From O.Y.O.B. to M.B.A.

I opened my business in 1985 and then realized early on that to do a really good job running it, I needed a higher level of education (process is everything). So into about year two, I began an M.B.A. program at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

What I remember most back then is not so much the course content or professors but the confidence and discipline I gained from the experience. After all, I was one of three women in a program of 30 students. What a ride it was but a good one indeed. If I had it to do all over again, I'd do it exactly the same.

Fast forward to here and now. Forbes claims that an increasing number of women are heading to business school due to a weakened economy.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, women received 44% of M.B.A.s in 2007, up from 39% a decade earlier, which translates to a 75% increase in the last 10 years.

Why?

It's the flexibility of the degree that's appealing, says Deirdre Leopold, managing director of Harvard M.B.A. Admissions. "Women are using it not only for finance but also to work in nonprofits or open their own businesses."

You can O.Y.O.B. (open your own business) and then get an M.B.A. I'm living proof!

Read more here:

Why More Women Are Heading to Business School

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