Contestants

Contestant Information

>Can I be a contestant?
>What are the requirements of a contestant?
>What are the areas judged?
>What scholarships are available?
>What local pageants are available?
>What do I have to do with CMN?

Can I be 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 donation for Miss America and the Children's Miracle Network www.MissAmerica4kids.org

What are the requirements of a contestant?

A young woman may compete at the local and state level more than once, but may only compete in
the national Miss America competition one time. Eligibility is as follows:

High school graduate or equivalent by June 30th
Resident of Tennessee for the last six months
No younger than 17 at the time of the local competition
No older than 24 by December 31, 2009
U.S. Citizen
Female, never been married or pregnant
Registered as a full-time student within the franchise area of the pageant she wishes to enter
for at least six months OR employed full time (minimum 32 hours per week) within the
franchise area of the pageant she wishes to enter OR employed part-time (minimum
16 hours per week) and attend school part-time (minimum 6 hours per week) for at least
six months prior to the local competition date

Entry Information
In order to compete in a local preliminary for Miss Tennessee for the first time, you must complete a series
of forms. Once completed, many of the completed forms may be reused when competing in other official
local preliminaries. A description of the forms are listed below.

Contestant Contract
You must complete an official contestant contract. This contract indicates your understanding of the
Miss America Scholarship Program, the rules and guidelines along with the responsibilities of title holders.
You may find the form under the Forms tab on this website.

Contestant Resume
Part of the application process is to complete a "Contestant Resume." This fact sheet will provide the
judges with some information for use in the interview process.

Contestant Platform
In addition to the fact sheet, you will need to summit a one page description of your platform issue.
This will help the judges gain valuable insight to your platform and your involvement.

Other Requirements
Local preliminaries may also have specific requirements of their participants. Review the specific
local preliminary details for more information.

What are the areas judged?

Contestants in all Miss America preliminaries at the local and state level compete in the following areas:

State/Local Judging Overview

Preliminary Night of a Multi-Night Competition

25% Private Interview
5% On-Stage Question
35% Talent
20% Evening Wear
15% Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit
100% Total
All competitions are scored on a scale of 1.0 – 10.0 using whole numbers with each contestant’s high
and low score in each category dropped by the auditors.

For Final Night of a Multi-Night State Competition
Composite scoring is required in all multi-night competitions. Composite scoring is done on a scale of
1.0 – 10.0 using whole numbers only with each of the semi-finalists’ high and low scores dropped
by the auditors.

Final Night Scoring of a Multi-Night State Pageant

30%Composite
30% Talent
20% Evening Wear
20% Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit
100%Total

Final Night Top Five Finalists
On the final night of a multi-night competition, Talent, Evening Wear, Casual Wear, and Lifestyle and
Fitness in Swimsuit will all be scored on a scale of 6.0 – 10.0 using whole numbers with each contestant’s
high and low scores dropped in each phase of competition.

From this 100%, the top five finalists will be named. 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. Instructions on staging the top five
competitions are included in the attached material.

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

Prelim Night of a Multi-Night Single Night Pageant

Speaking 30% 30%

Talent 35% 35%

Beauty 35%` 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.

Types of Pageants:
CLOSED pageants have specific geographic eligibility requirements, based on where you live, attend school
or work.
Any young woman may run in an OPEN pageant regardless of where she lives within the state of
Tennessee, so long as all other eligibility requirements are met.

What scholarships are available?

The scholarship fund is based on a rich scholastic tradition which has been the cornerstone of the Miss America program since 1945. Today, educational achievements and public service continue to be the
primary objectives for the Miss America and the Miss Tennessee organizations. In 2001, the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Foundation, Inc. awarded over $100,000.00 in cash scholarships to our participants. There are many levels of participation available to businesses and individuals who wish to
support the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Foundation.

If you would like someone to contact you with more information or to answer your questions, please email Miss Tennessee or you may simply phone the Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition office at 731-425-8590

CMN Requirements

Each contestant must register on the CMN website at www.MissAmerica4kids.com and get $100 in donations for each local. Once a contestant has raised $400, they do not have to continue the fundraising if they want. Should a contestant win a local pageant, she then should raise $250 to compete at the state pageant.