In the job market, it won't matter whether we were popular in high school. Just as professors don't care whether a paper is printed in color, they will not care if we wear the 'right' clothes. Being known as 'good kids' will not help us succeed in college. All that will be important is who we really are on the inside, and what we are capable of bringing to the world. For if you do not have substance and a strong soul, no gimmick can save you.
Image also determines social relationships in high school.
We all have established places in high school society. A lot of us have known each other for thirteen years. We think we know each other by now. Over the years, we have formed ideas of who we think others are. Each of us has a certain image in the eyes of others.