Leading a conversation with “I’m the quarterback of the high school football team” is a good sign that you’re having some current success. But, “Twenty years ago, I was a great high school quarterback” is a sign that you’re living in the past. And maybe even an indicator that you haven’t done much worth talking about since then.
A recent college grad might sound great telling people they went to Princeton, Georgetown, Stanford, or another highly selective school. But every subsequent year, that tidbit will resonate less like an accomplishment worthy of pride and more like an attempt to hang on to past glory.
As you get older, people will care less about where you went to college and more about the trail you’ve left behind since then. And great trails start from plenty of colleges that aren’t famous.