Milbank VI post stage 2? I thought the next stage is AC
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Joining the Weil amberjack hypetrain - I got 6,4,9,7 and waiting to hear back 🫡
Just want to contribute to the ongoing disagreement. Mitigating circumstances can often be real evidence as to a candidates overall potential, and can evidence that they are capable of more than they achieved. Academics are an incredibly poor metric of success in the legal world. Law firms use academic results as a filter because it can broadly be representative, increasingly those that have stricter academic requirements use it because they need to find a way to cope with the number of applicants. 2:1 across the board is harsh yes, but GR are very aware that a single 2:2 in your first year is very different to graduating with a high 2:1.
To say that low(er) paying firms attract a different standard of candidate would be categorically untrue. The legal industry generally is very competitive, and high quality candidates can be found everywhere thanks to everyones very different aspirations. Furthermore, a fellow applicant telling you whether your application is competitive or not comes with a hefty grain of salt. No one, aside from GR and those experienced in legal recruiting, can actually tell you if you truly are a competitive applicant or not because it is weighed against the pool of other applicants. Not meeting a strict grade requirement (stricter than is industry standard) categorically does not extinguish you from success at other firms.
Owing someones lack of success to their "lack of DEI or mitigating circumstances" is a great way to pigeon hole yourself into hating the system and not focusing on how you can improve your own standing as an applicant. Especially if your advice is "don't apply because you don't have XYZ". It reduces fellow applicants down to try and make yourself feel better. If you yourself don't feel confident in your application because you have a conceited and "world is against me" mentality does not mean you should push that onto other people. We have no idea the circumstances, challenges and adversity faced by anyone else and pushing a negative mentality doesn't help anyone.
To say that low(er) paying firms attract a different standard of candidate would be categorically untrue. The legal industry generally is very competitive, and high quality candidates can be found everywhere thanks to everyones very different aspirations. Furthermore, a fellow applicant telling you whether your application is competitive or not comes with a hefty grain of salt. No one, aside from GR and those experienced in legal recruiting, can actually tell you if you truly are a competitive applicant or not because it is weighed against the pool of other applicants. Not meeting a strict grade requirement (stricter than is industry standard) categorically does not extinguish you from success at other firms.
Owing someones lack of success to their "lack of DEI or mitigating circumstances" is a great way to pigeon hole yourself into hating the system and not focusing on how you can improve your own standing as an applicant. Especially if your advice is "don't apply because you don't have XYZ". It reduces fellow applicants down to try and make yourself feel better. If you yourself don't feel confident in your application because you have a conceited and "world is against me" mentality does not mean you should push that onto other people. We have no idea the circumstances, challenges and adversity faced by anyone else and pushing a negative mentality doesn't help anyone.
That should be sweet. I progressed to VI for bakers with 6,6,7,3😂. Best of luck
Whilst, I really appreciate your advice on my chances of making it for HSF AC from your personal experience, I do not appreciate you saying not to apply to any competitive firms not only because I feel that’s unfair to me but unfair to a lot of candidates who have been applying since many cycles and one message like this can dishearten a lot of them
. A candidate is not “lucky” if they make it with average grades but it takes a lot of hard work, part time roles, work experience, street smartness, etc and maybe 10% luck to get a vac scheme or tc. I say this because that is how I got my legal work experience year at a top silver circle firm.Whilst, DEI is very important and should be considered (I am a female, ethnic minority) I do not think if a candidate doesn’t fall into the DEI bracket with average grades will have low chances.
I am building my profile every minute and getting work experience everyday as a recent graduate
Just to add to this, I have made it to MacFarlanes stage 2, fresh fields stage 2, Latham stage 2, eversheds Vi, kennedys test, Bclp ac (last year) with these same grades so don’t give up hope
. I wrote this message about HSF because I was very stressed and tired of this process like everyone else and wanted some info if someone has had grades like me and still progressed Edit - thank you everyone for your kind messages, I love this community❤️
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this is so relatable it couldve been written by me
friend got HSF AC today 🎉
(I'm still salty at HSF Kramer)
(I'm still salty at HSF Kramer)
Wait im so confused I just did Stage 1 and I thought there is a VI in Stage 2? Is there not...? When is the VI then?😭
Congrats on stage 2! It’s a WG (I’ve done it so I know), I’m pretty sure there’s no VI afterwards. Next stage would be an AC
Congrats to them! hopefully that means that many people that haven't heard yet will get ACs! They've sent out so many PFOs already surely no news is good news until now?
You're exactly right. I applied to HSFK for the third time now with mit circumstances and a couple 2:2. Equally I have quite a bit of experience in the DR space, I'd dare say quite a bit more targeted experience than most applicants. Does that mean I won't be successful, absolutely not. Is my candidate profile diminished because I underperformed previously, don't fall into any DEI categories and aren't "filling a equality quota", no! Making it to AC is much more of a luck thing than people realise. Don't be disheartened by what you think is a firm making a character judgment of you. We have no idea why we are unsuccessful, we can only work on bolstering our applicant profile and improving on metrics we think are important. There is no set recipe for success.Whilst, I really appreciate your advice on my chances of making it for HSF AC from your personal experience, I do not appreciate you saying not to apply to any competitive firms not only because I feel that’s unfair to me but unfair to a lot of candidates who have been applying since many cycles and one message like this can dishearten a lot of them
Whilst, DEI is very important and should be considered (I am a female, ethnic minority) I do not think if a candidate doesn’t fall into the DEI bracket with average grades will have low chances.
I am building my profile every minute and getting work experience everyday as a recent graduate
Just to add to this, I have made it to MacFarlanes stage 2, fresh fields stage 2, Latham stage 2, eversheds Vi, kennedys test, Bclp ac (last year) with these same grades so don’t give up hope
Don't take this persons rainy cloud mentality to heart. You are in the race until you either cross the finish line or you give up.
I'm actually not sure sorry! But they are a BA so maybe they get first notice or smth
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