"Harvard is hot!" the 26-year-old celebrity heiress said Wednesday as she picked up the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine's "Woman of the Year" award in front of the Lampoon castle.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine standing here, standing on the steps of the Harvard Lampoon. It's really exciting and I've had such a great time," said Hilton, who stars as an attractive best friend to an ugly duckling in the film "The Hottie & the Nottie," which opens Friday.

Hilton, who arrived an hour late for the festivities, told the crowd of about 100 people who greeted her that her "Simple Life" co-star Nicole Ritchie was with her, then added: "Just kidding."

The Lampoon award is a spoof of the annual honors given by Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. The nation's oldest undergraduate drama troupe planned to present its "Woman of the Year" award to Charlize Theron on Thursday. "Man of the Year" Christopher Walken will be honored Feb. 15.

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On the Net:

Harvard Lampoon:

http://www.harvardlampoon.com/

"The Hottie & the Nottie":

http://www.thehottieandthenottie.com