The Connection Between MIT Students and MENSA

While there isn't a specific statistic regarding the percentage of MIT students who are members of MENSA, it's known that MENSA is an organization for individuals who score in the top 2 percentile on a standardized intelligence test. Given MIT's reputation for attracting high-achieving students, it's likely that a notable number of MIT students might qualify for MENSA membership. However, exact figures or percentages are not publicly available, and membership in MENSA is not a common topic of discussion among students.

How Many MIT Students are Eligible for MENSA?

According to Google search, around 3.6 million students are expected to graduate from high school in the USA during the 2018-19 academic year. Mensa accepts members who are in the top 2% of IQ scores. This would suggest that there are currently about 72,000 high school seniors in the USA who would qualify for Mensa. However, MIT accepts only a bit over 1,000 freshman students each year and some of these are foreign students.

When I was a student at MIT, I didn't recall anyone being a member of Mensa. However, the student population at MIT is elite, and most participants would be eligible to join. MIT's admissions are many times more selective than Mensa. In many ways, being at MIT is a natural extension of the selectivity of Mensa. Smart high school students who are admitted to MIT are already in the top 2% of their peers, making them potentially eligible for Mensa membership.

Why MIT Students Don't Join MENSA

One key difference between MIT students and other potential members of Mensa is their social environment. MIT students can meet a lot of people who are like them by the rather easy approach of just looking up when they are in class, talking to the person in the next room in their dorm, or joining any MIT club or activity. They don't need to join Mensa to meet people like them.

Additionally, as a rule, the percentage of Mensa members as a percentage of eligible potential members is higher in areas that do not have a very active university community. Boston is about as university-dense as one can get, so I'd expect the percentage of MIT students in Mensa to be low. University students tend not to join Mensa because they have other intellectual outlets and more than enough social activities or events.

Conclusion

While it's likely that a significant number of MIT students may qualify for MENSA membership, the organization is not commonly discussed or sought after in the MIT community. The vibrant social and intellectual environment at MIT, along with its proximity to a highly university-dense area, contributes to a lower percentage of MIT students participating in Mensa. However, this does not diminish the academic achievements and intellectual capabilities of the MIT student body.