Can The Presitigious Reputation of A College Determine How Successful You'll Be Afterwards in Life?

I remember sitting in the 40 Acres Art Gallery with an associate last fall. We were talking about education. He asked me what college I wanted to go to in the fall. I proudly stated CSU Fresno. He shook his head at me, like I was pathetic. Than he said, "You're not going to Fresno State." I looked at him and asked, "Why not?" He replied, "Because it's not on that level of the prestigious schools." I couldn't believe it. I've been wanting to go to Fresno State since I was a freshman in high school. But as it appears to others, it should be out of the question just because it's not another Harvard or Princeton? How can a degree from Harvard get me any farther in life than a degree from Fresno State? My whole thing is, it is up to you to make the most out of your degree whichever school you decide to go to. It doesn't even matter if you obtain an Associate's degree from a city college. Just like you don't necessarily have to go to college to be successful in life, you don't have to go to a prestigious college to obtain a degree that is not going to guarantee you anything if you don't know what you want to do with it.