Introduction Of What is an At-large contestant
What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission and an interview somehow whether it be in person or through a phone interview.
A traditional pageant for this title
It’s important to know that even though there isn’t a traditional pageant for this title doesn’t mean it’s any less important no or that the process can’t be any less rigorous a lot of times especially for up-and-coming circuits there may not be enough money or may not even just have a selected pageant director for that state yet so.
What it means is that the national director is usually involved in selecting someone to represent the state at the national pageant now like Nicole said there are still things that you have to do you have to take it all very seriously because even though you’re not on stage it’s almost harder because now you’re doing a phone interview or an in-person interview and you have even less time with maybe the judges will the judges, in this case, would be the directors, yeah to prove.
Why you should be able to represent the state so you don’t get to glam it up and evening gown and show them how amazing you look and you don’t get to show them your rock and swimsuit body it’s a lot more base now on how you speak how you present yourself it’s almost like winning a title based only on interview absolutely and you know I can only think about ours.
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How to sound like a beauty queen a video and talks about your tone your enthusiasm and just what you can bring to a conversation just by speaking and it has nothing to do with what you’re wearing what you look like and it’s really difficult because a lot of times you can rely on your great hair and your great your bullet exactly and you know. Come What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission.
What that can bring to a conversation but this is very it’s a lot more difficult because it’s you’re limited to what you can say so before we go on we’re gonna discuss the advantages and disadvantages subjects because there are two sides but I think it’s important when we’re talking about this life process for how they should prepare for it yeah and like you said referencing.
The how to sound like a video game there’s so much about your tone and your enthusiasm that a director specialist as an up-and-coming pageant is looking for someone who’s going to represent the state and the pageant itself very well so are you able to take it to run with it get great publicity to do a lot in your community without maybe the same type of resources and backing that a larger pageant has directors want someone.
A self-starter
That’s going to be a self-starter and so if you’re able to convey that in your interview with the director of meetings with the directors that will go long ways well you know that takes us into to what’s all the advantages or disadvantages first I think we could just tackle them one by one okay so I think you know a great advantage of being at large contestant is the overnight celebrity you know once you’re selected you know a titleholder and you can run with.
If you can start making appearances when you have your banner and your crown and it carries the same amount of clout as someone that competed at Nationals or I mean at States rather we’re at their local competition and you know when you hit the national stage you know you equal it doesn’t matter if you’re an at-large contestant or if you competed you or equals well.
It’s important to remember that a lot of times in these pageants like we said there’s a lack of a director in a certain state but that’s not the case so someone in Miss multiverse may have had to go through the entire competition, yeah and you might be at large but you’re both going to be competing on the same stage for the same title and so.
Getting started and want to be a titleholder
It does put you on equal footing I think this is a fantastic option for almost both ends of the spectrum yeah well we’ll talk about a little more but I think if you’re just getting started and want to be a titleholder even if you haven’t been on the stage before being a titleholder in itself the people you meet how you carry yourself. New What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission.
The things you learn on the way are great experiences definitely so maybe you’re looking at competing at one of the more competitive states later this could be a great primer for you to do that because now you know what it’s like to be a titleholder but if you’re also at the end of your pad end or tonya a pageant veteran you already know the road you know.
What to do some not it’ll it’s just as good for you to become an at-large titleholder because you’ve been through it you know what it’s like you can handle it on your own yeah well I’m I love that large route for contestants that have a great cause that they want to bring awareness to right you know I am working for National Eating Disorders Association.
A great learning opportunity
You have you know the political saying that you’re working on in DC so I think that you know any contestant that has competed before that has a cause that they’re passionate about and they wants a title behind them it’s going to be successful because they have that passion and they have that drive and they’re gonna use their title to represent the community is a great way right I think it’s important that you evaluate.
Why you want to compete yeah a lot of times if you’re an at-large titleholder you don’t like I said we don’t you don’t have a director she means you kind of don’t have as much support behind you on the day-to-day stuff if you have been a titleholder for one of the more established systems or one or system that has a director you generally have someone saying here’s an appearance go there wear this do that I’ve made this contact you.
I’ve got you the sponsor but if you’re not a large titleholder a lot of that is stuff that you have to do yourself like I mentioned it’s a great learning opportunity it’s also a great opportunity you already know how to do that if you’ve been as to how to hold her and know how she gave get sponsors if you know how to pick out a great gallon for yourself it’s a great way to do it and any at-large contestants we have great resources on the site to get you through.
The disadvantage of being an at-large contestant
It well I think another disadvantage of being an at-large contestant is all the fundraising that has to go behind it because typically when you win your local title or when you win our state title your national entry fee is already paid and it comes within the prize package that you’ve won having won that title so if you don’t go through that process yes you get the title right away and yes you have the overnight celebrity but.
You don’t get the financial backing that competing would have given you right or the support I mean pageant directors that are running they have contacts they’ve been doing this they’ve had winners so they probably have established relationships with photographers that may be included you know your headshot might be included in your price or sponsorships from local businesses might already be included in your prize package.
But if you’re an at-large titleholder a lot of times we’re gonna have to go out and work to get those sponsorships yourself and that can be tricky yeah and a disadvantage but like you said it could also be an advantage it’s a great way for you to practice your interview great way for you to practice your elevator speech and learn how to talk about yourself sell yourself to a local business and tell them why they should support you.
The type of contestant
This will be very similar to when you’re talking to a judge about why they should crown you, yeah well I think it speaks to the type of contestant that this is for if you are someone that again is very passionate about who you are and the cause that you are promoting within the community then you’ll have a lot easier time approaching people because it’s not easy to ask for sponsorships or to ask for money or you know to do any combination of those things. Its Beauty What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission.
So I think if you are confident if you’re a self-starter again this is something that you might want to explore right it is it requires throughout the year it may not require as much work upfront because you’re not having to go through the standard Stuff What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission competition but I don’t just say that it requires more work throughout your reign does because rather than winning and being able to hand it off to a director to say hey tell me what to do and where to go right you’ve.
Now got to go out and get that support yourself which requires some work some dedication and like we said directors are looking for titleholders that are going to do a lot with their titles so don’t think that you can win the crown represent your state and do nothing with it step back to say hey I’m miss so-and-so and that’s it you have to go out and be active in your community be your representative so you have to decide.
About cost and entry fee to Nationals
If that’s something you want to do yeah well on the other side of that I think is you know you make your year whatever you want it to be so you can reach out to the organizations that you want you to know it doesn’t have to be whatever the last titleholder did it can be completely different appearances and you know everything that’s catered to what you’re interested in so I think that’s a great advantage I also think it’s wonderful. Important What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission.
Because you have a lot more flexibility, yeah to make your events to champion your cause as we talked about establishing directors might have established sponsors that they have to work with or causes that they want you to promote here like you said you got to dictate your reign you get to make of it what you would want so if you have a cause that you’re passionate about you get to take it and run with it.
But you were also talking about cost and entry fee to Nationals I think it’s also important to know that if you do compete where if you’re competing in a pageant you might have a 500 all our entry fee or 700 all our entry fee a lot of times if you’re going at large that entry fee or the fee that it costs to become the title holders can sometimes be double what you pay just to compete yeah so there are some upfront costs.
What the financial responsibility
That may not be in the form of an evening gown or swimsuit but there is an upfront cost sometimes that is associated with going at large yeah definitely and I think it’s just a matter of really doing your research and identifying what those costs are because the last thing you want to do is to commit to something and then realize what the financial responsibility is and then having to back out right I also think it’s important to research the pageant itself for a lot of things. Like It What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission.
There’s you know we live in a day of the Internet there are so many scams and stuff going out there you don’t want to mail in a check to an unknown person that you’ve never sucked you get a crown and title in return and that’d be the end of it you want to just be you know just as you are representing a cause that is important to you when you’re going out into your community or getting sponsors you want to make sure that. Comment It What is an At-large contestants. Not competing at a pageant but there was a different selection process and it usually requires an application probably a photo submission.
You are representing to your sponsors that you’re with a well-run established pageant system that is reputable so make sure that you’re doing your research you’re finding a pageant that takes it seriously like we said sometimes it’s just not a director or there’s just not enough interest in that region for them to host an entire pageant but it doesn’t mean that the pageant itself isn’t a reputable one yeah that’s.
The national competition
A great point you know earlier you talked about pageant veterans versus newbies and you know if you are a newbie and you’re going at large for your purse pageant that means the first time you step on a stage is gonna be at the national competition and that could be a military that can be terrifying I mean being a veteran it’s already terrifying stepping on the stage at you know some moments so I think that you need to be prepared for that experience agree.
I mean we’ve talked so much about what our first pageant experiences were and all the things we didn’t know so you have to be aware that going into this if you’ve never stepped foot on a stage before Nationals are very competitive they almost take it to a whole new level so you have to be prepared for what’s coming to do your research watch lots of pageant professor videos and learn everything.
You can to prepare yourself for what’s coming but like we talked about it also can be a great first start that’s a great way I mean having to get to be able to get to a national stage for your very first pageant maybe you won’t win you will yeah but either way, it’s great to experience the things that you’ll learn you know you get there and you’re like whoa I’m Way over my head that’s okay taking the experience to learn taking notes because that will benefit you next time around definitely so that is a little insight the advantages into advantages of being an at-large contestant.
