Junior Mensa Honor Society Overview

The Junior Mensa Honor Society is open to Young Mensans in grades 5–9. The ideals of the Mensa Honor Society are integrity, intellectual curiosity, academic commitment, and service.

In keeping with the purposes of Mensa, the objectives of the Mensa Honor Society are to:

• Recognize the achievements of Young Mensans who take active roles in their communities, schools or faith-based organizations.
• Provide recognition for Young Mensans for service that develops their talents and skills for the benefit of others.
• Allow these achievements to be formally recognized by Mensa, schools and other institutions.

Download JMHS Application

Qualifications for Membership

In addition to being current members of American Mensa, the criteria for membership in the Junior Mensa Honor Society are:

1. Service: Members must perform a minimum of 25 hours of service to school or community during the calendar year prior to admission and an additional 25 hours of service per calendar year to remain members in good standing. The service must be done without compensation.
2. Participation: Members must participate in at least one activity outside of school attendance. This could include such programs as scouting, music, athletics or art. These activities may or may not be on a school campus.
3. Scholarship: Members must remain in academic good standing with their schools or make adequate progress home-schooling. Repetition of a grade or failure to progress to the next level of academic study will be grounds for dismissal from the society. Expulsion from school will disqualify a Young Mensan from society membership. Members must demonstrate the ideals of academic commitment and intellectual curiosity in one of the following ways:
   1. Submission of a school transcript showing a grade point average of 3.8 or above on a 4.0 scale. If letter grades are not given, transcripts showing excellence in academics as recognized by the school’s system of grading will be considered. Homeschoolers should select an alternate method unless they have a full and complete transcript from an accredited school. Parent-created transcripts are not acceptable evidence. Transcripts must be official school transcripts showing at least two years’ grades. Transcripts printed from the internet are not acceptable.
   2. Recognition in a nationally recognized, advanced academic event during past twelve months prior to application. This could include such events as: Destination Imagination; Math Counts; district-level spelling bee (school level is not sufficient); a regional science competition; National Geography Bee or any similar competition. Recognition in a talent search is not acceptable. Verification must be provided by the applicant showing the level of the competition, a clear and official description of the competition, and proof of the applicant’s recognition or achievement. Achievement must be demonstrated. Participation alone is not enough. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation, and that documentation must clearly show that the applicant achieved a notable level of success. As this is submitted in lieu of years of academic achievement in school, applicants using this method (or method C below) must demonstrate significant and commendable achievement.
   3. Other demonstrable individual achievement in academics. Publication in for-profit compilations is insufficient. Performance on state end-of-course or end-of-year exams is not sufficient.
4. Character: Applicants must submit at least one letter of recommendation from a school teacher/administrator, ecclesiastical leader or community representative who can attest that the applicant represents the ideals of the society (integrity, intellectual curiosity, academic commitment and a concern for others).
5. Letter of Intent: Applicants must submit, in their own handwriting, a letter of intent explaining why they desire to join the Junior Mensa Honor Society.

Application Procedure

Applications are reviewed by the Mensa Honor Society Selection Committee, and applicants will be notified of their admission to the society within eight weeks. Applications are accepted year-round.

During the application process, the selection committee may request further information or clarification from applicants. Failure to provide additional information will be grounds for rejection of the application. If an application is rejected for any reason, the candidate may re-apply after a six-month waiting period.

Membership in the society will remain in effect so long as society members are active members of Mensa and submit a renewal application before October 31, providing evidence of the annual service, scholarship, and participation requirements. Renewals are the responsibility of the member.

Download Renewal Application

Accommodations for the application process are available, please contact Honorsociety@americanmensa.org to learn more.

Leaving the Society

If a member chooses to leave the society, they may rejoin, but the application will be treated as new, and all evidence must be resubmitted, including the letter of recommendation.

Contact Information

Applications and supporting documents should be sent to:

Questions regarding the Society should be directed to HonorSociety@americanmensa.org.