Miss Rome

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Miss Rome and Miss Northwest Georgia are OPEN Miss Georgia and Miss America Preliminary Competitions. This means that both titles are OPEN to any eligible young woman who lives, works, or attends school in Georgia.

The next competition will be held at the Rome City Auditorium on Saturday, August 24, 2024.  ​Dress rehearsal will be at the Rome City Auditorium on Friday, August 23, 2024.  DEADLINE FOR ENTRY (paperwork packet, talent track, head shot) is August 11, 2024. We have a deadline with our local newspaper the following day and must have headshots and applications by August 11th in order to meet that deadline.

Miss Rome and Miss Northwest Georgia are OPEN preliminaries for eligible young women who live, work, or attend school in Georgia (must provide proof of residence or school) and are U.S. citizens. The age eligibility range is 18 to 28 according to the criteria listed below (must provide copy of birth certificate OR driver's license as proof of age eligibility). 

Age Eligibility for Miss:
To be eligible to compete as a Miss candidate in the current Competition Cycle 2026 (leading to the Miss Georgia Competition in June 2025 and Miss America in January 2026), Miss delegates must be 18 by the state competition (in Georgia that's June 11, 2025) and no older than 27 at state competition (in Georgia that's June 11, 2025). *UPDATE* 8/1/24 - Young women who are 18 as of June 11, 2025 may CHOOSE to compete as a Teen or a Miss this competition season. However, once she has competed in a local for this competition season, she must continue in that age division throughout the season. She cannot switch back and forth between the Teen and Miss division within a competition season.

Miss America Program Registration requirement:  Each Miss delegate must register for the Miss America Program Competition Season (2026 Competition Cycle) and pay a one-time-per-year fee of $39.99. This registration and $39.99 fee is good for the entire local competition year. This registration gives you access to MAO’s exclusive Professional Development series and MANY other opportunities. (If you have already competed at a local preliminary this season, you have completed this step). 

If this is your first local of the competition season and you have not yet registered or paid your one-time fee, follow this link to register on the Miss America site (the site will say this is for the "2026 Competition Cycle):  club.missamerica.org/join-page 

If this is NOT your first local competition of the season and you have already paid the $39.99 one-time fee, you still need to register for our local competition. But you do not need to pay another fee. To register only, use the MAO registration bypass page:  club.missamerica.org/bypass-page

*NOTE* This registration must be completed by August 23rd or the candidate will not be allowed to compete at Miss Rome/Miss Northwest Georgia. 

Local Competition Entry Fee:  For all Miss and Teen Local Competitions in Georgia this season, delegates have a $75 entry fee paid to the local competition. This replaces the previous fees paid per local competition to the national organization. Entry fee may be paid via check (see mailing address below), or online through the Miss Rome Competition Square account:    

https://square.link/u/jyJhx5ZL 

American Heart Association Donation:  To compete in a local competition, each delegate must raise a $30 donation for the American Heart Association. A $30 donation must be raised for every local that a delegate competes in during the competition cycle.  The link for payment of this $30 donation is found on the Miss Georgia website under the tab for 2025 Local Paperwork . Scroll down the page to find the “MISS Local AHA Registration."

Contestant Application: The contestant application is standard for all local competitions in the Miss Georgia Organization. The application must be complete and submitted with the other paperwork. The application can be found in the list of downloads below.

Interview Fact Sheet and CSI Essay:  Delegates will submit a one-page Interview Fact Sheet and a one-page Community Service Initiative (CSI) Essay by the deadline of August 11th. These two pieces will be mailed to the judges prior to competition weekend so that judges can get to know the delegates, formulate questions, and be prepared to ask the delegates questions during their private interview. Delegates must follow the guidelines set forth by Miss America for completing both the interview fact sheet and CSI essay. See the list of downloads below for instructions on completing each.

Miss America/Miss Georgia Local Candidate Contract:  All Miss and Teen delegates must have a current, signed, completed contract on file to compete in the local season. The most recent 2026 Local-State Contract can be found in the list of downloads below. Contracts may be emailed, mailed, or turned in at dress rehearsal. Per the Miss Georgia Board, delegates cannot compete until their contract or addendum has been RECEIVED. 

Proof of Eligibility and Headshot: You will need to provide a copy of your birth certificate and proof of residence. This serves as your verification of age eligibility and state of Georgia residency eligibility for competition. You will need to provide a digital color photo (jpeg) head shot for newspaper, social media, and program book publicity. Your head shot must be high-resolution and submitted via email.  

Opening Number:  You will not be required to learn a dance. There will be basic stage maneuvers for the opening number, followed by candidate introductions. Introductions will include delegate number, name, and social impact initiative. Opening number attire will be the same outfit worn for private interview. Immediately following opening number, Miss candidates will compete in onstage question, wearing their interview/opening number attire.

PHASES OF COMPETITION

Private Interview:  30%  Miss delegates will have a 10-minute private interview with the panel of judges, including a 20 to 30-second opening statement and a 30-second closing statement. Questions are primarily based upon the delegate's resume and community service initiative (CSI) essay, as well as other topics. When she enters the room, the delegate will be introduced by a member of the Miss Rome Board. The delegate will walk straight to the podium and begin her opening statement. Once she finishes her opening statement, the judges will begin asking her questions. The Head Judge will notify the delegate when time is up and allow her to make her closing statement. Once she finishes her closing statement, her interview is over and the delegate will immediately leave the room. Delegates should NOT approach the judges or shake the judges' hands.

On Stage Conversation:  10%  Delegates will answer a question on stage related to her community service initiative (CSI). This will be the first phase of on-stage competition. Delegates will wear the same outfit as worn for the opening number (interview attire). For this phase of competition, the emcee will state the title of the delegate's CSI and then ask her question. The delegate will then have 20 seconds to answer her question. 

Health & Fitness:  20%   Miss America has partnered with the American Heart Association to promote #MissAmericaFit. Miss America also continues their partnership with Rebel Athletics, now as the "official athletic apparel partner." Therefore, all delegates at local competitions are REQUIRED to wear a red Rebel Athletic top and bottom from the Curated Styles for the Miss America Organization page. On the Rebel Athletics website page, delegates have a choice of about 22 different red tops and red bottoms so that she can choose the items that best reflect her style and best compliment her Health & Fitness presentation. When purchasing your outfit, be sure to use the code: MAOGAGB and Rebel will give back 7% of your purchase to the Miss Georgia Competition. Use the following link for more information on using the Rebel "Give Back" code: How to use Rebel Give Back code

The choreography for the fitness walk will be demonstrated at rehearsals. Generally, the walk will mimic what was presented at Miss Georgia - walk to the front of the stage, 3 quick poses, and walk off.

Delegates do NOT need to purchase a new red Rebel Athletic Health & Fitness outfit for each local competition. She may use the same red Rebel Athletic Health & Fitness outfit throughout the local competition season. Follow this link to find the designated fitness outfits from the Miss America Red Collection on the Rebel Athletics website:   Rebel Styles - Miss America Organization – Rebel Athletic 

Talent/HERStory:  20%  Each candidate will have 90 seconds to perform her talent selection. Background music track must be submitted electronically and in advance of rehearsals, as part of the paperwork packet deadline. Submitted music tracks will be timed to ensure the 90 second time limit is met. If candidates are not using a background track, she must submit an audio recording of her talent performance for purposes of time-limit verification; this audio recording will not be shared with anyone other than the local executive director and will not be judged. Miss America has published a list of approved talent performance. You can find this in the list of downloads below. Talents may not be duplicated and are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. See the below list of downloads for a talent request form (prefer submission via email). Delegates may submit their talent request form prior to submitting the other items to ensure she secures her talent selection of choice.
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Evening Wear:  20%  Each delegate will wear evening attire of her choice, reflecting "red carpet" glamour. Scoring is based on how the delegate carries herself and performs in this phase of competition - not on the actual gown or perceived cost of the gown. 

Please refer to the paperwork list below and submit the packet of paperwork along with your 90 second talent track, copy of your birth certificate, your proof of residence, and a high-resolution digital color head shot (jpeg) by August 11, 2024 to missromegacompetition@gmail.com  (strongly prefer that all items be emailed). 

Entry fee of $75 should be made online via Square:   

https://square.link/u/jyJhx5ZL

or by check made payable to the Miss Rome Competition and mailed to: 

Andrea Pitts, Executive Director

22 Saddle Mountain Road

Rome, Georgia  30161

You may contact Andrea Pitts, Executive Director, for more information at missromegacompetition@gmail.com or 706-766-4887.