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MENSA and NAGTY (high IQ)

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shady lane
Well I'm not aware that acceptance at Cambridge has given you some kind of innate understanding of what admissions tutors think specifically about Mensa. Or even about personal statements, as you haven't seen the PS's of other accepted students.

I've been higher education for 5 years, you have been in it for none. I have known plenty of professors and a few Oxford tutors in my time at university. I am confident that most academics would consider being active in an organization like Mensa to be a signal for potential achievement.

My friend who is a member has a PhD from one of the world's top universities, an incredibly high paying job, and has published articles in academic journals. Mensa is on his CV and it hasn't been viewed as "pretentious twaddle" by anyone.


Assumptions, generalisations, misreading... You are a considerable fan of these despite your lengthy academic privileges!

I have seen other PSs of accepted students - what do you think ALL of us do before we apply? Throw caution to the wind and hope and pray that our Personal Statements are good enough? Don't be so naive.

"Your friend" is in a considerably different position to the OP - putting it on your CV after years of erudition is far removed from a teenager studying their A-levels hoping for a place on an undergraduate degree; trying to "impress" an admissions tutor.

I don't profess to have any innate knowledge about the admissions tutors and what they want - however, I've met many other applicants on my interview day and on the Law Faculty day and none of them were blabbing about MENSA.
Reply 21
Avatar for super_qi2
super_qi2
7
Ye, i put NAGTY down because i did some Engineering challenge through it (which was at Cambridge) and some maths course. And half a summer school, but i didnt mention that. But don't think actually being a member of NAGTY matters
Reply 22
Avatar for Yoda
Yoda
12
shady lane
Well I'm not aware that acceptance at Cambridge has given you some kind of innate understanding of what admissions tutors think specifically about Mensa. Or even about personal statements, as you haven't seen the PS's of other accepted students.

I've been higher education for 5 years, you have been in it for none. I have known plenty of professors and a few Oxford tutors in my time at university. I am confident that most academics would consider being active in an organization like Mensa to be a signal for potential achievement.

My friend who is a member has a PhD from one of the world's top universities, an incredibly high paying job, and has published articles in academic journals. Mensa is on his CV and it hasn't been viewed as "pretentious twaddle" by anyone.


You, sir, are wrong.
Yoda
You, sir, are wrong.


Wrong that academics respect Mensa (which was founded in Oxford by the way)? Do you know how many of them are probably members themselves?

Wrong that the reaction to my friend's Mensa membership hasn't been "ugh, pretentious twaddle?"

or wrong that relevant activity in an academic/intellectual organization could be relevant to one's future university study?

OP: If Oxbridge admissions tutors really do look down on Mensa/NAGTY, and the students at the university are as condescending about it as the people posting in this thread, perhaps you should consider applying elsewhere.
And to VB--you're the same person who claimed that Law A-Level was highly considered by universities, which has been shown to be patently false.

Like I said, your acceptance doesn't make you an expert. I'm not claiming to be an expert either, but at least I know what Mensa is.
Let's keep this polite. :smile:

I think it is very easy to underrate or overrate NAGTY and MENSA. With regard to any admissions process, membership is not going to confer an advantage for its label but indeed, if the association has provided some sort of important opportunity relevant to the degree, then that could be mentioned in the personal statement.

Some - not all - people might seem pretentious in relation to their membership. The simple fact remains that the top percentage of school students in the country is very varied and whilst there will be some outstanding members, there will be the more average ones with one particular strength or such like.

As I mentioned before, membership can provide some useful educational opportunities, but unless they are slightly unique (such as something in industry relevant to Engineering) the benefits are best taken in a passive sense, meaning simply that they improve your skills in a subject. Membership is not in any way specified on entry requirements and it is important to remember that there are some average students in these associations and some truly outstanding students who are not associated with them. They can help with academia, but aren't really something to be discussed extensively on paper.
Your main error, shady, is that you never seem to place things in an appropriate and relevant context. The rest of us seem to be concentrating on the fact that we are discussing a teenager writing a Personal Statement; you've taken it as some personal slant against all MENSA members (goodness knows why), and tell us all that we're "haters" and "fools", and about your vast experience with academia and academics alike. None of us are questioning that, what we are questioning is whether or not it would be beneficial to state (in its isolation) that the OP was a member as to somehow “wow” an admissions tutor.
shady lane
And to VB--you're the same person who claimed that Law A-Level was highly considered by universities, which has been shown to be patently false.

Like I said, your acceptance doesn't make you an expert. I'm not claiming to be an expert either, but at least I know what Mensa is.


Quote me. Go on. Because you won't find me saying that Law is "highly considered". Once again, you are wrong. What I did say is that it would not be detrimental to your application, and that I know of many people whom have gotten onto prestigious law courses with it. That is very different from saying it is "highly considered", do not put words into my mouth. You are going off on an irrelevant tangent because you are losing the argument.

Secondly, I never professed to be an expert; however, your tone continually suggests that you think you are one. You seem intent on telling everyone how wonderful you are, your academic achievements, who you know... It's just very tedious and self-involved. No one actually gives two monkeys (I don't know if you've noticed).
I'm wondering how you can ascertain my tone from typed words on a screen.

Shall I use more of these?

:p: :love: :eek:
Reply 29
Avatar for Yoda
Yoda
12
shady lane
Wrong that academics respect Mensa (which was founded in Oxford by the way)? Do you know how many of them are probably members themselves?

Wrong that the reaction to my friend's Mensa membership hasn't been "ugh, pretentious twaddle?"

or wrong that relevant activity in an academic/intellectual organization could be relevant to one's future university study?


All three, as yoda shall demonstrate. Bow down before him.

1. Being in a club such as mensa has little effect on the potential of the student. Which has been tested in the interview and pre interview tests anyway.

2. This thread was created to ask if using mensa as pretentious twaddle would help his application. The answer is no. If sir believes the admissions tutors will not see through this, then sir finds herself insulting the admissions tutors. For it is their job to determine the fact from the crap.

3. Perhaps yoda's experience may help answer this question. The most relevent activity yoda put about his subject subject in his personal statement was "I liked making paper airplanes at 8 years old". An interview is a magical thing. Many questions may be asked to the applicant. Such as "do you like your subject?"
Reply 30
Avatar for epitome
epitome
11
VB & Shady, would you mind taking this to Private Messages if you want to keep going?
I think the OPs initial query has been answered.

Arguing makes fairies die (or something). :wink:
Well, from someone with limited experience of academia (as you patronisingly pointed out), even I know that you can decipher tone from literature. It's hardly Dostoevsky.
Yeah I think it also depends how you write it in your PS: again, explain how it relates to your application and don't name drop (not that you said you would, I'm just saying.) Good luck with your application whatever you write! :smile:



:eek: :cool: :rolleyes: :wink: :mad: :smile: :frown: :confused: :s-smilie: :tsr2: :suitc: :p:

Apologies... I like being flippant :frown:
epitome
VB & Shady, would you mind taking this to Private Messages if you want to keep going?
I think the OPs initial query has been answered.

Arguing makes fairies die (or something). :wink:


It's finished epitome... I just don't take too kindly to being called a fool by one. :wink:
Reply 34
Avatar for tinypony
tinypony
I think Shady Lane has a point if the OP was applying to an American university, however in the context of European applications it is not really worth wasting space on your PS to write that you are a member of Mensa. It is not directly relevant to your degree and will come across as pretentious/unnecessary.
Being a member of Mensa classifies as extracurricular, and hence rubbish.
chrisjorg
I think Shady Lane has a point if the OP was applying to an American university, however in the context of European applications it is not really worth wasting space on your PS to write that you are a member of Mensa. It is not directly relevant to your degree and will come across as pretentious/unnecessary.
Being a member of Mensa classifies as extracurricular, and hence rubbish.


Are you aware that Mensa has special interest groups (SIGs) that are based on one subject and meet to discuss things like law, politics, psychology, history, economics, etc. that would be directly relevant to an application?
Reply 36
Avatar for heggers89
heggers89
You might as well slip it in somewhere as it sort of suggests that you might be intelligent. But I wouldn't actually say that you have a 'high IQ'- that just sounds arrogant and is, in my opinion, very controversial as to whether high IQ = high intelligence.

Also, there has been much research to show that people with high IQs are often low achievers- not that Im saying you are tho, its just that i would make sure to include lots of other of your skills as well.

So basically, theres no reason why you shouldnt include it in a simple sentence.

Good luck!
Reply 37
Avatar for J-bob
J-bob
1
shady lane
Are you aware that Mensa has special interest groups (SIGs) that are based on one subject and meet to discuss things like law, politics, psychology, history, economics, etc. that would be directly relevant to an application?


and i think that that is the point people are trying to get across. by all means, if you're a MENSA member and you actually did something within the framework of MENSA that either developed ur interest in the degree you apply for or gave you skills that make you a good candidate, put them down. If you just say I'm a MENSAn. then clearly ur going to get laughed at. Same for NAGTY

i think that amid the unnecessary arguement going on here thats what you can learn. maybe im wrong - i'm in the same boat as you as i mentioned on an earlier post so i can't claim to give you a definitive answer but im sure that the others would agree that in the case where MENSA/ NAGTY or any other thing has allowed u to do something that enhanced ur passion for ur degree then its good and put it down. if you joined and then simply left it that that they're hardly going to give a hoot.
Putting Mensa on your form will not harm your application. That is a fact. Thus, you may as well put it on.

To me, it shows that you are trying to increase your intellectual capacity, and that can never be a bad thing.
Reply 39
Avatar for Drogue
Drogue
19
shady lane
You must not know much about Mensa. I have a very close friend in it, and it's nothing like what you've desribed.

I never said IQ will get you through an Oxbridge degree. But I think it shows some kind of initiative if the OP is active in Mensa (that is, organizes meeting and events, etc.). Mensa allows you to interact with people who are different ages, races, careers, etc. but all share some kind of desire to engage intellectually.
While I agree Mensa does give these opportunities (I used to be in Mensa for that reason), these aren't what Oxbridge is looking for, and so I still don't think it belongs on a PS. Sure, if you organised stuff, briefly mention it in the sense of "I've organised stuff", but that's for other universities, Oxbridge won't care. Being a member isn't worth mentioning, and Oxbridge don't care if you organised stuff, they care of you'll be good at the subject.

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