How Does OCI Bidding Work?

How Bidding Works

If your school uses bidding, it gives you a limited number of preferences to allocate among participating employers. The number of bids and the matching method vary. Some schools use a lottery, others allow employer selection, and some use a hybrid.

The basic idea is that you signal which employers you want to interview with, and the program assigns slots under its published rules. Yale's January OCI, for example, describes a lottery based on student rankings and availability and does not permit employer prescreening. That is one model, not a national rule.

Not every bid results in an interview. That's the game.

Deadlines have moved earlier at many schools, but there is no safe generic month. Read the current program instructions before building a bid list; an old calendar can be wrong even when the overall strategy is sound.

Types of Bids

Most schools split bids into two categories:

Lottery bids. These are assigned under the school's lottery rules rather than direct employer prescreening. Read the weighting rules before assuming that every student has an identical chance.

Employer-selected interviews. In programs that permit prescreening, the employer reviews application materials and chooses interviewees. Use these applications where your credentials and interests align with the office and role.

The exact terminology varies by school, but the concept is the same everywhere.

Building Your Bid List

Here's where most students mess up: they bid emotionally, not strategically.

Tier your firms. Before bidding, sort your target firms into three buckets:

1. Reaches, firms where your GPA or school rank makes it a stretch. Use lottery bids here.
2. Targets, firms where you're competitive. Mix of lottery and pre-select.
3. Likelies, firms where your numbers are strong for their hiring patterns. Pre-selects are smart here.

Don't waste bids. Every bid on a firm you wouldn't actually accept an offer from is a bid you didn't spend on a firm you care about. Be honest with yourself.

Research the firms. Check out the firm directory to compare practice areas, office locations, and culture. Use Gold Stars to flag your top choices as you research.

Common Bidding Mistakes

• Bidding only on V10 firms. If your GPA doesn't scream top-of-class, spreading all your bids across the most selective firms is a fast path to zero interviews.
• Ignoring geographic preferences. Firms notice when your resume says "Chicago" but you're bidding on every New York office.
• Not using all your bids. Every unused bid is a wasted opportunity.
• Herd mentality. Just because everyone else is bidding on a firm doesn't mean you should. Find firms that align with what you actually want.

The Numbers Game

Be realistic. If you have 15 bids, a reasonable spread might look like: 3-4 reaches, 6-8 targets, 3-4 likelies. Adjust based on your school and credentials.

The goal is to walk out of bidding with 8-15 screener interviews at firms you'd genuinely consider working at.

Start your research now. Browse the firm directory, compare your options, and go into bidding with a plan, not a prayer.