<p>What you have to realize is that 25 and 55 have only one purpose, from the department’s point of view: to keep irritating freshmen out of upper-level courses. Sweating over which one you get into is like sweating over which line you wait in at airport security. There’s no use in it, because it’s mainly a time-wasting exercise and the stuff you really want is on the other end.</p>
<p>I had a few friends in each of the classes, two of whom I have more or less kept in touch with. Both did PhD’s, the 25er at a slightly higher-ranked program, the 55er at a more prestigious overall institution. Neither one landed a TT job. The 25er is in now industrial research, the 55er teaches high school. </p>
<p>Admit rates for both classes to prestige graduate programs are very high? How high? I don’t know. Ask the department, which is really what you should be doing anyways rather than making stories up in your mind and hyperventilating about them.</p>
<p>On another note, you have a real talent for eliciting negative reactions from people. It’s kind of impressive. If you found a way to channel that talent rather than exercising it randomly because you were bored or depressed or whatever, it could be a real asset to you. Have you seen any of Andy Kaufman’s stuff?</p>