BigLaw? You are kidding right?

I thought median was 3.25. And I'm in the minority that snagged a paid competitive, interesting, summer gig, so I assume that will look good. Looking at the numbers it seems like a tough goal, but not ridiculous.

1L median after first semester was a 3.2--it was listed in one of those comprehensive grade reports they put out. So take that FWIW.

[Anonymous User]

It was a little optimistic. It is a three year rolling average. Now it includes only 2009, 2010, 2011. I believe that makes it all post crash. Correct?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is a 5 year rolling average so we would have 06-11.

You are absolutely correct I misread it. It'll be interesting to see how it bears out this year. Given that many are expecting OCI this year to be better than last (which was in turn better than the year before it). Does the good data and bad data weigh out to about right? None of this answers OPs question though, so if anybody has a decent answer... feel free to chip in.

It says updated May 2011; maybe it will be updated again soon. That would be helpful.

[Anonymous User]

What happens to in-between gpas? Will my 3.83 be considered at 3.3 or a 3.4 for OCI purposes?

[Anonymous User]

It was a little optimistic. It is a three year rolling average. Now it includes only 2009, 2010, 2011. I believe that makes it all post crash. Correct?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is a 5 year rolling average so we would have 06-11.

You are absolutely correct I misread it. It'll be interesting to see how it bears out this year. Given that many are expecting OCI this year to be better than last (which was in turn better than the year before it). Does the good data and bad data weigh out to about right? None of this answers OPs question though, so if anybody has a decent answer... feel free to chip in.

It says updated May 2011; maybe it will be updated again soon. That would be helpful.

It has been updated.

[keg411]

What happens to in-between gpas? Will my 3.83 be considered at 3.3 or a 3.4 for OCI purposes?

I'm guessing you mean 3.38 and not 3.83. Michigan goes to three decimal places for OCI grade reports... so you'd be a 3.38x.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have an idea of a reasonable gpa for targeting midwestern secondary markets coming from M?