Was my SA offer a fluke?

[johnnyman]

Hello all. I have been lurking here for a long time, but never really had a question till now. I am a 2nd year student at a tier 2 school. I have very good work experience, but my first year grades put me in the bottom half of my class.

I had about 16-20 screening interviews. I only got one callback, and that turned into an offer for a summer position at a biglaw firm that pays the huge starting salary.

For people that get SA positions, how unusual is it to get only one callback and that turn into a biglaw offer? I'm wondering if that's happened to anyone else. Is it really possible that they just didn't look that closely at my transcript or resume (I disclosed my grades and my rank on my resume)? I know, that's impossible, but still...

I would have thought that if I was good enough to get an SA offer, I would have at least picked up some other callback interviews. But if I'm getting dinged by all the other firms right after the screening interviews, how the heck did I get an SA offer? I'm happy, I have taken it, but something just seems off here....What do you all think of this? Thanks!

[jacy85]

This firm may simply have really liked something on your resume to give you a screening interview, even though your grades were below the cut-off.  Additionally, the person who interviewed you must have really liked you, and fought to give you a callback (it's the interviewers pretty much sole decision on who gets callbacks).  Finally, at least a few people fought for you again to get an offer.  AT the other firms, you maybe just didn't have the personal connection, or they didn't see anything in particular worth making an exception to the grade cut-off, etc.

It's an uphill battle if your grades are below the cut off, so you really impressed someone.  Congrats!

[thorc954]

Are you a URM?  That is always a possibility as well, as sometimes firms really need to fill a slot?   I am convinced FRP is completely random anyway though, so who knows.  Good luck though, and congrats   Everyone always says, all you need is one callback and one offer, and I guess that happened.

[vivi2]

They say that all it takes is one offer and you seem to have nailed your big chance...congrats

[HRoark81]

They could still no-offer you at the end of the summer (although it seems unlikely).

[juliemccoy]

I would have thought that if I was good enough to get an SA offer, I would have at least picked up some other callback interviews. But if I'm getting dinged by all the other firms right after the screening interviews, how the heck did I get an SA offer? I'm happy, I have taken it, but something just seems off here....What do you all think of this? Thanks!

You should know better, having had work experience, that employers often use very subjective criteria in selecting whom to interview and whom to hire. Your grades probably kept you out of your other OCI bids, but this particular employer likely used more subjective criteria to select its candidates.

It's great the you have the SA opportunity. It only takes one offer, after all, and you have a summer plan that has the potential to set you up with a job or a great referral for after graduation.

Good luck. Work your tail off this summer, learn all that you can, network and see how you like this firm as a potential first job.