FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Submit the Preliminary Application form and a casual headshot here which will be reviewed by our team. After your preliminary application has been reviewed, someone from our organization will contact you for a brief phone interview and to verify that you meet the eligibility requirements to become an official contestant in the State pageant. 

If you meet all eligibility requirements and our additional criteria, our team will  extend an offer to become a contestant. To become an official contestant, you must pay the $299 application fee and then you will be able to select your regional title and order an optional embroidered regional sash if you so choose.  You will receive your official contestant handbook and contestant forms for completion. In addition, each contestant must pay their sponsor fee and purchase one (1) contestant spotight ad in the commemorative program book.

Our team requests a headshot with your preliminary application to put a face with the name! We look forward to meeting you soon in person and a headshot helps us identify you. Your headshot submission is not used for any purpose other than identification. All registered contestants will be asked to submit a professional headshot at a later date for inclusion in the pageant program book and on the website.

Every contestant who competes at the state pageant will receive a regional title representing a neighborhood, quadrant, landmark, street, or another historical Washington DC reference. Once you have applied and paid your application fee, you will be able to select your regional title. Note regional titles are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you have a specific regional title in mind, you should pay your application fee as soon as possible to reserve that title! This is the perfect way to go out into your community and gain sponsors!

NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY! Some young women have taken home the crown on their first attempt while some women have competed more than once to win the crown.  What you do need to compete is self-confidence and the belief that you are worthy to be the next titleholder! 

You do not need to compete in or win a preliminary title to participate.

While all of our contestants are talented in many different ways, there is no talent requirement to compete in the MISS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA or MISS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TEEN USA Pageants.

Some of the contestants that have been crowned MISS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA or MISS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TEEN USA have entered on beginners’ charm while others have devoted much of their lives to competing in pageants. Pageantry is like a sport for some but not all, although proper planning and preparation are required to do your best. As such, the best form of preparation is knowing for yourself, your strengths and those areas which need improvement, then work at them all! The competition is fierce, but ultimately you’re competing with yourself!

Your fees cover the cost of producing the pageant, including but not limited to venue rental, competition sashes, awards, choreographers, production staff, lighting, sound, staging, judges’ expenses, security, venue and event insurance, marketing materials, meals, all pageant activities, and much more!

All contestants will be scored in the competition categories of: Personal Interview, Fitness Wear (Teens only)/ Swimsuit (Miss only), and Evening Gown.  Contestant semi-finalists will also participate in On-Stage Interview.  

Our judges are selected from a variety of diverse backgrounds, including, but certainly not limited to the fashion industry, beauty industry, public relations and marketing, business, media, and the nonprofit sector.  We pride ourselves in selecting judges that uphold the highest standards and values in their personal and professional lives to select titleholders that best embody the values and mission of the DC USA Organization and MISS USA Organization.