College Application Question: Referencing Mensa Society
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Anonymous
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Sort of an aside, but not really: Years ago I was on a jury for a civil case and the plaintiff mentioned he was in the Mensa society and everyone just snickered. He had a ridiculous case where he thought the city should pay for some damages that were clearly not their responsibility he used this complex expert testimony to make a really dumb point that was technically accurate, but just not meaningful or reasonable.
He lost. Membership in the Mensa society is meaningless; what you do with your intelligence is meaningful. Your kid should have SAT scores or GPA that back up the IQ. |
Anonymous
This also makes me think that it could actually hurt a little bit if you're name dropping Mensa and the GPA in particular isn't very good. That could give an indication, even if it is a little unfair, that the student hasn't fully applied themselves. |
Anonymous
NP. Have you considered that others might find YOUR post unkind? When people say “it isn't that special,” they might mean “it isn’t that special and your question seems to assume that your DC is more special than mine,” which is inherently unkind. Kind and polite are not the same thing. I find your question a little unkind and some of the prior posts maybe impolite but not unkind. |
Anonymous
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y'all realize that Mensa will let you in on standardized test scores? Look up your grad level test and grade. My '90s era GRE could get me in if I ...filed forms or whatever.
No, OP. It's something people do when they don't live up to their potential. Say they are in Mensa. |
Anonymous
Hello OP- My Mensa child did include their membership and volunteer activities in the Mensa Honor Society on their app. They had way more activities than the 10 slots allowed, so they combined honor societies together on a single line, so it was lumped in with others. Helpful or not- don't know for sure but my child was admitted to a half dozen T20 schools, so it surely didn't hurt. The snark here is ridiculous. My child continues to enjoy their Mensa membership as a college sophomore and received a substantial college scholarship awarded end of their senior year directly from Mensa. If you child hasn't already considered, have them look up all the different scholarships they are eligible to compete for as a Mensa member. Most required a single short essay and checking boxes as to which scholarships they qualified for (based on intended major). Good luck! |
Anonymous
Yep, just looked up the chart and my old GRE puts me in too. I didn't know there are any scholarships associated with it though. If that truly is a thing, I guess I could dig up my kids' WISC and see if he wants to join. Not really sure it's worth it though if you have to pay for the membership. |
Anonymous
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How do kids or folks know their IQ?
And even think of joining societies like Mensa? I have a PhD from an Ivy but no clue about my actual IQ. I know I’m smart enough to do many things but certainly not genius level. Why does it even matter? |
Anonymous
It’s often tested when going through the process to identify and document learning disabilities, such as those that might warrant testing accommodations. College adcoms likely know this… something to think about before listing IQ/Mensa in an application. |
Anonymous
Makes more sense to do so if actually active in the society. Otherwise I would advise against, unless a college actually lists it as an example of a distinction they find interesting. I can see how some colleges might react better to it than others. UChicago is the type of place I would guess being more likely than others to react positively, but that’s simply a guess. I suppose an applicant or parent could call some schools and ask. |
Anonymous
FWIW, I know people in Mensa living up to their potential and doing innovative and impactful work. Question was asked and some responded in helpful way and others not. That’s on those to reflect why they need to be angry in their words instead of framing them in more productive ways. |
Anonymous
Standardized tests are a common method for entry, although many tests have had acceptance scores change over the years. Many are no longer accepted. https://www.us.mensa.org/join/testscores/#qualifying-scores It's useful for meeting gifted people across a wide spectrum. Often people you would otherwise never meet. It's one index of potential, although as others have mentioned, potential and actual achievements do not necessarily coincide. Utility on an application may depend on the school. |
Anonymous
Many know from applying to advanced academic programs. Any rating on standardized COGAT and NNAT or WISC pending cumulative score can pertain to this. |
Anonymous
No snark here. How much is substantial? Really just wondering if any of these honor society scholarships really pay off. |
Anonymous
Thank you for taking time to share. I wasn’t aware of scholarships as I was never in Mensa or academically strong, so this is all new for our family in trying to identify best way to support our kid who is academically strong student. Appreciate your time and kindness. |
Anonymous
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Ok, this is freaking hilarious. I qualify for Mensa based on my 1992 SAT (1300).
I never knew I was so smart. LOL And I seriously have lost brain cells since then (3 kids and peri menopause) SAT taken prior to 9/30/1974 1300 taken from 9/30/1974 to 1/31/1994 1250 taken after 1/31/1994 Not accepted |