How to Join Mensa

If you are the only one on your block who understands Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, can't find anyone to play chess with, or are tired of meeting people who think the Socratic Method is a new way to lose weight, Mensa may be for you. Mensa, founded in 1946, is the world's largest organization for the super-intelligent, with over 100,000 members in 1,000 countries (43,000 in the United States). Members include a huge range of ages, occupations, and educations, making it less of a club and more of a gathering of smart people. Local chapters (180 in the United States) meet at least once a month. Mensa emphasizes that it is not just a bunch of dorks, but a highly social group with lots of "fun" activities, like playing killer Trivial Pursuit, watching Monty Python flicks, and discussing the existence of God. Of course many Mensans join simply to meet intelligent people of the other sex. (Some chapters are said to be pretty wild in this regard. One gathering featured a 100-foot-long, anatomically correct balloon...of a brain.) Though Mensans would prefer a combination of smarts, wit, and charm, even if you have the social skills of a houseplant, you can still join. The only criteria for membership is intelligence.

For entry into Mensa, you must score in the 98th percentile (roughly an IQ of 132) on an administered intelligence test. Mensa accepts most IQ tests, including the widely used Stanford Binet test, as proof of your genius.

If you have taken college or graduate school exams, Mensa can convert LSAT, GMAT, GRE, pre-1994 SAT scores, and dozens of other standardized tests. Your results must be sent directly to Mensa by the testing service or certified and sent by the school where it was administered.

Mensa requires a $25 fee to process submitted test results. If you have not been tested, Mensa will test you for a fee of $30. The test consists of two parts. The first part, which lasts about 15 minutes, is a hodge podge of 50 math and word questions. The second part, which lasts a little over an hour, has seven sections that test a wide range of cognitive and mathematical skills as well as memory. Mensa exams are arranged and offered on a periodic basis though local chapters. If you want some practice answering tricky questions, you can sign up for the home test ($18 fee) at the Mensa Website or by contacting the national office.