Part-Time to Full Time at OCI Forum

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Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:41 am

I am currently in a part-time program, and will be switching to full-time in the fall. (I will be on a 3 year track, as I am going to take 1-2 summer classes).

Anyone know if my GPA is 4.0 still (which it currently is), if the fact that I was part time have any negative effect on OCI, and whether or not firms want to interview/screen me?

Thanks

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 14, 2015 9:19 am

All the responses you will receive on this thread will be purely speculative since there aren't enough PT/FT schools to be well representative on this board.

The more significant impact will probably be your school. If you're at GULC/GW/Fordam, the effect of the switch may be less significant than if you were PT at a lower-ranked school.

There may be some firms who will see your PT to FT switch as a backdoor, but your grades prove that you're top of the class, so I doubt the effect will be significant.

nouseforaname123

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by nouseforaname123 » Wed Jan 14, 2015 10:15 am

Firms probably won't see it as a negative.

Just to cover all bases, the mechanics of what you want to do vary significantly by school. Have you looked into whether you will be allowed to particpate in OCI? Some schools won't allow an accelerating student to particpate in OCI until the student reaches a certain number of credit hours. At schools with this policy, the net effect is that students who accelerate don't particpate in OCI.

Second, many schools won't allow you reclassify your class year until you catch up in hours to the class year you want to graduate with. This creates a problem because your resume will list "Class of 2018" and you'll need to explain in interviews that you are trying to graduate in 2017. If your school reviews resumes for OCI purposes, you may be stuck listing your original class year.

txig

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by txig » Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:27 pm

You can PM me if you'd like. I was a transfer form PT to FT and on the 3 year track. Went through OCI this past summer and landed gig at big firm in NYC.

NotMyRealName09

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by NotMyRealName09 » Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:10 pm

I was in evening classes first year (12 credits per semester), and like you switched to full time fall semester 2L year, graduated in 3 years like normal. I also took two summer classes during my 1L summer to catch up credit wise, so by the time OCI rolled around I had the same credits as anyone else.

Yes, OCI firms will want to interview you. Most of the major firms at my OCI gave me callbacks, I had a lot. I doubt they'll even know (or care) that you were part time, and you're doing the right thing taking summer classes to catch up. GPA is king. Now maybe there are exceptions, but it had no impact on my ability to land callbacks at OCI.

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:44 pm

NotMyRealName09 wrote:I was in evening classes first year (12 credits per semester), and like you switched to full time fall semester 2L year, graduated in 3 years like normal. I also took two summer classes during my 1L summer to catch up credit wise, so by the time OCI rolled around I had the same credits as anyone else.

Yes, OCI firms will want to interview you. Most of the major firms at my OCI gave me callbacks, I had a lot. I doubt they'll even know (or care) that you were part time, and you're doing the right thing taking summer classes to catch up. GPA is king. Now maybe there are exceptions, but it had no impact on my ability to land callbacks at OCI.
OP Here, thanks I really appreciate it. I will be full time in the fall and am taking summer courses as stated. I actually made a meeting w/ dean of career services and he ensured me if my GPA is anything like it was this past fall (4.0), he will ensure I will be in front of the big firms.

Thanks! Good luck

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:51 am

Anonymous User wrote:
NotMyRealName09 wrote:I was in evening classes first year (12 credits per semester), and like you switched to full time fall semester 2L year, graduated in 3 years like normal. I also took two summer classes during my 1L summer to catch up credit wise, so by the time OCI rolled around I had the same credits as anyone else.

Yes, OCI firms will want to interview you. Most of the major firms at my OCI gave me callbacks, I had a lot. I doubt they'll even know (or care) that you were part time, and you're doing the right thing taking summer classes to catch up. GPA is king. Now maybe there are exceptions, but it had no impact on my ability to land callbacks at OCI.
OP Here, thanks I really appreciate it. I will be full time in the fall and am taking summer courses as stated. I actually made a meeting w/ dean of career services and he ensured me if my GPA is anything like it was this past fall (4.0), he will ensure I will be in front of the big firms.

Thanks! Good luck
My school told me the same thing, but I didn't buy it. Granted, I went to a T50 school in DC-area, but knew I was in direct competition with students from better schools. I transferred to T-14 and got a big law job. The people who I know stayed behind, only 1 (out of probably 10-15) got a big law job. Granted several factors go into that (URM status, interview skills, past work, etc.,) but transferring was the best thing I did.

Anonymous User
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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:10 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
NotMyRealName09 wrote:I was in evening classes first year (12 credits per semester), and like you switched to full time fall semester 2L year, graduated in 3 years like normal. I also took two summer classes during my 1L summer to catch up credit wise, so by the time OCI rolled around I had the same credits as anyone else.

Yes, OCI firms will want to interview you. Most of the major firms at my OCI gave me callbacks, I had a lot. I doubt they'll even know (or care) that you were part time, and you're doing the right thing taking summer classes to catch up. GPA is king. Now maybe there are exceptions, but it had no impact on my ability to land callbacks at OCI.
OP Here, thanks I really appreciate it. I will be full time in the fall and am taking summer courses as stated. I actually made a meeting w/ dean of career services and he ensured me if my GPA is anything like it was this past fall (4.0), he will ensure I will be in front of the big firms.

Thanks! Good luck
My school told me the same thing, but I didn't buy it. Granted, I went to a T50 school in DC-area, but knew I was in direct competition with students from better schools. I transferred to T-14 and got a big law job. The people who I know stayed behind, only 1 (out of probably 10-15) got a big law job. Granted several factors go into that (URM status, interview skills, past work, etc.,) but transferring was the best thing I did.

I hear you man. Im at a tier 3, in new york. about top 10-12 usually get placed big law. hoping i can work hard again and fall into that category. here goes nothing.

Glad everything worked out for you! Hope likewise here.

kingjoffrey

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Re: Part-Time to Full Time at OCI

Post by kingjoffrey » Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:26 pm

They might not notice? Also, employers generally don't have a negative impression of part-time programs.

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