mensa scholarship essay examples

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Mid-Hudson Mensa

College scholarship overview.

Applicants must be planning to be enrolled in a degree program at an accredited U.S. institution of higher learning next fall. The degree can range from Associate to Doctoral and students may apply every year that they meet the qualifications. There are three scholarship programs available:

U.S. Program

Any U.S. citizen or permanent resident can apply. Scholarships are awarded at the local, regional, and national levels. The general awards are unrestricted as to age, race, gender, level of post-secondary education, and grade point average. Special awards are available based on academic program (history, arts [fine arts, creative writing, journalism, architecture, photography, ceramics, textiles], interpersonal communications, mediation, natural sciences, mathematics, aero engineering), degree program (A.A., B.A. or Graduate degree), or life phase (veteran, returning to school, etc.). You can apply for multiple scholarships, if eligible. See online entry form for an up-to-date list of available scholarships.

American Mensa Program

American Mensa members or IRS dependents of American Mensa members can apply for this in addition to the U.S. Program .

International Mensans Program

This scholarship is for foreign Mensa members (or their children age 25 or younger) enrolled at a college or university in the United States.

How to Apply

Application tips.

For the US Program, the entry form will list multiple scholarships you can apply for. The ones you automatically qualify for are checked. Examine the remaining ones to see what others you may qualify for. You'll note that some scholarships are for specific fields of study or degrees. Carefully consider your college field of study and final degree in order to apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for.

Read the Rules and Guidelines and any FAQ links that appear in the left column of the page. Print or save them for reference. Go over them again before submitting the essay. For instance, it is important that the submitted essay not contain any personally identifying information — not even first name.

You'll want to compose the essay off-line and paste it into the application. As the entry form only takes plain text, don't bother with text styles (bold, italic, underline, super/sub-scripts, etc). Have someone review it (like a teacher — but take care that they are not involved with the Mensa scholarship program). Review the essay after you paste it in to make sure the form has correctly translated every character and that the end is not cut-off.

If applying for the American Mensa scholarship, make sure you see and check off the box for it on the entry form. If you don't see it, you didn't select it on the zip code entry page.

How to Get a Mensa Scholarship as a Member and/or Dependent

Table of Contents

Are you part of the Mensa high IQ society who also is pursuing your post-secondary education? If you are currently struggling to pay for your college, this Mensa Scholarship could be the perfect solution for you.

The Mensa Foundation generously awards thousands of dollars every year to their college-bound members and their dependents. The scholarship distribution aims to retain intelligent individuals in university, which ultimately leads to a brighter future generation.

Interested in a Mensa Scholarship? Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to apply to one.

What is a Mensa Scholarship?

A Mensa Scholarship, as the name suggests, is a scholarship granted by the Mensa Foundation to college students who are: 1) a member of the foundation, and/or 2) a descendant of a member. It serves as an initiative of the Mensa Foundation to help deserving members to pursue their degrees sans the looming shadow of student loans.

The annual scholarship is also one of the most coveted. The reason for this is the Mensa Foundation’s notoriously difficult entrance test; only those who score in the top 2% in the test are granted membership. However, such elite membership comes with its own tantalizing perks, including this life-changing financial aid.

The Mensa Foundation is a charitable, nonprofit organization devoted to the advancement of superior human intelligence. It was established in 1971. By directing donations to scholarships, gifted youngsters, and educational outreach, the foundation’s work benefits people, groups, and society at large.

How Do I Know if I Am Eligible?

To be considered for the award, you must intend to enroll in an accredited educational institution for the 2023-24 academic year. Also, since this scholarship is only open to those with Mensa Foundation membership and/or are dependents of foundation members, make sure you are one before considering applying.

Now, if you believe you are a deserving candidate for this opportunity, proceed to the next session to find out the scholarship amount that you might win.

How Do I Qualify for Mensa?

People who scored in the top two percent of the general population on an intelligence test that has been properly given and overseen are eligible to join Mensa. There are not any additional requirements for initial membership eligibility.

Take a Mensa-administered test or submit a qualifying test score from another recognized test to demonstrate your eligibility for Mensa.

The Stanford-Binet and Cattell IQ tests are two of the more popular ones. Getting into Mensa in the top 2% requires a Stanford-Binet exam score of 132 or higher, or a Cattell equivalent score of 148 or higher.

How Much Money Can I Get from This Scholarship?

Mensa Scholarship winners will receive $2,500 cash that they can apply towards their education-related expenses. Combined with full-ride scholarships , it is a meaningful opportunity, especially for students who are struggling economically.

What Information Do I Need to Apply?

To apply for this scholarship, all you need is an application and an essay. In your scholarship application form, you have to provide the following information:

• Mensa membership or dependent status
• Personal information
• Legal address
• Present address
• Education information
• School you plan to attend

For your essay, make sure you draft an original piece of writing of no more than 550 words. It should be about your goal and the experiences or steps you have taken towards it, why you think you will succeed, and the impact of your experiences or achievements on the probability of meeting your goal. Assessment also involves grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

The unique thing about the Mensa Scholarship application is that it is judged anonymously. In other words, you cannot include your name, address, or other identifying information in your essay. As such, the judges will score strictly based on what you write without considering anything beyond the lines.

How Do I Apply for This Scholarship?

Fill out the electronic application form here to apply for the Mensa Scholarship. Note that essays must be submitted by copy-pasting your writing on the form on the website. Consequently, your essay submission will be saved as plain text with no additional markup.

Most importantly, attach your digital signature to confirm that the information and essay you provide is your own work, and that you abide by the rules.

When Is This Scholarship Due?

The Mensa Scholarship deadline is on January 15, 2022, at 11:59 PM Central Time (CT).  Only one application is allowed per student in this scholarship competition.

How to Increase Your Chances of Winning This Scholarship

Essays play a crucial role in your application. Therefore, knowing what kind of piece of writing that will bring you success is important.

One way to craft a winning essay is to refer to the work of past winners. This can give you an idea of the judges’ preferences, such as the angle of discussion, language style, and information that should be included.

The following Mensa Scholarship essay example can help pump up your creative juices:

My parents never went to college. After spending time at a juvenile detention center, my father could not complete his high school education. After being hit by a tractor-trailer and going through a six-month coma, my mother attended a year of technical school but has since forgotten all she learned there. Our main source of income is the disability assistance she now receives. I am making it my duty to ensure that all of our country’s youngsters understand how vital education truly is after witnessing personally how challenging it is to raise a family without a college degree.

I have flourished during my high school days, serving as an example for my classmates both inside and outside the classroom. My SAT scores placed me in the top 3% of African Americans and the top 9% of all students, and I am currently rated 19 th out of my diverse class of 317 individuals. I have volunteered hundreds of hours by playing with sick kids at local children’s hospital, running a summer day camp program for underprivileged kids at a library in my neighborhood, and assisting other students with their research in my school library.

I will start going to school in the fall of next year to get my bachelor’s in psychology and eventually my master’s in education. The university is one of the top institutions in the nation for training future professionals, and its degree in Applied Developmental Psychology will equip me to make a difference in people’s lives. I consider educating the future generation to be my life’s work, and as a teacher, I hope to motivate students from similar disadvantaged circumstances to overcome their challenges.

The children are our future, as everyone is aware, but public education is sadly no longer the institution that it once was. We continue to teach using the same techniques and procedures that have been employed for hundreds of years, even though we live in a completely new world. We lag behind nations like Switzerland, China, and Japan because we have a tendency to adhere to antiquated practices. When I succeed in my aim, I won’t just be an educator; instead, I will be an innovator, a mentor, and—most importantly—a leader.

We have educational options as Americans that our predecessors could never have dreamed of. I will make sure that my kids seize any opportunity that comes their way. My family has never been dubious that I am going to college, even though we cannot purchase our own meals. In the same manner that I am going to accomplish my own aspirations, I am confident that there are tools available to enable all kids to do the same. They just need someone to point them in the right direction.

What’s Next

Are you on a mission to find more life-changing opportunities? You are in the right place! Check out our guides to getting the Pulse of Perseverance Scholarship and Unigo’s Education Matters Scholarship .

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Scholarship

Each year, through the Mensa Foundation , Western New York Mensa holds a scholarship essay contest. Students who are enrolled in a degree program at an accredited institution of higher education during the academic year following the application date are eligible. (The current school year's scholarship is for students who will be enrolled in the next academic year.) Enrollment can be undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time. One does not need to be a member of Mensa to apply.

WNY Mensa usually awards a $500 scholarship. In addition to that, there are several regional and national scholarships available, ranging from $600 to $1000 each. Using the online system, the applicant submits only one essay to be considered for all eligible scholarships.

The applicant must be a U.S. citizen and currently be a resident of WNY Mensa's coverage area. If you are not sure whether or not you live in our coverage area, check out the Mensa Foundation's College Scholarship Program page, click on "Determine Scholarship Eligibility" at the bottom of the page and enter your zip code.

The awarding of this scholarship is based solely on the applicant's essay. Consideration is not given to grades, academic program, or financial need. There is also no consideration given to gender, race or age. Applicants write an essay of not more than 550 words explaining their academic and/or vocational goals and how they plan to achieve those goals. Essays are submitted online to our scholarship chair and to the local judging committee. In addition to the scholarship that WNY Mensa awards, scholarships are also awarded at the regional and national level. The best essays received at the local level will be sent to the regional judges, who send the best of their essays to the national judges.

Visit the Mensa Foundation's College Scholarship Program to start your application. Submissions must be completed by January 15 of each year.

We have created a leaflet summarizing the scholarship information. Please feel free to download and print it, and put it on your school's bulletin board, or distribute it directly to students. Click here to access the 2018 PDF file.

Where Brilliance Belongs

Mensa Foundation awards

One of the Mensa Education & Research Foundation's purposes is to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

To further this goal, several awards programs have been established to recognize the research and support of intelligence both nationally and internationally.

Copper Black was a Mensan who valued creativity. In her will she left a legacy funding a special annual award to recognize an outstanding creative achievement by a member of American Mensa.

These annual awards are given internationally for outstanding research on intelligence, intellectual giftedness and related fields.

This award is presented every other year in recognition of a lifetime of contributions to the field of intelligence and related subjects.

The Mensa Foundation Prize is awarded biennially for the best scientific discovery in the field of intelligence or creativity. Endowed by the estate of Kenneth Douglas Thomson (1934-2013), the award includes a $10,000 prize, personal plaque and medal.

The Mensa Foundation's Scholarship Program bases its awards totally on essays written by the applicants. Consideration is not given to grades, academic program or financial need.

Greater Phoenix Mensa

It's not just the heat..., scholarships.

Tips for Writing a Winning Essay

Scholarships offered.

Like minds who like minds

Mensa of Western Washington

Scholarships

Mensa foundation scholarship program.

Founded in 1971, the Mensa Education & Research Foundation is a philanthropic, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to the pursuit of excellence in human intelligence. The mission and strategic focus are directed at scholarships, education and awards.

The Mensa Foundation Scholarship Program awards more than $140,000 in assistance every year to college-bound students around the globe. Scholarships are awarded based solely on 550-word essays expressing applicants’ academic and professional goals and how their personal experiences will help them to accomplish those goals.

The  U.S. scholarship program  relies on approximately 450 dedicated volunteers around the country, with support from the Foundation’s office staff. U.S. applicants need not be Mensa members. However, college-bound Mensa members and their dependents may also be eligible for one of several $2,500 scholarships awarded each year through the Mensa Member Scholarship Program.

The  International Scholarship Program  is open to international Mensans (other than American Mensa). One scholarship, which also includes dependents of international Mensa members, is for those attending college in the United States. The other scholarships are for international Mensans attending college other than in the U.S.

Please visit the  Mensa Foundation page  to learn more about the program, and to apply.

If you’re a current member of Mensa of Western Washington and wish to volunteer to be a scholarship judge, please look out for our announcements in ToteMs each winter before we begin judging in mid-January.

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How to apply for a Mensa Scholarship

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Orange County, California Chapter of American Mensa

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Orange County Mensa actively participates in this program by judging local entries. Our educational fund, administered through the Mensa Foundation, includes both the Art Mattson Memorial Scholarship  (formerly the Orange County Mensa Scholarship) and the Larry Grannis Memorial Scholarship .

2023 – 2024 Scholarship Winners

From orange county.

The members of Orange County Mensa are pleased to congratulate the following students who won scholarships in this year’s competition!

Click on the names to see that recipient’s winning essay.

How to Apply for a Mensa Scholarship

The Foundation’s college scholarship program bases its awards totally on essays written by the applicants. Consideration is not given to grades, academic program or financial need.

Essays must be uploaded between September 15 and  January 15 .

Note: Essays are restricted to a maximum of 550 words and must include a minimum of two paragraphs. Be sure to read all requirements, rules, and guidelines on the Mensa Education and Research Foundation website before submitting your application.

Applicants:   submit essays online here between September 15 and January 15.

ELIGIBILITY for Mensa scholarships

• Applicant must be enrolled in a degree program in an accredited American institute of post-secondary education (or intend to enroll for the following academic year).
• While some of the scholarships are for specific areas of study, most are for students in any major.
• Applicant need not be a member of Mensa nor qualified for Mensa.
• However, there may be additional awards for Mensa members and/or their dependents.
• All general awards are unrestricted as to age, race, gender, level of post-secondary education or financial need.
• To be eligible for the Art Mattson Memorial Scholarship or the Larry Grannis Memorial Scholarship, applicants must reside in a zip code assigned to Orange County Mensa .
• More information is on the Mensa Education and Research Foundation website .

Mensa Member Scholarships

• Additional scholarships may be available for Mensa members (and IRS dependents)
• Only a single application/essay is required.

The answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Mensa Foundation Scholarship Program are available from the Mensa Foundation .

Or, you may contact our OCM Scholarship Chair .

Past Winners

You can see the list of winners for recent years and read sample essays from selected past scholarship winners here .

If you plan to enter your own essay in the competition, look these essays over first to see what our judges have liked in the past. Whether you’re a contestant or not, you’ll enjoy reading some excellent writing from some scholars of high intelligence.

Help support Our Scholarship Funds!

You can make a donation to the Art Mattson Memorial Scholarship and/or the Larry Grannis Memorial Scholarship.

Your donation may help us increase the dollar amount of the scholarships we are able to award.

Because our scholarships are administered by the Mensa Foundation, your donation may be tax-deductible, but please consult your tax adviser. Note that you do not need to be a member of Orange County Mensa, nor reside within Orange County, to make a donation. If desired, your donation can be anonymous.

To donate online: You may donate online on the Mensa Foundation website . In addition, send an email to to the Foundation Director with “Orange County Mensa Scholarship Fund” in the subject line as described at the top of the donation page. (Note: using the dropdown in the Recognition section of the donations page is not sufficient to apply your donation to Orange County Mensa’s Scholarship Fund. You must also send an email.)

To send a check: Make your check payable to Mensa Foundation. On the memo line designate “Orange County Mensa Scholarship Fund.” Mail to Mensa Foundation, 1315 Brookside Dr, Hurst TX  76053.

IMPORTANT: When you donate, please specify that you want your donation to benefit the Orange County Mensa Scholarship Fund.

Volunteer to Be a Judge for Next Year’s Scholarships

We need judges to read and evaluate essays submitted by students in Orange County. Judging on the local level happens during a three or four week period in late January/early February. For more information, contact our Scholarship Chair, at [email protected] .

Judging Process

For those with inquiring minds, the following describes the judging process.

At the heart of the national public scholarship program are some 400 or more volunteers, most of whom are members of American Mensa. These volunteers receive and judge the essays on three levels: local, regional and national. Each local group that participates is guaranteed a minimum of one $600 Foundation scholarship for one of the entrants from their local group competition.

Local judges, such as those in Orange County Mensa, begin the judging.

The best essays from the local level judging are then are sent to the regional scholarship level. American Mensa has ten regions, and Orange County Mensa is in Region Nine. At the regional level, the judging process begins all over again, with new judges evaluating all the entries submitted from each participating local group in the region. The regional judges rank the local winners and nominate the best essays for regional and national awards. These essays are then forwarded to the National Scholarship Chairs.

National level judges conduct additional rounds of  judging to select the regional and national winners. Each applicant can receive only one Mensa Foundation scholarship per year; therefore, the winners are chosen beginning at the highest dollar amounts. The next highest scores receive awards of the next lower amounts, and so on until all the winners are chosen based on the judges’ scores.

After the final judging, the winners’ list is approved by the Board of Trustees and all winning awards are announced by the end of June of the competition year.

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Lone Star Mensa of Central Texas

Lone star mensa scholarship program.

About the Program The Mensa Education and Research Foundation scholarship program awards scholarships each school year, based on an essay competition. Scholarships range from $500 to $1000. We award at least one scholarship in our local area, and qualified entries from our local area compete for regional and national prizes.   Contestants do NOT have to be members of Mensa. The only requirement will be that winners will need to provide proof of enrollment in a degree program at an accredited institution of post-secondary education for the school year following the contest. Awards will not be based on need, race, age, sex or year of school (not just freshmen).   Entrants must reside in the Lone Star Mensa area including Austin, Waco, Bryan/College Station, Temple/Belton, San Marcos, Llano and Marble Falls.   Contestants must submit an essay of up to 550 words describing their career, vocational and/or academic goals. Judging will emphasize a goal statement that includes specific information on experience or steps taken toward the goal, persuasiveness (for example: how your past achievements, experiences and future planning increase the probability of reaching your goal); why you think that you will succeed; and also grammar, spelling, and punctuation.   The 2013-2014 contest has officially ended. The scholarship application process for 2014-2015 will open on September 15, 2014 and runs till January 15, 2015. For more details and an application, click  here   Winners will be notified in May or June.   Please follow  all  instructions on the entry form carefully to avoid being disqualified.

To see LSM area winners and their entries, please click HERE

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Scholarships

• Young Poets

Each year, the American Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF) makes available more than $80,000 in local, regional, and national scholarship funds. Included in that total is the Northern Michigan Mensa Scholarship of $600. Prizes are awarded based on essays written by the applicants regarding their academic and career goals. Applicants must be citizens or residents of the United States and planning to enroll in a degree program at an accredited institution of higher learning in the Fall of 2018. Membership in Mensa is not a requirement in this scholarship contest, nor is there any age requirement. Scholarship applications are now handled completely online. Applicants need to go to the web site for the Mensa Education and Research Foundation (MERF)--also known as the MENSA FOUNDATION (http://www.mensafoundation.org/what-we-do/scholarships/). All of the needed information for applying can be found on that site. Applications for 2019 scholarships can be made after September 15, 2018. When asked for a zip code, enter 49684. That will provide you with the correct entry form. Submissions, including the essay, must be completed online on or before January 15, 2019. For further information, contact Northern Michigan Mensa Scholarship Chair; Kymberli A. Wregglesworth, (989) 733-4820 or (989) 272-1867 or [email protected]. Good luck to all applicants!

Mensa international scholarship

Mensa Foundation scholarships are awarded on the basis of an essay that describes the applicant’s career, vocational, and/or academic goals along with information that shows how the applicant intends to achieve the stated goal. The general scholarships are unrestricted as to age, race, gender, level of education, grade point average, or financial need.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Mensa international scholarship, applicants must be a Mensa member (other than American Mensa). Applications must include the country of membership and membership number (if known).

Eligible students are those who will be pursuing a degree program at an accredited college or university in a country other than the United States during the academic year following their application.

To apply for a Mensa Foundation scholarship, complete the application form below. The required fields are indicated with an asterisk; incomplete applications will not be considered. Note: You must include an email address to receive an email confirmation after you have submitted your application.

Essay length is limited to 550 words (or less). If you exceed that length, your essay will be truncated. We recommend that you write, edit and proofread your essay before you copy/paste it into the application form.

Review the Scholarship Rules and Guidelines for more information. Only applications and essays that conform to these rules and guidelines will be considered. Submit your application once. Multiple entries may be disqualified.

Scholarship winners will be notified by mail before the end of June. A list of winners and their city, state, and/or country will be posted here on our website by the end of June.