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Asking for my mentee: degree in Mech Engineering from an ivy league. GULC 1L, gpa is median or slightly above (3.3x). I told her to raise GPA as much as she can but assuming it doesnt go anywhere, what are the chances?

Zero

Your mentee should probably have a more realistic OCI strategy based on the published GPA data available on the OCI site to GULC students

Broader advice: don't get hung up on specific firms.

Anon for a reason. Zero chance. Wilmer was only giving callbacks from GT at around top 10% of class

I couldn't crack WilmerHale at top 5% from GULC; you need to be near the tippy top (3.8+) to have a meaningful chance there.

Wow, even for IP? I went to GW and IP kids from the bottom 1/3 were getting offers/CBs from v50s regularly.

Anonymous User wrote:Wow, even for IP? I went to GW and IP kids from the bottom 1/3 were getting offers/CBs from v50s regularly.

V50s generally =/= any one firm specifically, let alone WH, let alone their D.C. office. That office is, at least by my school's numbers, one of the most grades-focused offices in the country; the 25th %ile callback at UofC was roughly in the top 10% (we don't rank, but if we did, that's what it would come out to.)

That said, I don't buy "no chance"; more like, "almost no chance." It's absolutely possible to beat the numbers, but for a candidate to do so, they're going to have to be working it starting now, networking like crazy, ensuring that they're the best interviewer they can possibly be, and get really lucky. A number of people I know did it (that is, beat the numbers; I was fortunate in this regard as well), but just going through OCI and saying "WH is my top pick" isn't enough. If your mentee wants it that bad, she should be thinking outside of the box on how to make a (good) impression with influential people now.

zhenders wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Wow, even for IP? I went to GW and IP kids from the bottom 1/3 were getting offers/CBs from v50s regularly.

V50s generally =/= any one firm specifically, let alone WH, let alone their D.C. office. That office is, at least by my school's numbers, one of the most grades-focused offices in the country; the 25th %ile callback at UofC was roughly in the top 10% (we don't rank, but if we did, that's what it would come out to.)

That said, I don't buy "no chance"; more like, "almost no chance." It's absolutely possible to beat the numbers, but for a candidate to do so, they're going to have to be working it starting now, networking like crazy, ensuring that they're the best interviewer they can possibly be, and get really lucky. A number of people I know did it (that is, beat the numbers; I was fortunate in this regard as well), but just going through OCI and saying "WH is my top pick" isn't enough. If your mentee wants it that bad, she should be thinking outside of the box on how to make a (good) impression with influential people now.

OP's mentee can want it all she wants, but being median at GT does not get her WH DC in any universe, even if her uncle is the hiring partner.

zhenders wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Wow, even for IP? I went to GW and IP kids from the bottom 1/3 were getting offers/CBs from v50s regularly.

V50s generally =/= any one firm specifically, let alone WH, let alone their D.C. office. That office is, at least by my school's numbers, one of the most grades-focused offices in the country; the 25th %ile callback at UofC was roughly in the top 10% (we don't rank, but if we did, that's what it would come out to.)

That said, I don't buy "no chance"; more like, "almost no chance." It's absolutely possible to beat the numbers, but for a candidate to do so, they're going to have to be working it starting now, networking like crazy, ensuring that they're the best interviewer they can possibly be, and get really lucky. A number of people I know did it (that is, beat the numbers; I was fortunate in this regard as well), but just going through OCI and saying "WH is my top pick" isn't enough. If your mentee wants it that bad, she should be thinking outside of the box on how to make a (good) impression with influential people now.

I'm all about aggressively networking always being TCR, but the problem for OP's mentee is that with a 3.3x she is not above median (which the school doesn't calculate but is 3.35-3.39) and that GPA data suggests that not only is Wilmer DC's GPA average higher than top 5% of the class, but according to the old data that the school no longer publishes it has not in the last 5 years pulled below the top 15% of the class.

With a high caliber UG engineering degree I'm sure OP's mentee will have great options, and aggressive networking could certainly help her target specifically other offices of other firms (I like to think it helped me) but it's just not going to make up a .5 GPA deficit at a grade obsessed firm, absent something really extraordinary.

"why Wilmer Hale?"

Above posters who followed me are right; none of what I said above really applies if we're not at least a bit above median. And if the record is that clear on Wilmer's not breaking form on grade selectivity, then that is probably that.

That said, if OP is at median, she should be networking like crazy to a large number of firms now anyhow (which I should have stressed earlier). Median anywhere isn't safe, regardless what folks say.

RaceJudicata wrote:Broader advice: don't get hung up on specific firms.

This. There's nothing special or unique about WH.

Anonymous User wrote:

zhenders wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Wow, even for IP? I went to GW and IP kids from the bottom 1/3 were getting offers/CBs from v50s regularly.

V50s generally =/= any one firm specifically, let alone WH, let alone their D.C. office. That office is, at least by my school's numbers, one of the most grades-focused offices in the country; the 25th %ile callback at UofC was roughly in the top 10% (we don't rank, but if we did, that's what it would come out to.)

That said, I don't buy "no chance"; more like, "almost no chance." It's absolutely possible to beat the numbers, but for a candidate to do so, they're going to have to be working it starting now, networking like crazy, ensuring that they're the best interviewer they can possibly be, and get really lucky. A number of people I know did it (that is, beat the numbers; I was fortunate in this regard as well), but just going through OCI and saying "WH is my top pick" isn't enough. If your mentee wants it that bad, she should be thinking outside of the box on how to make a (good) impression with influential people now.

OP's mentee can want it all she wants, but being median at GT does not get her WH DC in any universe, even if her uncle is the hiring partner.

this is definitely not true. I know a current junior associate at wilmerhale dc who was median, non-ip, and at a non-t14. If you search the firm's website, you will see him/her.

with that being said, i have no doubt that my anecdote is the very-rare exception.

I don't think a bachelors in mechanical engineer would make you a strong case for their patent group. Review their major clients/cases and you'll see why.

gaddockteeg wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

zhenders wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Wow, even for IP? I went to GW and IP kids from the bottom 1/3 were getting offers/CBs from v50s regularly.

V50s generally =/= any one firm specifically, let alone WH, let alone their D.C. office. That office is, at least by my school's numbers, one of the most grades-focused offices in the country; the 25th %ile callback at UofC was roughly in the top 10% (we don't rank, but if we did, that's what it would come out to.)

That said, I don't buy "no chance"; more like, "almost no chance." It's absolutely possible to beat the numbers, but for a candidate to do so, they're going to have to be working it starting now, networking like crazy, ensuring that they're the best interviewer they can possibly be, and get really lucky. A number of people I know did it (that is, beat the numbers; I was fortunate in this regard as well), but just going through OCI and saying "WH is my top pick" isn't enough. If your mentee wants it that bad, she should be thinking outside of the box on how to make a (good) impression with influential people now.

OP's mentee can want it all she wants, but being median at GT does not get her WH DC in any universe, even if her uncle is the hiring partner.

this is definitely not true. I know a current junior associate at wilmerhale dc who was median, non-ip, and at a non-t14. If you search the firm's website, you will see him/her.

with that being said, i have no doubt that my anecdote is the very-rare exception.

if we're thinking of the same person, this is a gw grad right?

If the mods had two ropes of dignity, they'd nuke any thread where a 1L whose school/GPA scream "I would be lucky to get any offer at all" asks about their shot at a firm who wouldn't take them even if they blew the managing partner for nothing obvious beyond a bland prestige obsession.