to answer some of your questions...

1. culture does not differ drastically in terms of "big 4" vs. "non big 4". There is no magical cultural stratification between a big firm and a smaller-big firm; it is simply a matter of headcount. It all comes down to the nature of your practice area, your immediate superior, your deal/case workflow, and your team. Obviously, this does not apply to the really small firms (less than 10 lawyers?). But in terms of your immediate working environment, it is shaped by the team you are working in, and more specifically who you work under.

All big firms will work you to the bone. The nature of some practice groups are that they require longer hours than others. But there are always 2 sides to everything. You may be looking for work life balance, or you may thrive on being involved in many matters and putting in long hours, and learning lots of stuff.


2. all other things being equal, fit is the most important. it is true that a big 4 allows you to work on the biggest named deals around town, but value to your personal training may not necessarily be as impressive as it sounds. think of big firm trainees as a cog in the wheel, as compared to smaller firms where you are given more responsibilities. in a big-mid firm (i.e. say, within the top 10 by headcount), you are still a cog in the wheel, so go for the biggest if you really want to be a cog (i say this with no cynicism whatsoever - i am currently a cog). go to the place where you like the environment and people if you value happiness over prestige.

3. your grades matters most. and any other concrete examples of a sustained interest in a transactional environment, not merely "oh, i took a class on Mergers and Acquisitions last semester and i found it extremely interesting/glamorous/hot!". you will be asked to justify why you ranked the practice as your first choice, so ensure that you can back up your selection with some substance commensurate with the reality of being a student with no actual work experience whatsoever.

finally, i do note that the job market is rather bad for TC places now, given the ruckus raised in the legal community (mostly law students only). if you're applying now, i suppose you are in your penultimate year whether as a local or overseas law student. you need to ask yourself if you really are in a position to pick and choose. the law firms on the other hand, are in the position to cherry pick, and they've made no secret of their obvious delight at this state of affairs. i understand it will be tough. if your grades are stellar, you should have no worries.

P.S.: i'm too lazy to create an account so if you want some follow up on my answers, just quote me in this thread and i'll respond.