TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

[Dannie]

Any more cleary ac invites?

 

[Dannie]

Last year mine was a client bulletin summarising news articles about private equity for a variety of clients in the sector. Can’t really remember what the articles were about but they were quite recent to the time of me doing the WE.

I didn’t get the VS due to my interview but I was told my WE was exactly what they were looking for. I used subheadings and bullet points, I’m pretty sure I explained the impacts of the articles on the types of clients, and I brought in some of my commercial knowledge (I somehow remember Elon Musk’s Twitter debt being relevant?)

I knew nothing about private equity and struggled so much lol. Somehow did well.

thank you thank you thank you bless you!!!!! taking it tomorrow morning

 

[Deleted member 43292]

thank you thank you thank you bless you!!!!! taking it tomorrow morning

best of luckkk!!

 

[1stCycleApplicant]

yea fr LMAOOO to think she was only an intern too... I don't understand why she thought emailing with her work email was a good idea lol...

I wonder what she's up to now...

 

[LegallyBrunette_]

I applied the week of the deadline and have yet to hear back post completing their test. I've not heard of anybody else who has been brought to the next stage yet either but that's not to say they haven't.

 

[1stCycleApplicant]

She's no longer in the legal industry - working in PR and marketing now I think

Quite sad given how hard she seemed to have been working towards that clerkship at Bakers lol

hahaha brutal. She had no hope with all those grammatical inaccuracies and spelling mistakes as jeff pointed out. On another note, it's honestly nuts how much the industry has changed. A sloppily written cover letter and vibes would get you into some of the top firms itw. Now you have to literally be perfect on paper (grades, work experience, top uni, cover letter) to even get through to the psychometric testing stage, let alone a video interview!

 

[Bread]

hahaha brutal. She had no hope with all those grammatical inaccuracies and spelling mistakes as jeff pointed out. On another note, it's honestly nuts how much the industry has changed. A sloppily written cover letter and vibes would get you into some of the top firms itw. Now you have to literally be perfect on paper (grades, work experience, top uni, cover letter) to even get through to the psychometric testing stage, let alone a video interview!

Would you call a connection to Epst*in “vibes”?

Also it seems like it wasn’t enough, yikes

 

[legal18]

Someone PMed me who applied on the deadline and had an interview!

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

hahaha brutal. She had no hope with all those grammatical inaccuracies and spelling mistakes as jeff pointed out. On another note, it's honestly nuts how much the industry has changed. A sloppily written cover letter and vibes would get you into some of the top firms itw. Now you have to literally be perfect on paper (grades, work experience, top uni, cover letter) to even get through to the psychometric testing stage, let alone a video interview!

Grad rec after receiving an app with solid grades (AAA and a 1st), 5 years of work experience, top tier cover letters, extracurriculars, etc., and they send a PFO before the automatic SJT, WG and VI:​

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Grad rec after receiving an app with solid grades (AAA and a 1st), 5 years of work experience, top tier cover letters, extracurriculars, etc., and they send a PFO before the automatic SJT, WG and VI:​

 

[i-want-a-tc]

hahaha brutal. She had no hope with all those grammatical inaccuracies and spelling mistakes as jeff pointed out. On another note, it's honestly nuts how much the industry has changed. A sloppily written cover letter and vibes would get you into some of the top firms itw. Now you have to literally be perfect on paper (grades, work experience, top uni, cover letter) to even get through to the psychometric testing stage, let alone a video interview!

You chose the hardest cycle to start applying

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

You chose the hardest cycle to start applying

Let’s all just time travel back to the 1990s/2000s when all it took was a phone call and interview and boom the TC was all yours…

Oh, but then we wouldn’t have the shiny £150k+ NQ salaries that draw us to apply to US/MC firms in the first place… Oh well that’s a minor.

I’d rather that than having to go through 80 stages of WG, SJT, VI, WE, AC, 2nd AC, final AC, post VS AC, and whatever else they use smh. ​

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Let’s all just time travel back to the 1990s/2000s when all it took was a phone call and interview and boom the TC was all yours…

Oh, but then we wouldn’t have the shiny £150k+ NQ salaries that draw us to apply to US/MC firms in the first place… Oh well that’s a minor.

I’d rather that than having to go through 80 stages of WG, SJT, VI, WE, AC, 2nd AC, final AC, post VS AC, and whatever else they use smh. ​

Then you'd probably have to rely on knowing someone who knows someone...

 

[Harvey Specter - Presiding Partner]

Then you'd probably have to rely on knowing someone who knows someone...

 

[zara elles]

I have an AC coming up with a written exercise that will probably include writing a recommendation for a business proposal/recommendation/analysis. I've been prepping so far but not really sure if my practicing online is helpful. Any advise would be appreciated as it it my first time doing this

 

[badmintonflyinginsect]

Any W&C WE invites for Summer?

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

Let’s all just time travel back to the 1990s/2000s when all it took was a phone call and interview and boom the TC was all yours…

Oh, but then we wouldn’t have the shiny £150k+ NQ salaries that draw us to apply to US/MC firms in the first place… Oh well that’s a minor.

I’d rather that than having to go through 80 stages of WG, SJT, VI, WE, AC, 2nd AC, final AC, post VS AC, and whatever else they use smh. ​

At this point, I'd take a £50K max NQ salary if my odds increased 3x (Unfortunately I feel the lower paid regional firms are just as competitive)

 

[kuuks_]

Hi! I haven't been on here in a while so hoping people can provide updates. How far in the process are the following firms (i.e., first stage, second stage, etc):

- Stephenson Harwood
- Travers Smith
- Paul Hastings
- Morgan Lewis
- Linklaters

Also which of them recruit/review/send out offers on a rolling basis? Thanks in advance!

 

[Rosie_Kitten]

Hi! I haven't been on here in a while so hoping people can provide updates. How far in the process are the following firms (i.e., first stage, second stage, etc):

- Stephenson Harwood
- Travers Smith
- Paul Hastings
- Morgan Lewis
- Linklaters

Also which of them recruit/review/send out offers on a rolling basis? Thanks in advance!

Morgan Lewis has given out a few TIs, apparently doing it in batches. Nothing from Travers or Stephenson Harwood, though afaik.