Alicia Keys has a sharein music's Ivy tradition

Anyone who believes mainstream musicians can't be brainiacs simply hasn't shuffled through the list of notable alumni from our country's top colleges and universities. Just take a look at pop-R&B-soul-jazz chanteuse Alicia Keys, who studied at Columbia University for a year before taking off to pursue her music career full time.

OK, so we never said they all finished school, did we?
Besides, Keys was already a no-brainer for the Ivy League before she polished her singing chops: She was valedictorian of her high school at the tender age of 16 and enrolled at Columbia soon after. Eventually, Keys settled for another Columbia – the record company.