Downward grade trend Forum

[Anonymous User]

I know the same thread has been posted many times, but I couldn't find them using the search function. Maybe I'm not searching the correct words.

Anyway, please help me assess how screwed I am. Was top 15% at T14 after the first semester, but it's very likley I'm getting all median grades this semester, which would put me about 25-30%. I know this is not a bad place to be, but I'm worried about interviewers grilling me on this downward trend, and I don't have any explanation for it.

One more thing: I took a tax class this semester because I was a tax accountant. I studied really hard for it, but still only got median. I don't want to do tax law and only took it to boost my gpa (and I'm sure firms know this). Obviously the plan didn't work, but will this make me look really stupid? I'm definitely not saying getting median at tax classes is stupid, but I imagine firms would have higher standards for someone who used to do tax.

[3ThrowAway99]

I know the same thread has been posted many times, but I couldn't find them using the search function. Maybe I'm not searching the correct words.

Anyway, please help me assess how screwed I am. Was top 15% at T14 after the first semester, but it's very likley I'm getting all median grades this semester, which would put me about 25-30%. I know this is not a bad place to be, but I'm worried about interviewers grilling me on this downward trend, and I don't have any explanation for it.

One more thing: I took a tax class this semester because I was a tax accountant. I studied really hard for it, but still only got median. I don't want to do tax law and only took it to boost my gpa (and I'm sure firms know this). Obviously the plan didn't work, but will this make me look really stupid? I'm definitely not saying getting median at tax classes is stupid, but I imagine firms would have higher standards for someone who used to do tax.

I think you are still in relatively good shape for biglaw territory, especially if you can have some good interviews/ callbacks. If its not asked about I wouldn't bring it up; if it is, maybe you can come up with some basic explanation of why you think you dropped or just say that youre not sure but looking to improve.

[Anonymous User]

I know the same thread has been posted many times, but I couldn't find them using the search function. Maybe I'm not searching the correct words.

Anyway, please help me assess how screwed I am. Was top 15% at T14 after the first semester, but it's very likley I'm getting all median grades this semester, which would put me about 25-30%. I know this is not a bad place to be, but I'm worried about interviewers grilling me on this downward trend, and I don't have any explanation for it.

One more thing: I took a tax class this semester because I was a tax accountant. I studied really hard for it, but still only got median. I don't want to do tax law and only took it to boost my gpa (and I'm sure firms know this). Obviously the plan didn't work, but will this make me look really stupid? I'm definitely not saying getting median at tax classes is stupid, but I imagine firms would have higher standards for someone who used to do tax.

This is pretty much the exact situation I'm in. Both the downward grade trend from top 15% to top 30% and the tax class/was a tax accountant.

If anyone asks me about the tax class I plan on saying that I knew it was going to be a class full of CPAs, etc. but rather than shy away from that I took on the challenge. I just didn't win the challenge.

Seriously though, reading this thread was really weird because I felt like I wrote it.