~Top 10% at GW. Bidding strategy for OCI? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I finished the first year at GW with a 3.75 GPA. Top 15% was right around 3.6 for our class, so I'm guessing I'm just inside the top 10%.

Does anyone want to help me with a strategy for bidding Washington, DC? I have no idea where to start, besides the largest firms with names that everyone knows. Can you all think of any good, large firms that I will have a reasonable chance of getting an interview with through OCI?

Also, I have no problem with living in Baltimore; I have some family ties there. Is this a decent secondary market I can "blanket" in order to get some safety out of a slightly less desirable market?

Thanks in advance.

[de5igual]

Isn't GW 100% preselect? Unless there's a lottery component, your strategy should be to apply to any and all firms.

[Anonymous User]

OP here: I think the way it works is that you bid on "x" number of firms and they select who they want for interviews. If that is "pre-select" then yes.

But I don't want to only apply to these big firms that everyone from the Ivies or T-14 will apply to and then not get any interviews. Or only get interviews that won't lead to an offer.

[philosoraptor]

How many Baltimore firms are coming to GW OCI? If you have family there, it's a good idea to get in touch with those seven or so big firms before OCI. It's a great city, but you need ties to have a shot.

Not sure how you should bid them in relation to DC firms, though. When in doubt, mass-mail beforehand.

[dudders]

Yes, GW is 100% preselect but you only get a certain number of bids (25 or 35 if I remember correctly). Blanket Baltimore through mass-mail, and bid on a few firms if they're coming to OCI. Otherwise, bid on who you want to bid on; your grades aren't going to be an issue unless you're applying to Skadden or something.

Do all the 1Ls really have their grades and scholar designations back?

Sincerely,

Angry 3L

[Anonymous User]

Yes, GW is 100% preselect but you only get a certain number of bids (25 or 35 if I remember correctly). Blanket Baltimore through mass-mail, and bid on a few firms if they're coming to OCI. Otherwise, bid on who you want to bid on; your grades aren't going to be an issue unless you're applying to Skadden or something.

Do all the 1Ls really have their grades and scholar designations back?

Sincerely,

Angry 3L

Yes, 35 bids; 20 for NY regional.

Also, yes, we do all have our grades/scholar designations.

What about for a top 15% person (don't know about journal yet) who mainly wants to target DC? Or should I target NY? (safer?)

Problem is more DC firms have the practice area I want. NY doesn't.

[Anonymous User]

I finished the first year at GW with a 3.75 GPA. Top 15% was right around 3.6 for our class, so I'm guessing I'm just inside the top 10%.

Does anyone want to help me with a strategy for bidding Washington, DC? I have no idea where to start, besides the largest firms with names that everyone knows. Can you all think of any good, large firms that I will have a reasonable chance of getting an interview with through OCI?

Also, I have no problem with living in Baltimore; I have some family ties there. Is this a decent secondary market I can "blanket" in order to get some safety out of a slightly less desirable market?

Thanks in advance.

Also just finished my 1L year at GW. Where did you hear that 3.6 figure for top 15 percent? The figure I've been using is the Highest Honors GPA cutoff for top 3 percent, which was 3.884 (I think).

[Anonymous User]

Had a 3.68 and struck out at OCI. Granted I sucked at interviewing but moral of the story is bid carefully and dont assume your grades will guarantee you a job. I know you're probably not really thinking like that, but don't let it even creep into your mind.

[Anonymous User]

Had a 3.68 and struck out at OCI. Granted I sucked at interviewing but moral of the story is bid carefully and dont assume your grades will guarantee you a job. I know you're probably not really thinking like that, but don't let it even creep into your mind.

Anon above and I meant to say I go to GW.

[Anonymous User]

What about for a top 15% person (don't know about journal yet) who mainly wants to target DC? Or should I target NY? (safer?)

Problem is more DC firms have the practice area I want. NY doesn't.

If your practice areas are IP or Gov Ks, you can bid pretty heavily on DC with your grades and do fine. If its "appellate litigation" or "international law", you need to split your bids between DC and NY to ensure you don't get shut out. Mass-mailing Baltimore firms beforehand if that's where you're from/have family is credited -- don't use OCI bids on them (if they even come to OCI). Also, mass-mail any other firms you're interested in that you won't have enough bids for during OCI (including a lot of the NY ones). You have the grades already, but the key is to get a lot of interviews to give yourself some options. From my experience with your grades at GW, ~35 screeners (including mass mail and NY regional) = ~10 callbacks = ~5 offers.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense of how top 3 percent and up did at OCI at GW, in either NY or DC?

[Anonymous User]

~3.6 number comes from mostly word of mouth. You won't find anything official regarding the 1L cutoffs. But if you're interested about at graduation numbers and want to speculate...:

MINIMUM GRADE REQUIRED TO ATTAIN (Based on May 2011 graduation class)
Top 10%: 3.726
Top 25%: 3.580
Top 33%: 3.512


% of Class Receiving GPA Required # of Students
Order of the Coif: top 10%
Summa cum laude: <=top 3% 3.841 19
Magna cum laude: <=top 10% 3.726 53
Cum laude: <=top 40% 3.461 198
Other:

Keep in mind that there's a weaker curve in smaller classes which probably means GPAs overall trend up.

[Anonymous User]

OP here.

So I should mail my resume/transcript/cover letter to the Baltimore firms (or any firms not involved in our OCI) before our bidding begins?

In other words, when should one submit these materials to firms that are not at their OCI when looking for 2nd year summer employment.

Thanks again everyone.

[Anonymous User]

Had a 3.68 and struck out at OCI. Granted I sucked at interviewing but moral of the story is bid carefully and dont assume your grades will guarantee you a job. I know you're probably not really thinking like that, but don't let it even creep into your mind.

Did you bid DC? NYC?

[Anonymous User]

What about for a top 15% person (don't know about journal yet) who mainly wants to target DC? Or should I target NY? (safer?)

Problem is more DC firms have the practice area I want. NY doesn't.

If your practice areas are IP or Gov Ks, you can bid pretty heavily on DC with your grades and do fine. If its "appellate litigation" or "international law", you need to split your bids between DC and NY to ensure you don't get shut out. Mass-mailing Baltimore firms beforehand if that's where you're from/have family is credited -- don't use OCI bids on them (if they even come to OCI). Also, mass-mail any other firms you're interested in that you won't have enough bids for during OCI (including a lot of the NY ones). You have the grades already, but the key is to get a lot of interviews to give yourself some options. From my experience with your grades at GW, ~35 screeners (including mass mail and NY regional) = ~10 callbacks = ~5 offers.

Practice area is IP or Gov Ks.

Also just finished my 1L year at GW. Where did you hear that 3.6 figure for top 15 percent? The figure I've been using is the Highest Honors GPA cutoff for top 3 percent, which was 3.884 (I think).

It's around a 3.6. Pretty sure, at least. And last year it was around a 3.64 or something, so I think it is around the same this year.

Also, should we change this into the official thread for GW's OCI?

[Anonymous User]

Also, should we change this into the official thread for GW's OCI?

Yep - you want to create a new one?

[Anonymous User]

Also, should we change this into the official thread for GW's OCI?

Yep - you want to create a new one?

Sure, one second.