I am median at GTULC/Vandy/UT. So far I have had 9 callbacks, all have ended in rejections. Given my standing in my class, I can rationalize why I am not getting offers, but I am having a hard time understanding why firms keeps inviting me to callbacks (and paying for me to get there) if my grades are always going to be what holds me back. I am a K-JD, so it is not like I have relevant/interesting WE or anything. I have done 7 mock interviews since last January and all of them have gotten really positive feedback. I've reached out to associates I got to know well at 4/9 of the firms and they said I had great interviews, but it came down to grades. Am I weird for thinking that there might be something else going on here? 9/9 firms met me at OCI, saw my transcript, saw my GPA, invited me to interview, and then decided my grades weren't what they were looking for? This may sound like I am complaining, but I am genuinely curious if other people have experienced this. I just finished my 10th callback (go mass mailing!) and I am sitting in the airport with a 2 hour delayed flight and I just keep thinking: If my grades are going to be dispositive, then don't invite me to callback!!
TL;DR: 9 CBs and 9 rejections. Very good feedback on my interviews (real and mock) and firms I have spoken to say it is a problem with my grades (which I can rationalize), but worried something else is happening. Why would 9/9 law firms invite me to callbacks if they know I don't meet their GPA standards?
9 Callback Rejections Forum
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Anonymous User
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Re: 9 Callback Rejections
I think “grades” is the best excuse/reason to give. It sucks, but hopefully #10 will be the lucky one.
When I was interviewing a few years back, I also was frustrated when I was told my grades were not good enough or whatever. At the end of the day, it just meant that they liked more people than they had room for and you didn’t stick out enough for them to justify hiring you over someone who they liked with better grades.
You can’t just be a good interviewee, you have to make a connection with someone at the interview (preferably a partner) who will vouch for you.
For what it’s worth, everything worked out in the end for me.
Good luck!
When I was interviewing a few years back, I also was frustrated when I was told my grades were not good enough or whatever. At the end of the day, it just meant that they liked more people than they had room for and you didn’t stick out enough for them to justify hiring you over someone who they liked with better grades.
You can’t just be a good interviewee, you have to make a connection with someone at the interview (preferably a partner) who will vouch for you.
For what it’s worth, everything worked out in the end for me.
Good luck!
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Wild Card
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Re: 9 Callback Rejections
Are you bragging about having gotten 9 callbacks despite being median at GULC? And somehow landing a 10th callback despite being median at GULC?
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BrainsyK
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Re: 9 Callback Rejections
I think this is just one of those situations where others don't have to outrun the bear. They just have to outrun you. You're probably interviewing well but not so spectacularly as to outshine your grades so firms are picking candidates with a better overall package even if they are worse interviewers than you.
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Anonymous User
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Re: 9 Callback Rejections
This is an insensitive an unnecessary comment.Wild Card wrote:Are you bragging about having gotten 9 callbacks despite being median at GULC? And somehow landing a 10th callback despite being median at GULC?
OP: It may very well be grades. I have low grades and ended up with just one offer after a ton of interviews. Keep your head up. Eventually, a firm will give you an offer when it sees your value. For now, all you can do it try improve as much as you can on interviewing, regardless of materiality.
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malibustacy
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Re: 9 Callback Rejections
You might be impressing in your screener interviews, but your grades could actually be hurting you in the end when your file gets to the hiring committee.
The people interviewing you don't necessarily make the decisions in hiring. In the end, they can only give recommendations.
Frankly at your school range, unless you generally have grades above 1/3 or median, a good number of firms won't consider hiring you based on their historical practices. If you're already above median, I'd be a little worried.
The people interviewing you don't necessarily make the decisions in hiring. In the end, they can only give recommendations.
Frankly at your school range, unless you generally have grades above 1/3 or median, a good number of firms won't consider hiring you based on their historical practices. If you're already above median, I'd be a little worried.
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Anonymous User
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Re: 9 Callback Rejections
OP here. Thank you all for your responses. I am actually .02 below the median, so I bet it has a lot to do with my grades, it just seems weird that all these big firms with years of SA data would invite me/pay for me to interview knowing that my GPA is not high enough.malibustacy wrote:You might be impressing in your screener interviews, but your grades could actually be hurting you in the end when your file gets to the hiring committee.
The people interviewing you don't necessarily make the decisions in hiring. In the end, they can only give recommendations.
Frankly at your school range, unless you generally have grades above 1/3 or median, a good number of firms won't consider hiring you based on their historical practices. If you're already above median, I'd be a little worried.
Finished first semester in bottom 20 and second semester in top 20, so I imagine that firms see the second semester GPA, listed next to the real GPA, and figure I should at least get a shot. It is just super annoying that I have missed 4 days of school now to travel to these interviews knowing that I don't have the greatest shot. Firm from Monday interview just called to let me know their decision will not be made until the end of next week, so fingers crossed!!
