Was Dartmouth essential for me? No.

Do I still consider it an advantage? Yes. I think it's an advantage that I went to a school of legitimate repute (as opposed to those idiots at Bennington), and it doesn't hurt to remind people that the CEO of General Electric is also an alum.

You go wherever inspires you, where you think you will fit in. If you're tending towards exploring counterculture, you choose Berkeley over Princeton. If you're a genius and you live in Minneapolis, you might choose Carelton over Brown. I knew I would never fit in at Harvard and never bothered inquiring. I wonder how my life would have turned out differently had I chosen Pomona, Occidental, Duke or Arizona (my choices). Then I just put my feet up on my desk and have a Fresca.