Fall 2015 OCI Results Forum

[Roger Sterling]

School Range: lower T-14
Markets: NYC
Class Rank: top 25%
Law Review: nada, but journal
WE: K-JD
IP: none
Other good stuff: summer(s) WE in finance/capital markets
Screeners: 14
CBs: 8
CBs accepted: 7
Offers w/ Vault: 5 (3 V10, 2 V30)
Thank you notes: emails to interviewers post-CB

[Anonymous User]

School Range: WUSTL/ND/Minnesota
Market(s): Midwest
Approximate class rank: Probably top 1/3
Law review: No journal
Work experience: K-JD
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Did not work in a legal capacity this summer.
Screening Interviews: 30 (4 through OCI, 15 from diversity fairs, 11 massmail)
Callbacks received: 11
Callbacks accepted: 8
Offers /w vault ranges: Top secondary midwest market (withdrew from everywhere else)
Thank-you notes sent: Only to offer firm.
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback? No idea.

I go to one of the schools above. How many people do you massmail to get 11 interviews?

[Anonymous User]

There's going to be 0Ls reading this and resulting in them jumping straight into law school.

Lol yup.

I can help with that. Take notes kids.

School Range: TTTT
Markets: DE, PHL
Class Rank: top 30%
Law Review: journal
WE: 3 years law firm and courts
IP: none
Other good stuff: n/a
Screeners: 13
CBs: 0
CBs accepted: 0
Offers w/ Vault: 0
Thank you notes: only to DE firms

[cron1834]

There's going to be 0Ls reading this and resulting in them jumping straight into law school.

Lol yup.

I can help with that. Take notes kids.

School Range: TTTT
Markets: DE, PHL
Class Rank: top 30%
Law Review: journal
WE: 3 years law firm and courts
IP: none
Other good stuff: n/a
Screeners: 13
CBs: 0
CBs accepted: 0
Offers w/ Vault: 0
Thank you notes: only to DE firms

Sorry for your outcome, but thanks for posting.

[Anonymous User]

^^^ It's all good. Thanks though.

[Anonymous User]

I did well enough, but I didn't snag places like WLRK and Boies. Also note my horrible screener/CB/offer ratio. Practice your interviewing.

School Range: CCN ---> HYS transfer
Market(s): NY
Approximate class rank: top 1%
Law review: Yes, both at at CCN and HYS
Work experience: weird self-employment for 6 years
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Horrible interviewer. Did not practice interviewing.
Screening Interviews: 23
Callbacks received: 8
Callbacks accepted: 8
Offers w/vault ranges: 4 (3 V5, 1 V10)
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 8
Thank-you notes sent: None.

[Anonymous User]

I did well enough, but I didn't snag places like WLRK and Boies. Also note my horrible screener/CB/offer ratio. Practice your interviewing.

School Range: CCN ---> HYS transfer
Market(s): NY
Approximate class rank: top 1%
Law review: Yes, both at at CCN and HYS
Work experience: weird self-employment for 6 years
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Horrible interviewer. Did not practice interviewing.
Screening Interviews: 23
Callbacks received: 8
Callbacks accepted: 8
Offers w/vault ranges: 4 (3 V5, 1 V10)
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 8
Thank-you notes sent: None.

Objectively great results, but yes I get your point, as one would expect top 1% at CCN to have like 20+ callbacks and 10+ offers. Nonetheless, congrats.

[Anonymous User]

I did well enough, but I didn't snag places like WLRK and Boies. Also note my horrible screener/CB/offer ratio. Practice your interviewing.

School Range: CCN ---> HYS transfer
Market(s): NY
Approximate class rank: top 1%
Law review: Yes, both at at CCN and HYS
Work experience: weird self-employment for 6 years
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Horrible interviewer. Did not practice interviewing.
Screening Interviews: 23
Callbacks received: 8
Callbacks accepted: 8
Offers w/vault ranges: 4 (3 V5, 1 V10)
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 8
Thank-you notes sent: None.

Objectively great results, but yes I get your point, as one would expect top 1% at CCN to have like 20+ callbacks and 10+ offers. Nonetheless, congrats.

Thank you! I'm definitely not complaining about the results. Compared to 10% HYS poster, however, my results are pretty bad. I bet that person wasn't legit horrible at interviewing. For an example of how bad I am, I habitually make a motion with my hands in which I simulate the spinning and firing of revolvers. I do this periodically to punctuate something I say. I didn't think about stuff like that at all when I did all my interviews (I just figured, body language--whatever), but in retrospect nobody probably wants revolver-hands guy talking to a client. I can't guarantee that it's stuff like that that did me in with some firms, of course. Still, I can't imagine it helped.

[lavarman84]

I did well enough, but I didn't snag places like WLRK and Boies. Also note my horrible screener/CB/offer ratio. Practice your interviewing.

School Range: CCN ---> HYS transfer
Market(s): NY
Approximate class rank: top 1%
Law review: Yes, both at at CCN and HYS
Work experience: weird self-employment for 6 years
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Horrible interviewer. Did not practice interviewing.
Screening Interviews: 23
Callbacks received: 8
Callbacks accepted: 8
Offers w/vault ranges: 4 (3 V5, 1 V10)
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 8
Thank-you notes sent: None.

Objectively great results, but yes I get your point, as one would expect top 1% at CCN to have like 20+ callbacks and 10+ offers. Nonetheless, congrats.

Thank you! I'm definitely not complaining about the results. Compared to 10% HYS poster, however, my results are pretty bad. I bet that person wasn't legit horrible at interviewing. For an example of how bad I am, I habitually make a motion with my hands in which I simulate the spinning and firing of revolvers. I do this periodically to punctuate something I say. I didn't think about stuff like that at all when I did all my interviews (I just figured, body language--whatever), but in retrospect nobody probably wants revolver-hands guy talking to a client. I can't guarantee that it's stuff like that that did me in with some firms, of course. Still, I can't imagine it helped.

If I were the client, I'd definitely want to see this.

I'm terrible at screeners too.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCNP
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: Below Median
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: No
Work experience: None
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Not that I can think of
Screening Interviews: 18
Callbacks received: 14
Callbacks accepted: 7
Offers: 5 (1 V5, 1 V20, 1 V30, 1 V50, 1 V100; 1 V30 rejection and 1 V30 in limbo)
Accepted: V5
Thank-you notes sent: Sent a few after my first couple screeners, stopped doing it after that

[NYC2012]

.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: DVB (Transfer from T2, top 5%)
Market(s): DC, SF, SV
Law review: No
Moot Court: No
Work experience: Yes, 5 years non law-related
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Wasted the first couple of days of OCI with bad interviewing techniques. Results improved significantly as I gained more experience. Practice interviewing!
Screening Interviews: 24 (8 of these I didn't bid, they were just open spots nobody wanted)
Callbacks received: 6
Callbacks accepted: 3
Offers: 2 (1 V10, 1 V50; 1 V30 rejection)
Accepted: V10
Thank-you notes sent: None
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 2

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T10-14
Market(s): NY
Approximate class rank: Top 20%
Law review/secondary journal: Secondary
Moot Court: No
Work experience: No full-time experience (a few years of part-time teaching while in grad school)
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Probably positive: female; possibly negative: emphasized interest in a somewhat niche area (e.g., exec comp/real estate/tax); probably negative: need H1B (both CB firms that asked dinged me)
Screening Interviews: 16
Callbacks received: 7
Callbacks accepted: 7, but canceled 2
Offers: 2 (1 V5, 1 V30)
Accepted: V5
Thank-you notes sent: None
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 0

[chicago-gunner123]

School Range: CCNP
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: Below Median
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: No
Work experience: None
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Not that I can think of
Screening Interviews: 18
Callbacks received: 14
Callbacks accepted: 7
Offers: 5 (1 V5, 1 V20, 1 V30, 1 V50, 1 V100; 1 V30 rejection and 1 V30 in limbo)
Accepted: V5
Thank-you notes sent: Sent a few after my first couple screeners, stopped doing it after that

.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Market(s): NYC, DC, Chicago, LA
Approximate class rank: Top 15%
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: No
Work experience: None
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No networking, no interview skills, no mass mailing. Almost struck out.
Screening Interviews: 22
Callbacks received: 1
Callbacks accepted: 1
Offers: 1 (V5) (2 weeks after CB)
Accepted: V5 (I am willing to work myself to death for this firm.)
Thank-you notes sent: None

[Anonymous User]

Lol I too was thinking CCNP means Penn, but Penn has better biglaw employment stats than NYU, and is far closer to CC than it is to the rest of the t14.

[jbagelboy]

Lol I too was thinking CCNP means Penn, but Penn has better biglaw employment stats than NYU, and is far closer to CC than it is to the rest of the t14.

great anon use

School Range: CCNP
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: Below Median
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: No
Work experience: None
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Not that I can think of
Screening Interviews: 18
Callbacks received: 14
Callbacks accepted: 7
Offers: 5 (1 V5, 1 V20, 1 V30, 1 V50, 1 V100; 1 V30 rejection and 1 V30 in limbo)
Accepted: V5
Thank-you notes sent: Sent a few after my first couple screeners, stopped doing it after that

Congrats on your great results! Hope you are enjoying Penn!

Really though, congratulations on some amazing grabs from below median. Can we read this as a testimony to the strength of write-on LR? Because PSA to future readers, don't think this means you should be bidding davis polk or cravath as a below median student from these schools.

[Anonymous User]

Not bad for a Tier 2 school.

School Range: Tier 2
Market(s): Atlanta
Approximate class rank: Top 10%
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: 5+ Years
IP background: CS/EE Undergrad
Anything else that might have an impact? CS/EE is already cheating the system enough
Screening Interviews: 13
Callbacks received: 3
Callbacks accepted: 3
Offers: 2 (V100, Regional Boutique)
Accepted: V00
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 4
Thank-you notes sent: I sent thank you notes to about 1/2 the firms I screened with (I was trying to personalize them instead of mass mail, got lazy). All my CB's were from firms I sent thank-you's to. Probably coincidence. Didn't send any notes after CB's.

[TheoO]

Lol I too was thinking CCNP means Penn, but Penn has better biglaw employment stats than NYU, and is far closer to CC than it is to the rest of the t14.

great anon use

School Range: CCNP
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: Below Median
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: No
Work experience: None
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Not that I can think of
Screening Interviews: 18
Callbacks received: 14
Callbacks accepted: 7
Offers: 5 (1 V5, 1 V20, 1 V30, 1 V50, 1 V100; 1 V30 rejection and 1 V30 in limbo)
Accepted: V5
Thank-you notes sent: Sent a few after my first couple screeners, stopped doing it after that

Congrats on your great results! Hope you are enjoying Penn!

Really though, congratulations on some amazing grabs from below median. Can we read this as a testimony to the strength of write-on LR? Because PSA to future readers, don't think this means you should be bidding davis polk or cravath as a below median student from these schools.

My friend had the similar grades to me, mayb slightly better, but still below median, but they wrote onto LR. They absolutely killed it at EIP and got firms way way above their grades. Like firms that are almost entirely honors. It was a huge gamble, but it worked.

[Anonymous User]

Just want to add an anecdotal counter to anon's comment above. I know of some people who are below median and on LR who struck out. I know of some below median people with no law review that got big law. I also know of some top 1/3 people with no LR that struck out. I don't think being on LR makes much of a difference at my T10.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah I think the whole all that matters is grades thing is kind of a flame. And its not LR status making up the difference. From my experience (under performed) and those around me, it's really about interviewing. Note to 1Ls reading this: hire an interview coach over the summer if you're not confident in your interviewing skills. I didn't cuz I thought it would be a waste of money but I think it would have been beneficial.

[TheoO]

When I said below median + LR, I assume solid interviewing skills. Grades matter because we have a list of firm offers by honors report. There's no way this person I spoke of could get firms that are 70% honors+ without LR. The interviewer just could not sell them to the committee, I think.

That said, I would never recommend anyone actually do this.

Note to 1Ls reading this: hire an interview coach over the summer if you're not confident in your interviewing skills. I didn't cuz I thought it would be a waste of money but I think it would have been beneficial.

For what it's worth: check with OCS, since your school may have one for you free of charge. Mine does, and he is seriously underused.

[Anonymous User]

I just want to second what's mentioned above (RE: grades aren't everything, interviewing skills are)

I was very near the top of my class at a T2 and transferred to CCN. I did abysmal in my new school's market. I nearly struck out at OCI (thanking all that is holy that I didn't) and the single offer I have came very, very late in the process. The point is, there is no magic ingredient to getting an offer. The one exception I have seen is that most of the LR kids at my school seemed to kill it (I'm talking double digit offers or close to it).

[Anonymous User]

Based on the data in this thread I've come up with two theories:

1) The higher your school rank and the higher ranked you are within that school, the higher the chance you are aspie.

2) If you're at a T13 school with below median grades, but personable, your chances of getting big law are about the same as the top 20% aspies at your school.

Thus, grades matter, but they are not the end all be all. Practice interviewing and mass mail whether your above or below median.

[Anonymous User]

Extremely lucky T1 to Lower T14 Transfer

School Range: T1 --> Lower T14
Market(s): NYC and secondary
Approximate class rank: 20% - 30% at old school
Law review: No
Moot Court: No
Work experience: 6 years: startup + non-MBB consulting
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? good looking as fuck
Screening Interviews: 21 (19 via oci, 2 via job fair)
Callbacks received: 4 (1 via oci, 2 via job fair, 1 via mm)
Callbacks accepted: 3 (cancelled cb from oci)
Offers: 1 V50; rejected at 1 v100 (mm), silence from another v50
Accepted: V50
Thank-you notes sent: only the callback from mm
Notes: 1/19 on cb from new school's oci; struck out at all NY firms; did like 10 mock interviews with like 5 different people; sent out 50 mm and received 1 cb; interviewing skills > good looks

For all lower T1 --> lower T14 transfer students:
transferring does not make you a more attractive candidate.
if you have the grades for biglaw from old school, more than likely you'll get biglaw from new school.
if you have borderline grades, are biglaw or bust, and are taking on a lot of debt in order to transfer: think very hard before pulling the trigger since it seems, for me at least, biglaw is far from a guarantee
transfers from lower ranked schools seem to have done better since they usually have better grades than transfers from higher ranked schools
*my screener:cb ratio might have been so low because of a mix of sub-par interviewing skills and mediocre grades

ETA: got rejection email from the silent v50 firm