Before they were award-winning entertainers, these stars were figuring out their lives just like the rest of us. From Adam Sandler to Lisa Kudrow, these actors were once college students actually wondering if entertainment was the path for them. See where your favorite celebs gave deep thought to their future.
1. Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon (1994) Steve Granitz / Contributor
University: Stanford University
Major: English Literature
She says, “When I applied to Stanford, a (male) college counselor told me, ‘You’ll never get in, you should just give up. They don’t want you.’ I said, ‘I’m going to give it a try,’ and I got in! But if I hadn’t gone through that struggle, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
2. Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner (2024) Monica Schipper / Staff
College: Denison University, Granville, Ohio
Major: Theatre
Here’s what she said about it: “I knew about Denison University because my childhood friend’s dad went to it. I didn’t really consider it until I received a brochure, which looked beautiful. I decided to apply right before the deadline. I definitely procrastinated (and still do), but I ended up being lucky.”
3. John Legend
John Legend (2013) Ian Gavan / Staff
University: University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Major: English
He says, “When I got to college, everyone was like 18 and I was 16. I always felt immature and socially awkward. I got into Harvard, Georgetown and Penn and decided to go to Penn.”
4. Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt posing (1988)Michael Putland / Contributor
University: University of Missouri-Columbia
Major: Journalism
He said, “They have one of the best journalism schools in the country. It was time to graduate and everyone… all my friends had jobs lined up, but I realized I wasn’t ready. I loaded up my car. I didn’t graduate. I moved to LA in two weeks.”
5. Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler (2022) Dear Dipaspiru / Staff
College: New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Major: Acting
Here’s what he said about it: “When I was applying to colleges, my brother said to me, ‘What should I study?’ He said, ‘Why not be an actor? You should be a comedian.’ I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll do that.’
6. Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow (2022) Jesse Grant/Correspondent
College: Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
Field of study: Biology
What she said about it: “I had to study hard because maybe I shouldn’t have gone to this school because I’m stupid,” Kudrow joked, “But I had to study all the time… I didn’t do anything and I didn’t know there were other things I could do (clubs, activities).”
7. Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman (1999) Rose Hartman / Contributor
University: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Field of study: Psychology
Here’s what she said about it: “When I enrolled at Harvard shortly after the release of Star Wars: Episode I, I worried people would think I was only there because I was famous, and that I didn’t deserve the intellectual rigor here,” Portman explained in a speech at her alma mater. “I wasn’t smart enough to be in this company, so every time I opened my mouth I had to prove that I wasn’t just a dumb actress.”
8. Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep (1979) Jack Mitchell / Contributor
University: Vassar College
Major: Theatre
She said, “One of the values of a Vassar education is that you are destined to live a conscious life. The Vassar conscience rings a bell in your head and calls you to action in your heart.”
9. Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain (2023) Fraser Harrison/Staff
College: Juilliard School, New York City
Major: Acting
She said: “Every two years,[the Robin Williams Scholarship]is awarded to a student and it paid all of my tuition and housing… Every year, I would write him a letter saying, ‘Thank you,’ but I never got to meet him.”
10. Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling (2020) Greg DeGuire/Correspondent
College: Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Major: Playwriting
She said, “At Dartmouth… I wrote plays, acted, sang, and was a cartoonist for the student newspaper. I recommend going to a college in the middle of nowhere. I got all the attention I wanted. If I’d gone to NYU, I’d be the funniest paralegal at a Boston law firm right now.”
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11. John Krasinski
John Krasinski (2018) Matt Winkelmeyer/Staff
College: Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Major: English/Screenplay
He said: “I remember immediately trying to find my place, my people, my comrades. There was a moment where I even thought maybe I should try and play basketball here. Don’t laugh yet, don’t laugh yet.”
