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Got a letter from a firm a full month after the screening interview (which went rather well). It started out like a pretty standard rejection: Thank you for interviewing blah blah your skills and background are impressive blah blah. We have filled our SA positions for next summer, yada yada.

But then it says they encourage me to apply next year as a 3L for their associate positions. It also says that occasionally they have openings in the SA program that they do not foresee, and they will keep my resume on file and contact me if a spot becomes available.

This is odd; sort of like being on a wait list at a college? Or is this just an overly euphemistic straight-up rejection? Anyone else gotten something like this?

All of my 1l rejection letters encouraged me to apply as a 2l and all of those firms still rejected me as a 2l. I wouldn't read too much into it.

Cravth very kindly told me to apply as a 3L when they rejected me as a 2L. They made no such "we would like to hear from you again" when they rejected me the second time however.