TYPES OF PAGEANTS:
Open Pageants: You must be a resident or full-time student (public, private, or homeschooled) in the state of Illinois for at least six months prior to the date of the competition.
Closed Pageants: You must be a resident or full-time student in a specific geographic area in Illinois for at least six months prior to the date of the competition.
Fair and Festival Titleholders: A contestant currently holding a fair or festival title that does NOT lead to another state or national competition is eligible to compete as an At-Large titleholder at the Miss Illinois’ Outstanding Teen Competition.
Appointed Titleholders: A contestant who does not have an opportunity to compete in a local, but who desires to come to the state pageant with the aid of a preparation team, has the opportunity to be appointed by a local organization. Appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Appointed titleholders must meet territory requirements set forth by the particular local. Appointed titleholders cannot be appointed by the same local organization two years in a row. Local organizations reserve the right to limit the number of appointed titleholders their organization prepares.
At Large Contestants: If you compete in a local for the 2020 Miss Illinois’ Outstanding Teen Competition and do not win, do not have the opportunity to compete at a local, and do not become an appointed teen, you have the option to pay a fee and compete at the State Competition. Applications and payments must be received by March 1st.
At-Large Contestant Application
ARE YOU THE NEXT MISS ILLINOIS’ OUTSTANDING TEEN?
To compete in the Miss Illinois’ Outstanding Teen Scholarship Pageant, a contestant can first win a local preliminary pageant. Some locals are open and some have specific geographic eligibility requirements, based on where you live or attend school.
Step 1: Find a Local Pageant in Your Area
To find a local pageant in your area, visit our Local Pageants page.
Step 2: Determine Your Eligibility
To be eligible to compete, you must be a young lady who is age 13 by the start of the state pageant in June and not older than 17 by July 31st of the pageant year. The only exception is a contestant may be 18 years old and not a graduate from high school by the 31st of July in the calendar year she competes in the State Competition. You must also be a resident of Illinois or attend school full-time in Illinois. And you must not be eligible to compete in the Miss America Competition.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
Areas of Competition:
• Private Interview
• Active Wear
• Talent
• Evening Gown
• On-Stage Question
• Scholastic Achievement
The road to Miss America’s Outstanding Teen begins in a town near you. To find your local pageant in Illinois, visit the Local Pageants page.