1 H, 1DS, 8P at HLS: Chance at Davis Polk? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Really interested in capital markets work and my DS is in a relevant class. DPW is all about capital markets, and I think I have a good narrative and reason for being there.

What are my chances? I heard they're the least grade snobby of the V10 and the most about fit.

[Anonymous User]

DPW isn't the least grade snobby of the v10. You may get this idea from callback GPA averages (not sure if Harvard gives you this info) but it is misleading because firms like DPW, Cleary, and Weil are known for calling back a ton of people but offering only a few (well below 50%, I think DPW ITE offers around 30% of people they callback).

If you are looking for the least selective v10 (lol?), it's probably Weil.

[Anonymous User]

DPW isn't the least grade snobby of the v10. You may get this idea from callback GPA averages (not sure if Harvard gives you this info) but it is misleading because firms like DPW, Cleary, and Weil are known for calling back a ton of people but offering only a few (well below 50%, I think DPW ITE offers around 30% of people they callback).

If you are looking for the least selective v10 (lol?), it's probably Weil.

Weil? I don't think that's TCR... More like Kirkland and Latham.

Skadden should be in there somewhere too.

[20121109]

From my experience Weil is the least selective in the V10, but Davis Polk is very popular with HLS students, so just know that there may be more competition. DP is a bit more selective than Weil but not as selective as say S&C. I agree with the poster above ; you should throw Skadden in there.

Also, if you're a great interviewer and can charm a partner for 30 minutes instead of the usual 20, bid on Cravath. My bestie is working there this summer and she only had 2 Hs, with very little work experience. Take a chance!

ETA: OP, I smell troll. You participated in OCI last year with VERY different grades; I believe we are in the same class. Remember mods always know who the anons truly are. I will let the thread ride because some people with similar grades may find this helpful but please refrain from doing this again.

[Anonymous User]

Weil? I don't think that's TCR... More like Kirkland and Latham.

Skadden should be in there somewhere too.

Nah, it's Weil.

Paul Weiss, Kirkland, and Latham are probably in the next rung up.

[koalatriste]

Weil? I don't think that's TCR... More like Kirkland and Latham.

Skadden should be in there somewhere too.

Nah, it's Weil.

Paul Weiss, Kirkland, and Latham are probably in the next rung up.

agreed. Weil will hire below median at a T6, not sure how that plays at H.

[AllTheLawz]

From my experience Weil is the least selective in the V10, but Davis Polk is very popular with HLS students, so just know that there may be more competition. DP is a bit more selective than Weil but not as selective as say S&C. I agree with the poster above ; you should throw Skadden in there.

Also, if you're a great interviewer and can charm a partner for 30 minutes instead of the usual 20, bid on Cravath. My bestie is working there this summer and she only had 2 Hs, with very little work experience. Take a chance!

ETA: OP, I smell troll. You participated in OCI last year with VERY different grades; I believe we are in the same class. Remember mods always know who the anons truly are. I will let the thread ride because some people with similar grades may find this helpful but please refrain from doing this again.

I am hearing more and more that this is a possibility and not really all that uncommon. More and more people (who should be reputable) are telling me that basically anything besides the super selective firms is in play with at least one H.

[koalatriste]

From my experience Weil is the least selective in the V10, but Davis Polk is very popular with HLS students, so just know that there may be more competition. DP is a bit more selective than Weil but not as selective as say S&C. I agree with the poster above ; you should throw Skadden in there.

Also, if you're a great interviewer and can charm a partner for 30 minutes instead of the usual 20, bid on Cravath. My bestie is working there this summer and she only had 2 Hs, with very little work experience. Take a chance!

ETA: OP, I smell troll. You participated in OCI last year with VERY different grades; I believe we are in the same class. Remember mods always know who the anons truly are. I will let the thread ride because some people with similar grades may find this helpful but please refrain from doing this again.

I am hearing more and more that this is a possibility and not really all that uncommon. More and more people (who should be reputable) are telling me that basically anything besides the super selective firms is in play with at least one H.

anecdotally, Cravath hired down to median this year at DCN. this individual had a little bit of WE, though, so take that FWIW.

[Anonymous User]

From my experience Weil is the least selective in the V10, but Davis Polk is very popular with HLS students, so just know that there may be more competition. DP is a bit more selective than Weil but not as selective as say S&C. I agree with the poster above ; you should throw Skadden in there.

Also, if you're a great interviewer and can charm a partner for 30 minutes instead of the usual 20, bid on Cravath. My bestie is working there this summer and she only had 2 Hs, with very little work experience. Take a chance!

ETA: OP, I smell troll. You participated in OCI last year with VERY different grades; I believe we are in the same class. Remember mods always know who the anons truly are. I will let the thread ride because some people with similar grades may find this helpful but please refrain from doing this again.

My friend posted under my account. I could have referred to him/her in the third person, but w/e.

[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

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[Anonymous User]

Moral of the thread: grades matter much less for HLS EIP than interviewing skills, background, and luck. FWIW, I had 6H/4P, did 25 screeners, and ended up with one V20 and one V50. Not complaining (I couldn't be happier with the firm I picked), but just saying that grades aren't all that important beyond a pretty low threshold for most firms.

[20121109]

Moral of the thread: grades matter much less for HLS EIP than interviewing skills, background, and luck. FWIW, I had 6H/4P, did 25 screeners, and ended up with one V20 and one V50. Not complaining (I couldn't be happier with the firm I picked), but just saying that grades aren't all that important beyond a pretty low threshold for most firms.

I agree with this.

I even know someone with a few LPs in the v10; he is a great interviewer. Just the strength of HLS' reputation I guess.

[delusional]

I dunno, the conventional wisdom on TLS seems to be all over the place. Looking at the data that's available, which isn't much, it seems that there is something to the selectivity reputations, even at Harvard. The data available to me was the honors list compared to the 'who worked where' sheet. It shows that most of the firms known to be selective were in fact selective.

It's important to differentiate between bidding based on the odds, and having hopes for your chances. If you are at median at Harvard, can you bid on Sullcrom, Davis Polk, Cravath, etc.? Sure. Probably a third of their class from Harvard will be median-ish, which is a significant number of slots. You have 35 bids; you can bid on the top 35 and if you don't get V10, you can still hope for other firms in the 30s with large classes. In fact, it might be smarter to bid on Cravath, who might hire 6 students at median or lower, than it would be to bid on a firm in the 60s with a total of 5 summer associates all of whom are less qualified.

The questions really arise when you want to use bids on more than one market. Sure, you might be one of the six people at median at Cravath. But you have to ration your NY bids, and it might be safer to choose less selective firms with big summer classes. But from what I've seen, there aren't many of those outside of the V30, so even then, you'll be bidding on at least a couple of Weil/Cleary/Skadden/Debevoise etc.