Female applicants applying to European programs should take a look at Why Women Refrain From Pursuing MBAs. The article, from the November 9th Wall Street Journal discusses specifically why there are relatively low percentages of women in most MBA programs in Europe, especially the top ones:
Theories abound to explain why more women aren't seeking a credential that could boost their careers and earning power. Some business-school experts believe European schools struggle even more than M.B.A. programs in the U.S. to bring the numbers up because many businesses on the Continent are perceived as less friendly to women executives than American firms....
Whatever the underlying causes, the result is apparent: Female M.B.A. enrollment in European business schools is stuck stubbornly between 25% and 30%, said Jeanette Purcell, chief executive of the Association of M.B.A.s, an international body based in London whose members include about 130 business schools world-wide. The University of Cambridge's Judge Business School says the figure is even lower for Europe's elite B-schools, at 23%. In the U.S., women's representation in M.B.A. programs long has hovered around 30%.
Clearly the US is not much better than Europe in this regard. For female applicants, whether you want to apply to schools in the US or Europe, I think this is good news, at least in terms of your chances for admission. With all these programs scrambling for qualified applicants, you are in a buyer's market. Given the prejudice that women are likely to face at throughout their lives, at least when it comes to MBA admission, they have the advantage of being in demand.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-Adam Markus
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