Northwestern OCI 2017 Forum

[Anonymous User]

anyone with a callback this week at skadden chicago hear back yet?

Not at Northwestern but I had a callback there earlier this week and haven't heard back.

[Anonymous User]

Any post cb updates from KE SF?

[Anonymous User]

Did anybody get a CB interview with Freshfields?

[Anonymous User]

Latham screener ding via email

[Anonymous User]

Did anybody get a CB interview with Freshfields?

+1

[Anonymous User]

Perkins Coie under review email.

+1 Wonder if that is a good sign?

+1 hopefully...

City?

SF

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure I struck out OCI. Waiting on two more but pretty sure they're dings.

I will say that I intentionally bid like an idiot so if career services and your friends are telling you you're being dumb, future classes reading this, listen to them. Chicago was competitive this year.

I have/had callbacks and so far one offer through connections and relationships I've been cultivating and I'm not worried about a summer, but OCI ended with nada.

i had a 3.8 + and LR and chicago was hard. I was targeting lit. if incoming 1Ls are reading this, everyone should be bidding NYC or other markets outside of Chicago and DC. if you have good grades (and even if not) you should be direct mailing NYC firms as soon as grades come in. Screeners are a crapshoot unless you're like 4.0+. Direct mailing lets you skip that crapshoot as your grades alone are enough to get you called into a firms office. At OCI you are banking on one or two people deciding they liked you and your 3.7-3.8 more than one of the other 5 people they interviewed that day with 3.8-3.9, or 4.0, for example (or your 3.4 v. the 3.5-3.6s). screeners are competitive for everyone and its hard to stand out unless you have crazy grades. (though i think its easier for transactional folks with good grades)

[Anonymous User]

.

In my experience having average grades targeting NYC, screeners were really helpful in getting my foot in the door at firms I didn't think I had a shot at. My OCI is wrapping up and I outperformed my numbers. So in that respect, I echo that pre-OCI is great for people with really good grades + some social awkwardness and OCI can be helpful for people with so-so grades, but good personalities. It's obviously not as black and white as that, but in general I've found screeners helped me get the interviews I wouldn't have gotten pre-OCI with my grades.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah exactly. Oci is very useful, but also very unpredictable, as your own experience demonstrates. For those that struggle, It's not a matter of just being awkward or having a bad interview. It a matter sometimes of someone else clicking with that interviewer, or maybe something else entirely (you'll never know probably) You're competing against 20-80 other people for limited slots, and the ways people get those slots are varied and unpredictable. Grades are a good gauge, but by no means sufficient. OCI also got me cbs and places that I never could have gotten a direct mail repsonse from, but that doesn't make it less of a crapshoot.

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure I struck out OCI. Waiting on two more but pretty sure they're dings.

I will say that I intentionally bid like an idiot so if career services and your friends are telling you you're being dumb, future classes reading this, listen to them. Chicago was competitive this year.

I have/had callbacks and so far one offer through connections and relationships I've been cultivating and I'm not worried about a summer, but OCI ended with nada.

i had a 3.8 + and LR and chicago was hard. I was targeting lit. if incoming 1Ls are reading this, everyone should be bidding NYC or other markets outside of Chicago and DC. if you have good grades (and even if not) you should be direct mailing NYC firms as soon as grades come in. Screeners are a crapshoot unless you're like 4.0+. Direct mailing lets you skip that crapshoot as your grades alone are enough to get you called into a firms office. At OCI you are banking on one or two people deciding they liked you and your 3.7-3.8 more than one of the other 5 people they interviewed that day with 3.8-3.9, or 4.0, for example (or your 3.4 v. the 3.5-3.6s). screeners are competitive for everyone and its hard to stand out unless you have crazy grades. (though i think its easier for transactional folks with good grades)

This is such good advice. I literally had no idea that direct mailing was important for firms that were coming to OCI until it was too late. I was lucky and got an offer at the ONLY Chicago cb I had (which happened to be my first choice in Chicago) so I dodged the bullet but had I known that direct mailing "was a thing" I would certainly have direct mailed as soon as grades came out. I fell in the "good grades, somewhat awkward personality" category, for what it's worth.

[Anonymous User]

Pretty sure I struck out OCI. Waiting on two more but pretty sure they're dings.

I will say that I intentionally bid like an idiot so if career services and your friends are telling you you're being dumb, future classes reading this, listen to them. Chicago was competitive this year.

I have/had callbacks and so far one offer through connections and relationships I've been cultivating and I'm not worried about a summer, but OCI ended with nada.

i had a 3.8 + and LR and chicago was hard. I was targeting lit. if incoming 1Ls are reading this, everyone should be bidding NYC or other markets outside of Chicago and DC. if you have good grades (and even if not) you should be direct mailing NYC firms as soon as grades come in. Screeners are a crapshoot unless you're like 4.0+. Direct mailing lets you skip that crapshoot as your grades alone are enough to get you called into a firms office. At OCI you are banking on one or two people deciding they liked you and your 3.7-3.8 more than one of the other 5 people they interviewed that day with 3.8-3.9, or 4.0, for example (or your 3.4 v. the 3.5-3.6s). screeners are competitive for everyone and its hard to stand out unless you have crazy grades. (though i think its easier for transactional folks with good grades)

Same credentials and targeting the same thing. Ended up with a handful of callbacks and no offers. I haven't entirely given up hope, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.

Future students: Chicago is really hard; litigation in Chicago is harder. I thought people were exaggerating when I heard them say this in past years' threads and it turns out they weren't. IMO, Career Services is way behind the curve on direct mailing. It's not as complicated as they make it seem-- once you get your second semester grades back, you should immediately direct mail NYC firms. There's literally no downside, especially if Chicago is your preferred market, because it doesn't even cost you an OCI bid slot. OCI is not a guarantee... don't learn that the hard way.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah exactly. Oci is very useful, but also very unpredictable, as your own experience demonstrates. For those that struggle, It's not a matter of just being awkward or having a bad interview. It a matter sometimes of someone else clicking with that interviewer, or maybe something else entirely (you'll never know probably) You're competing against 20-80 other people for limited slots, and the ways people get those slots are varied and unpredictable. Grades are a good gauge, but by no means sufficient. OCI also got me cbs and places that I never could have gotten a direct mail repsonse from, but that doesn't make it less of a crapshoot.

As another reason to bid on NYC: most of those NYC offices only had 20 interview spots at OCI, so you're typically competing with fewer people to get a CB. Whereas Chicago offices had way more spots. May or may not help you, but something to consider for future students.

[Anonymous User]

Any shearman offers yet?

[cookiejar1]

Maximizing opportunity is important (e.g., strategic bid lists, pre-OCI interview programs, mass mailing, etc) but let's not forget that execution is equally as important.

It may seem random to some but learning how to be a great interviewer will help you tremendously. Take advantage of all opportunities to practice your interviewing and gather information about x, y, z firms so that you have good material to work with come the big day.

Once you're above any "cut off", the best way to differentiate yourself among your peers is to be a great interviewer.

This was my first season interviewing on the other side of the table and I have to say that I'm frankly shocked at how poorly prepared otherwise stellar candidates are. Northwestern prides itself in admitting students with "maturity" and "presence" and it's a key advantage that you all have so make sure to leverage that to the fullest. You'd be surprised by what you're competing against.....

[Anonymous User]

Ropes ding email (screener)

[Anonymous User]

Dechert ding (email)

[bk1]

Maximizing opportunity is important (e.g., strategic bid lists, pre-OCI interview programs, mass mailing, etc) but let's not forget that execution is equally as important.

Most important thing for people ITT is that it isn't too late to try to ameliorate any prior mistakes. Firms are still hiring and you can still massmail, and you can still do practice interviews to get feedback.

[Anonymous User]

Ropes ding email (screener)

Mind sharing which office and interview date

[Anonymous User]

Maximizing opportunity is important (e.g., strategic bid lists, pre-OCI interview programs, mass mailing, etc) but let's not forget that execution is equally as important.

It may seem random to some but learning how to be a great interviewer will help you tremendously. Take advantage of all opportunities to practice your interviewing and gather information about x, y, z firms so that you have good material to work with come the big day.

Once you're above any "cut off", the best way to differentiate yourself among your peers is to be a great interviewer.

This was my first season interviewing on the other side of the table and I have to say that I'm frankly shocked at how poorly prepared otherwise stellar candidates are. Northwestern prides itself in admitting students with "maturity" and "presence" and it's a key advantage that you all have so make sure to leverage that to the fullest. You'd be surprised by what you're competing against.....

i really agree that people just out interviewed others. i think the people that threw down and did a ton of homework and made connections at tons of firms had a big advantage when it came to being one of those people who stood out. The problem i think is not that a person is a bad interviewer-though those for sure exist-I think its just that people are fine interviewers and there is no real problem if they a practice interview. the problem is not knowing what they are up against with the amount of work and personality people bring into those rooms. i think its true that once you get above a grade threshold, it becomes more about standing out in that crowd, and those folks who did copious amounts of homework and who are great at selling themselves will win. i think folks with the grades don't see that coming.

[Anonymous User]

Maximizing opportunity is important (e.g., strategic bid lists, pre-OCI interview programs, mass mailing, etc) but let's not forget that execution is equally as important.

It may seem random to some but learning how to be a great interviewer will help you tremendously. Take advantage of all opportunities to practice your interviewing and gather information about x, y, z firms so that you have good material to work with come the big day.

Once you're above any "cut off", the best way to differentiate yourself among your peers is to be a great interviewer.

This was my first season interviewing on the other side of the table and I have to say that I'm frankly shocked at how poorly prepared otherwise stellar candidates are. Northwestern prides itself in admitting students with "maturity" and "presence" and it's a key advantage that you all have so make sure to leverage that to the fullest. You'd be surprised by what you're competing against.....

i really agree that people just out interviewed others. i think the people that threw down and did a ton of homework and made connections at tons of firms had a big advantage when it came to being one of those people who stood out. The problem i think is not that a person is a bad interviewer-though those for sure exist-I think its just that people are fine interviewers and there is no real problem if they a practice interview. the problem is not knowing what they are up against with the amount of work and personality people bring into those rooms. i think its true that once you get above a grade threshold, it becomes more about standing out in that crowd, and those folks who did copious amounts of homework and who are great at selling themselves will win. i think folks with the grades don't see that coming.

If we are below the grade threshold but for a legitimate reason, is there any way to get an offer despite our grades? Is there an "exception" bucket? If so, what type of candidate falls into this bucket, and why?

[Mullens]

Maximizing opportunity is important (e.g., strategic bid lists, pre-OCI interview programs, mass mailing, etc) but let's not forget that execution is equally as important.

It may seem random to some but learning how to be a great interviewer will help you tremendously. Take advantage of all opportunities to practice your interviewing and gather information about x, y, z firms so that you have good material to work with come the big day.

Once you're above any "cut off", the best way to differentiate yourself among your peers is to be a great interviewer.

This was my first season interviewing on the other side of the table and I have to say that I'm frankly shocked at how poorly prepared otherwise stellar candidates are. Northwestern prides itself in admitting students with "maturity" and "presence" and it's a key advantage that you all have so make sure to leverage that to the fullest. You'd be surprised by what you're competing against.....

i really agree that people just out interviewed others. i think the people that threw down and did a ton of homework and made connections at tons of firms had a big advantage when it came to being one of those people who stood out. The problem i think is not that a person is a bad interviewer-though those for sure exist-I think its just that people are fine interviewers and there is no real problem if they a practice interview. the problem is not knowing what they are up against with the amount of work and personality people bring into those rooms. i think its true that once you get above a grade threshold, it becomes more about standing out in that crowd, and those folks who did copious amounts of homework and who are great at selling themselves will win. i think folks with the grades don't see that coming.

If we are below the grade threshold but for a legitimate reason, is there any way to get an offer despite our grades? Is there an "exception" bucket? If so, what type of candidate falls into this bucket, and why?

People who have a nepotism connection to the firm, unique/relevant work experience, diverse candidates, people who have convinced influential people at a firm to go to bat for them during hiring process through excellent networking.

Just being an great interviewer sometimes isn't enough (and I think most people overestimate their ability). You really have to lay some groundwork by networking before OCI to make the most of those 20 min screeners for a real shot at the "exception bucket"

ETA: not sure what you consider a legitimate reason that would cause a firm to overlook bad grades.

[Anonymous User]

Ropes ding email (screener)

Mind sharing which office and interview date

Interviewer initials?

[Anonymous User]

Maximizing opportunity is important (e.g., strategic bid lists, pre-OCI interview programs, mass mailing, etc) but let's not forget that execution is equally as important.

It may seem random to some but learning how to be a great interviewer will help you tremendously. Take advantage of all opportunities to practice your interviewing and gather information about x, y, z firms so that you have good material to work with come the big day.

Once you're above any "cut off", the best way to differentiate yourself among your peers is to be a great interviewer.

This was my first season interviewing on the other side of the table and I have to say that I'm frankly shocked at how poorly prepared otherwise stellar candidates are. Northwestern prides itself in admitting students with "maturity" and "presence" and it's a key advantage that you all have so make sure to leverage that to the fullest. You'd be surprised by what you're competing against.....

i really agree that people just out interviewed others. i think the people that threw down and did a ton of homework and made connections at tons of firms had a big advantage when it came to being one of those people who stood out. The problem i think is not that a person is a bad interviewer-though those for sure exist-I think its just that people are fine interviewers and there is no real problem if they a practice interview. the problem is not knowing what they are up against with the amount of work and personality people bring into those rooms. i think its true that once you get above a grade threshold, it becomes more about standing out in that crowd, and those folks who did copious amounts of homework and who are great at selling themselves will win. i think folks with the grades don't see that coming.

If we are below the grade threshold but for a legitimate reason, is there any way to get an offer despite our grades? Is there an "exception" bucket? If so, what type of candidate falls into this bucket, and why?

People who have a nepotism connection to the firm, unique/relevant work experience, diverse candidates, people who have convinced influential people at a firm to go to bat for them during hiring process through excellent networking.

Just being an great interviewer sometimes isn't enough (and I think most people overestimate their ability). You really have to lay some groundwork by networking before OCI to make the most of those 20 min screeners for a real shot at the "exception bucket"

ETA: not sure what you consider a legitimate reason that would cause a firm to overlook bad grades.

I think some people underestimated the amount of hustle in their classmates. I was below median but aggressively networked starting January and had my materials in the hands of recruiters in July. Keeping contact and meeting up with attorneys definitely helped a ton. OCI gets earlier and earlier each year and if you go into OCI with it being your first crack at recruiting you're already behind.

I interview well but my grades crushed me at OCI. My networking and hustle is what saved me. It was very feast or famine this year and I worked for every bite I got. Someone has to be at the bottom of the curve. You accept your fate and make it work.

[Anonymous User]

I interview well but my grades crushed me at OCI. My networking and hustle is what saved me. It was very feast or famine this year and I worked for every bite I got. Someone has to be at the bottom of the curve. You accept your fate and make it work.

Yup. I also have interesting WE, and average grades. Every firm where I networked and hustled, I got a callback. Every firm where I didn't, despite having what I think were great interviews, I struck out. There was no correlation between GPA cut-off, prestige, SA class size, or anything else when it came to callbacks for me.