Come in if you are "successful" today but didn't go to an elite school

[Anonymous]

Successful meaning financially or otherwise (maybe you're at the tippy top of a lowly paid field), do you still feel insecure about where you went to college?

I'm in my early twenties, just starting out. So many people say that it's what you do after school that matters most and that makes sense to me, logically speaking. But then I see posts from people saying they make a small fortune (high six figures/low seven) and still feel insecure about where they went to college. I'm just wondering how common that is.

[Anonymous]

I went to a random liberal arts college in California for undergrad and then a top grad school. I don't understand why people are so concerned about undergrad because grad school is the most important.

[Anonymous]

Big Ten all the way. I feel fine about it. People tend to underestimate me, which often works to my advantage.

[Anonymous]

I went to a larger state school and then a second tier law school. Despite these credentials, I've managed to do rather well for myself!

[Anonymous]

I went to UC Davis even though I got into UC Berkeley. I had a scholarship to Davis but also it was just a better fit. No regrets, and also no one cares now that I'm in my late 30s and at the top of my second career (did fine in my first career but changed paths at age 30). I am in a position to hire and would rather see a candidate who did well in school and wrote a great application, than a candidate who went to a "name." Also, people kid themselves that schools are known nationally: there is always weight given to the local school even if it's not ranked. Most employers in CA have never heard of the East coast privates.

[Anonymous]

DH has been nominated for a Nobel prize. Really. (Many more people are nominated than win but it is a major honor). He did not go to an elite school and would talk about it every month or two. Admittedly it is unusual at his level.

About a year ago I asked him jokingly whether at his Nobel prize acceptance speech he is going to be talking about how MIT rejected him. Haven't heard about it since but maybe he is still talking about it with someone else instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Big Ten all the way. I feel fine about it. People tend to underestimate me, which often works to my advantage.

People actually know/care where you went to school? Are you 23?

[Anonymous]

Went to a small D1 school in NY on an athletic scholarship and an SEC school for law school. I'm not highly paid, but I have zero student loan debt which enables me to stay at my local government job where I am very happy and feel fulfilled and happy every day (not to mention really awesome hours, days off, and a pension). I realize this is not the dream for a lot of people but I love being known around my community and seeing an immediate impact from my work.

[Anonymous]

I turned down two elites for a second-tier school that offered a full scholarship--important as I was paying my own way. I wouldn't say I'm insecure about not attending a top school, but it does annoy me how readily people in DC will judge my abilities based on my alma mater. I was super-successful in my career, fwiw, and am now in my 50s and retired.

[Anonymous]

I went to an Ivy (lower tier back then) but honestly the most "successful" people from my small town are not those who went to the fanciest universities. Great people skills seem to pay off better in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Big Ten all the way. I feel fine about it. People tend to underestimate me, which often works to my advantage.

People actually know/care where you went to school? Are you 23?

40. Lawyer. Listed in bios. A pretty snotty profession.

[Anonymous]

I went to state schools all the way. No one ever, ever asks where I went. I don't know if I'm "successful" in the way that you mean but I work in medicine and generally feel respected by my peers. I work with people who went to Harvard and seem to feel it was a waste.

I make a 6-figure salary although that's not unusual for what I do.

[Anonymous]

Both my husband and I went to the same Big 10 school undergrad. You're right, when we were young we used to run into a lot of snobbery AND we even run into it now again as our kids are applying to / attending college.

But did it stand in our way? No. Are we proud of our school? You betcha! Do we fly our flag on game days? Yup.

I'm not sure if it ever bothered us that people were snobby snots about their elite schools and looked down on our Big 10 pedigree. We attended a school we loved, we thrived there and we have been successful in life beyond our wildest dreams. We have no complaints and would do it all again.

My advice to you, OP, if you encounter people who are snobbish about their school is for you to own it for your school. Don't let little people with little minds negatively impact the way that you talk about your school. Hopefully, in matriculating there, you made the best choice you could under the circumstances you had.

Keep in mind, that people can be like wolf packs when they sense weakness. So the more robustly and happily you talk about your non-elite school the less inclined the pack will be to attack you and the more likely they will be to go after easier prey.

[Anonymous]

I dumped an abusive guy going to Yale and later married someone extordinarily kind and smart who graduated from Boston University. The guy who was going to Yale ultimately dropped out. My husband worked in big law for a while before leaving and starting his own firm. I highly doubt my husband is insecure because of where he went to college or law school.

[Anonymous]

I went to a no name middling school in the midwest. I have several national awards in my field and am generally considered quite successful. I actually sort of like to brag about my humble education when the college snobs get started. Same goes for the car I drive, an older Honda Accord.