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Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:02 pm
by Anonymous User
I have a a GPA of 3.05 (only Bs & a B+). I did not go to a good undergrad.
All I want in life is a secure job at a NY firm that pays the market rate.
Anyone have any advice for me?

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:12 pm
by icydash
do better? You got into NYU, so you're as smart as everyone else there most likely. Work harder, and stop drinking (or drink more, depending on how it effects you ;-) ).

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:13 pm
by Aqualibrium
how far below the curve is this?

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:20 pm
by let/them/eat/cake
Aqualibrium wrote:how far below the curve is this?
give sealocust a couple data points (e.g. percentile cutoffs) and he'll tell u...

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:23 pm
by howcani111
this is a bad place to be.....

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:29 pm
by thesealocust
edit: n/m

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:40 pm
by Renzo
thesealocust wrote:
let/them/eat/cake wrote:
Aqualibrium wrote:how far below the curve is this?
give sealocust a couple data points (e.g. percentile cutoffs) and he'll tell u...
Somewhere between bottom 10 and bottom 20%. Possibly worse.
It's a very gentle curve at that end, so it's hard to say. Definitely worse than 40th%ile.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:59 pm
by owlfredo
-edited-

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:10 pm
by thesealocust
edit: n/m

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:19 pm
by spondee
owlfredo wrote:Anyone have any idea where a 3.45 puts me? I know it's somewhat above median... but is it top 33%? Anyone?
I'd say top third, yeah.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:21 pm
by Anonymous User
owlfredo wrote:NYU makes things so difficult by not releasing rankings or percentiles. Anyone have any idea where a 3.45 puts me? I know it's somewhat above median... but is it top 33%? Anyone?

OP: I'm as clueless as you about this. Some have told me that you actually should put in a few bids at the "V10" firms, as they actually will have some of the largest classes. It'll be a tough sell... but if you're a really good interviewer, you never know what may happen.

Really, beyond all else, really focus on interviewing well. Do lots of mock interviews over the summer, and be friendly, articulate, and smooth come August. Don't rely on OCI. Start networking and contacting attorneys now. It doesn't (and shouldn't) just be you emailing an attorney and asking for a job; instead, start trying to solicit people for informational interviews. Find attorneys who went to NYU (or your undergrad) and just ask questions. This takes a long time, but honestly-- this is how most networking occurs. You have to start now, and carry it on even after OCI has come and gone.

I don't trust OCS when they say that hiring will improve, but I know that I've seen (some) below-median people snag biglaw.
Except for a handful of firms (i.e., those in the 3.5+ bracket), you should be fine. Heck, I'd throw two or three of the 3.5+s on the bid list. You have 50 bids for crissakes.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:46 pm
by nealric
I have a a GPA of 3.05 (only Bs & a B+). I did not go to a good undergrad.
All I want in life is a secure job at a NY firm that pays the market rate.
Anyone have any advice for me?
Try to pick up additional interviews by filing in for extra slots. Perhaps try some bids on a firm that did mass-layoffs and may be looking ahead to re-leverage if things are starting to look busy (i.e. Latham, Cadwalader, White & Case)- the people with better grades might ignore such firms.

Other than that, understand that ITE, you need to go in with the understanding that OCI should not be your "plan A" for finding a job.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:48 pm
by romothesavior
Anonymous User wrote:All I want in life is a secure job at a NY firm that pays the market rate.
Oh is that all?

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:57 pm
by howcani111
nealric wrote:
I have a a GPA of 3.05 (only Bs & a B+). I did not go to a good undergrad.
All I want in life is a secure job at a NY firm that pays the market rate.
Anyone have any advice for me?
Try to pick up additional interviews by filing in for extra slots. Perhaps try some bids on a firm that did mass-layoffs and may be looking ahead to re-leverage if things are starting to look busy (i.e. Latham, Cadwalader, White & Case)- the people with better grades might ignore such firms.

Other than that, understand that ITE, you need to go in with the understanding that OCI should not be your "plan A" for finding a job.
This is key. Read Gurella tactics for getting a job. NOW!

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:05 pm
by Anonymous User
OP here.
Thanks all for your honesty. Thank you nealric for your advice. Howcani, I just bought the book, thanks.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:07 pm
by yellowjacket2012
icydash wrote:do better? You got into NYU, so you're as smart as everyone else there most likely. Work harder, and stop drinking (or drink more, depending on how it effects you ;-) ).
There's a chance that around 50% of people are NYU are below the median GPA (technically, there could be 0 people below median if the frequency of the median is greater than half the sample population). It would be a bizarre contention that "below median" equates to either not working hard enough, or drinking too much.

Being admitted to NYU is an incredible accomplishment, they're providing you with an excellent education - in the company of some incredibly bright students. You'll be fine in the long-term, although arguably given the crap market conditions, you might have a tough time right off the bat.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:14 pm
by Dead Ringer
I'll let you know what I do with my bids at Uchicago. I am hugging median now but I think I will be below it after this quarter.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:35 pm
by lawwatevz
Surely, the LSAT accurately guages a law student's ability to excel the law.

Re: Please Help Me Bid- Below Median at NYU

Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:41 pm
by yellowjacket2012
lawwatevz wrote:Surely, the LSAT accurately guages a law student's ability to excel the law.
It doesn't "accurately gauge," I don't think. It is a good 'indicator' though, of "academic" potential as a law student. I could be proved wrong empirically, but the things tested on the LSAT seem to have a correspondence with the overall "evaluation of strengths/weaknesses of arguments" theme that I've noticed in my 1L year.