As a 29-year old Harvard (College) grad, I agree that "what you've done outside of an academic environment" is more important than the prestige of the degree it

As a 29-year old Harvard (College) grad, I agree that "what you've done outside of an academic environment" is more important than the prestige of the degree itself. However, I've been surprised that the prestige of the degree has continued to be important throughout my career. My experience is that it doesn't go away. And the H-bomb has a negative effect on social relationships. Not generally professional ones.