UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions Forum

[20141023]

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[Emma.]

So... I know this is way too soon to be thinking about this seriously, but I want to figure out as much as I can while I still have some time before classes start.

Is there any sort of resource that shows the general grades that are "likely" to receive CBs / offers from firms via OCI? (Particularly the firms shown in blue here.)

If you want to work in Japan (and speak Japanese) then the general grade cutoffs, to the extent that those exist, aren't really going to apply. Not that it is necessarily going to be easier to get callbacks, but more that it is such a small and specialized market that your ability to get one of these positions is going to be more about the firms' current need at the time.

[Xifeng]

You should focus on doing as well as possible during 1L. If we tell you the cutoff for some firms is a 179 (and there aren't any/many "pure" cutoffs), are you going to only try as hard as you think you need to to get a 179? No.

Focus on your grades this year and having a hobby/stuff to keep you happy in your spare time. Worry about grade requirements for firms later.

[2014]

In my experience grade cutoffs for callbacks for the vast majority of firms are largely a flame. I know people with good grades who missed out on rumored "transcript collect" firms and people with below median grades who got "selective" firms.

You really just need to put in a sufficient amount of effort to put yourself in the running to do well enough to meet your goals and focus on maintaining your quality of life with the extra time you have. Xifeng's point is good, the answer to your question shouldn't impact your behavior so why worry?

[skers]

From what I understand, firms with Japanese offices judge candidates based on a combination of 1) a love of cats/cat cafes and 2) the ability to make an excessive amount of spreadsheets, so I think you're golden dude.

Xi and 2014 are dead on. Take advantage of living in Chicago. Definitely don't stress out right now. There's a time to freak out and it's called Spring Quarter.

[20141023]

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[HoratioHornblower]

Obsessing about cut-offs for various firms is pointless. I was at median and accepted a V5 offer.

Just try to get around median and develop your interviewing skills. Many people with higher grades than myself had a terrible time during OCI because they 1) didn't know how to interview well 2) were massive massive tools.

[skers]

Yeah dude, you are about 9 months ahead of yourself here, and even if you did have grades, there's only so much we could really tell you, especially given that you want such a niche market.

The only thing you could be doing right in the near future that could be helpful would be to get in touch with U of C/UG alumni and other personal connections you might have in Japan to get a better feel for the Japanese market. That will help you make a decision in narrowing down firms and having some connections down the line. FWIW, I do know MoFo was recruiting for 1L positions in Tokyo last year.

[RodneyRuxin]

Obsessing about cut-offs for various firms is pointless. I was at median and accepted a V5 offer.

Just try to get around median and develop your interviewing skills. Many people with higher grades than myself had a terrible time during OCI because they 1) didn't know how to interview well 2) were massive massive tools.

I can't believe there hasn't been a violent response to this so I'm quoting for prosperity. Right around the time people are starting to realize that they are going to be jobless you say something like this? Are you sure you're not the massive massive tool?

[Danny Mothers]

2) were massive massive tools.

how wonderfully ironic

[Mal Reynolds]

Oh boy.

[HoratioHornblower]

Obsessing about cut-offs for various firms is pointless. I was at median and accepted a V5 offer.

Just try to get around median and develop your interviewing skills. Many people with higher grades than myself had a terrible time during OCI because they 1) didn't know how to interview well 2) were massive massive tools.

I can't believe there hasn't been a violent response to this so I'm quoting for prosperity. Right around the time people are starting to realize that they are going to be jobless you say something like this? Are you sure you're not the massive massive tool?

I should have phrased it differently. Obviously, what I said does not apply to the majority of students who do not have jobs at all.

But the obsession with grades does nothing for you if you cannot interview or act incredibly arrogant during a screener.

[Xifeng]

So as a 1L, don't worry about grade cutoffs, interviewing, or OCI. It'll just distract you. 1L is stressful enough without focusing on things that aren't important for a while.

Also, general PSA to not talk about grades. Doesn't end well.

[beepboopbeep]

So as a 1L, don't worry about grade cutoffs, interviewing, or OCI. It'll just distract you. 1L is stressful enough without focusing on things that aren't important for a while.

Also, general PSA to not talk about grades. Doesn't end well.

They spent a while talking about that in one of the orientation things. Hopefully folks got the message.

But, Dean Gardner also said not to calculate GPA or put your grades on your resume/etc, which doesn't jive with what I've seen hiring people say on TLS (eg, "Don't make us search for your grades or class rank"). Sup with that?

I promise not to think about OCI/jerbs the rest of 1L - was just confused during that whole orientation spiel yesterday.

[ellewoods110]

Does anyone know where/how Illinois bar exam results are released? I need to know what I am going to be helplessly refreshing come October 1.

[Xifeng]

But, Dean Gardner also said not to calculate GPA or put your grades on your resume/etc, which doesn't jive with what I've seen hiring people say on TLS (eg, "Don't make us search for your grades or class rank"). Sup with that?

I promise not to think about OCI/jerbs the rest of 1L - was just confused during that whole orientation spiel yesterday.

So different law schools have different policies (and some people on TLS go against their schools' policies). The student handbook (or something) requires that students not put their grades/GPA on your resume. You can obviously give employers your transcript and THEY can calculate it, but you can't put that you have a 177.4 on your resume or mention your super baller Elements grade.

[2014]

May be different for others, but I was never asked by an interviewer to give them my average. The closest thing they asked was "what does this mean" to which I just said 177 is median and we moved on. Everyone knows their average though, AMG can't stop you from calculating it lol

[skers]

I know at least one firm asked people what their gpa was in the screener, but otherwise nothing like that. Firms are used to dealing with Chicago students, and to the extent they care, they'll have someone calculate it. I did have a couple interviews where they asked where the fuck on the transcript the grades were. Just agree the system is retarded and move on.

[Xifeng]

Someone asked me during a screener during OCI. And you can tell them what your average is, you just can't put it on your resume or in cover letters.

[20141023]

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[Xifeng]

Once you're allowed to talk to OCS, I would go talk to them about your particular needs and interests. They've been around much longer and have institutional memory. I don't think any of us (certainly not me) can tell you about getting a job in Japan.

And I hope you 1Ls remember the grades talk come January.

[Emma.]

Once you're allowed to talk to OCS, I would go talk to them about your particular needs and interests. They've been around much longer and have institutional memory. I don't think any of us (certainly not me) can tell you about getting a job in Japan.

And I hope you 1Ls remember the grades talk come January.

I just hope someone gave you 1Ls the "don't be a dick" speech.

[Haymarket]

... I realize that it is "taboo" to talk about grades (as beepboopbeep mentioned, we got to hear "the talk" about grades from Dean Gardener too). It is the same way with LSAT scores and UGPA - I would never ask a specific person what they got in undergrad, on the LSAT, or in law school for that matter. However, just like one might want to know that sites like LSN (lots of anonymous data samples about law school admissions) exist, I was just wondering if there was some sort of data out there about UChicago CBs & offers in relation to grades.

I also realize that with OCI, much like law school admissions, numbers don't "guarantee" you anything because a lot of it depends on the candidate. However, if nobody looks at or cares about LGPA, (1) why does it even exist, (2) why do people post their LGPA in the OCI thread when they say where they got CBs from, and (3) why do (apparently some) firms ask about it?

Lastly, as TemporarySaint mentioned with the MoFo position last year, I don't want to "not think about SAs" until after 1L because I am hoping to find one of those random positions offered by an American firm in Tokyo during 1L summer. (Although I know this is not directly related to OCI, I'd still be interested to see how grades work into this; is it basically a matter of if one is the only Japanese speaker in their class then they automatically get the position, or is there some competition for these spots?)

Wow.

[20141023]

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[Haymarket]

Wow.

Yeah... sorry for liking to think ahead and asking questions in a questions thread.

This is going to be a great year.