Thank you guys for rooting me! I actually got offered by one of my girlfriends that she can ask her boyfriend to find me a date in other school, and I promised to let her know by next Monday; Honestly, that is my last option other than not going, because I do not know anyone in that school(I may know a few whom I meet in volunteering, and whom we have some good conversations, if they are in that school…) The more serious problem is, I must not know the potential date, and that being said, I’m afraid of that being awkward… I could go to my prom, but it will cost way more than her school prom. And if I get to her school prom, then I would not know most of the prom’er’s over there (A few of my friends would be there, too.)
I didn’t go to my senior prom–I don’t think there was a junior prom–and I don’t regret it in the least. My S didn’t go either, and neither did most of his friends. (They were not social outcasts. 
) My H went, and has the ludicrous 1970s rented tux photo to prove it, LOL.
My son didn’t go to his prom. A girl he wanted to ask already had a date. I think he was a little disappointed on prom night, but I’m sure he has never given it a second thought. There is so much going on in the last few weeks of your Senior Year. He was looking forward to graduation, spending summer with his friends and then going away to college. It was a fun and exciting time for him.
Today Grad Night is more popular than prom at his HS.
In one sense, it’s just one night. In another sense, senior prom including any parties after the dance, may be the last big party before graduation, when all your friends get together. Don’t spend that night by yourself at home.
I can’t remember if I went to prom. If I did it was forgettable, obviously. I know my daughter went to her junior prom because she wanted to wear a long dress. I think my son skipped his but don’t really remember. We were discussing high school reunions at the pool the other day. I said I wouldn’t even consider going to my high school reunion. Whoever I was talking to said she understood, that some people didn’t have a good experience in high school so of course they wouldn’t want to go to a reunion. I said that wasn’t it at all. I didn’t have a bad time in high school. It was just nothing to commemorate. Life didn’t get interesting until long after high school.
I went to our our Jr/Sr prom both years, female no date, since I had friends in both classes. Big sister and I, then just me the next year, had dad drive his Cadillac. My senior year date’s mother didn’t approve of my family being Baptist so he couldn’t take me. I had a great time and enjoyed the moment, knowing I was going off to college. Couples came together and everyone else was there for the friends and classmates. It was eons ago but most of us have reconnected on Facebook and support each other through these next phases of life.
This month, my DS invited a female friend to a military dance and then to the prom a week later. He says she is not his girlfriend. Fine, again h’se is going far away for college. Their school sponsored the prom and then a great after party with awesome prizes to keep the kids there until 4:30am. Son, date and a friend and his girlfriend then went to get breakfast. The cost was very reasonable – I dropped them off and they used Uber to get home. No corsage, no limo.
I went to my Senior Prom with my ex-boyfriend. Later found out another guy wanted to ask me. Oh well…
Back in my day, you HAD to be asked and HAD to go as a couple. About half of my friends went and the other half weren’t asked. Of course it didn’t matter in the long run, but I think its much better now that the kids go in groups and don’t have to have a date.
D had a long time BF (he is now her husband) and went with him but they were part of a large group and not all had dates. I told S that I preferred he ask a Senior girl if he chose to go and he did. She was a friend of his but it was nice for her to get asked. They also went in a group of couples and singles.
What?? This is a thread is a great relief to me! All these years I thought I (and my close friends) were the only ones who didn’t get asked to the prom!
The size of your high school may make a big difference. If you are all close, you may be missing out if you do not attend. At the school I attended, I met the people on either side of me at graduation.
I didn’t go to the prom 35 years ago, and it destroyed my life!! Or not… 
If I had to do it again, I still wouldn’t do it. I claimed I had to work. No hot guy asked me, though my girlfriends wanted me to go with one of the guys in their group of friends who didn’t have a date. I just wasn’t into it. Very introverted, shy, skinny, poor, it would have been uncomfortable. I could see going if it was with a boyfriend, but otherwise, yuck! Dancing, attempting to talk to people, to be comfortable.
I don’t regret it a bit. It’s not a seminal moment in one’s life, it’s no big deal. Good on you for having the guts to ask people, though. If it’s not too late and you still want to go, is to have your friends ask around and see if anyone is still looking for a date.
I didn’t go to senior prom. I was asked but said no. I was a hippie and it was not cool. I did go to junior high prom (9t grade) with my then boyfriend. Got hair done,wore pretty dress,etc. He won best class athlete and funniest or most Popular? I won no bests anything. Hahaha.
So I got my taste of prom. I did, however encourage all of my kids to go. Different times than when I was growing up. They all did. Do not think it was a major event in any of their lives. Probably not even in the top ten!
I just had to do some serious recollection because no one has mentioned this in years but IIRC none of my kids went to prom. They each made different plans for the evening, some with friends, some with girl/boyfriends. They all went to the after-party lock-in at the school which was open to all the seniors, and enjoyed that. No regrets.
My D did not go to her junior or senior prom and has no regrets. She had a steady boyfriend her senior year and he was none too happy that she wouldn’t go but she did offer up her best friend (his friend as well) which he declined. We discussed it a bit before her junior event but everyone spends so much money around here on the proms that she and I both were nauseas when crunching the numbers, somewhere in the $500 range would have been average. We did go look at dresses at the consignment boutique and they were lovely but started at $150. In the end, she decided prom was a frivolous event which most likely would not be worth whatever budget we set. I’m very proud of her decision.
I went to big public high school back when I don’t think anyone went in groups so you had to go as a couple at least I think so although once there I am sure you could get back into your cliques. I didn’t have any prospects. I had plenty of friends but there wasn’t anyone who I felt like I could ask. The predominant thing to do on weekends was to find some party and get drunk and listen to hard rock music and that wasn’t my thing at all. I had different groups of friends that I could mix into at any time so there was always something to do even though I didn’t like to do what most everyone else seemed to like to do. I was considered cool enough that I could be weird without being left out. I think people liked me because I wasn’t in any one stereotype. I was athletic but wasn’t a jock (even though I earned two letters, both as a senior, and both basically in sports few people did). I was funny and could relate to everything but really didn’t understand things like the drug and party culture and rock music and all that.
Actually, now that I look back on it, I was probably a bigger nerd/misfit than I realized but I might be being too hard on myself. I think not doing what you don’t want to do is the ultimate sign of coolness though especially if you still get included in groups. Being alone sucks plain and simple but being yourself is the ultimate sign of coolness. I didn’t go and I have zero regrets. I think you have to have enough confidence to set your own path even if it means you will be alone a lot. If you have to choose between being alone and fitting in and doing things you don’t really like … be alone and look for others people to hang with. The prom is kind of expensive, from what I remember, and kind of built on taking pictures of everything and making “memories.” Dear God. Pressure. I think memories can be made without any of that and it doesn’t need to be live streamed either. I could be wrong about this. I think both my kids went and liked it but they also don’t always go out either and they don’t need all that external confirmations of coolness which gets back to how they can generate cool without trying to at least I hope so.