Mrs. New Jersey America

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need pageant experience?
No. 80% of the women who enter the Mrs. New Jersey America pageant are first time participants.

What type of woman enters?
There is no set profile or professional criteria necessary to enter. The Mrs. New Jersey America pageant welcomes women of all ages, vocations and backgrounds as long as the requirements are met. Our contestants are stay-at-home moms, nurses, doctors, real estate agents, teachers, lawyers and more. They enter for many different reasons and come to fulfill their personal goals and dreams. The Mrs. New Jersey America 'Workshops' (See 'Workshops' page) held throughout the year help each individual to achieve their potential in order to reach their goals.
Every contestant has an EQUAL opportunity to win the title!!!

Do I need a performing talent?
No. There is NO talent portion in the competition.

Is there an age requirement?
Yes. You must be at least 18 years of age. The Mrs. New Jersey contestants have ranged in age from 18 to 60 and the Mrs. America Organization has had contestants from 18 to 72. The judges are not asked to judge on age or length of marriage. There is no set age in order to become the titleholder. Most recently, a former Mrs. New Jersey America titleholder won the state title and placed in the Top Five at Mrs. America at the age of 40!

Do I have to have children?
No. Many state titleholders, former Mrs. America's and Mrs. World's did not have children during their reign.

Do I have to be a model?
No modeling experience is necessary. Any training needed to be a contestant is offered in our 'Workshops'.
(See 'Workshop' page for details.)

Do I have to be tall?
Absolutely not! Our state titleholders as well as Mrs. America's and Mrs. World's have ranged in height of 4'5” to over 6' tall. There is no height requirement to become a contestant or titleholder.

Do I have to make many appearances?
The Mrs. New Jersey America Organization believes that every woman is unique in her family life, community involvement and/or workplace. Therefore, everyone's schedule is different. We will customize appearances to fit your schedule and your platform (if applicable). You may make as many or as little appearances as you would like. The only exception would be if one of our sponsors has requested an appearance by our titleholder. We are notified well in advance to insure that you may coordinate your schedule in accordance with the event.

Does this system offer County or Regional titles?
Yes.

Why would I want a County or Regional title?
Many women have a deep passion or concern about certain issues in their community. Having a county title can open the door to be an advocate or spokesperson. The Mrs. New Jersey America Organization believes that we can make a difference in the lives of so many. We believe this because we already have!!!

How do I receive a County or Regional title?
See our 'How to Obtain a County Title' section on our 'How to Enter Page' for more information.

Is having a County or Regional title required to be a contestant?
No. County or Regional titles are for your benefit only and have no bearing on who becomes Mrs. New Jersey America.

Am I judged on Community Service?
No. Although the Mrs. New Jersey America Organization urges women to implement community service through a platform, the contestants are NOT judged on Community Service in the actual pageant. We do, however, acknowledge the contestant with the most service to her community with a 'Community Service Award' at the competition.

How old is the Mrs. America competition?
The original Mrs. America Pageant began in 1938 in our own back yard, Palisades Park, New Jersey. However, under the current directorship of President David Z. Marmel, the Mrs. America Organization is celebrating its 30th year.

Is this pageant separate from other 'Mrs.' Pageants?
ABSOLUTELY!!! The 'America' system is the ORIGINAL and MOST RECOGNIZED married women's pageant in the world. The winner of the Mrs. New Jersey America pageant goes on to represent her country in the Mrs. America TV Special, the ONLY nationally primetime televised pageant for married women. The new Mrs. America advances on to the Mrs. World TV Special seen all around the world. Due to this exposure on national television over the course of our 30 year history, our state titleholders are widely known throughout the state, both during their reign and after.

Are the state pageants held in a different place each year?
Not every year. The 2005 and 2006 pageants have taken place at the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset, NJ.

When are the competitions held?
Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant is generally held in April or May.

How many women compete in the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant?
It varies every year.

How do the delegates get to the national competition?
The Mrs. America system is the only competition for married women where ALL states, including the District of Columbia, have preliminary competitions, which are produced by state directors. EVERY contestant that competes in the Mrs. America TV Special has competed and won her state title. The winner of Mrs. America then goes to compete for the prestigious title of Mrs. World. In the case of the state winner becoming Mrs. America, where she will go on to represent the United States in the Mrs. World competition, the 1st Runner-up at the state level will then have the option to accept the title of her state (i.e. 'Mrs. New Jersey America').

How many women compete in the Mrs. America Competition?
51 women compete. Each year, the Mrs. America TV Special has a delegate from every state in the US, including the District of Columbia, competing for the coveted title of Mrs. America.

How many women compete in the Mrs. World Competition?
The 2006 Mrs. World Competition that was held in St. Petersburg, Russia had representatives from 38 different countries. The show was telecast to an impressive 61 countries all around the world and reached hundreds of millions of viewers!
NO OTHER 'MRS.' PAGEANT CAN CLAIM THIS DISTINCTION!!!

May I compete more than once?
Yes. Contestants may compete more than once in the preliminary (state) competition but once they win their state title, they may only compete once in the Mrs. America and/or Mrs. World competitions.

Are delegates required to have a coach?
No. Although there are women who enter our competition who have had prior pageant experience, many women have won titles without any outside training. However, the Mrs. New Jersey America Organization is one of the few pageant systems to offer Workshops included with your entry fee in order to provide contestants with the confidence and experience needed to compete.

Am I required to attend all of the workshops?
No. The workshops are for your benefit only. HOWEVER, you are REQUIRED to attend the FINAL workshop prior to the state competition.

Can delegates be divorced and then remarried?
Yes. The requirement is that you must be married at the time of competition.

How are the judges chosen?
Judges are chosen from the acting, modeling, entertainment and business professional fields. They will be informed of the names of the contestants two weeks prior to the competition. If a judge knows any contestant on a personal level, that particular judge will be replaced with an alternate judge. Each judge will sign a legal document declaring that they do not know any contestant in the competition.

How are the Semi-finalists chosen?
The contestants are chosen from competition in four categories. Interview, Beauty, Swimsuit & Evening Gown.
(See 'Judging/Criteria' page for complete details.)
All scores are calculated by our CPA and are then tallied in each of the four categories.

How are the Titleholders and Runners-up chosen?
The five highest scoring contestants will be selected as the Top Five in the final competition.
Once the Top Five is called, each contestant will then have to answer a Top Five question.
This will determine the Winner and her Court.

What happens to the winners after they are named?
Part of the winner's prize package is an employment contract with the Mrs. New Jersey America Organization (Dreamcatcher Productions, LLC). The titleholder becomes a representative of the Mrs. New Jersey America Organization until the next competition date. She will travel throughout the state making appearances on behalf of her platform (if applicable), charitable causes and public events, while promoting the pageants official sponsors as well as the Mrs. New Jersey America Organization.

Who televises the competitions?
WE ~ Women's Entertainment Network. Both 'Mrs. America' & 'Mrs. World' TV Specials are each aired an IMPRESSIVE FIVE TIMES per year. As stated earlier, the 'America' system is the ONLY NATIONALLY PRIMETIME TELEVISED PAGEANT FOR MARRIED WOMEN, which is seen around the world. The 'Mrs. America' state titleholders are the most sought after and recognized throughout the state.

Who sponsors the events?
Local and corporate businesses have helped to make Dreamcatcher Productions, producer of the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant, a success! (See our 'Sponsors' page for details.)

When is the deadline for entry into the pageant?
The deadline for entry into the pageant is 30 days prior to the state competition "TBA".

Is there an entry fee?
Yes. We encourage our contestants to raise the entry fee by way of sponsorships through family, friends and businesses in their communities. In exchange for the support, space will be provided in the official state souvenir program book with their name and/or company to recognize their generosity. The entry fee covers the production costs such as renting a facility, designing sets, music and entertainment, as well as printing, advertising and phone expenses, etc.
(Contact the Mrs. NJ Office for details on entry fee.)

What does my entry fee include?
The entry fee includes all activities pageant weekend, most meals, a semi-formal dinner for you and your husband, complimentary ticket for VIP seating for your husband for Finals Competition, contestant entrant's trophy, one full ad page, complimentary program souvenir book, Mrs. New Jersey America embroidered shirt, complimentary edition of Pageantry Magazine, pageant rhinestone crown pin, gift bags pageant weekend, 5-hour pageant training workshops including fitness/nutrition consultation by a Nationally Certified Trainer. (See 'Workshops' page for details.)
PLUS… Memories to last a Lifetime!!!

What are the prizes?
In September of 2004, I began my first year as the NEW director for the Mrs. New Jersey America Pageant. I am proud to say that with the generous support of the official sponsors (refer to 'Sponsor' page), we were able to give over $60,000.00 in prizes to our contestants and winners. This is the highest value in prizes that this state has ever awarded to our contestants and we strive to increase our prize package each year. Every year will differ in prizes as more sponsors become a part of our 'America' family.

BONUS: The Mrs. New Jersey America Organization was the first in the state to provide 'Workshops' throughout the year. Whether or not you have ever competed in pageant before, the information provided is a wealth of knowledge coming from the leading sources of consulting in the pageant industry. To obtain the services separately would cost an average of $3000.00. The Mrs. New Jersey America Organization is proud to say that we offer this as part of your entry 'sponsorship' fee. This bonus is not included in the prize package value.

What does the winner receive?
The winner of the Mrs. New Jersey America crown partial prize package includes the official Mrs. New Jersey America Swarovski crown, rhinestone banner and crystal trophy, becoming an instant celebrity, an all expense paid trip to compete in the nationally televised Mrs. America TV Special with a chance to become the next 'Mrs. America', plus MUCH MORE.

Where can I obtain an application form?
Visit our 'How to Enter' pages.