First of all, I'm so sorry about not getting an offer. But I want to say something that a TCLA staff member once told me: in a sense, just by getting on a vac scheme, you've made huge progress towards getting a TC. Keep on doing your best and you'll get that TC soon enough
Second, while getting feedback is great, I don't think you need to wait until August to start cracking on those direct TC apps. I'm sure there's a broad range of experiences from the VS itself which you can draw upon when writing your applications. Moreover, I'm not sure you need to address why you failed to convert the VS into a TC. As
@Alison C said to me once, the whole phrase 'failing to convert' is quite deceptive - it makes it sound as if you have an equal chance of being offered a TC just because they gave you a spot on the VS. I think showing other firms what you have learnt about yourself and what you have done on the VS is more important than addressing why you 'failed to convert' (again, a phrase I don't particularly like).
Just my thoughts - and I'm sure more experienced people will have a different take on this - but I'm confident that you have what it takes to apply for direct TCs.
