Necessarily, no, but in practice likely: - The qualifying exams are likely to be easier than at top tier universities; - The faculty will be more accustomed t

Necessarily, no, but in practice likely: - The qualifying exams are likely to be easier than at top tier universities; - The faculty will be more accustomed to weak students with little motivation. Not all students will be weak, and indeed many students, at whatever program, will be strong and motivated. However, weaker programs are more likely to take chances on applicants with ambiguous track records. - That said, it's certainly possible that individual professors, at whatever institution, decide that they aren't willing to put up with any shit.