I had the same experience of underestimating the competitiveness, getting shocked by the rejections, and recalibrating - so I thought I'd share what worked better for me.
3. I spent a lot more time understanding different firms' key practices and USPs before I started my next application cycle. I figured if I applied to firms with similar practice areas and similar application styles, I'd get a lot better at writing. So I figured for instance, that I liked US firms and private equity -> narrowed down to the ones with fewer practices and offices because I also liked the 'leaner' outfits, etc. This helped me (1) articulate my motivations for the firm and for one of their practices (private equity) a lot better, and also (2) get better at the apps generally because they were quite similar. I didn't for instance need to spend time practicing Watson Glaser because none of my firms had it.
It might work to apply to both MC and US firms, I'm sure many have done it, but its still really helpful to understand the USPs - even among MC firms and US firms there's a lot of differences. For example, at the Kirkland AC the partners outright said 'we're not Latham' and asked us which other firms we're applying to, I think to precisely to see how well we understood these differences.
In terms of how to understand the differences: virtual events/open days and then following up on LinkedIn with the solicitors at the event. I attended a lot of events and some were far more helpful than others (Willkie's for instance are really good) but if you also message trainees afterwards, some of them can be very kind with their time, and a conversation helps a lot. There's also some good gems on TCLA if you use the search bar wisely.
4. I still applied to only ~6 firms. Personally, I didn't believe its a number's game, because if I had more selective criteria for the firms I was applying to, I'd care more about them -> put in more time and effort -> could produce a tailored, high-quality application. So I made an entire spreadsheet comparing firms on my criteria and narrowed down. By the time I'd done this I was actually interested in writing apps for the firms I'd chosen.
But that's just my individual preference for deep-diving - if you feel you can do a lot more applications, it also helps because your application improves each time (and it is, to some extent, a number's game - I've seen many people apply to 15-20 and be successful because you just need the one). I'd say strategise based on how you work best and what will motivate you more
.2. There's paid detailed review services including at TCLA, CLA and NCL. I'm not an expert by any means but if you'd just like a fresh pair of eyes I'm happy to go through something on PM.
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