Am I eligible to compete?
The Distinguished Young Women of Baltimore program is open to young women residing in Baltimore City and Baltimore, Harford, and Cecil Counties. Participantsmust be in their Junior year in high school at the time of competition. If you are not yet in your junior year of high school but are interested in participating in the future, you can already sign up on www.ajm.org and you will be contacted later on. If you are not living in our region, sign up and you will be directed to the program for which you are eligible. Because orientation may take early in your junior year, we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible.
Is there a registration fee?
There is no registration or entry fee - participation is free! AJM is a non-profit organization aimed at helping young women gain scholarships for college. All people involved with the program do so as volunteers. The competition will require anything you don't already own or couldn't borrow from a friend. Some participation in our fundraising efforts (ad sales, one-liners from family/friends, baskets for raffle) is encouraged.
What are the categories of evaluation and how much do they count for? What are the judges looking for?
Scholastics (20%), Interview (25%), Talent (25%), Self-Expression (15%), and Fitness (15%). For a detailed description of each category, click here!
How is the fitness portion judged?
All contestants participate in a choreographed group aerobic routine (see video of national routine on video page). Participants wear their own exercise clothing. Each participant has a short individual spotlight during the routine. No previous dance experience necessary, we will teach you the routine.
What do I need to participate?
Again, we strongly encourage you to use what you have or can borrow. You will need an outfit for the interview segment (business casual: blouse or sweater with skirt or slacks, suit, or knee-length dress), contestant introductions, fitness routine (plain color tank top, shorts sneakers), talent presentation, and self-expression and awards (formal dress).
I want to participate! Now what?
Please register on www.ajm.org as soon as possible, even if you aren't yet in your junior year of high school. We will contact you at the email/phone you provide to confirm your eligibility to compete in the program and provide you access to online forms (paperwork) required for program.
I have a question other than these listed.
Contact us!