United States National Pageants

Let me start by saying that I was warned not to join this system by former delegates, but sometimes you don't know if people are just bitter or if things have improved. After a lengthy conversation with a former national titleholder, I felt comfortable enough to sign up. I was initially impressed with the interview for an at-large title, which gave the impression that it was a very professional organization. Unfortunately, that was the last time I felt that way. The good: The title itself is Show more

Let me start by saying that I was warned not to join this system by former delegates, but sometimes you don't know if people are just bitter or if things have improved. After a lengthy conversation with a former national titleholder, I felt comfortable enough to sign up. I was initially impressed with the interview for an at-large title, which gave the impression that it was a very professional organization. Unfortunately, that was the last time I felt that way. The good: The title itself is very marketable, great sashes from The Sash Co., Johnathan Kayne opening number dresses, and Beauty by LadyCode for HMU always does a great job. They did feed us, which can't be said for all systems. Also, most of the delegates in my division were friendly. The bad: Professionalism- (2 stars because we received the promised items and a pageant was held.) The system as a whole has really gone down since its "heyday". I learned later that it used to be "THE" pageant to compete in, but now it's run (poorly) by people with no pageant background who treat it like a business and seem to be involved for no other reason than money. Most of us were charged over 3k to compete and the experience was certainly not worth that. Surprisingly, some delegates were involved in a "mentoring program" that gave them a "local" title before they could be awareded a state title. Those ladies paid over 7k!!! No one else knew about this so-called program which sounded like a complete scam. How do you justify charging some delegates 2x the amount of others? Why wasn't the "mentoring program" announced and marketed to the public, and why didn't the rest of us know about it? I already know the answer. The monthly delegate calls were not helpful, just national queens reading from the guidebook and not being able to answer questions. The date and location of the 2025 pageant was changed from Memphis to Las Vegas just 2 months prior to the pageant. For those of us from the East coast, this created a hardship that left us with little time to prepare for the added expenses of flights, etc. There was no apology or acknowledgement of this, which felt like they didn't care. The change in venue meant a new stage/walking pattern which wasn't communicated in advance (the choreography wasn't updated in the delegate guidebook). With only one state director left (West Coast/California) it's evident that the organization wants to keep her happy. If you pay close attention to who gets selected for awards and national titles, they're usually from the West Coast pageant or at-large delegates that she personally coached. Event Organization- (1 star- very chaotic with ethical concerns) The 2025 pageant in Vegas was complete chaos. Multiple schedule changes included last-minute rehearsal additions and a surprise in-person interview with the judges AFTER we had already completed our virtual interviews a month ago. Due to low numbers, the younger divisions were combined with the adults for one long pageant instead of 2 separate ones. Also, too many events were packed into the schedule unneccessarily. Streaming cost over a hundred dollars to watch and tickets were the same price! Production Quality- (1 star- awful) The venue was NOT ideal for a pageant, and the stage itself was horrific. No backdrop, just 2 step-and-repeats placed onstage. Because the lights couldn't be dimmed, it felt like we were in a fashion show instead of a pageant. On the day of prelims there were delegates openly flirting with judges and staff- to the point that several delegates and family members were commenting on it. The streaming quality was terrible, resulting in viewers not being able to see much- completely unacceptable for the price! Overall Experience: (2 stars- do not recommend) I made it to the top 5- which I'm proud of, but the other 4 ladies did not complete the 60-second platform promise nor their 30-second answer in the required timeframe. I was the only one who did, and somehow only placed 2nd Runner Up. Something was very odd about the results in EVERY division! Needless to say, I've seen enough and will not be returning. I wasn't the only one who left feeling as though we had been taken advantage of- both financially and emotionally, and would discourage anyone from competing there until significant changes are made with the leadership.Show less

Honestly kinda disappointed with this system. There’s just not a lot of structure or clear communication, and you end up chasing people down for answers most of the time. For what it costs to compete, you’d expect more professionalism and follow-through. There wasn’t a large number competing this year. Less than 5 in most categories. A big thing that stood out was how many girls were from California like almost half the lineup but they were competing in open states they didn’t actually l Show more

Honestly kinda disappointed with this system. There’s just not a lot of structure or clear communication, and you end up chasing people down for answers most of the time. For what it costs to compete, you’d expect more professionalism and follow-through. There wasn’t a large number competing this year. Less than 5 in most categories. A big thing that stood out was how many girls were from California like almost half the lineup but they were competing in open states they didn’t actually live in. And they took over half the national titles. It just didn’t feel like a fair national pageant, more like one big regional show. I’ve been around pageants for a while and I’ve seen a lot, but this one felt off. Judges chatting it up with the same contestants, others kind of left hanging. It’s sad because this system used to have a solid name and legacy, but now it feels like hype without heart. I really hope they fix it, because it could be so much better than what it’s become.Show less

I believe it says a lot about a pageant for contestants as well to come back regardless of how they placed as well as how involved former queens are! Although I didn't even place at the United States National Pageant my first go round I knew I had to come back, even if I didn't place again, to be among such amazing women and be apart of the sisterhood while giving it all I've got to be a part of the United States Queen's lasting legacy!