Back in the day women were thought to only fill the roles of daughter, wife, mother, and homemaker. But as the days progressed, women started to break out on their own. Eventually women were able to gain an equal footing in college education and even went on to earn MBAs. Today, you can find women taking charge on executive boards and as CEOs of major companies, but the divide still somewhat remains between men and women.

And though the fight is in progress for an equal footing in business school, it certainly is not over. Kate Eidelberg is a junior at the Stern School of Business at NYU. She says that even at the undergraduate level, students aren't specifically encouraged to pursue their MBAs. And though she is unsure if she would like to pursue her MBA, Kate is certainly aware of the monetary gain of an advanced degree.

"My boss has told me that most companies will just throw more money at you if you have a master's. And as unfortunate as it is, women still do make less money overall than men do in today's economy. So anything they can do to make extra bucks, such as getting an MBA, is probably a very smart idea," says Kate.

Trying to win the fight for the woman's right to an MBA and change the perception of female MBAs is Elissa Ellis-Sangster, executive director of the Forte Foundation, which strives to educate and help young women network and land business leadership positions. "There are some misperceptions out there about MBAs among females. I think that there are things that scare or concern women, like whether they can work out the business career work-life balance issue," says Ellis-Sangster.

In recent years, the number of women in MBA programs has definitely increased. About 30-40 percent of students working toward their MBAs are women, says Ellis-Sangster and there was an increase of 1.8 percent in those enrolled in Forte Foundation programs. Meanwhile, the Graduate Admission Council (GMAC) reports that for every female GMAT test taker, there is an average of 1.58 males, which has been stable in the period from 1996-2006.

Ellis-Sangster says that major companies are actively seeking women. At special events sponsored by the Forte Foundation, women who are in MBA programs or who have completed them talk to prospective female students about the process. "There are special programs at various schools and personal outreach in the recruiting process. They want qualified individuals, just like employers," says Ellis-Sangster. "And they have begun making brochures with women on them, too."

Ellis-Sangster believes that getting the message about business opportunities to women at an early age is key in their pursuing an MBA. "We aim to bring companies and schools together who are interested in having more women in MBA programs," she says. "We want to educate young women about opportunities because the younger you can get the message out, the faster you can get them out into the world. If they find out they are interested later in life, they may not get in as successfully."

There are various opinions on working between the undergrad and graduate experiences. Ellis-Sangster thinks that a couple of years in the field is a really good base for what students learn in school, mainly because they'll be able to share their experiences in class discussions. "A lot of people have done different things in their background and you'll have something to offer to your classmates."

The Forte Foundation provides women with opportunities to network and learn from those who have come before them. There are events that are held throughout major cities in the country at different times of the year, where women will hear from schools and other top women, as well as get admissions advice and lots of contacts. Says Ellis-Sangster, "Take advantage of all the formal events to learn more about different business careers, visit schools, talk to alumnae and current students, and learn all you can. It is certainly an experience that is worthwhile."

Major Female CEOs:
Shelly Lazarus was only one of four women who graduated from the MBA program at Columbia in 1970. She first became interested in business when she was a senior at Smith College and attended a conference by the Advertising Women of New York. Today she is the chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather, which is one of the largest ad agencies in the world and includes clients like American Express, IBM, and Mattel.

Meg Whitman originally planned to attend Princeton University to begin her medical career, but soon switched to business studies, majoring in economics. She went on to earn her MBA from Harvard Business School in 1979. She is now the president and CEO of eBay, where she ensures that all the day-to-day operations are running smoothly in this giant online auction corporation.

As chairman and CEO of Time, Inc., Ann Moore oversees all of the magazines run by the company, including People, Time, and Sports Illustrated, among others. She earned her bachelor's in 1971 from Vanderbilt University and graduated in 1978 from Harvard Business School. Moore also serves on the board of Avon Products, Inc. and the Wallace Foundation, and has won many awards.

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Amanda Fornecker is a staff writer at The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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