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After my 1L year, I was ranked slightly above the median in a class of 210 students at a state school ranked in the 50s. I feel more and more that this is a death sentence when it comes to jobs. I haven't started interviewing for summer yet, but the prognosis is not good: some of my friends who are in the top 25% of the class got rejected over and over. In fact, I can't even apply to interview at most of the firms or federal agencies who come through OCI, because they only want top 10% or top 25%.

I made the mock trial team against stiff competition at my school and I sit on a journal, but I don't know if either one of these will make a dent against my grades.



For those of you in similar situations, what are your strategies? I'm starting to get really worried I won't have an internship for the second summer in a row.




P.S. Please don't suggest that I drop out, this is not a solution. I'm already a year in, and with in-state tuition and a partial scholarship, I shouldn't graduate with more than $50k-60k in debt, so I'm not breaking the bank to stay in school

Anonymous User wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Tactics ... 0159003172

Good book. Didn't help me get anything with below-median grades at Harvard, though.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Tactics ... 0159003172

Good book. Didn't help me get anything with below-median grades at Harvard, though.

Do you mean it didn't help you get anything through EIW, or that it didn't help you get anything period? I know that good people at good schools strike out at EIW. I doubt that below-median at HLS can't find a reasonably good job, since I know below-median folks at NYU that have found (or are still interviewing for) jobs outside of the EIW process.

Obviously I'm still in the process, but not one interview outside EIP week (which isn't prescreened,) and the rejections have been flowing like water.

It's too bad, too, because I was looking forward to writing the author a letter when I got a reach firm by bringing the interviewers a Coke at the end of the day.

Around where is this school rated?

I know a number of people at my school (T20) who aren't getting call backs. It's in a secondary market, and the top of the class is getting black balled as being "too good" for the market, and the big city is dinging them as not being good enough. It's still pretty early, but I have yet to hear anything too encouraging.

I keep reading this thread as "for those of us in the middle class" and I get so confused.

Anonymous User wrote:Around where is this school rated?

I know a number of people at my school (T20) who aren't getting call backs. It's in a secondary market, and the top of the class is getting black balled as being "too good" for the market, and the big city is dinging them as not being good enough. It's still pretty early, but I have yet to hear anything too encouraging.

so...WUSTL?

pocket herc wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Around where is this school rated?

I know a number of people at my school (T20) who aren't getting call backs. It's in a secondary market, and the top of the class is getting black balled as being "too good" for the market, and the big city is dinging them as not being good enough. It's still pretty early, but I have yet to hear anything too encouraging.

so...WUSTL?

probably Emory

In response to OP, I don't think grades matter any more. Try to get some experience in any way that you can. I am not a fan of the typical "networking" scheme where you meet a guy for lunch and supposedly he gets you a job. Get out there and prove yourself and good things will happen. Don't overlook small firms or small firm work...there's good business to be had if you use your head.