Hey [USER=36741]@hmevey[/USER] I can definitely emphasize with your struggles, but please try not to let the rejections dishearten you. In 2023, I was reject at first stage in every single one of my applications, and I begun wondering whether this may actually not be for me. Thoughts like "perhaps I am actually not good enough" were weighing heavily on me and I thought about giving up multiple times. But I did not, and 12 months later I was in a better position than I could have ever imagine, in having to choose between multiple great TC offers. The fundamental reason why that was possible was that I changed my mindset to one of 'if life hits you hard, hit back harder' - this way, I used all of the frustration, anxiety, and self-doubt to fuel an ever-increasing determination to do all it takes to succeed.
Now, as for concrete advice for your approach: I think at this stage of the cycle, the best possible thing you can do to maximize your success chances is to submit as many high quality applications as possible. I always say that applications are partly a numbers game - even the very best applicants get rejected a lot more than not, and some of my best applications were rejected at first stage. Thus, to succeed, you want to have as many horses in the race as possible. However, you also do not want to apply merely for the sake of a theoretical non-0 chance of succeeding. If your application is not written to an objectively high standard, you are simply wasting your time.
As such, tailor your applications. Make sure you have researched the firm properly (read through their website, Chambers Student Guide, Legal 500 and Chambers practice area rankings, the TCLA profile) and identify the firm's unique selling points - but do not research beyond a point of diminishing returns. Then write in a concise, structured, and to the point manner about those unique selling points, and do not forget to link them with your motivations and experiences. If you do this again and again, you will get better at it and your pace will increase as time passes. Finally, trust yourself, and know that if you can keep moving forward, you will succeed.
