Mensa
Questions and Answers about the Organization
What is Mensa?
Mensa is an international organization with only one requirement
for membership – a score on a standardized I.Q. test higher than
98% of the general population.
How many people belong to Mensa?
American Mensa now has nearly 50,000 members; another 20,000
members belong to national Mensas in Australia, Austria, Belgium,
British Isles, Canada, Channel Islands, Finland, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden,
and Switzerland. There are Mensans in 98 countries throughout the
world.
What is Mensa’s purpose?
Mensa has three major purposes: to identify and foster human
intelligence for the benefit of humanity; to encourage research
in the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence; and to
provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its’
members.
What are Mensa members like?
Mensa members represent:
1. All ages from 4 to 94…
2. Every educational level from preschoolers to high school
dropouts to Ph.D.s…
3. All economic levels, from people on welfare to millionaires…
4. A broad range of occupations, including executives, factory
workers, scientists, farmers, authors, engineers, lawyers,
doctors, truck drivers, homemakers, teachers, computer
programmers, secretaries, politicians, the military, actors,
musicians, and hundreds more.
What does “Mensa” mean?
Mensa is Latin for “table”. We are a round-table society that makes
no distinctions as to race, color, creed, national origin, age,
or economic, educational, or social status. Only intelligence
matters.
What can Mensa offer me?
You can be assured of meeting others at your own intellectual
level. In a world that is becoming more and more stratified and
classified, and in which social and intellectual contacts are
frequently limited to people with whom you work, to your neighbors,
and to the usual civic organizations, Mensa has a lot to offer.
Most of all, it offers a challange: Mensa dares you to use, exercise,
and, ultimately, expand your intellectual potential. The entire
organization is structured for that purpose.
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How is Mensa organized?
American Mensa has about 140 Local Groups, located in all 50
States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Chances are there’s
a local group near you.
What do these groups do?
Most local groups hold regular meetings, at least one a month,
as well as various other activities. (Many groups have meetings
and activities more frequently, sometimes several times a week.)
These activities allow members to become acquainted with each other;
many friendships have developed as a result of Mensa. In addition,
the groups publish newsletters distributed monthly to their members,
containing an activities calendar, and other items of information
and interest. The activities of each group are determined by its
own members.
What are the meetings like?
Meetings vary, from a board-of-directors planning session to get-
togethers that feature speakers and/or fre-for-all discussions. A
speaker may be a noted authority on a subject of may be a member
with knowledge to share.
What other activities are available?
Activities cover a wide range of interests, from games night
(Scrabble, Chess, Boggle, and Dungeons and Dragons are especially
popular) to theme parties; from singles get-togethers to family
outings; from luncheons or dinners to a night at the local pub;
from theater and film parties and concerts to a night of playing
records and dancing at a member’s house. When Mensans get together,
they usually have a good time.
What’s so special about Mensans meeting?
There is an atmosphere of congeniality, intellectual stimulation,
good humor, and, perhaps most important, lively conversation.
There is freedom to think and to express those thoughts. There’s
always someone who will listen to, enhance, and even challenge
your ideas.
What do members talk about?
Unless there’s a specified theme at a particular meeting, pretty
much the same things people everywhere talk about — current events,
sports, sex, the future, music, politics, art, computers, the
economy, kids, cars, values. It isn’t so much a question of
“what” — it’s more a matter of “how”.
How do I know whether anyone shares my interests?
Mensa has over 180 SIGS — Special Interest Groups — composed
of members with personal or professional interests in common.
SIGs are started and maintained by members, and cover a vast
range of topics including astronomy, body language, law,
photography, history, and allergies — to name just a few.
Almost all SIGs have newsletters of their own. If your special
interest doesn’t have a SIG, it’s easy to start your own.
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How is Mensa organized nationally?
Mensa is governed by the American Mensa Committee (AMC), composed
of elected and appointed volunteers. There is also a small paid
administrative staff whose members — along with the officers —
are always ready to assist the entire membership.
Are there national activities?
A national convention, or Annual Gathering, is held every June or
July — in a different city each year — where over 1,000 members
attend workshops, participate in seminars, attend social functions,
renew old friendships and start new ones. The Annual Gathering is
a special, never-to-be-forgotten experience.
Regional Gathers (some 40 of them) are held annually in various
parts of the country, with most of the excitement and activities
(both intellectual and social) of the Annual Gathering, on a
somewhat smaller scale.
The Mensa Annual Colloquium is a new activity sponsored by the
Mensa Education and Research Foundation. It is designed to provide
a stimulating intellectual forum where members may meet with experts
to spend a few days discussing a chosen topic.
What about special programs?
The Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF) sponsors the
Mensa Scholarship Program (in which students nationwide compete
for varying sums of money for their education), Awards for
Excellence for short papers in the field of giftedness, the Mensa
Meritorious Publication Award (with Wright State University, Dayton
Ohio) for a major work in the field of giftedness, Memorial
Awards, and donor programs.
The Gifted Children Program compiles and provides information
that includes activities, both national and local, centered
around gifted children.
Does Mensa have its own publications?
The “Mensa Bulletin”, published ten times per year, is sent
to members as a part of their membership. It incorporates the
“International Journal”, and these publications contain views
and information about Mensa, as well as contributions by Mensans
on a wide variety of subjects.
Local newsletters are published by almost every local group,
informing members of local activities and events, and other
items of interest.
“Interloc” (also published ten times yearly) is free to officers,
and to other active members on request. It contains news and
information about various society, administrative, and internal
matters.
The “Mensa Research Journal”, published periodically by MERF,
reports on Mensa-supported research. It also publishes original
articles in diverse fields of interest, and is available for a
subscription fee.
“Isolated-M” is a popular and informative newsletter published
by the Isolated-M SIG. It is sent to those members who are
geographically isolated from a local group, and is available to
others by subscription.
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The “Mensa Register”, or other membership directory, published
periodically, list all of the members and may include such
information as geographic location, areas of expertise and/or
interest, and other professional and personal data.
Are there any special benefits for members?
Although hardly the primary reason for joining Mensa, membership
does afford some special benefits, such as S.I.G.H.T., which
assists traveling Mensans, and insurance.
How can I become a member?
We suggest you begin with a valid, at-home, I.Q. test. Complete
the application form (at the end of this text) and return it to
us with your check or money order for $9.00. We’ll send you an
I.Q. test you can take at home. Upon receipt of your completed
test, we will score it and notify you of the results. If the
results indicate an I.Q. at or above the 95th percentile, you
will be invited to take our supervised tests, which cost $20.00
and are administered by one of our proctors at a convenient location.
Should your score on one of the proctored tests indicate your I.Q.
to be in the top 2%, you will be offered membership in the Society.
Our tests, however, are not valid for persons under the age of
14; they can qualify for membership via alternative procedures
for admission (see the end of this text).
What about I.Q. test taken in the past?
A score in the 98th percentile or higher on one of many standardized
I.Q. tests — if approved by our Supervisory Psychologist —
previously administered in school, the Armed Forces, or by any
licensed psychologist, is satisfactory evidence of qualification
for membership (see the end of this text).
What’s the next step?
You will be notified that your score is acceptable, and, soon
after payment of the membership dues, you will begin receiving
the national “Mensa Bulletin”, a local newsletter, and your
membership card entitling you to participate in all Mensa
activities and special benefits.
What are the membership dues?
Current annual dues are $33.00 — less than ten cents a day.
(Information about student dues, additional family member
dues, and life dues is provided at the time membership is offered).
Part of your dues is returned to the local groups to provide
a greater range of activities and benefits for the members on
a local level. Mensa is a not-for-profit organization.
Is Mensa for me?
Only you can answer that. If what you’re looking for is intelligent
conversation, stimulating people, interesting activities, and an
opportunity to expand your world, the answer is yes. Why not
fill out the application blank and find out if you qualify?
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Remember, one out of every fifty people qualifies for Mensa.
YOU could be that one.
Join us. We might be just what you’re looking for.
—————————————————————
Alternate Procedure for Admission
Admission to Mensa may also be granted on the basis of
evidence of a previous intelligence test. A list of the
qualifying scores* for several of the major intelligence
tests is given here.
* It should be noted that the term “I.Q. score” is used as a
convenient, easily understood reference, but that candidates
for membership in Mensa must achieve a score at or above the 98th
percentile on a standard test of intelligence. The “I.Q. score”
varies from test to test, as indicated by the list below.
Candidates MUST supply the evidence or make the necessary
arrangements to have it sent. Such documentation is returned
only if request is made at the onset. If the test was given by
a psychologist, psychometrist, or agency, the score must be
reported on professional letterhead and signed by the test
administrator. If the evidence is in the form of a transcript,
the transcript must be certified. Notarized photostatic copies
of original documents are usually acceptable.
———— Qualifying Test Scores ——————-
California Test of Mental Maturity ………… IQ 132
California Test of Cognitive Skills ……….. 132
CEEB or SAT (Verbal and Math combined)
prior to 9/77 …………………………. 1300
CEEB or SAT (Verbal and Math combined)
as of 9/77 ……………………………. 1250
GRE (Verbal and Math combined) ……………. 1250
LSAT (prior to 1982) or 662 (as of 1982) …… 39
ACT Composite …………………………… 29
Miller Analogies Test – raw score …………. 66
Stanford Binet, Form L-M …………………. IQ 132
Wechsler Adult and Children Scales
(WAIS and WAIS-R, WISC and WISC-R) ………. IQ 130
Otis Tests:
Alpha …………………………… IQ 138
Beta ……………………………. IQ 128
Gamma …………………………… IQ 131
Lennon ………………………….. IQ 132
Many other intelligence tests may also be accepted subject
to individual appraisal of the documentation by Mensa’s
Supervisory Psychologists, e.g:
Henmon-Nelson
Medical College Admission Test
National Teachers Exam
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Wechsler Bellvue 1
Cattell Cultural Fair
Graduate Management Admission Exam
ACE
SRA Primary Mental Abilities
Army General Classification Test (AGCT or GT prior to 10/80)
NY State Regents Scholarship Test (aptitude section only)
Navy GCT (Standard Score) prior to 10/80
Mensa reserves the right to alter or modify these norms as
the tests indicated are renormed or restandardized. All prior
evidence submitted to Mensa will be appraised individually,
and Mensa reserves the right to make the final determination
as to the acceptability of any test.
————————————————————
Mail to: American Mensa, Ltd.
2626 East 14th Street
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11235-3992
718-934-3700
Name: ……………………………………………..
Age: …….
Address: …………………………………………..
City: ………………………… State: … Zip: ……
Phone: (h)………………. Phone: (b)……………….
… [A] Please send me the preliminary test to do at home without
supervision. Enclosed find U. S. $9.00; please inform me
of my score.
… [B] I wish to go directly to the supervised test. Please send
me the name and address of the nearest Proctor. I understand
the $20.00 fee is to be paid to the Proctor.
… [C] I claim exemption from testing and enclose evidence that my
I.Q. is in the top 2% or the general population. I enclose
$15.00 nonrefundable evaluation fee. (If the evidence is to
be sent to us by a psychologist or testing institute, please
give name and address of same.
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..
I learned about Mensa through: ……………………………….
Amount enclosed: $ …………………. (U.S. funds only)
—————————————————————-
Additional questions concerning the Mensa Society can be
answered by leaving a message to the System Operator on …
WelCom Systems Electronic Software Exchange
By modem:
Operating at 300/1200/2400 BPS
No parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit (N-8-1)
804-282-5617
By mail:
WelCom Systems
Electronic Software Exchange
P. O. Box 31854
Richmond, Va. 23294
Attn: William E. Lyell
Mensa # – 1089036
