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Table of Contents
What is Mensa?
Mensa is for those who rejoice in the exercise of the mind. If you enjoy
mental challenges and revel in the interplay of ideas, Mensa is an
organization that will stretch your mind and expand your horizons. Mensa
is an international society that has one -- and only one -- unique
qualification for membership: you must score in the top 2% of the
population on a standardized IQ test. What is the purpose of Mensa?
Mensa's purposes are to identify and foster human intelligence for the
benefit of humanity; to encourage research into the nature,
characteristics, and uses of intelligence; and to provide a stimulating
intellectual and social environment for its members.
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What type of people are members of Mensa?
Mensans come from all walks of life. They range from three to nearly 100
years old. They represent both sexes, all races, various professions and
many religions. However, they share one trait: high intelligence.
How do I have social interaction with other members?
Activities are scheduled almost daily on the Mensa calendar. Locally,
these range from meetings to guest speakers to parties. Members can also
attend regional, national and international gatherings providing
opportunities to meet other Mensans.
How do I receive intellectual stimulation as a member?
You'll find a good "mental workout" in the Mensa Bulletin, the national
magazine. In M-Pathy, the local newsletter, you can share your opinions as
well as read other points of view. Meetings and gatherings provide many
opportunities for intellectual stimulation.
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How do Mensans help others?
- The Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF) sponsors scholarships,
participates in research, rewards excellence in gifted research, and
publishes the Mensa Research Journal.
- The Gifted Children Resource Program compiles and provides information on
and for gifted children.
- Project Inkslinger gives books to libraries that have experienced a
natural disaster.
The three programs listed above are programs of American Mensa Ltd., our
national organization. These programs, and several others are also part of
SEMM's local efforts. Are there groups in Mensa that share my special interests?
There are presently more than 150 national Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
These groups are started and maintained by members who share a common
interest. Groups communicate regularly via newsletters and other forums.
There are also SIGs that operate locally. Any member is free to start a
SIG.
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Are there other special benefits to being a Mensa member?
Along with the intellectual and social activities for Mensans, members
receive other special benefits. These are programs which offer special
discounts to Mensa members. These programs are offered on the national
level.
How do I join Mensa?
Prior Evidence
If you have evidence of a score in the top 2% of the general population on
a supervised standardized intelligence test, that score may serve as
"prior evidence".
Tests given by an institution/agency/clinic must include the full name of
the test, the score and the percentile rank. This documentation must be on
the institution/agency/clinic letterhead and signed by the psychologist
responsible for the testing, along with the license/certification number
of the psychologist, issued by the state in which the psychologist
practices.
Evidence in a school transcript must be a school document with a seal. An
armed forces record must be a notarized copy.
All prior evidence will be appraised individually and Mensa reserves the
right to make the final determination as to the acceptability of the test.
The onetime processing fee is $40 (U.S.). Mensa Admission Tests
You can take the Mensa Admission tests, which are supervised by a
certified Mensa proctor. If you score at or above the 98th percentile on
one of these tests, you qualify for membership. The test fee is $40
(U.S.). The tests are not valid for people under the age of 14, who can
qualify through prior evidence. Mensa does offer a battery of
culture-fair, non-language tests.
You can take a pretest in the privacy of your home. The pretest fee
is $18 (U.S.).
See our Testing page to order an
at-home test or to schedule a proctored exam. Mensa Dues
Current dues for American Mensa are $52 (U.S.) a year. Life, multi-year
and family plans are available.
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