I ended up applying for the direct TC, because you never know whether they see something special in your application or not, or perhaps a trait/a similarity with their firm they are looking for specifically (obviously, tailoring your application to Mayer Brown as much as you can is a must). Also, their application form was fairly simple compared to those having multiple additional questions, it's just your academics and work experience basically, so it went pretty quickly.Does anyone have any thoughts on applying to Mayer Brown for a direct TC?
Their FAQs suggest the following: "we strongly recommend that you apply for a Vacation Scheme rather than directly for a Training Contract; the vast majority of our Training Contracts each year are offered to high-performing participants on our Vacation Schemes so that is definitely the most effective way to secure a Training Contract with us".
It seems that they favour VS applicants, so why bother having a direct TC route? Is it worth applying for a direct TC (VS deadline passed)?
@axelbeugre @Jessica Booker - what are your thoughts?
This said, if your goal is to secure a TC as fast as you can, it might not be the best choice for you, statistically speaking. And clearly, even though most firms claim that they welcome applicants with a 2.2 with extenuating circumstances or limited legal experience, this is not a situation where you could get away without stellar grades, extracurriculars and work experience. I doubt that they would consider a direct TC application that has any flaws, considering that their primary preference is vac schemers.