Pageant Applications

by Ann Blackwell

Being a “Queen mom” for the past 14 years and a judge for the last 4 or 5, there is one thing that has become a “pet peeve”, if you will. It is the contest entry application. For many years, I was told, “you need to let the contestant hand write it herself, so they will know she did it”. Well, that is an honorable gesture, but the problem is that you can’t read most of the handwriting! So I, along with most everyone else, have come to general opinion over the years that applications should be type written or completed on the computer. In the majority of contests, the judges are given copies of the application. They need to be able to read the information. You can get a lot more typewritten information on the form than if you hand write, plus it just looks much neater. The judges only have a small amount of time to learn a whole lot about this young lady. So give them pertinent information. Knowing when you got your first horse and his name was Freckles, is probably not going to make a lot of difference versus the fact that you are an education major in your second year of college and qualified for the CNFR. So give them information they can use to get to know the person you are at this point in time. If the application allows, let them know your future plans, your community involvement and other bits that tell them who you are. Some applications give you the opportunity to tell a lot about yourself, your thoughts and opinions. Give a lot of thought to those answers. Be careful not to get carried away. I have seen application

that had on every item “see attached pages”. Believe me when I tell you, the judge does not want to read an autobiography. I have seen some applications that you really needed a big comfy chair, blanket and a bag of popcorn because you felt like you were reading a novel. Keep it informative and professional, as it is basically a resume for a job, one that you want to highlight your qualifications for.