2012 UVA OGI Thread Forum

[Heat]

I've only done a few interviews but I have been asked for a writing sample once so far.

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody know whether we have to do anything to make sure we don't get dropped from our classes if we have to miss the first couple of days because of callbacks?

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody know whether we have to do anything to make sure we don't get dropped from our classes if we have to miss the first couple of days because of callbacks?

lol callbacks

[Anonymous User]

Does anybody know whether we have to do anything to make sure we don't get dropped from our classes if we have to miss the first couple of days because of callbacks?

Same question- I already scheduled one for the first week of classes, is this going to be a problem?

[5ky]

Does anybody know whether we have to do anything to make sure we don't get dropped from our classes if we have to miss the first couple of days because of callbacks?

Same question- I already scheduled one for the first week of classes, is this going to be a problem?

No. I was on a callback the first day of class last year. There used to be a dumb requirement where you had to sign in on the first day of classes or you would be dropped from all of your classes, but they got rid of that. Just check Lawweb and make sure the class description does not say that first day attendance is required.

[joeshmo39]

Even if it does say first day attendance required it's worth it to e-mail the professor. The economy is bad and a lot of professor do what they can to make it easy on students. Getting early callbacks is important so at least try to reach out.

[Anonymous User]

This has been asked in various forms in other threads, but interested in getting a UVA-specific perspective from all the very helpful alums/3Ls (thanks) participating in this thread:

Are firms already making decisions based on "fit" / personality in screeners, or from your experience, did the extension of callbacks seem predetermined on the basis of grades/work experience? I hear a lot of talk about "standing out" and how being a boring interview can hurt your callback chances, but is this really true if you put together a competent performance, and the firm already likes you on paper? (Speaking more about preselects/maybe alternates obviously, lottery interviews may be a different kind of opportunity.)

[thesealocust]

This has been asked in various forms in other threads, but interested in getting a UVA-specific perspective from all the very helpful alums/3Ls (thanks) participating in this thread:

Are firms already making decisions based on "fit" / personality in screeners, or from your experience, did the extension of callbacks seem predetermined on the basis of grades/work experience? I hear a lot of talk about "standing out" and how being a boring interview can hurt your callback chances, but is this really true if you put together a competent performance, and the firm already likes you on paper? (Speaking more about preselects/maybe alternates obviously, lottery interviews may be a different kind of opportunity.)

At basically every firm, interviewers have broad discretion about who to bring back. Firms fail to give callback to people with great credentials and extend them to people with credentials way below their historical ranges every year.

Fit and personality and interview ability absolutely matter at the screening stage.

You never know how firms make the choices they do, so it winds up feeling very random to everyone. But there's never a sure thing, and never an interview you can just phone in. That being said, you're not looking to do a great standup routine. A polite conversation where the conversation flows naturally between you and the interviewer is standing out in a good way.

[paulinaporizkova]

This process is lolworthy. I will write a book about it when all is said and done and make millions.

[BruceWayne]

This has been asked in various forms in other threads, but interested in getting a UVA-specific perspective from all the very helpful alums/3Ls (thanks) participating in this thread:

Are firms already making decisions based on "fit" / personality in screeners, or from your experience, did the extension of callbacks seem predetermined on the basis of grades/work experience? I hear a lot of talk about "standing out" and how being a boring interview can hurt your callback chances, but is this really true if you put together a competent performance, and the firm already likes you on paper? (Speaking more about preselects/maybe alternates obviously, lottery interviews may be a different kind of opportunity.)

From what I've seen the big NYC DC firms just callback based on transcript and to a lesser extent resume assuming that you didn't do something egregiously odd/wrong in an interview. The flip side to that is that if you don't have the transcript there's essentially nothing that you can do to get a callback at these firms.

The secondary markets seemed to be more nuanced. Fit seems to matter even with high grades. However, low grades, even with great fit is often prohibitive with these firms as well unless you have some really strong ties and excellent interview skills. It's odd. It definitely seems possible to overcome grades issues with these firms, but in a way they are almost more grades focused in the sense that what they consider to be bad grades seems to include an even larger GPA band. But they seem to be able to flex if they want to. Whereas the giant NYC/DC firms seem to have lower cutoffs but they are 100% absolute on those cutoffs. I got the vibe that the secondary market firm interviewers had more power/say so over who got a callback (i.e they could say I really like this person even though they miss this GPA cutoff--recruiting committe give him/her a look). Whereas the big NYC/DC firm interviewers seemed to only have the power to reject someone, but no power to get someone a callback if they were below the firm's stated GPA cutoff.

[5ky]

This has been asked in various forms in other threads, but interested in getting a UVA-specific perspective from all the very helpful alums/3Ls (thanks) participating in this thread:

Are firms already making decisions based on "fit" / personality in screeners, or from your experience, did the extension of callbacks seem predetermined on the basis of grades/work experience? I hear a lot of talk about "standing out" and how being a boring interview can hurt your callback chances, but is this really true if you put together a competent performance, and the firm already likes you on paper? (Speaking more about preselects/maybe alternates obviously, lottery interviews may be a different kind of opportunity.)

From what I've seen the big NYC DC firms just callback based on transcript and to a lesser extent resume assuming that you didn't do something egregiously odd/wrong in an interview. The flip side to that is that if you don't have the transcript there's essentially nothing that you can do to get a callback at these firms.

The secondary markets seemed to be more nuanced. Fit seems to matter even with high grades. However, low grades, even with great fit is often prohibitive with these firms as well unless you have some really strong ties and excellent interview skills. It's odd. It definitely seems to be possible to overcome grades issues with these firms, but in a way they are almost more grades focused in the sense that what they consider to be bad grades seems to include an even larger GPA band. But they seem to be able to flex if they want to. Whereas the giant NYC/DC firms seem to have lower cutoffs but they are 100% absolute on those cutoffs.

Just FYI, this was not at all my or most people's experience in NYC/DC.

[thesealocust]

This has been asked in various forms in other threads, but interested in getting a UVA-specific perspective from all the very helpful alums/3Ls (thanks) participating in this thread:

Are firms already making decisions based on "fit" / personality in screeners, or from your experience, did the extension of callbacks seem predetermined on the basis of grades/work experience? I hear a lot of talk about "standing out" and how being a boring interview can hurt your callback chances, but is this really true if you put together a competent performance, and the firm already likes you on paper? (Speaking more about preselects/maybe alternates obviously, lottery interviews may be a different kind of opportunity.)

From what I've seen the big NYC DC firms just callback based on transcript and to a lesser extent resume assuming that you didn't do something egregiously odd/wrong in an interview. The flip side to that is that if you don't have the transcript there's essentially nothing that you can do to get a callback at these firms.

The secondary markets seemed to be more nuanced. Fit seems to matter even with high grades. However, low grades, even with great fit is often prohibitive with these firms as well unless you have some really strong ties and excellent interview skills. It's odd. It definitely seems to be possible to overcome grades issues with these firms, but in a way they are almost more grades focused in the sense that what they consider to be bad grades seems to include an even larger GPA band. But they seem to be able to flex if they want to. Whereas the giant NYC/DC firms seem to have lower cutoffs but they are 100% absolute on those cutoffs.

Just FYI, this was not at all my or most people's experience in NYC/DC.

+1. It is true that there are GPAs below which getting a CB from a firm is basically impossible, but even amongst a pool of people with the best grades CBs from big NYC and DC were never in the bag.

Amongst students at UVA already, grades are probably the biggest factor a firm looks at, but they're hardly monolithic for CB determination the way BW suggests. Students with great grades and good interviews will still get rejections, students with meh grades but great background and good interviews will get offers.

[RVP11]

This has been asked in various forms in other threads, but interested in getting a UVA-specific perspective from all the very helpful alums/3Ls (thanks) participating in this thread:

Are firms already making decisions based on "fit" / personality in screeners, or from your experience, did the extension of callbacks seem predetermined on the basis of grades/work experience? I hear a lot of talk about "standing out" and how being a boring interview can hurt your callback chances, but is this really true if you put together a competent performance, and the firm already likes you on paper? (Speaking more about preselects/maybe alternates obviously, lottery interviews may be a different kind of opportunity.)

From what I've seen the big NYC DC firms just callback based on transcript and to a lesser extent resume assuming that you didn't do something egregiously odd/wrong in an interview.

This is just wrong. For most NYC firms, a 3.5 is about as good as a 3.8 and there will be tons of top quarter students getting callbacks over VLR grade-ons. Almost every firm cares about personality and fit, man.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody get OGI callback yet?

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

Which office?

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

Congrats + jealous

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

Congrats + jealous

A friend has the CB.

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

Congrats + jealous

A friend has the CB.

Which office?

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

Congrats + jealous

A friend has the CB.

From what I've heard this is just NY. But correct me if I'm wrong.

[Anonymous User]

Latham.

Congrats + jealous

A friend has the CB.

Which office?

The friend is NY.

[Anonymous User]

The friend is NY.

In this kind of situation does this generally mean they're all out, or is that too hasty of a conclusion?

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know what the deal with that Gibson Dunn dinner was?

[Anonymous User]

The friend is NY.

In this kind of situation does this generally mean they're all out, or is that too hasty of a conclusion?

Also a NY Latham'er here. I would wait at least 24 more hours before abandoning all hope.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know what the deal with that Gibson Dunn dinner was?

was that today? and did the invites go out today or did they go out before OGI started?