My Hopeless TC Journey :')

[optimistic_undergrad]

Hello to everyone reading this! After reading a few TC journeys, I am somewhat convinced that I should post a thread of my own. So please bear with me T_T.

I have been applying for VS and TC since last fall. It was my step towards a world of struggle that I was completely unaware of at that time. The struggle of applying over and over only to get rejected. Although I have been rejected left, right, and centre, I am still not losing hope. I have read threads of people who have applied for TC in more than two or three cycles and have finally got offers. I am hopeful that if I keep my consistency alive, I might also get a decent TC offer.

Well, I forgot to tell you a bit about my background. I am an international applicant. Yes, I am not a UK citizen. I am a law student and have been pursuing my undergrad from outside the UK. The legal system in my country follows the common law, and hence, there are many similarities between our laws and UK laws. Nonetheless, I want to qualify as a commercial solicitor. To be specific, I want to become a corporate lawyer. Since I am an international applicant, I am not eligible to apply to more than half of the law firms in the UK. This drastically limits my options. However, it also helps me to filter out many law firms, allowing me to focus my time and efforts on applications for a decent number of law firms rather than an exorbitant number of law firms.

In the 2024-2025 cycle, I applied to the following law firms:​

1. Herbert Smith Freehills (Internship)​
2. Clifford Chance (TC)​
3. Wilkie Farr & Gallagher (VS)​
4. Linklaters (TC)​
5. CMS (TC)​
6. Freshfields (TC)​
7. Kirkland & Ellis (TC)​
8. Sidley Austin (VS)​
9. Hogan Lovells (TC)​
10. Ashurst (TC)​

For most of the applications, I have received rejection emails. Awaiting a response from Hogan Lovells. Although I am pretty sure it is going to be a rejection cuz it has been over a couple of months since the deadline passed, and the quality of my application was not that good imo. I applied for the TC at Ashurst just a few days ago and will be receiving the psychometric test tomorrow. I am a bit hopeful with my application at Ashurst cuz I did a hell lot of research.

From this cycle, there were many learnings for me. I applied to just around 10 firms, which is not a healthy amount of number, and the worst part is that despite applying to a small number of firms, my application quality was poor to say the least. I can attribute this failure to the fact that I was completely new to this process and was not aware of many things. Moreover, I had no mentor or resource to get help from. Over the past 5-6 months, I have learnt a lot and I am hoping to not repeat a single mistake. That's why I have decided to start preparing for the 2025-2026 cycle from spring itself. I am aiming to apply to at least 20-25 law firms with quality applications. I will be taking part in as many virtual events as possible and networking with as many people as possible. I can't apply for most of the VS being an international applicant as I won't get a visa sponsorship, and therefore, I will need to limit my applications mostly for direct TC.

I will try my best to keep this thread alive with every update regarding my applications. I plan to purchase the TCLA gold membership 1-2 months before the start of this year's cycle. I hope to receive a bit of help from the community as well, so if you have any suggestions or advice, please let me know!

Fingers crossed.😖​

 

[optimistic_undergrad]

So today is the last day to submit the app for Baker McKenzie DTC, but I have decided not to continue with the app. Even though from what I have researched so far about the firm, I've understood that there was a very good chance that I could've been given an option for virtual AC. Unfortunately, I am left with no energy to sit with another app. The little energy left within me has to be directed toward the Cappfinity Assessment for Ashurst's DTC app.😩😩

Looking forward, I have to figure out whether I am eligible to apply for the DTC at Fried Frank as an international candidate. I reached out to the grad recruit but got no response. Idk how I can clear my doubt now, so if someone has any idea about this, please let me know.🥹​

 

[optimistic_undergrad]

It has been about a week since I shared an update on this thread. I have completed the Cappfinity Assessment that was sent to me by Ashurst. It had a Watson Glaser Test as a part of the Critical Thinking Assessment. I am quite good with Watson Glasers, so I am hopeful to have passed at least that part of the assessment. Not sure about the Situational Judgment Test part of the assessment.🤒

Still waiting for an update on the outcome of the DTC from Hogan Lovells. Not having much hope, but also getting anxious thinking about the outcome.😭😭

There's not much development that is going to happen in this month as the 2024-25 cycle is slowly coming to an end, and most firms are done with their applications. The only two firms left for this cycle are Fried Frank and White & Case (at least the ones that I am aiming to apply to). So I am pretty much done with this cycle, and currently I am more focused on applying to band 1 law firms in my country. If I get a good internship at one such firm, I'll get to build my legal experience even further, which will later aid my applications for the next cycle.📈📈📈

It is a pretty long way for me. At least that's how it seems from where I am standing. * sigh *

 

[Andrei Radu]

It has been about a week since I shared an update on this thread. I have completed the Cappfinity Assessment that was sent to me by Ashurst. It had a Watson Glaser Test as a part of the Critical Thinking Assessment. I am quite good with Watson Glasers, so I am hopeful to have passed at least that part of the assessment. Not sure about the Situational Judgment Test part of the assessment.🤒

Still waiting for an update on the outcome of the DTC from Hogan Lovells. Not having much hope, but also getting anxious thinking about the outcome.😭😭

There's not much development that is going to happen in this month as the 2024-25 cycle is slowly coming to an end, and most firms are done with their applications. The only two firms left for this cycle are Fried Frank and White & Case (at least the ones that I am aiming to apply to). So I am pretty much done with this cycle, and currently I am more focused on applying to band 1 law firms in my country. If I get a good internship at one such firm, I'll get to build my legal experience even further, which will later aid my applications for the next cycle.📈📈📈

It is a pretty long way for me. At least that's how it seems from where I am standing. * sigh *

Hi @optimistic_undergrad I just came across your posts and wanted to say that I think you have exactly the right approach and mindset to succeed in applications. I have also only faced rejections left, right, and center in my first cycle; but I did not even realise how much this process taught me. When I started my second cycle, I came in better prepared, knowing how to research firms, how to work on commercial awareness, how to improve my applications writing, and how to plan my efforts effectively. Thus, I ended up submitting many more applications than before, and each of them was significantly better written compared to before.

I had also managed to complete an internship at a firm in my home country, which definitely helped me both at applications stage and in interviews - so, I think you should definitely also go for that (although I wouldn't necessarily limit my applications to band 1 firms). Overall, I just wanted to say I think you are on the right track to turn your fates around just like I did - so stick with it and keep us updated on your journey !

 

[optimistic_undergrad]

Hi @optimistic_undergrad I just came across your posts and wanted to say that I think you have exactly the right approach and mindset to succeed in applications. I have also only faced rejections left, right, and center in my first cycle; but I did not even realise how much this process taught me. When I started my second cycle, I came in better prepared, knowing how to research firms, how to work on commercial awareness, how to improve my applications writing, and how to plan my efforts effectively. Thus, I ended up submitting many more applications than before, and each of them was significantly better written compared to before.

I had also managed to complete an internship at a firm in my home country, which definitely helped me both at applications stage and in interviews - so, I think you should definitely also go for that (although I wouldn't necessarily limit my applications to band 1 firms). Overall, I just wanted to say I think you are on the right track to turn your fates around just like I did - so stick with it and keep us updated on your journey !

Thank you so much @Andrei Radu for the encouraging words! I really hope that what you are saying is true and my approach possibly allows me to attain the success I badly want. It is even more personal for me as there are so many odds for an international candidate. I am not from an elite law school, nor even from a school of a similar nature in my home country. It feels like I have to move mountains to land up at a UK law firm, and that is exactly what I plan to do.😤🔥

Therefore, I have decided that I will put in every relevant detail of my journey in this thread (without busting my anonymity). I hope such a detailed journey would definitely help others to understand the actual things that need to be done if I somehow succeed in getting a TC at a dream firm. And even if I am not, then also this will come across as a guide of what all is needed to be avoided so that someone doesn't end up failing like me (I really don't wish to be on this side though 😭 ).​