Don't feel disheartened! It's a really though process and acceptance rate at almost every single firm is at 1-3% so it's extremely competitive... It isn't about you specifically, it's just that at the end of the day, we are say 2000 to apply to one firm and they only have 15 spots, even if you made it to the top 16, you wouldn't get a place, so it all goes down to luck sadly... At the end of the day, you only need one firm...
I don't have the answers to all of your questions, but what I do know is that, at least that's what I would do if I don't manage to secure anything, you could apply to University of Law (or BP university) and study their LLM in SQE 1 & 2, and subsequently pass the SQE in order to at least secure that... Now of course, having a training contract would be a lot more advantageous as they would fund your studies, but if you are financially able to, I think me personally that's what I am going to do... Because technically if you apply for a graduate visa (which is two years), it's going to run from the time you graduate from your LLB technically... So if you graduate in 2026, you'll have until 2028 to secure something... On the other hand, if you do the LLM, you 1) would've passed the SQE and 2) can apply at the end of your LLM for the Graduate Visa, so basically until 2029... (
BTW SOMEONE CORRECT ME IF I AM MISTAKEN IN THAT REGARD PLEASE, BECAUSE IDK IF IM 100% CORRECT)And then in the meantime, while passing the SQE and LLM, try to apply and also try to refine your applications further! PM me if you want, as I found a technique that really worked for me later on (which I wish I knew sooner and which helped me secure a VS at
HFW this summer)...
Again, don't be disheartened, it's really though and really really competitive, so it isn't specifically you! Also, depending on where you are originally from or where you live, perhaps you may also try to apply for some sort of legal experience (depends on where that is though because getting something in Dubai is a lot easier than getting something if you live in Germany or France for instance...)
PM me if you want!
EDIT: also, me personally I would recommend applying to VS instead of DTC unless you really have a lot of legal experience (advice given to me from a 2nd year trainee); unless the firm specifically says that you wouldn't be eligible to apply..
PS. I am re-reading this and realising that it doesn't necessarily make so much sense, so apologies