How to Prepare for a Local Miss America Pageant Share on Social Media

Arguably the first American beauty pageant, Miss America has been making small town girls' dreams come true for decades. How do you get started on your journey to becoming the next Miss America? Well, every Miss America started out the same way. At their local Miss America pageant. Preparing to become the next Miss America requires hard work, dedication and a commitment to the Miss America organization.

How to Prepare for a Local Miss America Pageant

Miss America and Miss America's Outstanding Teen

There are two "divisions" in the Miss America Organization. Depending on your age, you will need to find a local pageant that offers your age division. Contrary to popular belief, not all locals will offer the Outstanding Teen program. Be sure to check with your local pageant for this information. It is also very important to make sure you meet age and eligibility requirements. This is your first step to preparing for your local pageant. The Miss America system has many requirements for contestants to be eligible to compete, and before you sign up, you should do your research to be sure that you are eligible. 

Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin. Photo: Miss America Organization

Interview

Interview in MAO is unique in a way that only a Miss America pageant can be. Most local pageants are set up to mimic the state and national levels. However, local pageants that feed into the state pageant have some variations on the requirements for interview. 

Interview in MAO is worth the largest portion of your overall score, and for the Miss division, it is focused mostly on current events. To prepare for interview, you should do several mock interviews. It is best to do these with trained pageant professionals, but also with your local community members like teachers and professors you trust, friends and family members. 

Every Miss America judges panel is required to have a "novice" on the panel, meaning someone who does not know a lot about pageantry. Getting some real world feedback will help you to beef up your interview skills before the competition. (Read: 10 Common Questions Asked in a Miss America Interview)

Talent

One thing that makes the MAO system different than other systems is the talent portion. It is also a crowd favorite of pageant fans everywhere. To win talent, you don't have to be a classically trained professional since you were five. You have to work hard on perfecting your craft and, above all, be entertaining.

Think back on the past Miss Americas. Were they the best singer or the best dancer? No, not always. But, above all things, their performances were well put together, well executed and entertaining.

Practice your talent in front of audiences of strangers to get unbiased feedback to help you better prepare for your local. Also, consider hiring a professional talent coach to critique you. 

Miss Missouri 2019 performing her talent. Photo: Miss Missouri Instagram

Evening Gown

The evening gown competition is one of the lowest percentage of your score. However, it is one that tells a lot about you as a person. The evening gown you pick should reflect your individual personality and style. 

Remember, MAO is very conservative, therefore you should take the style of the system into consideration when picking your gown. A gown cut down to your belly button with a slit cut up to your thigh is probably not the best choice for the system. Also be mindful of your body shape. Choose a gown that enhances your natural shape and complements your skin tone. Choosing a gown can be daunting, but consulting a pageant professional can ensure you have a winning look, with or without the crown.

Community Service

MAO is a big advocate of community service and requires each contestant to have a personal platform as well as to be an advocate for the national platform. (Read: How to Promote Your Platform)

It is important when preparing for your local that you have fully developed your personal platform because you will be asked about it in your interview. Knowing all about it is great, but being genuinely passionate about it is even better. MAO wants a titleholder with a heart. Someone who is heavily involved in what they care most about but is also able to handle promoting the national platform.

Moving Forward

There are many components to competing in a Miss America pageant on any level, and the best way to prepare is to get help from a pageant professional. Pageant Planet offers a VIP coaching program so that you can be well prepared for your next or very first Miss America prelim.

Who knows? Maybe you could be the next Miss America or Miss America's Outstanding Teen! We're cheering for you!