AREAS OF COMPETITION: The following is a brief summary of the judging criteria for both the Miss National US and Miss Teen National US pageants. All delegates must competition in all areas of competition in order to be considered for the title. Optional competitions have no bearing on the overall score that decides the national titleholders
INTERVIEW – 30% of the total score
- Each delegate will participate in a one on one interview with a separate panel of judges that will score them on their articulation, community service, poise and self expression. The interview portion of the competition will be held prior to the final show of pageant week.
- Interview questions will be derived from the information that is given by the delegate on a delegate’s judge’s form given prior to the competition. This is her opportunity to showcase her personality and prove that she is right for the job. Attire required for this phase of competition is a pantsuit, cocktail dress with a jacket, or skirt suit that is age appropriate and professional.
SWIMSUIT – 30% of the total score
- Each delegate will have the choice between 3 or 4 separate styles of swimsuits of the same design (not pictured) to model in the swimsuit competition provided by the pageant’s national swimsuit sponsor. Contestants will be judged on physical fitness, confidence, poise and personality. Delegates may be responsible for nude or taupe swimsuit shoes and other accessories.
- Jewelry is allowed but only in the form of small stud earrings or small hoops. Bracelets, rings and watches are not allowed. Other than minor alterations for the sake of the fit, no other changes to the swimsuit is allowed.
EVENING GOWN – 30% of the total score
- Delegates must wear and model a floor length formal gown of her choice. Delegates will be judged on dress selection, grace, poise and stage presence. There will be no evaluation on how expensive the dress looks or the designer by which it’s made, but rather how it fits a contestant’s personality and body type and how she carries herself on stage.
FINAL QUESTION/ON-STAGE INTERVIEW – 10% of total score (Top Five Finalists Only)
- The top 5 that are selected during the final night of competition will be asked a final question that will be either asked by our judges or picked from a pool of questions written by the delegates. The five finalists will be given 30 seconds to answer the question and will be judged on articulation, content and how they handle themselves under pressure.
OPTIONAL COMPETITIONS (Nationals Only):
- There is no talent competition a part of the overall scoring towards the national titles, however for those who wish to participate, a separate, optional talent competition will take place during pageant week. The talents of delegates will be showcased and judged by a panel of entertainment specialists. Delegates who wish to participate will have an allotted time of max 2 minutes (120 seconds) to showcase their talent.
- The optional talent competition will only proceed if there is a minimum of 10 delegates participating. Each delegate will be responsible for getting all necessary supplies (i.e., music, instruments, costumes, props, etc.) for her talent.