The 230 or so young women may have thought they had a solid foundation in science before arriving at Argonne National Laboratory.

After all, many are studying advanced physics, chemistry and biology at their high schools.

But once they entered the sleek, white building known as the Advanced Photon Source, they got a more practical education in that discipline.

They heard about working well past midnight, missing an entire summer to study, and making the difficult choice of sacrificing their careers to have children. They were told to skip home economics and bone up on foreign language and keyboarding.

This information, it turns out, is exactly what they wanted.

"It didn't really open my eyes, but it just kind of showed me that there are people out there doing this," said Emily Lucks, 17, a junior at Naperville North High School and one of the attendees at Argonne's Science Careers in Search of Women.

Lucks, of Naperville, is enrolled in Enriched Physics II, plays on the school's soccer and basketball teams, and runs cross country for her school. "Sometimes I feel like I'm never going to be able to do it, and this conference showed me there are positives to this, that I'm doing everything for a purpose."

Tara Weinstein, 17, a junior at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, agreed.

"It just makes you really think," said Weinstein, of Buffalo Grove. "I never realized how difficult it was." A science career "seems so incredibly hectic," she said. "I thought it would be easy, but now I know different."

Statistics on female scientists show just how daunting a career choice it can be. An estimated 10 percent of Argonne's scientists are women, according to Maryka Bhattacharyya, initiator of Argonne's Women in Science and Technology program and coordinator of the conference. She said 30 percent to 40 percent of college students majoring in science are women and that the percentage working in science careers is much lower.

The problem, Bhattacharyya said, probably stems from hostile work environments and an extremely demanding workload that includes research, teaching and academic committee work--all piled atop the demands of raising a family.

"There are many people who would say, `Hey, I don't want to do all that,' " Bhattacharyya said. "And yet, there are ways to accommodate where everyone benefits. The question is, how do you accommodate in ways that are fair."

She said she takes some encouragement from the slowly growing number of women studying science in college but remains glum about the lagging number of female scientists in the work force.

"If it were an easy problem to be solved," Bhattacharyya said, "it would be solved by now."

The high school girls, who came from Chicago and suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Will and McHenry Counties, seemed less concerned. They said they are getting plenty of encouragement to forge ahead with their science careers and they are optimistic about the growing percentages of college women studying science.

"I think the problem might be a little ignorance--not knowing all the things that there are to do--other than just mixing and pouring chemicals," said Erin Hinchey, 17, a junior at Glenbard West High School. "But, as long as the numbers continue to grow steadily, I don't think you can say that there is a big problem because it's slowly being solved."

The 13th annual conference Friday at the laboratory, near Lemont, included a morning session featuring a keynote address by Lisette G. de Pillis, an associate professor and distinguished scholar at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif.

Her speech, "Is Being a Scientist Ladylike?" was followed by panel discussions on "Having a Science Career and Having a Life" and "College and Beyond."

All panelists were working female scientists, including an analytical chemist running engineering consulting and real estate companies, a physician, a forensic specialist for the FBI, academic advisers and an environmental chemist.

At lunch, students sat in groups of five or six at tables with one or two female scientists. The afternoon session included tours of laboratories at Argonne and career booths.

At the end of the day, students were asked to complete conference evaluations. But, Peggy Prince, a counselor from Yorkville High School who brought five students to Argonne, knew in the morning that the program was a success.

While driving to the conference, two of the girls on the track team were worried about getting back to school by 2:15 p.m. to get their gear for a track meet later that afternoon in Brookfield. Shortly after the first conference break at 11 a.m., the girls asked Prince if someone could bring their gear to them so they could remain at Argonne. Prince had to decline.

"This is going to challenge them some and make them enthusiastic and make them explore," Prince said of the conference. "They'll go back to school and say, `Can I do this? Yeah, I can.' "