Yeah guys, I'm sure Harvard is just catering to him because he worked for Bush. This makes the most sense, seeing how Ivey's absolutely LOVE conservatives and all. Just let it go. This kid is likely going to graduate from HBS, at which point you guys will go "well, he probably got preferential treatment." Later on he'll make more money than you, at which point people on here will likely say "well, if it weren't for Bush and his cronies, this kid would be bagging groceries." Just get over it, holy crap. If this was a Clinton aide none of yall would be saying anything...and you know it.

no, we would because he still doesn't have a bachelor's degree. you can't even get into the university of phoenix MBA program without one.

Horsefeathers.

Tell it to the hundreds or thousands of kids who are on the borderline at Harvard and don't get in -- the next one in line because this guy got a slot.

I really don't think there are hundreds of thousands of borderline kids...but ok. I think its probably reasonable to ask that a person have a degree, but its Harvard, and I imagine they spot ability better than I. If we're gonna go with the "tell that to the ones that don't get accepted" argument, I'm sure there are some people on the short side of the affirmative action stick that have similar complaints.

i figured you'd bring that up. this is the good ol boy system at it's best. talk about preferential treatment.

I didn't know presidential aides were a recognized minority.

Amen.

At the end of the day, a private school can accept whomever they please. So who cares? I hope we've all realized at this point that you don't learn much from your 4 years at undergrad, and that a college degree does not equal intelligence. Connections and general intelligence are the things that get you through life successfully. So who cares how he came by his Harvard MBA.

And... I can hardly believe that if you were an under-represented minority that you wouldn't be using it for all its worth to get ahead in academics! How is having a political connection any different?

And any of us critcizing the Good Ol Boy network makes me LOL-- Greeks, no matter if you are NPC, NIC, NPHC, etc., are the quintessential hope and dream of realizing the Good Ol Boy network. Aren't we constantly lauding the benefits of alumni networking to get ahead in life?

If the advantage is there, take it. If you don't someone else will and you'll be left in the cold asserting your moral sense of right to an empty room.

I learned a lot more by checking 8-10 news sources a day and traveling across the country than I did in 4 years of undergrad.

I have to agree with you on that. Connections can get you almost everywhere in life. Particularly connections to a high level political figure. Fair or not, that's the way it is.

There's something we can agree on, but that doesn't have a thing to do with putting a politically connected person into one of the most respected graduate schools in the country without an undergraduate degree.

It isn't fair to other applicants and it dilutes the worth of the university and the degree.

Well, it may not be fair, I don't know much about the kid. However, I can only imagine that being the personal assistant to Bush is quite the experience. Let the people who don't get into HBS be angry, but if the kid isn't ready, he probably won't cut it.

I don't agree with that. How is it any different than the idiotic son or daughter of a wealthy donor getting into Harvard based on their father's donations? One student doesn't change the reputation.

Well, this is slightly off the topic because the kid doesn't have a degree...but people get into top schools all the time because of other reasons than grades and test scores. GPA especially has very little bearing on success. There are a lot of brain-dead people in the world who blew through undergrad with a 3.98.

the point is that the kid didn't have a gpa in the first place. he's a freshman dropout. didn't do a sophomore, junior, or senior year.

I don't care if the person worked for Clinton or Bush (since I'm an Independent and don't think too highly of either President).

I'm tickled that shinerbock brought up Affirmative Action (again).