The Armstrong County Pageants

Becoming A Contestant

General Information on Becoming a Contestant

Each contestant should be an example of the high standards of young womanhood of our state and the principles of the Miss America Pageant Program. It doesn't cost a cent to compete in the Miss America program - all you need is commitment, perseverance, talent and ambition.

The categories of each Miss America local, state and national competition are: talent, casual wear, evening wear, interview, on stage question and physical fitness in a swimsuit. Every Miss America State and Local titleholder selects a platform issue of importance to her and to society and spends her year of service advocating her issue before the media, business people, public officials, civic and charitable groups, and others.

To compete in a local a contestant must fulfill the following requirements. A contestant must be born female, be a U.S citizen, never been married, and must be a resident or student in Pennsylvania for at least six months preceding the date of the local pageant in which she wishes to compete. She must be between the ages of 17 and 24.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: To compete on residency a contestant must meet the requirement set by the local and provide proof of residency -- a current drivers license, voters registration card, current lease, etc. If competing as a out of state student, she must have successfully completed one semester as a full time student at a bona fide college/university and be registered into her second semester. If competing as employed full-time, she must work at least 40 hours per week in Pennsylvania for at least six months preceding the date of the local in which you wish to compete.

AGE REQUIREMENTS: To be eligible to compete, a contestant must be 17 years of age before the first date of the preliminary competition of the local pageant in which she wishes to compete, and must be a graduate of a high school by July 30th of the year in which she is eligible to compete, and can or will be able to produce a diploma as proof upon request, or has successfully completed a G.E.D. testing program for high school equivalency and show proof.

A contestant can be no older that 24 years of age on December 31 of the year in which she intends to compete in the National Finals of the America Pageant.

A contestant must be of good moral character and have never been pregnant and is not now pregnant and has not been involved at any time in any act of moral turpitude. She must never been convicted of any crime and does not have any criminal charges pending. She must never have been engaged in any activity which is or could be characterized as dishonest, immoral, immodest, indecent or in bad taste; is in reasonably good health.

State/Local Judging Overview

25% Private Interview
 5% On-Stage Question
35% Talent
20% Evening Wear 
15% Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit
100% Total

From this 100%, the top five finalists will be determined. The top five finalists enter the final round of competition with zero points. The judges will then rank the contestants in the order they individually believe the contestants should finish on a final ballot.  Each judge will rank the top five contestants on a final ballot. A first place vote is worth 10 points, a second place vote is worth five points, a third place vote is worth three points, a fourth place vote is worth two points and a fifth place vote is worth one point. The total of the final ballots alone will determine the outcome of the pageant. The high and low scores on the final ballot will NOT be dropped. All judges’ votes count on the final ballot.

Review in General Categories 

Speaking 30%
Talent 35%
Beauty 35%

The final ballot allows each judge to assess the contestant’s overall abilities to meet the public’s expectations and the program’s necessary requirements of a titleholder. This will help us reach our goal of selecting our program’s beautiful, talented, well-spoken, and intelligent role models.