Gave CLAT a few weeks back and the first allotment list was released yesterday. Looks like the probability of me getting a seat in a t1 nlu is slim to none. Comparing CLAT 2023's allotment lists gave me a bit of clarity tho. I have a fair chance in securing a general seat in a t2 NLU. Won't name the institution but by the time I graduate in 2029, it would have completed almost 25 years of it's establishment. Now ofcourse I know many would suggest me to go for slsp or jindal but I really don't want my parents to go through the grilling financial pressure. Moreover I want to pursue an llm from abroad or a good t1 nlu as I have a keen interest in legal academia and want to specialise in certain areas of law (my family does possess the necessary financial backing but I don't wanna exhaust that during my undergrad). Coming to my main question, is hardwork and passion enough for providing me a stage to build my CV on? A CV which will allow me to maybe apply for foreign LLM programmes or apply for corporate jobs in good firms for the necessary work experience before going for my masters. Or is graduating from a t1 nlu compulsory for having a good start in your career? Please be brutally honest as there are already a ton of sugarcoated answers out there.