High-achieving women are significantly less likely to enter the teaching profession than they were just 40 years ago. Why? While the social and economic reasons for this decline have been well documented in the literature, what is lacking is a discussion with high-achieving women, as they make their first career decisions, about their perceptions of teaching and what makes it more or less desirable than other professions. This study explored what they are looking for in a career, their views on teaching, and the sources that have influenced those beliefs with the goal of identifying approaches to reversing the current trend. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)