Maryland: We're uglier than average

Beautiful-only online dating site ranks Maryland 31st in the nation in looks. Washington, DC comes in at 40, which makes sense if you factor in such part-time residents as Teddy Kennedy.

The site- which has its roots in Europe but started up in the United States five months ago - took a look recently at the distribution of its 8,000-plus members and decided that Maryland ranks 31st and Washington, D.C., is at a sad, sad 40th in the nation on its beauty barometer.

The rankings are based on percentages - the number of people from a particular area who applied to get into the online club, and the number of those who actually made it in.

Using that technique, New York topped the list of beautiful singles, with 25.8 percent of applicants being good-looking enough to get in. Those poor folks in North Dakota came in dead last.

And somewhere in between were all those rosy-cheeked skiers in Vermont. Those sweethearts in Tennessee; the potato-fed, manly men in Idaho. Those outdoorsy types in Oregon. The golden-tanned folks in New Mexico. The mild-mannered Michiganders.

In all, more than 38,000 people who have applied to the site have been rejected, administrators say, or more than one out of five.

BeautifulPeople Network bills itself as "a meeting place which is reserved for people, who because of their attractive appearance and personal qualities, stand out from the majority."

So, how do you make the cut?

The decision to allow you to enter our exclusive club lies with our members; who are given the chance to rate all new applications during a three day rating process. The majority vote is final.

We are proud to be the first online community in which existing members decide whether or not a new applicant should be accepted through our revolutionary rating technology. Once you have uploaded your profile, you will be rated by existing members of the opposite sex over a three day period. They will judge whether your picture and profile are deemed attractive enough to grant you coveted access.

While you are awaiting the rating verdict, you may browse members' profiles and mail them; this might improve your chances of getting accepted.

You will notice that all the members in BeautifulPeople.net are exactly that: beautiful.