UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions Forum

[Canof09]

I really thought I did well on one, and okay on the other. Got a median and slightly below median grade. Any recommendations as to what I should do? The only thing I can think of that I could probably change is to spend more time at sample answers. I spent most of the time looking at the memos. Maybe I have missed some of the more obvious points.

Hey me too. Wooo median-ish.

I have mixed feelings about my grades

1. I am disappointed because I thought I did really well.
2. I am relieved that I didnt totally bomb.
3. I am confused that I dont know exactly how to do better, I really tried last quarter.
4. I am proud/excited to be in a class of such intelligent people, and the grades really humbled me

I agree with all of this. Strong emphasis on #2, haha.

[beepboopbeep]

Anyone have an idea what percentiles are for what grades?

The only real datapoints we have are the released percentiles:

182+: .5%
180.5+: 7.2%
179+: 22.7%

I believe these are cumulative, meaning approximately 30% is above 179. But I'm not entirely sure on that. We do know for sure that, at least last year, top 5% cut off somewhere between 180.8 and 181.

But seriously don't give too many shits about fall quarter grades. It's easy to freak out or be disappointed or whatever, and if you did well it's easy to take it as a sign you can relax. Just work on improving either way and try not to let it get to your head in either direction. Fall quarter is like... 10% of your total 1L credits, iirc? It's not a lot, and there's a lot of time to change your habits if what you did didn't work out.

Also one grade is elements which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the rest of 1L.

[Mad Hatter]

Also bear in mind that the above honors-based percentiles take into account 2/3L where many of the classes are curved to a 179.

Seriously though, don't put much weight on fall grades. If it makes you feel better, go ask an academic counselor or (better yet) the professor to review your exam with you.

[gchatbrah]

Bid NY.

[skers]

I don't know if I'd take it too much to heart that you thought you did well and didn't. Law school exams are kind of a crapshoot and random. In the only exam I was pretty sure I just killed, I walked out of my elements exam pretty sure I'd nailed at least a 182--got median. My best grade in law school came in a class where I'm positive the professor still thinks I'm completely retarded.


Good thing for you guys is fall quarter exams are a really small piece of the whole thing and congrats, you're in company w/ around 60% of your classmates or so which is a great place to be come OCI. Go have fun and make some bad life decisions and in a month and a half or so you can circle back to some practice exam stuff to figure out what you could maybe do better.

[Leo]

1L here. What do people do between their summer job and the start of classes in the fall? Trying to plan a trip for Aug or Sep.

[AspiringAcademic]

How tight is the curve at Chicago? I've heard from many people that the majority of the class will get median but I don't know what would be the difference between a normal median grade and a grade that I should be worried about. Is a 175 still considered roughly median or should someone consider that a "bad" grade?

I only had one professor ever give a breakdown. This was for Elements:

Since this is the only breakdown I've ever seen, I thought I'd bring it to the top of the thread. It looks slightly generous to me, but I wouldn't really know.

Two thoughts:
1.) Regression to the mean is a thing. If you have extreme grades in either direction right now, remember there is a good chance that your future grades will move toward median.
2.) Bid NY.

[Leo]

Let me rephrase: Is it possible to take a trip in August or September? What else besides OCI do we have to plan around?

[UnicornHunter]

Let me rephrase: Is it possible to take a trip in August or September? What else besides OCI do we have to plan around?

Callbacks. Planning a trip seems like it would be impossible because callbacks aren't contained by the OCI timeline.

[skers]

Let me rephrase: Is it possible to take a trip in August or September? What else besides OCI do we have to plan around?

Kind of the depends on y'all's schedule. My year I worked 8 weeks and then took a week for vacation before OCI, but I think the schedule worked a bit differently last year.

You'll have callbacks in Sep., which makes specific plans a bit difficult, but you'll definitely have time for a vacation then as well, though length will depend a bit on how quickly you decide on a firm and all that.

[beepboopbeep]

I'd definitely try to do it before OCI if possible. You have no idea how many callbacks you'll be going on, or when they'll invite you to come in. My last was the Monday before classes started, even though I had openings in the week before that, because by the time I heard from that firm that was the only date they had available.

[2014]

Fyi 1Ls my GPA went up more than 2 full points from fall to spring. Tough to understate how little these grades matter now. Since none of you are any good at law school exams yet professors have to stick to arbitrary and minute distinctions at this point. Stay the course and you will be fine (and if your GPA stays where it is now you can still get a job fine).

[Mack.Hambleton]

How feasible would it be for a 1L to commute from downtown

[beepboopbeep]

How feasible would it be for a 1L to commute from downtown

Pretty feasible. Take the 2.

[Emma.]

How feasible would it be for a 1L to commute from downtown

Pretty feasible. Take the 2.

The 2 is your best option if you want to live in South Loop. Live anywhere north of the loop and you'd probably want to drive. That means either paying for a spot in a lot a couple blocks from school or driving in very early every day to find street parking.

[elterrible78]

Could anyone with any experience with or knowledge of the IJ clinic PM me? Thanks.

[Rahviveh]

Anyone know anything about the 14th amendment or trial advocacy seminar?

[lawschool2014hopeful]

This open memo makes me want to shoot myself.

[beepboopbeep]

This open memo makes me want to shoot myself.

You should definitely do a journal next year!

[middlebear]

Does anyone happen to have experience with the dual degree programs? I'm specifically looking at the JD/MA in International Relations.

[Mal Reynolds]

Does anyone happen to have experience with the dual degree programs? I'm specifically looking at the JD/MA in International Relations.

I should hope not.

[Canof09]

This open memo makes me want to shoot myself.

You should definitely do a journal next year!

If we are pretty confident that we are leaning transactional is there any real benefit from doing a journal?

Just curious.

[2014]

Pretty much zero reason. The only corporate heavy firm that cares about journals is Wachtell and that might just be a correlation/causation thing for LR grade-ons.

[Mal Reynolds]

This open memo makes me want to shoot myself.

You should definitely do a journal next year!

If we are pretty confident that we are leaning transactional is there any real benefit from doing a journal?

Just curious.

Enjoy non-journal life. Do the corporate lab competition over the summer.

[skers]

I didn't talk about journal once in any of my interviews.

Not doing write on or journal work during 2L is a great, great decision.