<p>Seems to me Harvard should be more concerned about its many graduates who have done more than their share to tank the economy.</p>
<p>Executive MBAs and short courses are a HUGE revenue driver for business schools. The people most concerned about how they (and their graduates) dilute a school’s MBA brand are those who went through the rigorous full-time program.</p>
<p>Tyra IS an astute businesswoman with a strong brand that she has built for years. Going on The View gives her great reach with her target market. Playing up the prima-donna model behavior is also part of her brand “story.”</p>
<p>This isn’t about Tyra, it’s about the applicant. It is my understanding that it important to have recommendations but much less important than her accomplishments and how the applicant expresses herself. Any recommendation perhaps short of the President of the University would be mere icing on what should be a well made cake.</p>
<p>I agree that the rec from Tyra won’t mean much–but it might help make that application a bit more memorable. And since it’s a recommendation based on an actual achievement–and not on being Tyra’s manicurist’s kid or something–I don’t see how it could hurt.</p>
<p>Hey, I bet Harvard Biz wishes every graduate (and yes, I realize Tyra doesn’t qualify as a real graduate … I get that) was as successful as Tyra Banks. That woman is nobody’s fool. She is a smart businesswoman and knows exactly what she is doing, and more power to her.</p>
<p>"Someone I know was on the set with her before, during, and after shooting a series. Everything bad you hear about her is true. "</p>
<p>Funny. I also know someone who worked with her and they became friends. This person said she couldn’t have been any more accommodating or genuine to everyone, not just the other stars.</p>
<p>A rec letter from Tyra Banks “couldn’t hurt.” This young lady has done some fantastic work. I would guess her acceptance to Harvard would depend on her total application. A personal letter from Ms Banks wouldn’t make up for other serious deficiencies. </p>
<p>As far as the Harvard MBA program, if they were really worried about their credibility would they have admitted GW Bush’s butler (or whatever he was) into the MBA program without an undergraduate degree?</p>
<p>I do like how Tyra has spoken out against pressure for models to starve themselves, but i think the young woman will gain admittance to college on her own merits, not because she gained the notice of a celebrity.</p>
<p>I may be cynical, but I think that admissions might be affected by a “Isn’t she the one who…?” factor. Adcoms read a lot of applications, and I have to wonder if even something fairly inane might make a student more memorable (for good or bad).</p>