Carrie Underwood on American Idol

After high school, Carrie went on to Northeastern State University, where she majored in mass communications. She joined Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority and competed in beauty pageants throughout college, winning the title of Miss NSU runner-up in 2004.


Not long afterward, Carrie decided to travel to St. Louis to audition for the 2005 American Idol competition. From the beginning, Carrie's country-infused style was popular with both the judges and the audience, and she was one of only three finalists in the show's history (alongside Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken) to never finish in the "bottom three."


After Carrie's performance of Heart's "Alone" in March of 2005, notoriously acerbic judge Simon Cowell had nothing but praise for her: "You're not just the girl to beat, you're the person to beat. I will make a prediction: Not only will you win this competition, but you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner!" Sure enough, on May 25, Carrie was named the new "American Idol," beating out southern rocker Bo Bice.