Worth it to mass mail firms NOT in markets that you bid on? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Slightly below top third at NYU with two years f500 work experience. I have 25 screeners at only NYC and SF/SV firms (grew up in East Bay) - as per OCS advice of not bidding on more than two markets.

However, I went to undergrad at Chicago/Northwestern and have a brother who lives in LA. Is there any significant negative, other than time and effort, to mass mailing all the V100 firms that I didn't get a screener with in LA and Chicago? For instance, I got a interview with K&E NYC so I won't mass mail Kirkland Chicago. However, I don't have interviews with Mayer Brown -- so is it OK to mass mail their Chicago office?

Pros-
-Have a chill PI summer job so I have a ton of time to devote to cover letters
-May increase screeners, and thus offers
-I have a very aggressive bid list - pretty much all of the V20 including CSM and S&C, which I know are big reaches. So, every interview I get will help as backup.

Cons-
-When firms ask "So where else did you apply?" I have to respond "NYC, LA, Bay, and Chicago" thereby seeming less committed to any given market.

Do the pros outweight the cons? I'm leaning towards huge MM campaign for Chi and LA. For the NYC and SF/SV firms I didn't get I'm going to mass mail as well in addition to stopping by their hospitality suites. Trying to hustle but don't want to shoot myself in the foot. What would you do?


Thanks, TLS!

[Anonymous User]

anyone? Would really appreciate any and all advice.

[sambeber]

anyone? Would really appreciate any and all advice.

"My top choice is San Francisco/Silicon Valley. Bay Area firms are all at the top of my list. However, even bidding on every firm in the Bay Area coming to OCI, I still had spots left on my list, so I filled in the rest with New York firms because I want to do corporate work [or some other plausible, non-geographic reason]."

In the alternative: "My top choice is New York. The top New York firms are at the top of my list. However, even after bidding on all the New York firms with strong [corporate/litigation] departments, I still had spots left on my list, so I used the rest of my bids on Bay Area firms because that's where my family is."

Or something like that. Short, sweet, and honest.

[Anonymous User]

ty! I really like that answer. So no need to mention mass mail efforts in LA/CHI? I'm interested in M&A and bid 40 NYC firms/ 10 Bay Area firms.

Q: "So, where else are you applying?"

A: "My top choice is New York. The top New York firms with strong corporate departments are at the top of my list. However, NYU requires all students to allocate 10 bids to firms outside of New York, so I used those ten bids on Bay Area firms because that's where my family is."

Is that OK and honest? I'm most concerned about hurting my chances with my NYC EIW screeners by looking like I'm applying everywhere. I'm less concerned about what to say for SF/SV, CHI, LA firms because those are long shots anyway that I'm not banking on them as much--yet, of course, the more interviews the better and I will prepare for those as best I can.

[sambeber]

ty! I really like that answer. So no need to mention mass mail efforts in LA/CHI? I'm interested in M&A and bid 40 NYC firms/ 10 Bay Area firms.

Q: "So, where else are you applying?"

A: "My top choice is New York. The top New York firms with strong corporate departments are at the top of my list. However, NYU requires all students to allocate 10 bids to firms outside of New York, so I used those ten bids on Bay Area firms because that's where my family is."

Is that OK and honest? I'm most concerned about hurting my chances with my NYC EIW screeners by looking like I'm applying everywhere. I'm less concerned about what to say for SF/SV, CHI, LA firms because those are long shots anyway that I'm not banking on them as much--yet, of course, the more interviews the better and I will prepare for those as best I can.

I mean, I'm not an expert, but I think there are three basic ways they might ask:

(1) Where else did you bid?
(2) Where else are you interviewing?
(3) Where else are you applying?

For (1), you just answer the question, because they asked narrowly. For (2), you answer as if they asked (1), because they have no idea you're doing ANY interviewing outside of OCI. For (3), which I doubt they'll ask because you don't really "apply", answer as if they asked (1). You're not lying, and you're also not saying more than you have to to give them the info they want.

Is the thing about allocating 10 bids outside of New York true? If so, you're golden, just say what you wrote above. If it's not, don't lie. Just have an answer that focuses on NYC and gives some plausible reason for why you bid on another location. Someone else can chime in, but of all markets, I'm not so sure how much NYC firms care that you bid elsewhere. You do go to school in NYC, so it's not like you're applying to, say, Phoenix firms.

[Anonymous User]

Yea you HAVE to allocate 10+ bids outside of NY out of the 50 you have.

[sambeber]

Yea you HAVE to allocate 10+ bids outside of NY out of the 50 you have.

And you only bid on 10 SF/SV firms? Then I don't know what you're worried about.

And I don't know the dates of your OCI or when you're planning on mailing, but you very well may not have interviews set up from them by the time you do OCI, so the answer to inquiry (2) above is moot. "Where else are you applying?" just sounds so awkward to me in a law firm context, but just prepare an answer as discussed above (one that answers a slightly different question from what they're asking) and you're good to go.

[Anonymous User]

Yea only bid 10 SV/SF firms; the rest NYC. Just worried about mass mailing in other cities and that hurting my dedication to NYC in screeners.