Skaters compete in five levels: Senior, Junior, Novice, Intermediate, and Juvenile.
Per 2022 Governing Council approval, the pathway for advancement in the two partnered disciplines has changed to: National Qualifying Series directly to U.S. Ice Dance Final and U.S. Pairs Final (both for entries from all sections), and then to U.S.
[1][2][3] Modifications began in the 2019-20 season to the conventional structure that skaters who place in the top four at the Eastern Sectional advance to U.S.
Figure Skating Championships[4][5] -- which no longer hold singles competition at the level of Novice, Intermediate, or Juvenile.
[11] Notable skaters who have competed at Easterns over the years include Olympic gold medalists Dick Button, Tenley Albright, Carol Heiss, Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton and Nancy Kerrigan.