How to find a pageant to compete in

1. Do your research

Before you ever commit to competing in a pageant, you must absolutely do your homework!

When new girls decide that they want to do a pageant, they often don’t realize that not all pageants are alike. Just because the majority of pageants have common areas of competition like interview, fitness and evening gown, it does not mean that all pageants are the same. In fact, every pageant and pageant system in the world has its own style, values and culture. In addition to all of those differences, what every pageant and pageant system is looking for in their prospective titleholders is drastically different from other pageants and pageants systems. Every pageant organization has its own brand and that brand is unique to that company. There may be similarities with other organizations but, each system tries to carve out their own special niche in the pageant world.

A pageant is a business, and just like any other business, they create and carefully develop their own personal brand that represents who they are. A brand is simply whatever you think of when you think of a company or a person. Knowing and understanding each pageant’s particular brand is so important for a contestant because if you don’t understand the brand of the pageant that you’ve entered, you can easily make mistakes and you won’t even realize it.

For example, some pageants build their business on a brand that is represented by the “all-American-girl,” or “the-girl-next-door” type of an image. They may want their titleholders to be educated, serious and talented, and to be focused more on their personal platform and community service, rather than being concerned with things like fashion and modern style or being sultry and sophisticated. Still, other pageants have a brand that values titleholders that are adept at public speaking, have a high degree of modeling ability and are very fashion forward.

If you do not understand and embody the brand of the pageant that you are competing in, then you can completely waste your time, money and energy because you will miss the mark on everything you do. So, before you ever plunk down any of your hard earned dollars, or fill out any applications, you must do your research on the pageant that you are considering. Do not ever decide to enter a pageant just because your friend is doing it, or it just looks like fun, until you have been to the website, talked to someone who has participated in that pageant or ideally, until you have actually witnessed that pageant for yourself. Trust us on this!  

We’ve known so many girls who jumped into competing in a pageant because they got caught up in the excitement or gave into the peer pressure to do so, and then they regretted it because it turned out to be a bad fit for them. Competing in a pageant takes up a ton of time, requires a tremendous amount of energy and focus and costs a lot of money. Make sure that you know what you are getting into, and that the pageant you choose is one that you are a good fit for.

"Of course, one of the best places to learn about pretty much any pageant on the planet is of course, World Pageant guide!

We encourage all pageant systems to list their organization with us, so that people like you can learn about them first hand. You can search our pageant directory by different parameters like location and pageant type quite easily. From there you can contact the directors of each pageant personally and ask them any questions that you might have.

Another great way to learn about pageants on our site is to read through our article database. Every year we celebrate the Best in Pageantry Awards and you can read about the Top 10 winning pageants in many different categories.

And, even as you scroll through our articles and social media, you will constantly see contestants, titleholders and directors featured who are representing or are associated with countless pageants around the globe. You will learn so much about each pageant’s brand and style just from browsing all of the content on our website and social media accounts. You’re bound to come away with an incredible amount of knowledge and information just from paying us a visit!

Miss DC for America 2019, Megan Eunpu and Mrs. DC America 2019, Nikki Noya. Photo:  An Officer and Gentlewoman LLC

Social media

Another invaluable way to learn about a pageant’s brand and all of the things that they value and promote is to become familiar with their various websites, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages. Every pageant and every pageant system today puts a tremendous amount of effort into promoting and advertising, and the most important way that they do this is through social media.

Often, a pageant’s website is the very first point of contact that they have with potential contestants, so they often put the majority of the information that you want to know on their site. Many pageants actually do have a “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) page on their websites because they know that many people do have a lot of questions, especially if they are new to pageantry. The pages will typically discuss their pageant’s competition requirements, such as areas like interview, fitness, talent, formal wear and other things like fun fashion, and so on. They usually will include what percentage or the number of points that each area of competition is valued at, so that you understand the way that they score their contestants.

2. Talk to experienced people 

Current or former titleholders

Current or former contestants are by far some of the most reliable people to give you insight into a prospective pageant system. The current contestants will be able to tell you exactly what they are experiencing and they’ll be able to give you advice about the system, the director and the other contestants. These ladies are very helpful because they are currently personally invested in this pageant so they will likely be quite upfront about their take on the whole thing, good and bad.

Former contestants can also give you an incredible amount of valuable information regarding a pageant that you are interested in. The one thing to be aware of when speaking with a former contestant is that if they did not place where they wanted to, or they did not have the experience they wanted to have, they may be bitter or resentful and that will color their information. If they had any conflicts with other girls, the director, staff members or judges, you can bet that you will hear about that, so always remember that there are two sides to every story. Of course, if you begin to hear the same negative stories about the pageant or the people associated with it, then that tells you that this is probably a pageant that you want to stay away from. Likewise, if you hear lots of similar stories that are positive about the pageant, the staff and the contestant’s experiences, then that is great news, and says a lot about the pageant and how contestants are treated.

Pageant directors

The director of a pageant is the most important person that you need to know when you are considering entering a pageant. A pageant’s success is really based on the director’s ability to create a positive and enjoyable experience for each contestant, as well as their skills at leading, organizing and producing a quality event. Of course the director’s personality, communication skills and sense of integrity and honesty contribute to their success and how well-liked and respected they are in the pageant community. A pageant director can be highly gifted at creating a fabulous production number and glitzy program, but if they are not friendly, kind and encouraging to their contestants, they will not be enjoyable to work with, and they certainly would not be the kind of director you’d want to work with for a year if you were to win the title.

There is nothing better than having a great director who not only loves their job, but also values and adores their contestants. A good director is always available to answer questions or assist their contestants or potential contestants any way they can. So, don’t hesitate to contact a pageant director if you are interested in their pageant or if you have questions or concerns about their pageant.

That initial interaction will tell you so much about that person too. If you don’t get a good feeling or you don’t like the way they talk to you when you make inquiries, then maybe you don’t want to take part in their pageant.

Photo: USA National Miss 

3. Consider the requirements of the title

The commitments and responsibilities of being the titleholder

The very first thing you should want to find out from a current titleholder or director is the commitments and responsibilities that a titleholder has had to uphold during her year.

For instance, you want to know if there is a national pageant or some other higher level pageant in the system that you have to attend if you were to win the title. And, if you are required to attend nationals, you want to know about things like travel, room and board at nationals and services like having your hair and makeup done. It’s important to know if you are expected to pay for all of those things or if the pageant or a pageant sponsor provides them for free.

If you are expected to pay for all or even part of your travel, room and board, wardrobe, hair and makeup, in addition to other services, you may decide that this pageant is not for you. Pageant competitions tend to become more expensive as they become more prestigious. So, a state pageant tends to be more expensive than a local, and a national pageant is more expensive than a state competition, and so on. You may be looking at $5,000 to $10,000 and up for a national competition, depending on the system, and if you do not have that kind of cash, then it’s going to be very difficult for you to compete at the level that you’d like to.

Miss Face of Beauty International 2018 Myint Mo May. Photo Face of Beauty International

Another area to ask about is what is the pageant’s expectation regarding the involvement of support of the pageant’s charity. It’s always insightful to know how the titleholder’s relationship with her platform changed after she won her title.

Everyone who enters a pageant should really have a platform, even if their pageant states that they are not the type of pageant that focuses on platforms. A platform helps you market yourself and your brand, gives you an outlet to volunteer and serve in your community and it also helps the judges to understand you better as a person. But, when you win a title, your platform can sometimes change, depending on what the pageant wants you to focus on.

Most pageants have a charity or a cause that they are associated with, and part of the job of the titleholder is to support the efforts of the pageant with regard to that cause. She may attend events regarding that charity, educate others by giving speeches and talks and she may also organize fundraisers. Because of that intense focus on the pageant’s charity, the titleholder’s initial platform may be put on the back burner for her year of service. It’s a very good idea to try to find out how the pageant views the role of the titleholders’ personal platform, in addition to the pageant’s charity. If you have been committed to your platform or cause for a long time and you’ve got a lot of support and momentum going with it, but your pageant wants you to focus entirely on their platform or cause, during your reign, then you’re going to be very unhappy.

Other things that you might want to ask about are the number of appearances that the winner is required to make during her year, in addition to any other important contract stipulations, if she can discuss them with you.

4. Consider the prize packages

Obviously, the first perk of being a titleholder is the incredible feeling of winning the crown after all of your hard work, and the resulting sense of confidence and accomplishment that you have. But, of course, there are many other great things that come with the job, and usually, you can get that information on the pageant’s website. You can also check out the Best Pageant Prize Packages article to see which pageants are ranked for their packages!

Because every pageant system has different values and is built on different principles, every pageant is going to have a variety of benefits that differ from other pageants. It’s important to know what each pageant has to offer its titleholders because you may have specific goals for your life that your pageant can help you with. That’s why we always recommend doing your research before you sign up.

For instance, if you are a teen or a young miss, and you are looking for ways to fund your college education, then you may want to get involved with pageants that value being a scholarship system. Many well known and established pageants put a high value on education and therefore, they make it a priority to offer tuition reimbursements and educational benefits as part of their prize package. If you are a gal who is looking to begin a career in modeling or fashion merchandising, you may want to check out which pageants offer runway, print and editorial photoshoot opportunities, as well as wardrobe stipends and clothing sponsors for their titleholders. Still other girls desire a career as a performer of some kind, like being a dancer on Broadway, or a professional actor or a position in broadcasting. If that’s your kind of thing, then you should be researching pageants that offer their titleholders opportunities to perform or either have ties to the entertainment industry.

Most pageants do take very good care of their titleholders because they want to not only make them happy, but they want to invest in their lives in some way. Many perks will not be revealed until you actually become the titleholder, but the majority of pageants are up front about their prize packages and all of the things that they offer because they want to attract potential contestants.

Just take the time to do your homework beforehand, and if you have the chance to speak with a former or current titleholder, certainly don’t hesitate to ask about the benefits that she has experienced.

5. Play to your strengths

Just as not every pageant is made equally, not every pageant contestant is made equally. We all have areas that we can improve and areas that we naturally excell in, so don't shy away from that fact. If the thought of putting on a swimsuit and walking across the stage is terrifying for you, don't sign up for a pageant with a swimsuit or fitness competition, like Miss USA. If you're a straight-A student who is super involved in her community, sign up for a pageant that celebrates scholastic and community acheivements, like Miss America. There are even pageants out there that let you use your highest optional competition score in place of one of the main category scores, like USA Ambassador.

Part of pageantry is embracing the best version of yourself so why not find a pageant that will celebrate who you truly are. Stop spending your time fighting your weaknesses to be "pageant perfect," and start putting your strengths on display. When you look through our Pageant Directory, you can see what competitions are in each pageant and then pick the right pageant for you!