Judging Guidelines

• Be at least nineteen (19) years of age as of December 31st in the calendar year of the State Competition in which she competes.
• Must not be older than twenty-six (26) years of age as of December 31st of the year of the State Competition in which she competes.
• For the avoidance of doubt, Candidate cannot turn twenty-seven (27) years of age at any time during the calendar year in which she could compete at the State Competition. (Calendar Year defined as January 1st through December 31st).
• For the avoidance of doubt, Candidate cannot be eighteen (18) years of age on December 31st in the year she could compete at the State Competition. If the candidate is eighteen (18) years of age on December 31st in the year she could compete at the State Competition, then she must compete in the MAOTeen program.
• Be a United States citizen.
• Residency - Must fulfill one of the following:

1. Must reside in the local area of competition
2. Be enrolled in and physically attending classes on a full-time basis at an accredited college or university in the local area of competition
3. Be employed on a full-time basis in the local area in which she intends to compete.

• Meet character criteria as set forth by the Miss America Organization. 
• Be in reasonably good health to meet the job requirements.
• Be able to meet the time commitment and job responsibilities as set forth by the local, state and national competition(s) in which you compete.
• Register directly with Miss America as an applicant for the Miss Tri-Cities Competition.
• Candidates must meet all additional requirements pursuant to the Miss America State and Local Application & Agreement at www.missamerica.org.

Candidates in all Miss America preliminaries at the local, state and national level compete in five areas:

Candidates must participate in all phases of the competition. No exceptions

TALENT – 35%

Skill; personality; interpretive ability; technical skill level – execution, technique, synchronization, stage presence, on-state personality, totality of all elements – including costume, props, voice, use of body and choreography.

INTERVIEW – 35%

Qualities and attributes of a Miss America; overall first impression; personal appearance; personality; intelligence; validated opinions; speech; vocabulary and grammar; responses to context; style; and emotional control.

RED CARPET – 10%

Sense of confidence; personality and stage presence; technique – including walk, posture; appropriateness of attire; sense of attractiveness.

ON-STAGE/SOCIAL IMPACT Statement – 15%

Overall “first impression” response to on-stage question and social impact speech; personality, beauty and a confident, commanding presence; independence and sense of “courage of her convictions”; eloquence of communications; sense of commitment as a role model.