Join an Elite Group of Women!
- Earn Scholarships: Many young women like you pay for their college education with Miss America and Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Scholarships.
- Make A Difference: Our program provides a forum for raising awareness and affecting change for social issues that are important to you.
- Gain Experience: Whatever your career or academic goals, the skills you’ll acquire through the Miss America Organization will help ready you for real world challenges.
- Create Opportunities: Showcase your talents…be recognized for your knowledge and abilities…meet influential people.
What Is Expected of a Contestant?
Consistent with the job responsibilities and the Miss America philosophy, women are being sought with the best composite of the following qualities and attributes of Miss America.
- Role model who cares about her role and other women’s roles in society;
- Physically conscientious women with a confident and commanding presence;
- An ambassador and public relations representative of the Miss America Organization;
- Considered both talented and intelligent;
- An activist on issues she deems important;
- Independent and eloquent communicator with the courage of her convictions;
- Accomplished individual whose diversity represents a composite of the “Best of Modern Women.”
- A leader by virtue of her experiences;
- One who takes personal pride in physical fitness and health.
- Raise $100 (local competition) donation for Miss America and the Children’s Miracle Network www.MissAmerica4kids.org. *
Determining Your Eligibility to Compete
Every local pageant may have geographic eligibility requirements, based on where you live, attend school full-time or work full-time, however, all pageants share the same general eligibility requirements.
To compete you must:
- Be at least 17 by contestant’s first Local Pageant but no older than 24.
- Single, never been married.
- Live, work full time, or attend school full time in Maryland.
- Be at least a high school senior.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen
- Meet character criteria as set forth by the Miss America Organization.
- Be able to meet the time commitment and responsibilities as set forth by the local program in which you compete.
- Be able to meet the time commitment and responsibilities as set forth by the Miss Maryland program should you win the title. Should you win a local title, raise $250.00 for the Miss America National Platform: Children’s Miracle Network.
Types of Pageants
- Open Pageants: You must be a resident, full-time employee, or full-time student at a college or university in the state of Maryland.
- Closed Pageants: You must be a resident of the specified county, full-time employee in the specified county, or full-time student in a college or university located in the specified county.
- College Pageants: You must be a full-time student at the listed college or university.
Contestants compete in the following areas:
- Private Interview: Each contestant participates in an individual 10-minute press conference-style interview with our panel of judges. There are typically 5 judges on a panel. Contestants receive questions about their background as presented on their fact sheet, their educational and career goals, their opinions on current events and social issues, and their interests, hobbies and extracurricular activities.
- Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit: Each contestant briefly appears on stage in a one or two piece swimsuit and footwear of her own choosing.
- Talent: Contestants perform a 90 second routine of their own choosing. Some possible talents include all types of singing, dancing, gymnastics, instrumental music, dramatic or comedy monologues, baton twirling, painting and ventriloquism.
- Evening Gown: Each contestant appears on stage in an outfit of her own choosing, representative of what she would wear to a formal, black tie social event. Pantsuits, cocktail dresses and evening gowns are all appropriate for this phase of the competition.
- On-Stage Question: Each contestant will be asked one on-stage question concerning their community service (platform) interest.
What is required to register for a local pageant?
- Resumé ( Download Template)
- Platform Statement (Download Template)
- Local Contestant Contract (Provided by Local Pageant)
- $100 in donations raised for Children’s Miracle Network (Register here to begin fundraising)*
The road to Miss America begins in a town near you. To find your local pageant in Maryland, visit the Local Pageants page.
Apply today!
If you are interested in receiving more information about becoming a contestant in the Miss Maryland Pageant or a local pageant, request detailed information here!
*CMN Fundraising Cap Update: The Miss America Organization has announced that the fundraising cap for contestants competing in locals for CY18 will increase from $400 to $500.