TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Andrei Radu]

This might be a silly question. I've just gotten my first AC ever coming up :' D but it's in a couple days, so I've only had like 3/4 days to prep, whereas some people got like weeks for the same date.

I know I can't just ask them to go easy on me haha, but is there something I can say or do to level my chances, cause I feel like there's so much to do, and I would've loved a few more days. Sorry about the question, I've never gotten to an AC before, so I have no idea if it's totally typical to just get a few days.

Thank you in advance; I really appreciate the help!! < 3

Hi @iklawapps while I do not think there is much you can do in terms of actual adjustments you can ask from the firm, I would not be too worried. In my view, generally 3-4 days dedicated entirely to AC preparation is more than enough to be able to do well in it - in fact, this is exactly the time I ended up taking to prepare for my first final VS interview, and I ended up converting it. Of course, you will hear about people taking one or two weeks to prepare, and you may think they will have a substantial advantage over you. Nonetheless, you should keep in mind that:

1. Many of the people that claim that they prepare for an AC for that extended of a period will not be the spending 10+ hours of focused work on it every day. Instead, they will often invest only a couple of hours everyday and will be using the rest of the available time on other things. As such, when calculating the total amount of time invested in preparation, the numbers may not end up looking very different from yours. If this is so, arguably, it is actually better to prepare more intensely in a shorter period, as all that you learn will be a lot fresher in your mind.
2. Even in the rare cases where candidates will take 7+ days to focus entirely on AC prep, there are diminishing returns in investing more and more time in preparation. In my opinion, after some point, just doing the same things again and again will not contribute much in terms of making you improve your skills and increasing your chances of success, but will just increase your anxiety and the risk of burnout before you even get to the AC.

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Same here. I applied 9th Nov. I'm hoping the delay is because of the recent change in their head of graduate recruitment. Otherwise, it would suck to be on the waiting list.

Hi @Harvey Specter , @Afuturetrainee @CharlesT47

Charles is right, the delay is due in part to our recent change in the Graduate Recruitment role, but also because we've added some additional checks and balances into the decision process, which unfortunately for candidates means the screening process takes more time than it used to. Only a few decisions have gone out so far, but we expect a large number (although still not all) to go out in the next two weeks.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

 

[AngelB]

still waiting on AOS...

im thinking rejection.................

 

[ninarosee]

DLA TI invite🔥🔥

If anyone has done it or has experience with these kind of interviews would you mind reaching out to me please🥺

Congrats!! When did you get the email saying you passed the WG?

 

[Dannie]

guys the wait is agonising im so tired of checking my email every 3 seconds

 

[yk1906]

guys the wait is agonising im so tired of checking my email every 3 seconds

Same, I'm trying to keep myself busy with perfecting my Willkies app in the meantime...

 

[elle woods]

still waiting on AOS...

im thinking rejection.................

I've heard that they've just started calling the First Year Scheme people back - hold tight!!

 

[p2bv]

has anyone not heard from CMS post WG? Did mine a month ago so not sure to assume PFO

 

[Apple]

Is the cover letter for NRF referring to the TC or the vacation scheme when it asks 'what excites you about our programme?'

 

[DavidJC]

Is the cover letter for NRF referring to the TC or the vacation scheme when it asks 'what excites you about our programme?'

Depends on what you're applying for, tailor it to that. I tailored mine to the VS when I applied to the WVS and got through to VI stage before rejection (caveat: idk if they read applications before VI or with/after it, though)

 

[Donuttime]

is the first Latham test a video interview?

 

[RSK]

is the first Latham test a video interview?

first test is sjt and mini wg

 

[gao8899]

On Sidley's market position and strengths:

• Sidley is a Top 10 global law firm by revenue (sitting around the $3.5bn mark), is more international than most US rivals (with 20+ offices), with a large both New York and London presence (currently the 17th by London-generated revenue, having surpassed the $225m mark).
• The firm is known for its high-value transactional work, and is therefore uncontroversially deemed to be part of the newly formed group of "global elite" law firms (a group of highly-profitable firms with strong offerings in both London and New York, who are expected to increased their hold over the transatlantic deal corridor over the coming years).
• While sitting just bellow the traditional "Vault 10" group of firms (a US publication ranking the biggest US firms by prestige based on associate reviews every year) in terms of historical reputation and also profitability (most V10 firms are sitting around the $7 million average PEP figure, while Sidley's PEP is approx $5 million), the firm could be compared with the likes of Milbank and Paul Hastings in terms of its embrace of private capital work and its huge recent growth to catch up with the historical New York elite.
• Speaking of an embrace of private capital, while Sidley had historically been very strong in traditional banking, securitisation, and financial regulatory work, but, as this type of work took a hit post 2008, the firm has shifted to servicing the booming PE industry.
• In London, this is reflected in their practice area strengths, as the firm has top tier teams for PE Funds work and PE buyouts, and more recently has hired one of the best leveraged finance teams in the market from Latham. This move was very talked about last year as it is thought to demonstrate (i) Sidley's growing ambition in London; and (ii) its increasing clout, having been able to hire rainmaking partners from Latham, a larger and more profitable firm, that has traditionally been seen as more dominant in the private capital space.
• Finally, in London Sidley is also known for its regulatory work, being particularly strong in financial services and life sciences - a feature that differentiates it from most of its US rivals. This is apparently also helping Sidley secure work on PE deals that come with particular regulatory complexity.

Thank you so much @Andrei Radu this is so helpful!!
Would you suggest I read up on any specific topic/developments as well?
Thanks again!

 

[赐给我tc]

Does anyone have any tips for the CC VI, or can they share any previous questions CC used for my own reference 🥹

I really appreciate any help you can provide!!

 

[Wompycapy]

For those who have taken the HSFK test: how many 'moderate fit' did you guys have?

 

[RSC2001]

For those who have taken the HSFK test: how many 'moderate fit' did you guys have?

Three - and I passed.

Good luck!

 

[BM99]

Does anyone have any tips for the CC VI, or can they share any previous questions CC used for my own reference 🥹

I really appreciate any help you can provide!!

Didn’t the email already kind of hint what questions will come up?

 

[赐给我tc]

Didn’t the email already kind of hint what questions will come up?

Noo 😭😭😭😭 I know previous years they sent questions. But in my email, there were no attachments of qs. Unless u mean what the qs will roughly be like, yea CC hinted. But for the previous years, CC gave out the qs 😞

 

[user55998384]

Three - and I passed.

Good luck!

does it tell you in your email of results if you passed or do you get it after

 

[CharlesT47]

Hi @Andrei Radu Was hoping to hear your perspective.
Right now, I'm trying to write about the UK's recent relaxing of the capital rules for banks.
I'm struggling though to get deep into the analysis outside of the obvious increase in dealmaking. (I.e PE/ M&A transactions rely on a lot of leverage. Now that banks have more capital to invest with, these two areas will likely boom).
How can I then flesh this out/ have more commercial depth?
Is it fair to say that certain practice areas will benefit more/ less? Will drug research/ life sciences see additional increases in activity because of how capital intensive this area is?
Alternatively, is this perhaps not the best topic to use for a commercial issue application answer? I just wanted to hear your opinion, since I remember you saying how your answer was on a similarly broad commercial topic like how low interest rates affect deals.