At-Large Contestants

In 2018, the Mississippi Miss Hospitality program added an at-large contestant component, which enables Mississippi communities without a local director to have a representative in the State Competition.

Contestants must be a young woman between the ages of 18 and 24; a resident of Mississippi; represent her hometown, not the community where she attends college; a high school graduate, and have a 2.5 or higher scholastic average. Click here for the full list of contestant requirements. Those interested in competing as an at-large participant must submit their application to the State Office by March 6, 2026. Submissions can be emailed to mshosp@visithburg.org. A $75 application fee is required with submission and will be applied to the registration fee if selected as a contestant. The application fee is fully refundable if not selected. 

At-Large Scoring

A panel will select contestants from the at-large candidate pool based upon the following scoring criteria:

Education – 20%
Honors and Activities – 20%
Essay – 30%
Headshot – 20%
Overall Application Presentation – 10%

Total – 100%

The addition of this component is one of the ways the Miss Hospitality competition is encouraging representation from all 82 counties. As the state’s Goodwill Ambassador, Miss Hospitality will not only serve as a spokesperson for Mississippi but will also represent her hometown area.

While participation is encouraged throughout the state, at-large eligibility is ONLY for areas without a local director. Please refer to the list below prior to applying as an at-large contestant.  

Areas with a Local Director

Please see the alphabetical list below for areas that have committed directors for 2026.  If your area is NOT LISTED, you may be eligible to submit an application.