About Mensa and MWM
What is Mensa?
The word "Mensa" means "table" in Latin. The name stands for a round-table society, where race, color, creed, national origin, age, politics, and educational or social background are irrelevant.
Officially, Mensa's stated purposes are "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."
Mensa takes no stand on politics, religion, or social issues. Mensa encompasses members from so many different countries and cultures, and with many different points of view. For Mensa to espouse a particular point of view would go against its role as a forum for all points of view.
Could you become a Mensan?
Mensa is a social club for people who do well on multiple-choice and similar tests. Members tend to be very good — among the top two percent of the population — at two out of the seven forms of intelligence (logico-mathematical [Einstein] and linguistic [Shakespeare]) and anywhere from genius to moron in the other five kinds (music [Mozart], aesthetics [Georgia O’Keefe], interpersonal relationships [Dear Abby/Ann Landers], intrapersonal relationships [Buddha], and kinesthetics, that is, physical intelligence [Babe Zakaris]). If you are reading this, you are probably eligible for membership in Mensa. We invite you to take the Mensa admissions test.
What are MWMers like? We run the gamut, of course, from naughty to nice, from weird to normal, from extrovert to introvert, having only our top-two-percent IQs in common. Brave souls have sent us short biographies — basically any information about themselves they’re willing for the world to know. Introduce yourself! — send a hundred words or fewer, written in the third person (as if by your best friend), to the Webmaster.
New Members Open House
Prospective members are welcome to “sample” us at our monthly gathering, the New Members’ Open House, which is usually held from
Metropolitan Washington Mensa
- Mensa Documents (The history of Mensa and other interesting documents)
- The ExComm (Who is on the Executive Committee and past LocSecs)
- The Cap-M Newsletter(The editors of MWM’s newsletter and its editorial policies)
- Frequently Asked Questions About Mensa
- Member Biographies: Learn a little something about your fellow Mensans.
- The MWM E-Directory: E-mail and WWW home page addresses of local and well-known Mensans.
- SIGs (Special Interest Groups): Our group offers the opportunity for Mensans to meet others who share common interests.
- Learn about Little M.
- Our “Freedom of Speech on the Internet” policy
- Read all about the history of Little M.
- Fun and Games
Metropolitan Washington Mensa serves the greater D.C. area — the District of Columbia, the nearby suburbs of Montgomery and Prince George’s County, Maryland, and the nearby suburbs of Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax County, Virginia — and even a few hardy souls in West Virginia.
Admissions Testing
Mensa admissions tests last two hours and reservations are required. Contact Testing Coordinator Molyneau R. Dubelle (mensanmoly@yahoo.com) for more information. Visit American Mensa's Admissions Test page.
Services and Programs
MERF is a philanthropic, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization funded primarily by gifts from Mensa members and others. MERF awards scholarships, sponsors colloquia, grants research awards, and publishes articles. Of particular interest to MERF is the study of the intellectually gifted. Research projects in the social and psychological sciences supported by MERF have included: measurement of the upper levels of intelligence; psycho-social adjustment; identification of cultural differences; educational strategies and neurophysiological attributes of giftedness; and intelligence and aging.
Scholarships are awarded to approximately 60 students nationwide each year. More than 5,000 students apply for these awards, which range from $200 to $1,000. Awards are made to applicants enrolled in degree-granting programs at accredited American colleges and universities based on a competitive essay. There are also awards made from several endowed funds, including awards to women who re-enter academic study after a period of employment or family management, and awards for the study of engineering, mathematics, medicine, the physical sciences, and history.
MERF also sponsors weekend-long meetings on serious issues. Authorities are invited to speak and discussion follows. Themes for past meetings (Colloquia) have included "Science and Society: Our Critical Challenges," "The Impact of the Arts on Civilization," "The Gifted in Society," and "Forecasting a Valid Tomorrow."
American Mensa's MERF page.
SIGHT: Service for International Guidance and Hospitality to Travelers
SIGHT is a network of volunteer hosts. The network attempts to match up Mensans from outside the United States with Mensans who can supply them with a place to stay while they're visiting the area; local coordinators help get hosts and guests together. MWM's current SIGHT coordinator is Stephanie Smilay, who can be contacted at