Sometimes, it's hard to remember that most celebrities had at least a solid two decades of normal life before they became famous. Sure, there's the odd exception of celebrities who were child stars, but for the most part, celebs grew up, went to school, and many went off to college, just like the rest of us. Some finished their degree and went on to the entertainment industry, others dropped out without finishing because they realized the whole acting thing was going far better than they had anticipated.
Either way, they went on to become total A-Listers — so it's tough to imagine them sharing a house with a ton of other students after pledging a sorority. However, you'd be surprised just how many celebrities were all about Greek life back in their college days.
Now, we have to admit — most of these celebrities aren't too involved in their sororities anymore, on account of their insanely busy schedules. However, we wouldn't put it past them to attend the odd mixer every now and then, just to get back in touch with their Greek roots. After all, you don't want to forget the alphabet! Plus, sorority sisters are sisters for life — why not allow some of them to meet one of their super famous sisters?
Here are 20 celebs who were in a sorority during college — and 5 who opted out.
20 Celebs Who Were Surprisingly In A Sorority:
25 Jenna Dewan Was A Pi Beta Phi At Sunny USC
Jenna Dewan always seems to perky — and, if you've seen her on any talk shows, you may know that she used to be a cheerleader back in high school. So, it kind of makes sense that she'd decide to pledge a sorority when it came time to hit college.
Plus, she was from Texas, and we all know sororities are even more popular in southern states.
So, when she spent some time at the sunny University of Southern California, she ended up becoming a member of Pi Beta Phi.
24 Julia Louis-Dreyfus Spent A Year As A Delta Gamma At Northwestern University
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was only a student at Northwestern University for a year before she dropped out to focus on acting full time. However, in that one year, she managed to pledge a sorority and become a sister at Delta Gamma.
We have to admit — we're majorly jealous of all the Delta Gamma sisters out there who get to claim her as one of their own because she's truly in an entirely different league than the rest of us. Hilarious, talented, what more could you ask for?
23 Country Superstar Carrie Underwood Became A Sigma Sigma Sigma At Northeastern State And Still Stays In Touch With Her Sisters
If the sororities at Northeastern State University put on any talent shows during the time Carrie Underwood was a sister there, we have a feeling they would have gotten a glimpse at a star in the making.
Back when she was a student, Carrie was also a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma.
And, even though she's since become an A-list superstar with countless hits on the country charts, she makes it a priority to stay in touch with other Sigma Sigma Sigma sisters across the country, which is pretty amazing.
22 Elizabeth Banks Used Her Time As A Delta Delta Delta To Inspire 'Pitch Perfect'
The characters in Pitch Perfect may not have been members of a formal sorority, but they were pretty much the same thing — later in the franchise, they all lived together in an all-female house. Well, it turns out, a lot of the relationships between characters were inspired by Elizabeth Banks' own sorority days.
It turns out, when she was a student at the University of Pennsylvania, she was also a sister in the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She even spilled to Scot Campus that "I used my own experiences as a sorority girl in university to inform all these girls living together in a house."
21 Sophia Bush Was The Social Chair For Kappa Kappa Gamma At USC
Sophia Bush has definitely transformed over the years. Fans got to know and love her as the incomparable Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill, and since then she's gone on to sustain her career as an actress while also becoming a devoted activist for a number of causes she believes in.
Maybe her college experience prepared her since she juggled activities as a Social Chair at Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Southern California!
It's a lot for any person to handle, but she does it with grace, maybe thanks to her college days.
20 Kristin Chenoweth Showed Off Her Pipes At Gamma Phi Beta At Oklahoma City University
To be perfectly honest, we'd give just about anything to see Kristin Chenoweth appear in a project where she played an older sorority sister or even a sorority house mother — she just captures that stereotypical bubbly sorority personality so well!
We have no trouble believing that while she was studying at Oklahoma City University, she ended up pledging Gamma Phi Beta and becoming a sorority sister. You know she probably gave incredible impromptu performances, stunning her sisters with her amazing voice.
19 Smart Cookie Connie Britton Pledged Sigma Kappa While She Was At Dartmouth
Even though Connie Britton is a successful actress now with multiple successful television shows under her belt, including Friday Night Lights and Nashville, she's not one of the many actresses who dropped out of university before actually getting their degree.
Connie finished all her years at Dartmouth, and in addition to studying abroad and hitting the books, she pledged Sigma Kappa while she was there.
Now, the question is, do her sorority sisters get access to all her haircare tips? It would be worth pledging Sigma Kappa for that alone!
18 Angela Kinsey Spent Time As A Chi Omega At Baylor University
Many people really only know Angela Kinsey from her most iconic role-playing the stern Angela Martin on The Office. We can't imagine someone like Angela Martin pledging any kind of sorority.
However, in real life, Kinsey is a whole lot more bubbly than the character she plays on screen, so it makes sense that she'd take the time to pledge Chi Omega while she was studying at Baylor University. She seems like the type who'd be perfect to have late night conversations in the communal living room with.
17 A-Lister Jennifer Garner Majored In Theatre At Denison University — And Was Also A Pi Beta Phi
There's something about Jennifer Garner that always just seems inherently encouraging. Perhaps it's the wide smile, perhaps it's the fact that she's a mom, perhaps it's the fact that she always seems so sweet and genuine in interviews — she just seems like the type who would give you the perfect pep talk if you needed one.
We imagine she might have taken on that role a time or two at Denison University when she pledged Pi Beta Phi.
She also majored in theater at the University in preparation for her acting career.
16 Lucy Liu Became A Chi Omega At The University Of Michigan
Lucy Liu may live in sunny California now that she's a successful actress, but back when she was just a college student, she spent her time in frosty Michigan at the University of Michigan. And, during her time there, she was a member of Chi Omega.
She seems like the kind of intriguing sister who would constantly pull random skills or knowledge out of nowhere, surprising everyone — there's just something about her that makes you think she must be insanely cool in person.
15 Sheryl Crow Was In Not Just One, But Three Sororities During Her Time At The University Of Missouri — Kappa Alpha Theta, Omicron Delta Kappa And Sigma Alpha Iota
We're not sure how much of a connection Sheryl Crow has to her sorority roots because, well, she actually pledged three different sororities during her time at the University of Missouri.
For a short time, Sheryl was in Kappa Alpha Theta, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Sigma Alpha Iota.
We're not sure if she just wanted to experience the different houses or if she simply couldn't commit, but bouncing from one sisterhood to another is definitely not something you see too often.
14 Sela Ward Was A Southern Belle Pledging Chi Omega At The University Of Alabama
Sela Ward definitely isn't the first actress that pops into our mind when we think of Southern actresses, but it turns out she was born in Mississippi and ended up attending college at the University of Alabama.
While she was there, she was super involved in campus life, becoming a cheerleader as well as pledging the sorority Chi Omega. We wonder if any of her sisters at the time would have guessed she'd end up becoming a famous actress — it must be so strange to see her on the big screen now!
13 The Epic Ruth Bader Ginsburg Was An Alpha Epsilon Phi — You Know, Before She Sat On The Supreme Court
For anyone who incorrectly assumes that sororities aren't filled with anyone who is extremely intelligent, there's only one thing you need to know — the incomparable Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in a sorority.
That's right — before she started slaying in her career and earning herself a seat at the Supreme Court, the esteemed judge was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi.
At the time, she was just trying to get her degree and form a sisterhood with some of her fellow students. Crazy! We just can't even imagine what it must have been like to be housemates with her.
12 Before Becoming A Reality Television Star, Whitney Port Was A Kappa Alpha Theta At USC
Many reality television fans know Whitney Port from her time on The Hills, and later her own reality show, The City. However, before she was on camera and eventually spun her reality television success into a more lasting career, she was a gender studies major at the sunny University of California.
And, though she was born and raised in Los Angeles, she still wanted to find new friends at college, so she joined Kappa Alpha Theta during her time at school.
11 Molly Sims Became A True Southern Belle By Pledging Delta Delta Delta At Vanderbilt University
Honestly, Molly Sims is pretty much the type of woman who comes to mind when you think of a sorority sister who's been successful years after graduating. She just always looks so flawless and blonde and gorgeous! And, as it turns out, she was in a sorority during her brief time at college,
While she was attending Vanderbilt University, Molly was a sister in the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
However, she put her college dreams on hold when a modeling agency discovered her and brought her to stardom.
10 Danica McKellar Spent Time At UCLA After Being A Child Star, And Pledged Alpha Delta Pi
After years of being a child star, actress Danica McKeller wanted a normal college experience and to attend school like her peers. So, she took a break from her career for a while to head to UCLA.
And no, unlike many other actresses, she didn't study drama or theatre — she went in a completely different direction and studied Mathematics. In between learning complex formulas, and later crafting a side hustle as an author of non-fiction books about math aimed at a younger audience, McKellar pledged Alpha Delta Pi.
9 Ashley Judd Is A University of Kentucky Alum Through And Through And Was Also A Kappa Kappa Gamma Girl
Many celebrities don't really have a strong connection to where they went to college anymore, but Ashley Judd is certainly a different story. The University of Kentucky alum bleeds blue and can very frequently be spotted at college games, cheering on her team.
And, during her time there, she was even involved in Greek life as a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
We wouldn't be surprised if she popped into the KKG house to visit whenever she stopped by for a Kentucky game.
8 Before She Dropped Out To Pursue Her Acting Career, Michelle Pfeiffer Was An Alpha Delta Pi At Golden West College
Some celebrities decided to finish their degrees before pursuing an acting career so they have a backup plan while others drop out partway through to pursue acting full-time. Michelle Pfeiffer falls in the latter camp — she was at Golden West College for only a year before she stopped to begin working in the industry full time.
However, she made the most of her one year of college life, even pledging Alpha Delta Pi while she was there — you know, before she became a superstar actress.
7 Joanna Garcia Swisher Spent Time At Florida State University As A Delta Delta Delta
Joanna Garcia Swisher is one of those actresses who isn't really ever in the tabloids or at the center of any controversy, but always seems to be consistently working, which is a pretty good spot to be in!
We wonder if she learned any of her skill at navigating the insane world of Hollywood while she was a Delta Delta Delta sister at Florida State University.
Her alma mater is across the country from the entertainment industry in Los Angeles but who knows, perhaps she finds time to visit every now and then.
6 Before She Became Everyone's Favourite Detective, Mariska Hargitay Was A Kappa Kappa Gamma At UCLA
Mariska Hargitay continues to impress television fans year after year, but did you know that when she attended UCLA before her acting career took off, she pledged a sorority? She was a Kappa Kappa Gamma girl during her time at school and was even crowned Miss Beverly Hills USA while she was there.
Who would have ever guessed? She always tackles characters who are so serious, we just can't imagine her surrounded by pageant queens and bubbly sorority sisters! However, it just goes to show that there really shouldn't be a stereotype — sorority girls are a diverse group.
5 Celebs Who Opted Out:
5 Rashida Jones Got Her Degree From Harvard — And Didn't Bother With Greek Life
Since Rashida Jones has such amazing comedic chops and plays all kinds of characters, sometimes it's easy to forget just how insanely smart she is. The actress attended Harvard before entering the world of Hollywood, where she got her degree in comparative religion.
We could see her doing well at anything she put her mind to, but it seems that Greek life just wasn't something she was interested in pursuing.
So, she hit the library and spent her time studying rather than pledging any sororities while she was there.
4 Eva Longoria Seems Like She'd Be An Amazing Sorority Sister, But She Didn't Participate While Earning Her Degrees
We can totally see Eva Longoria being an amazing sorority sister, but that wasn't her focus while she studied — for either of her degrees! She earned a kinesiology degree from Texas A&M University Kingsville when she was younger, before being signed by an agent and starting to audition for roles while also working to support herself.
She eventually went back to graduate school, getting a Master's degree in Chicano Studies from California State University, Northridge. Talk about a major inspiration!
3 Mayim Bialik Spent A Lot Of Time At University Earning Her Ph.D. — But Never Pledged A Sorority
There are a fair amount of celebrities who have a degree they earned before entering the entertainment industry, but we'd bet not too many have as advanced a degree as a Ph.D. — but that's what Mayim Bialik has!
After spending years as a child star, Bialik left Hollywood for a while and earned several degrees, including a doctorate in neuroscience.
Then, she decided that acting was calling her again, and returned to the industry — where she snagged a role on a super successful sitcom. With all that on her plate, it's no wonder she never found time to pledge a sorority!
2 Natalie Portman Got Her Degree From Harvard But Didn't Pledge A Sorority Or Do Anything That Drew Attention To Her Star Status
Natalie Portman was one of the many actresses who achieved success in the industry at a young age, then decided to put her career on hold to get some normal experiences like attending college with peers rather than being tutored on set.
So, the smart cookie headed to Harvard, where she enrolled under her birth name rather than her stage name to avoid drawing attention to herself. She earned a psychology degree, and while she was probably pleasant and social on campus, she never went so far as to pledge a sorority.
1 Before She Took The World By Storm, Lupita Nyong'o Was Earning Her M.A. From The Yale School Of Drama — But She Wasn't In Sorority Housing
It seems like Lupita Nyong'o has been in the industry forever, but that's definitely not the case — just a few short years ago, she was a student studying drama at the prestigious Yale School of Drama.
Despite her training, we have a feeling none of her instructors knew she'd become as successful as she ended up becoming, and so quickly after graduation!
Shortly after she got her MFA, she got a role in the Academy Award-winning 12 Years A Slave, which is definitely a strong way to start out your career!
References: cosmopolitan.com, simplemost.com, sheknows.com, glamour.com
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