WUSTL Recent Grad (and others) Taking Questions Forum

[hoos89]

Not sure how many we had at this time last year, but I think at the end it was somewhere around 70-75 (including all the Bryan Cave postings). It's still early, and I'm pretty sure a fair number will be added, so I won't be surprised if the turnout ends up a bit better this year.

[DoveBodyWash]

i finally understand why our NLJ 250 numbers are low

[DoveBodyWash]

Top third kids with Midwestern ties are going to kill EIW....There's an alarming combination of midwestern firms (who will inevitably be sensitive about ties) who have higher-than-expected grade preferences.

Top 25% preferred and journal/moot court for some of these firms? Really?

Looks like ima have to get on dat mass mail grind.

[goldeneye]

Top third kids with Midwestern ties are going to kill EIW....There's an alarming combination of midwestern firms (who will inevitably be sensitive about ties) who have higher-than-expected grade preferences.

Top 25% preferred and journal/moot court for some of these firms? Really?

Looks like ima have to get on dat mass mail grind.

Yup that's pretty much what happens. Lots of the same people get most of the interviews simply because of the bidding process and grade requirements.

[DoveBodyWash]

Top third kids with Midwestern ties are going to kill EIW....There's an alarming combination of midwestern firms (who will inevitably be sensitive about ties) who have higher-than-expected grade preferences.

Top 25% preferred and journal/moot court for some of these firms? Really?

Looks like ima have to get on dat mass mail grind.

Yup that's pretty much what happens. Lots of the same people get most of the interviews simply because of the bidding process and grade requirements.

When should we start mass mailing?

Also, can someone explain how the cutoffs adjust for the outgoing transfers? I requested a Dean's Cert for a transfer application that i eventually withdrew. Am i now removed from the pool? What happens?

[yankees12]

Top third kids with Midwestern ties are going to kill EIW....There's an alarming combination of midwestern firms (who will inevitably be sensitive about ties) who have higher-than-expected grade preferences.

Top 25% preferred and journal/moot court for some of these firms? Really?

Looks like ima have to get on dat mass mail grind.

Yup that's pretty much what happens. Lots of the same people get most of the interviews simply because of the bidding process and grade requirements.

When should we start mass mailing?

Also, can someone explain how the cutoffs adjust for the outgoing transfers? I requested a Dean's Cert for a transfer application that i eventually withdrew. Am i now removed from the pool? What happens?

I would start mass mailing in mid-July for northeast markets. I'd also try to meet with an attorney from those firms earlier in the summer. They might be able to pass your resume along to the right person so it actually gets looked at.

Also, I was told that they aren't adjusting the GPA cutoffs for outgoing transfers this year. I heard indirectly, so I can't guarantee it - but what happened last year was that they sent out the cutoffs and ranks and then, a week or two later, they sent out updated cutoffs. If you requested a Dean's Cert, you'd be included in the pool of transfers leaving, so you'd be required to use the original cutoffs on your resumes for OCI.

[DoveBodyWash]

Also, I was told that they aren't adjusting the GPA cutoffs for outgoing transfers this year. I heard indirectly, so I can't guarantee it - but what happened last year was that they sent out the cutoffs and ranks and then, a week or two later, they sent out updated cutoffs. If you requested a Dean's Cert, you'd be included in the pool of transfers leaving, so you'd be required to use the original cutoffs on your resumes for OCI.

lol even if i don't leave? well that sucks.

[goldeneye]

Also, I was told that they aren't adjusting the GPA cutoffs for outgoing transfers this year. I heard indirectly, so I can't guarantee it - but what happened last year was that they sent out the cutoffs and ranks and then, a week or two later, they sent out updated cutoffs. If you requested a Dean's Cert, you'd be included in the pool of transfers leaving, so you'd be required to use the original cutoffs on your resumes for OCI.

lol even if i don't leave? well that sucks.

Yup this is true and how it worked last year. You can try to e-mail them and say you have no intention of leaving. Actually that's probably a good idea.

[sublime]

..

[hoos89]

Top third kids with Midwestern ties are going to kill EIW....There's an alarming combination of midwestern firms (who will inevitably be sensitive about ties) who have higher-than-expected grade preferences.

Top 25% preferred and journal/moot court for some of these firms? Really?

Looks like ima have to get on dat mass mail grind.

If you want anything other than St. Louis or Chicago, you pretty much will need to go to the off-campus programs.

As for mass mailing, last year the responses I got from anything I sent in mid-July were pretty much that it was too early and to send something in a few weeks. I think the first week of August is about the right time to start. DO NOT wait until you see how many callbacks you get from OCI to mass-mail. Don't treat it like a backup plan. You should be contacting alums in your target market(s) right now.

[DoveBodyWash]

Top third kids with Midwestern ties are going to kill EIW....There's an alarming combination of midwestern firms (who will inevitably be sensitive about ties) who have higher-than-expected grade preferences.

Top 25% preferred and journal/moot court for some of these firms? Really?

Looks like ima have to get on dat mass mail grind.

If you want anything other than St. Louis or Chicago, you pretty much will need to go to the off-campus programs.

As for mass mailing, last year the responses I got from anything I sent in mid-July were pretty much that it was too early and to send something in a few weeks. I think the first week of August is about the right time to start. You should be contacting alums in your target market(s) right now, though.

Ahh i see, thanks for the insight. Time to minimize the typos in my cover letter.

[chuckbass]

Are the off-campus programs preselect as well?

[minnbills]

I know this is a long thread and this info is probably in here- but I would love an update on how your former classmates are doing, especially those who didn't land biglaw or fed clerkships.

[hoos89]

Are the off-campus programs preselect as well?

There might be one somewhere that isn't, but all of the ones I went to last summer were (NYC, DC, ATL)

[chuckbass]

Are the off-campus programs preselect as well?

There might be one somewhere that isn't, but all of the ones I went to last summer were (NYC, DC, ATL)

Thanks, I'm interested in the NYC and DC programs so that's good enough for me.

[sublime]

..

[goldeneye]

Costs your flight and a hotel and an amtrak to the city you're not staying in. or coordinate with friends and split a hotel room.

rationalization is that if you get an offer... the cost is worth it..

[sublime]

..

[goldeneye]

I would let you supervisor know and they'll probably understand. if not, you still need to do what's best for you.

There are 2 different programs if I remember, one is the midwest cali and semw, so they offer basically 2 bites at the same apple.

I would say a hotel would be around 150 or so in ny, dc cheaper if you're outside the city. Sharing with people cuts it for sure.

[sublime]

..

[DoveBodyWash]

can anyone speak to interviewing in D.C.? Especially those of you who didn't have ties to the area? My plan was to just focus on the nature of the work they do in DC and talk about how i'm interested in that...is that generally what people do?

[Birdnals]

Re: sublime

I RA'ed, not TA'ed, so I can speak from personal experience, but everybody I know who TA'ed seemed to think it was a pretty solid arrangement for 2L.

[hoos89]

A bit's changed since last year. The timing will be different and we got into the Midwest-Cali program for NYC. When I did it, I pretty much stayed on the East Coast for a week (flew to NYC->bus to DC->flew to Atlanta->flew back to STL). It wasn't too bad but I also stayed with friends and family for a few of the nights. Also, Atlanta was totally not worth it: only two firms went. I only went because I have family there and the flight from DC to Atlanta was under $100 so the added cost wasn't too bad. The timing of the programs this year would make what I did a lot more difficult/expensive especially if you don't have places to stay.

Also something to keep in mind: there was some overlap of firms between the two off-campus interview programs in DC last year (and a bit between off-campus and on-campus), and I imagine that will be the case again this year. That will probably also be true of the two NYC programs. Generally what I've heard is that if you're planning to go to both, then bid on everything and let the firms decide when/where to interview you.

As for interviewing in DC specifically: that market is just hyper competitive, and ties don't really matter that much.

[chuckbass]

As for interviewing in DC specifically: that market is just hyper competitive, and ties don't really matter that much.

I've heard this echoed before on TLS, but do you have any ideas if DC ties help at all? I'm from DC and I'd love to return, but obviously DC is tough for everyone right now so I didn't know if I had a leg up at all. I plan on meeting up with some WUSTL alumni in firms here this summer just to kinda get the ball rolling since I'm here and it couldn't hurt.

[acadec]

Also, I was told that they aren't adjusting the GPA cutoffs for outgoing transfers this year. I heard indirectly, so I can't guarantee it - but what happened last year was that they sent out the cutoffs and ranks and then, a week or two later, they sent out updated cutoffs. If you requested a Dean's Cert, you'd be included in the pool of transfers leaving, so you'd be required to use the original cutoffs on your resumes for OCI.

lol even if i don't leave? well that sucks.

I have been told that they will probably not be updating cutoffs and ranks at all this year. But that could turn out to be untrue.