<p>Hey, </p>
<p>I'm taking a Mensa test this sunday to see how I do, I've never taken an IQ related test anytime in my life before so ill just see how I do. Hypothetically if I become a member of this group, would it be helpful at all listing it in my awards section or would I just come off looking like a IQ-snob? If its really bad for college admissions then I guess ill just see if I can get a scholarship from it :/</p>
<p>Don't put it on your app, it's useless (like you said... you'll look like "an IQ-snob").</p>
<p>I honestly don't think that this will hurt you, and it is extremely impressive if you get it, so I think you should tell them.</p>
<p>I would bet money that it's not "extremely impressive" or even for that matter, "impressive".</p>
<p>Mensa seems to be just a group for socially awkward people. All they do is hold bowling events and tea parties.</p>
<p>But hey, congrats if you get in. I've always been curious as to how well I'd do on it.</p>
<p>My view of Mensa: take the test, pass it, don't join the club, and don't ever tell anyone you took the test unless you want to be the captain of the geek patrol.</p>
<p>From what I'd heard on these boards, Mensa is nothing special. Whether that's true, I dunno.</p>
<p>The value of Mensa = zilch unless you get a scholarship from it.
Colleges care about your grades, ECs, scores. Whether you qualify for Mensa is no concern to colleges.</p>
<p>When it comes to the very top universities, probably all of the students qualify for Mensa whether or not they bothered to take the test.</p>
<p>i think mensa would be extremely helpful. </p>
<p>The whole point of the SAT, believe it or not, is to test some sort of intelligence ( although it does a poor job at doing so). So, showing that your intelligence is in the top 1~2% is basically like scoring a high SAT score.</p>
<p>Colleges don't care about the Mensa test or else they would add it to their admission requirements. Colleges care about the SATs and ACT, which reflect the kind of info that colleges are looking for -- info that colleges can use to compare their students to each other.</p>
<p>If the OP wants to do something on a test that impresses colleges, the OP should study to get perfect scores on College Board tests.</p>
<p>Even after all these decades, Mensa has never found any useful purpose for itself. You can decide for yourself the value of a club whose only real function is to decide who can join the club.</p>
<p>I lost any interest in Mensa when I encountered an "educational consultant" who claimed to be the coordinator for gifted children at a local mensa, and who proceeded, without any evidence, to try to label my high IQ, socially adjusted and happy child with various unwarranted pathologies and diagnoses, that no one else with any credentials bought into. Like he was the only jerk saying these things.A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and incompetence is rampant. If that was a mensa official, I was distinctly unimpressed. Besides, 125 IQ is peanuts in the high IQ world. Don't bother with Mensa. if they let persons like that 'educated" bozo run rampant doing potentially destructive things, you've got to wonder.</p>
<p>bookcases:</p>
<p>The raw IQ score doesn't matter. Various IQ test produce various raw scores at Mensa's cutoff point, which is top 2% (two standard deviations).</p>
<p>As for joining, you may find you like the people there and enjoy discussing things with them, but I definitely wouldn't put it on your resume. It can sound too much like you're fixated on your IQ.</p>
<p>wait, Mensa offers scholarships?</p>
<p>lol, alright thanks >_<</p>
<p>Hi,
Did some checking into this subject and found out that Mensa actually accepted exceptionally high SAT scores (as well as valid I.Q test scores at or above 134) to meet membership requirements prior to 9/30/74. After that, the SAT was changed dramatically enough so that it no longer correlated positively to raw intelligence, but rather, presently tests the amount of learned, or crystallized knowledge instead. It was therefore no longer acceptable to Mensa for acceptance.
Also located a couple of studies: One found the range of Harvard U average I.Q.s to be from 115 to 127, another finding M.I.Ts range to be from 114 to 135-- both averages being from above to well above average intelligence. But there’s quite a range represented and these are just averages, so this means that people with I.Q.s from average to extremely gifted attend these top notch schools.
I believe it means that although the gift of intelligence is important, there’s a lot more to someone than just their I.Q. like ethics, positivity, creative potential, humanity, drive and motivation, etc., that the admissions department is also looking very closely at when making acceptance decisions. They’re trying to gauge if a person is has what it takes to succeed in their school as well as in life, and high drop out rates reflect poorly on their institution.</p>
<p>Hi,
Did some checking into this subject and found out that Mensa actually accepted exceptionally high SAT scores (as well as valid I.Q test scores at or above 134) to meet membership requirements prior to 9/30/74. After that, the SAT was changed dramatically enough so that it no longer correlated positively to raw intelligence, but rather, presently tests the amount of learned, or crystallized knowledge instead. It was therefore no longer acceptable to Mensa for acceptance.
Also located a couple of studies: One found the range of Harvard U average I.Q.s to be from 115 to 127, another finding M.I.Ts range to be from 114 to 135-- both averages being from above to well above average intelligence. But there’s quite a range represented and these are just averages, so this means that people with I.Q.s from average to extremely gifted attend these top notch schools.
I believe it means that although the gift of intelligence is important, there’s a lot more to someone than just their I.Q. score, (ethics, positivity, creative potential, humanity, drive and motivation, etc.), that the admissions department is also looking very closely at when making acceptance decisions.</p>
<p>Did anyone see the Mensa piece on…I think 60 minutes or CBS This Morning? I sent MENSA my son’s name because he saw the piece and we ah…enjoyed it so much. Now they are inviting him to their meetings.</p>
<p>I think MENSA is silly but if they enjoy themselves then more power to them. But I don’t think it is anything prestigious, IMHO.</p>
<p>I took the SATs in 1965 (yes, that’s not a typo) and was accepted to Mensa on the basis of my scores. I attended a meeting or two in the early '70s and found it to be fairly useless. </p>
<p>Of course, things may have changed since then. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>And No, colleges are not impressed. They care about what you’ve done, not about what you are.</p>
<p>Do not put it on your apps. It’s fine if you want to join or whatever, but colleges will not be impressed with it. In fact, it is a faux pas to put it on your apps (or your resume’), so it would hurt you. It’s not completely logical, so don’t try to reason why it should be helpful. Many people put math contests on their apps to show their intelligence regardless of whether they intend to pursue a technical career, and that’s fine. It’s just this particular test that’s a turn-off. And ironically, many people attack the IQ test by saying that it does not measure innate intelligence but is rather more like an achievement test; this should mean that one should be able to put it on a high school resume’. However, no matter what it will be interpreted that you believe it’s all about talent and not achievement.</p>
<p>Many people, including myself, took this test as a kid because it is often required for gifted programs. I joined Mensa as a kid not knowing whether it would be useful. It turned out to be quite useful because my parents did not know anything about how to seek academic opportunities for me and they got to network with parents who knew more than they did. I first heard about the Midwest Talent Search there, and through that I found the CTD/CTY program. The CTD program was extremely important to my development.</p>
<p>Mensa is probably less important to join as an adult (although some people just want to see if they could do it.) However, it may be useful as a resource to parents to share academic opportunities.</p>