Grades back where do I place? Forum

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Greenlanpern

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Grades back where do I place?

Post by Greenlanpern » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:29 pm

Hi all. B- (5 credits), B (4 credits), and B+ (4 credits). Bummed about these but know that it's only up from here. NYU.

Aiming for big law. Chances? Where do I fall on the curve?

BrainsyK

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by BrainsyK » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:36 pm

NYU has a slightly lower median than Columbia. Your GPA is about 2.97/98 so... probably bottom 1/4 or just a shade under would be my guess. NYU's BL/FC total is right around 75% with a heavier PI presence if the reputation is anything to go by so big law is probably still in the cards.

Greenlanpern

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Greenlanpern » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:44 pm

BrainsyK wrote:NYU has a slightly lower median than Columbia. Your GPA is about 2.97/98 so... probably bottom 1/4 or just a shade under would be my guess. NYU's BL/FC total is right around 75% with a heavier PI presence if the reputation is anything to go by so big law is probably still in the cards.
B- is a killer.

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by PorscheFanatic » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:52 pm

I got 3 B-'s in my first year of law school, at one of your peer schools.

1st semester: B, B-, B-
2nd semester: B+, B, B, B-

I highly recommend AGAINST this strategy, but biglaw was still in the cards even for me. I did like 65 screeners during OCI, and landed 2 offers. Got a v100 and a v50. It's doable because you're at a great school, but you'll be a much better candidate if you focus on getting no more B-'s and a couple of B+'s or above for next semester, which is totally doable.

All I'm saying is don't get down on yourself already, but also focus now only on getting your grades up.

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cavalier1138

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by cavalier1138 » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:38 pm

You only have one semester of grades. A single B- will not kill you, so focus on the things you can do to bring yourself up into B+ territory (and maybe snag an A- to help). Stop focusing on possible career ramifications until you have a full year of grades and are actually putting together your bid list.

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sparty99

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by sparty99 » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:02 pm

Wow. People still get big law with a 2.9 gpa, but I struggle for a big law interview even with experience. Crazy.

omar.comin

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by omar.comin » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:27 pm

sparty99 wrote:Wow. People still get big law with a 2.9 gpa, but I struggle for a big law interview even with experience. Crazy.
Might be the 'tude.

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A. Nony Mouse

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:48 pm

sparty99 wrote:Wow. People still get big law with a 2.9 gpa, but I struggle for a big law interview even with experience. Crazy.
you're not really comparing can't really compare apples (OCI at NYU) with oranges (lateral hiring), though, dude.

runinthefront

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by runinthefront » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:55 pm

A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sparty99 wrote:Wow. People still get big law with a 2.9 gpa, but I struggle for a big law interview even with experience. Crazy.
you're not really comparing apples (OCI at NYU) with oranges (lateral hiring), though, dude.
wait, isn't sparty, though? are you using that idiom right, Nony?
Last edited by runinthefront on Fri Jan 26, 2018 11:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Wild Card

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Wild Card » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:07 pm

Sorry about your B- in CivPro. Who was your professor?

I think median might be 3.22 or 3.28. So you're probably in the bottom 25% or even 10% of the class--not much of a difference between the two.

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cavalier1138

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by cavalier1138 » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:17 pm

Wild Card wrote:Who was your professor?
Why would that matter? The curve is the curve.

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A. Nony Mouse

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:52 pm

runinthefront wrote:
A. Nony Mouse wrote:
sparty99 wrote:Wow. People still get big law with a 2.9 gpa, but I struggle for a big law interview even with experience. Crazy.
you're not really comparing apples (OCI at NYU) with oranges (lateral hiring), though, dude.
wait, isn't sparty, though? are you using that idiom right, Nony?
lol, yes, I got that completely wrong; it's been a long day. (I think I meant you *can't really compare*!)

Greenlanpern

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Greenlanpern » Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:39 pm

Wild Card wrote:Sorry about your B- in CivPro. Who was your professor?

I think median might be 3.22 or 3.28. So you're probably in the bottom 25% or even 10% of the class--not much of a difference between the two.
LOL at this guy figuring out that the 5 was civpro. I won't be divulging my prof.

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axel.foley

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by axel.foley » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:08 am

Greenlanpern wrote:
Wild Card wrote:Sorry about your B- in CivPro. Who was your professor?

I think median might be 3.22 or 3.28. So you're probably in the bottom 25% or even 10% of the class--not much of a difference between the two.
LOL at this guy figuring out that the 5 was civpro. I won't be divulging my prof.
Not that hard to figure out since it's the only 5 credit class 1Ls take at NYU. Anyways, in terms of OCI, a lot will depend on (1) your performance this semester, (2) pre-law school experience, and (3) other softs like interviewing ability. If you drastically improve this semester, it will open up more doors, and many attorneys understand that it takes a while to "get" law school. Strong work experience (e.g. in finance) can also be helpful in landing biglaw. Nonetheless, a few firms will probably remain out of the running. OCS has more detailed stats on GPA and hiring. Also, if you're super serious about big law and remain worried, it could be helpful to kill the writing competition and write on to Law Review.

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Hi-So - ArshavinFan » Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:25 am

Greenlanpern wrote:Hi all. B- (5 credits), B (4 credits), and B+ (4 credits). Bummed about these but know that it's only up from here. NYU.

Aiming for big law. Chances? Where do I fall on the curve?
Damn - Wow - you killed in Contracts and Torts/Crim - at least imo - B at NYU is good/solid.
CivPro is a b** though. I studied the hardest for that course and got a B and other courses I didnt put that much effort into and got a B.

What gives

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cavalier1138

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by cavalier1138 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:49 am

Hi-So - ArshavinFan wrote:
Greenlanpern wrote:Hi all. B- (5 credits), B (4 credits), and B+ (4 credits). Bummed about these but know that it's only up from here. NYU.

Aiming for big law. Chances? Where do I fall on the curve?
Damn - Wow - you killed in Contracts and Torts/Crim - at least imo - B at NYU is good/solid.
CivPro is a b** though. I studied the hardest for that course and got a B and other courses I didnt put that much effort into and got a B.

What gives
B grades at NYU are fine, but they certainly aren't "killing" any courses. The threshold where Career Services requires special counseling on your EIW bidlist is 3.1, so straight Bs would definitely put someone on shaky ground for EIW.

Ideally, the OP will get some more B+ (or higher) grades this semester to push their average up to the median.

Greenlanpern

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Greenlanpern » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:45 am

Great! Thanks all for kind words. Fire under my butt now.

Everyone thinks the B- isn't going to happen to them but then...
Spoke to my B- prof and he told me I got a B but mandatory curve forced him to push some people grades down. Claims he resisted but career services told him he has to abide since other professors were also abiding. He told me he got two B- in law school...

FYI it ain't about quantity. I wrote 7500 words for civpro exam but didn't know the course well. A+ answer was 8.2k, A answer was 5.7k, and a model B- answer (not mine lol) was 2.4k and the dude didn't even answer the third question. I guess I could've written that few amount of words and still have gotten a B-, since as Academic Services said, profs usually don't give C D F. Whatever. Who knows!

It's one thing if I didn't study smart, and another if I didn't take the law school exam correctly.

And you expect me to pay attention in Lawyering?!?!

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cavalier1138

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by cavalier1138 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:03 am

Greenlanpern wrote:And you expect me to pay attention in Lawyering?!?!
I assume this was just tongue-in-cheek, but yes, Lawyering is a great way to overcome weak grades. Good performance in Lawyering can get you a TA position next year (yes, those look good on resumes), and if you actually put time in on your legal writing and put some real effort into the writing competition, that gives you the chance to write on to Law Review (again, it helps offset your grades).

Your main focus should be on improving your study habits and figuring out what you need to do this semester to pull your grades up, but strong legal writing can make a big difference this summer and will ultimately be more useful in practice.

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Greenlanpern » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:04 am

cavalier1138 wrote:
Greenlanpern wrote:And you expect me to pay attention in Lawyering?!?!
I assume this was just tongue-in-cheek, but yes, Lawyering is a great way to overcome weak grades. Good performance in Lawyering can get you a TA position next year (yes, those look good on resumes), and if you actually put time in on your legal writing and put some real effort into the writing competition, that gives you the chance to write on to Law Review (again, it helps offset your grades).

Your main focus should be on improving your study habits and figuring out what you need to do this semester to pull your grades up, but strong legal writing can make a big difference this summer and will ultimately be more useful in practice.
Nope. I was serious. It's pass fail and they need dean's permission to fail you. No one fails!! Many upperclassmen who did very well and a Lawyering TA told me to not waste time!

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Wild Card

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Wild Card » Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:33 pm

Greenlanpern wrote:Great! Thanks all for kind words. Fire under my butt now.

Everyone thinks the B- isn't going to happen to them but then...
Spoke to my B- prof and he told me I got a B but mandatory curve forced him to push some people grades down. Claims he resisted but career services told him he has to abide since other professors were also abiding. He told me he got two B- in law school...

FYI it ain't about quantity. I wrote 7500 words for civpro exam but didn't know the course well. A+ answer was 8.2k, A answer was 5.7k, and a model B- answer (not mine lol) was 2.4k and the dude didn't even answer the third question. I guess I could've written that few amount of words and still have gotten a B-, since as Academic Services said, profs usually don't give C D F. Whatever. Who knows!

It's one thing if I didn't study smart, and another if I didn't take the law school exam correctly.

And you expect me to pay attention in Lawyering?!?!
Chase is a million years old. Back when he was a law student, B- = A-.

You should apply to be a Lawyering TA. They're desperate for warm bodies. Also, the profs doing the hiring don't see your transcript.

Greenlanpern

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Greenlanpern » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:51 pm

Wild Card wrote:
Greenlanpern wrote:Great! Thanks all for kind words. Fire under my butt now.

Everyone thinks the B- isn't going to happen to them but then...
Spoke to my B- prof and he told me I got a B but mandatory curve forced him to push some people grades down. Claims he resisted but career services told him he has to abide since other professors were also abiding. He told me he got two B- in law school...

FYI it ain't about quantity. I wrote 7500 words for civpro exam but didn't know the course well. A+ answer was 8.2k, A answer was 5.7k, and a model B- answer (not mine lol) was 2.4k and the dude didn't even answer the third question. I guess I could've written that few amount of words and still have gotten a B-, since as Academic Services said, profs usually don't give C D F. Whatever. Who knows!

It's one thing if I didn't study smart, and another if I didn't take the law school exam correctly.

And you expect me to pay attention in Lawyering?!?!
Chase is a million years old. Back when he was a law student, B- = A-.

You should apply to be a Lawyering TA. They're desperate for warm bodies. Also, the profs doing the hiring don't see your transcript.
does yale law give letter grades? lol!

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Hi-So - ArshavinFan

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Hi-So - ArshavinFan » Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:39 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:
Hi-So - ArshavinFan wrote:
Greenlanpern wrote:Hi all. B- (5 credits), B (4 credits), and B+ (4 credits). Bummed about these but know that it's only up from here. NYU.

Aiming for big law. Chances? Where do I fall on the curve?
Damn - Wow - you killed in Contracts and Torts/Crim - at least imo - B at NYU is good/solid.
CivPro is a b** though. I studied the hardest for that course and got a B and other courses I didnt put that much effort into and got a B.

What gives
B grades at NYU are fine, but they certainly aren't "killing" any courses. The threshold where Career Services requires special counseling on your EIW bidlist is 3.1, so straight Bs would definitely put someone on shaky ground for EIW.

Ideally, the OP will get some more B+ (or higher) grades this semester to push their average up to the median.
So even with a 3.0 (which is median for 1L) you need special counseling for EIW??? I havent heard anything about that

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by Hi-So - ArshavinFan » Mon Jan 22, 2018 5:41 pm

Wild Card wrote:
Greenlanpern wrote:Great! Thanks all for kind words. Fire under my butt now.

Everyone thinks the B- isn't going to happen to them but then...
Spoke to my B- prof and he told me I got a B but mandatory curve forced him to push some people grades down. Claims he resisted but career services told him he has to abide since other professors were also abiding. He told me he got two B- in law school...

FYI it ain't about quantity. I wrote 7500 words for civpro exam but didn't know the course well. A+ answer was 8.2k, A answer was 5.7k, and a model B- answer (not mine lol) was 2.4k and the dude didn't even answer the third question. I guess I could've written that few amount of words and still have gotten a B-, since as Academic Services said, profs usually don't give C D F. Whatever. Who knows!

It's one thing if I didn't study smart, and another if I didn't take the law school exam correctly.

And you expect me to pay attention in Lawyering?!?!
Chase is a million years old. Back when he was a law student, B- = A-.

You should apply to be a Lawyering TA. They're desperate for warm bodies. Also, the profs doing the hiring don't see your transcript.
Did he say he was Section 4 already? I missed that

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cavalier1138

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by cavalier1138 » Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:00 pm

Hi-So - ArshavinFan wrote:So even with a 3.0 (which is median for 1L) you need special counseling for EIW??? I havent heard anything about that
3.0 is definitely not the median. Best guess is that it's somewhere between 3.1 and 3.2 by the end of the first year.

And you'll hear about the EIW stuff later.

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Re: Grades back where do I place?

Post by melmelcoolj » Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:13 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:
Hi-So - ArshavinFan wrote:So even with a 3.0 (which is median for 1L) you need special counseling for EIW??? I havent heard anything about that
3.0 is definitely not the median. Best guess is that it's somewhere between 3.1 and 3.2 by the end of the first year.

And you'll hear about the EIW stuff later.
I think career office said it is 3.22 after the first year?

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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