Post Your Bidlists Here for Critique, Consolation & Caveats Forum

[Anonymous User]

3.35 isn't really the median at cornell anymore. now, professors can grade in the range of 3.3-3.5. Given that the top 10% this year is a 3.81 when in past years it has been anywhere from a 3.67-3.73 after one semester, it is probably fair to assume that the Median this year is above 3.4 and maybe closer to 3.45

dear god that is insane

Changing the way that GPAs are done seems like a terrific way to fuck up bidding strategy for students who are trying to extrapolate from historical data. And it also seems like it would leave employers in a bit of tough spot because how do you get any idea of where the student you're interviewing places in his class? Talk about unpredictability.

The 10% cutoff is the only one we get as well. Judging by last semesters seeming top 30 cutoff I'd still put median closer to a 3.35. 3.45 is definitely way too high.

[Anonymous User]

Agreed. As a rising Cornell 2L it definitely made bidding more difficult. For example, we were told that some firms were "very selective" and that in the past they had been accessible to students with a 3.65 or above.
Well, that would have been top 15% in the past. Now, I bet it is around top 25-30%. I just hope that not too many of my classmates relied on these numbers and made the mistake of overreaching with their bids.

Agreed with this. Bidding conservatively is definitely key at cornell right now.

[Helmholtz]

The 10% cutoff is the only one we get as well. Judging by last semesters seeming top 30 cutoff I'd still put median closer to a 3.35. 3.45 is definitely way too high.

Have you had the chance to talk to anybody on the employers' side about how they're going to be making any sense of the new curve?

[Anonymous User]

Not in the slightest. Personally, I was as conservative as one could be in using the firm OCI data. For example, since the top 10% data went up .8 GPA pts, I added .8 to each of the categories to see if I fit. Though its unlikely the increase was this high across the board, it definitely made me feel better.

[Anonymous User]

The Dean's List cutoff was a 3.66 last semester so it probably stayed right around there (top 30% mark). I think the school is hoping firms are dumb and won't realize what happened.

[Anonymous User]

Ya that is definitely hopeless. Pretty sure the firms will get the picture when they see the first 3.79 who isn't in the top 10%. Dumbest curve ever

[Anonymous User]

The 10% cutoff is the only one we get as well. Judging by last semesters seeming top 30 cutoff I'd still put median closer to a 3.35. 3.45 is definitely way too high.

Have you had the chance to talk to anybody on the employers' side about how they're going to be making any sense of the new curve?

No idea what'll happen. I think a lot will depend on how people bid. If people are straight relying on last oci's data it will result in a lot more striking out.

[Anonymous User]

Ya that is definitely hopeless. Pretty sure the firms will get the picture when they see the first 3.79 who isn't in the top 10%. Dumbest curve ever

Ridic

[Anonymous User]

Where do you get that Dean's List Cutoff number? Isn't it unpublished? Also, do you mean that is the figure for 1st or 2nd Semester, because I know people who did worse than that ~3.6 who got Dean's List 1st Semester

[Anonymous User]

Where do you get that Dean's List Cutoff number? Isn't it unpublished? Also, do you mean that is the figure for 1st or 2nd Semester, because I know people who did worse than that ~3.6 who got Dean's List 1st Semester

Same. Its not published.

[ndirish2010]

Wait a second...Dean's List is the top 30% at Cornell?

[Helmholtz]

The 10% cutoff is the only one we get as well. Judging by last semesters seeming top 30 cutoff I'd still put median closer to a 3.35. 3.45 is definitely way too high.

Have you had the chance to talk to anybody on the employers' side about how they're going to be making any sense of the new curve?

No idea what'll happen. I think a lot will depend on how people bid. If people are straight relying on last oci's data it will result in a lot more striking out.

Interesting. I'm a little curious now as to whether students will generally overreach in their bids, generally bid ultra-conservatively, or whether there will be a good mix and it's just general craziness. Best of luck. I'm sure you'll get something good.

[Anonymous User]

Wait a second...Dean's List is the top 30% at Cornell?

Was that not clear from the above posts or are you demonstrating your shock?

[Anonymous User]

The 10% cutoff is the only one we get as well. Judging by last semesters seeming top 30 cutoff I'd still put median closer to a 3.35. 3.45 is definitely way too high.

Have you had the chance to talk to anybody on the employers' side about how they're going to be making any sense of the new curve?

No idea what'll happen. I think a lot will depend on how people bid. If people are straight relying on last oci's data it will result in a lot more striking out.

Interesting. I'm a little curious now as to whether students will generally overreach in their bids, generally bid ultra-conservatively, or whether there will be a good mix and it's just general craziness. Best of luck. I'm sure you'll get something good.

Thanks bro, here's hoping. Good luck yourself.

[ndirish2010]

Wait a second...Dean's List is the top 30% at Cornell?

Was that not clear from the above posts or are you demonstrating your shock?

Demonstrating my shock and testing my reading comprehension with one fell swoop.

[Anonymous User]

Wait a second...Dean's List is the top 30% at Cornell?

Was that not clear from the above posts or are you demonstrating your shock?

Demonstrating my shock and testing my reading comprehension with one fell swoop.

Lol well answered

[Anonymous User]

Upon further research it seems I may have been incorrect when I said 3.66 was the Dean's List mark. I can't imagine it being much lower than that though..

[lawblahblah]

I have no idea what I am doing. UCLA/USC, somewhere between top 10-15%, law review.

1 Gibson Dunn OC
2 Latham Watkins OC
3 Fulbright LA
4 Sidley Austin LA
5 Jones Day OC
6 Alston Bird LA
7 Morrison Foerster LA
8 Crowell & Moring OC
9 Munger Tolles LA
10 O'Melveny Myers OC
11 Paul Hastings OC
12 Skadden LA
13 Kirkland Ellis LA
14 Orrick Herrington OC
15 Sheppard Mullin OC
16 Arnold Porter LA
17 Akin Gump LA
18 Rutan & Tucker OC
19 Troutman Sanders OC
20 Simpson Thatcher LA
21 Allen Matkins OC
22 Bingham McCutchen LA
23 dla piper LA
24 Wilmerhale LA
25 proskauer rose llp LA
26 Davis Polk Menlo Park
27 Snell & Wilmer SLC
28 Milbank Tweed LA
29 Stradling Yocca OC
30 Bryan Cave Santa Monica
31 Reed Smith LA
32 hogan lovells LA
33 Winston Strawn LA
34 White & Case LA
35 Mayer Brown LA
36 Goodwin Proctor LA
37 Jenner & Block LA
38 Hunton Williams LA
39 Dewey Lebeouf LA
40 Greenberg Taurig LA

[Anonymous User]

I've heard REALLY bad things about Cadwalader's work environment (described as "where satan's minions go to roost"). OMM, Proskauer, and White and Case are not looking good, economically speaking.

Otherwise, list looks good! Definitely apply for some of the firms' diversity initiatives that involve paying portions of your tuition if you get the summer associate position.

I do not know who you are quoting with regards to Cadwalader, but your source is quite mistaken.

[Anonymous User]

Pepperdine, top 2-4%. Where should I be looking at and are there firms that I should avoid?

[thesealocust]

Big PSA: For every person I know who got fucked by bidding too aggressively, I know about 50 who got fucked because they attempted to 'bid conservatively' and wound up in the clusterfuck of students trying to get a tiny pool of jobs from firms who, while not extremely grade conscious, weren't hiring very many students.

It's not a license to bid the V10 with a 2.8, but watch your step if you think you're making a 'conservative' big list.

[Anonymous User]

So even with a 2.9, bidding and with 30 bids to throw, all lottery, throw in a few reaches (yes everything's a reach for me haha but reaches that are beyond the less grade conscious firms). Go to one of DCNG, bidding at:

Allen & Overy (New York, London)
Bryan Cave, LLP (New York)
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (New York)
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP (New York)
Conaway and Stargett LLP (Delaware)
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, LLP (New York)
Dechert LLP (New York)
dla piper LLP (N/A)
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP (Houston, Dallas)
Hogan and Lovells US LLP (New York)
Hughes, Hubbard and Reed (New York)
Hunton and Williams (New York)
Jones Day (New York)
Linklaters LLP (New York)
Lowenstein Sandler (New Jersey)
Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP (New York)
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (New York)
Paul Hastings, Janofsky, and Walker LLP (New York)
Proskauer Rose (New York)
seward and kissel llp (New York)
Vinson & Elkins LLP (New York)
venable llp (New York)

This is my bidlist so far, it's not ranked yet in terms of order, this is just mostly alphabetical for now, I also need to add about 8-10 more bids but for my 2.9, should I stick to this conservative list or should I fill in some reaches in the V20/30 for my last 5 bids?

[Anonymous User]

Big PSA: For every person I know who got fucked by bidding too aggressively, I know about 50 who got fucked because they attempted to 'bid conservatively' and wound up in the clusterfuck of students trying to get a tiny pool of jobs from firms who, while not extremely grade conscious, weren't hiring very many students.

It's not a license to bid the V10 with a 2.8, but watch your step if you think you're making a 'conservative' big list.

How much does bid order really matter for a student from UVa bidding exclusively NY? I'm looking for a straight answer, not a CSO answer. It can't matter very much after the first ten or so, right?

[thesealocust]

Big PSA: For every person I know who got fucked by bidding too aggressively, I know about 50 who got fucked because they attempted to 'bid conservatively' and wound up in the clusterfuck of students trying to get a tiny pool of jobs from firms who, while not extremely grade conscious, weren't hiring very many students.

It's not a license to bid the V10 with a 2.8, but watch your step if you think you're making a 'conservative' big list.

How much does bid order really matter for a student from UVa bidding exclusively NY? I'm looking for a straight answer, not a CSO answer. It can't matter very much after the first ten or so, right?

The higher your grades, the less bid order matters. It can be very important if you will rely heavily on the lottery. In general, if you had a crystal ball all of the firms that would pre-select you would be bid down in the 20s, 30s, and 40s and your first 20 would be firms you had a chance at but weren't likely to pre-select you. Of course you don't have a crystal ball so you can't achieve that, but still.

Order is fairly important to the extent your top 5 and top 10 are pretty likely to be firms you get to interview with, and to the extent that it would be easy to do it 'wrong' - but I don't think there's much opportunity to really knock it out of the park at the bidding stage.

[Anonymous User]

Big PSA: For every person I know who got fucked by bidding too aggressively, I know about 50 who got fucked because they attempted to 'bid conservatively' and wound up in the clusterfuck of students trying to get a tiny pool of jobs from firms who, while not extremely grade conscious, weren't hiring very many students.

It's not a license to bid the V10 with a 2.8, but watch your step if you think you're making a 'conservative' big list.

With top 1/4 grades from UVa is it too conservative to bid STB, Davis Polk, Skadden, Debevoise, and Cleary as your last 5 bids (while leaving off Paul Weiss all together)?