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When I first began thinking about designing my own college curriculum, I began to try and pinpoint just what exactly makes a small liberal arts college, like Bryn Mawr, so prestigious. Is it the actual courses one can take, or the impressive campus, or simply being surrounded by a multitude of brilliant and accomplished young scholars? Is it the credibility of the college's name, or a mixture of all of these things? After some thought and research, I think that all of these factors lend to the credibility of a school, and the degree to which graduating from such a school can actually help in the real world.

If I were to make my own curriculum, it would not be for a small and privileged liberal arts college. I would want to create a school that has just as much prestige and force that Bryn Mawr does, but for a school that does not revolve solely around academics. Though I am thoroughly enjoying myself at college, I am a firm believer that not everyone is destined to be a "scholar". I try to create an education for people who didn't necessarily want to be a doctor, or a philosopher or a lawyer, but rather an environment for the future generations of mechanics, construction designers, carpenters, plumbers, painters, etc. (jobs and careers that I find to be of equal importance). If I were to make such a curriculum for a liberal arts school of "trade", I think that I would need to find out what makes prestige, because I would want my students to graduate knowing that their degree would hold some weight in the real world. To find out about the "prestige" of other colleges and how I could use this information to create a top-notch curriculum, I checked out the following sources:

Farrell, Greg, and USA TODAY. "USATODAY.com - Does Harvard 'brand' matter anymore?." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. <http://www.usatoday.com/money/2005-06-06-harvard-usat_x.htm>.

This source is from USA Today, and ruminates over whether or not the name of the ivy schools, such as Harvard, really hold as much gumption as some people think it does. The answer to think question seems to be almost always yes. Giving first hand accounts from Harvard grads, it seems to be pretty obvious that being branded a "Harvardian" can get one very far in life. This article gives examples of Harvard graduates that became anything ranging from bankers, TV producers, consultants, and casting directors- all of whom are leading very successful lives because of their "brand".

Tobias, Andrew. "Should You Turn Down Harvard? No. For prestige and             powerful friends, an Ivy League diploma is worth the price. - September 10, 1990." Business, financial, personal finance news - CNNMoney.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. <http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/1990/09/10/86085/index.htm>.

This source also uses Harvard as an example of one of the prestigious educations available today. This article would come in handy when I begin to think about the economics of creating a curriculum for a college of Trade. This article claims that it is worth it to pay top dollar for an education from Harvard, especially because of all the invaluable connections one can make while being there. In this case, how would I structure the tuition for my school? I would never want to make it as pricey as the Ivies, but in order to get the prestige that I want for such a curriculum, sufficient funds are a must.

Arenson, Karen W.. "Why College Isn't for Everyone - The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2009. <http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/31/weekinreview/why-college-isn-t-for-everyone.html>.