Welcome to Chicago Area Mensa

Note: The Monthly Meeting will be held at the Countryside Unitarian Universalist Church, 1025 N. Smith in Palatine. And the December admissions price will be discounted to encourage you to come and check out the new venue.

One out of every fifty people qualifies for Mensa..
Are you the one?

More fame: Chicago is now the only eight-time GOTYA winner in Mensa ... er, aside from itty-bitty Borderline Mensa.

Note: Mensa was featured on CBS Sunday Morning recently (including notable Chicago Area Mensans!) See the show on CBS's YouTube channel: part 1 and part 2

Mensans come from all walks of life. They range from three to one hundred years old. They represent both sexes, all races, various professions, and many beliefs. In fact, there's only one thing all Mensans have in common: high intelligence. To qualify for Mensa, you must have scored in the top 2% of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. There are many tests we accept. Once you've decided to join us, a world of social and intellectual opportunities is open to you.

Chicago Area Mensa has something for everyone. Activities are scheduled almost daily. The range of activities is wide. In a recent month, there were two brunches, six games nights, nine dinners, a movie night, discussions about poetry, Christianity, women's issues, and science fiction, billiards, and a tour of Chicago's bookstores. All this in addition to our regularly scheduled Monthly Meetings, which boast a spectacular variety of speakers. In the past year alone we've enjoyed presentations on Mithraism and cosmology, Mongolia, Rembrandt, the intelligence of squirrels, patent law, Islam, an "animal intuitive," writing horror stories, correlation of diet and brain size, and magic.

Nothing if not hospitable ...

If our local events don't keep you busy enough, there are many other opportunities to meet other Mensans from all over the globe. Each October, Chicago Area Mensa hosts HalloweeM, one of the grandest of all the Regional Gatherings. In the summer, Mensans from around the country get together at the Annual Gathering, which is a feast of presentations and activities for our omnivorous minds. There are also Mensa colloquia every few years; the most recent was held in February, 2009, on Weather.

In an MTV world, it's good to find some PBS minds. Come, see what we can do for you.