2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

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21wajsz

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  • Dec 3, 2020
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    hi everyone! I was just wondering if law firms look at grades really strictly. I've consistently been getting 2:1s but at the lower range so 62-65 and I wonder if that will affect me negatively or are grades just viewed in a way I'll be fine as long as I meet the 2:1 benchmark?
     
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    Kola

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    Sep 27, 2020
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    hi everyone! I was just wondering if law firms look at grades really strictly. I've consistently been getting 2:1s but at the lower range so 62-65 and I wonder if that will affect me negatively or are grades just viewed in a way I'll be fine as long as I meet the 2:1 benchmark?

    Depends on the firm. Certain firms care more about grades e.g. Slaughter 'and' May whereas others just care about the 2:1. For reference, I have a 54 in contract law but that hasn't stopped me from getting ACs because I have a 2:1 overall.
     

    21wajsz

    Legendary Member
  • Dec 3, 2020
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    Depends on the firm. Certain firms care more about grades e.g. Slaughter 'and' May whereas others just care about the 2:1. For reference, I have a 54 in contract law but that hasn't stopped me from getting ACs because I have a 2:1 overall.

    Thank you! I was just worried because even though I have consistently scored 2:1 (albeit on the lower end), I barely have any firsts in my module! Just thought that will be a concern. But thank you so much for the clarification, definitely eases my worries.
     

    Asil Ahmad

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  • Mar 29, 2020
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    hi everyone! I was just wondering if law firms look at grades really strictly. I've consistently been getting 2:1s but at the lower range so 62-65 and I wonder if that will affect me negatively or are grades just viewed in a way I'll be fine as long as I meet the 2:1 benchmark?
    I wanted an opinion on this also like if you have a 2.2 in second or third year and you average a 2.1 overall in your degree will you be a weaker candidate and lead to rejection mainly for US and MC firms I think @Jessica Booker will be the best to answer this if possible.
     

    Legal_rawn

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    Dec 21, 2019
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    I wanted an opinion on this also like if you have a 2.2 in second or third year and you average a 2.1 overall in your degree will you be a weaker candidate and lead to rejection mainly for US and MC firms I think @Jessica Booker will be the best to answer this if possible.
    I have such a range of grades (49% to 84%, however a 2.1 in both years) and have had ACs with MC and US firms whilst also having a VS last year! So it really depends more on the individual firm rather than the group!
     
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    Jessica Booker

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    Aug 1, 2019
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    I wanted an opinion on this also like if you have a 2.2 in second or third year and you average a 2.1 overall in your degree will you be a weaker candidate and lead to rejection mainly for US and MC firms I think @Jessica Booker will be the best to answer this if possible.
    Grades are definitely looked at closely.

    A overall 2.2 in your second or third year will not be ideal. Occasional module is fine, but a 2.2 average in a year will be a concern for many firms, even if you did average a 2.1 by the end of your degree.
     
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    MikSoroko

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    Feb 11, 2021
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    I wanted an opinion on this also like if you have a 2.2 in second or third year and you average a 2.1 overall in your degree will you be a weaker candidate and lead to rejection mainly for US and MC firms I think @Jessica Booker will be the best to answer this if possible.
    I don't necessarily agree - I lean towards the view that firms look at your applications holistically.

    For instance - I didn't do too well in one of my public law modules last year, and it dragged my grade down to a low 2.1, whereas I did well on the rest of them, namely contract, criminal and tort which I presume are the more important ones for some firms. I don't feel like it has hindered me, and I seem to be doing better with US firms which tend to have more stringent academic requirements.

    So I think firstly, sometimes it depends on which module you have done poorly in, but also the quality of the rest of your application, how well you score on the tests/WG etc.
     
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