"I didn't go to the prom..."
 

I know there's probably lots and lots of people out there that have gone, however, what about the people that haven't gone? What are you reasons for not going? What do you on that day instead?

I didn't go because I couldn't afford it and my ex wasn't being too nice about it. So, we sat around and played video games for awhile and then hit the mall. How about you?

I didn't go to Junior Prom and will not be attending Senior Prom either. I got kicked out of my school so I wouldn't want to go. I did go to my friends Junior Prom though as a favor to her I suppose. (That sounds mean)

It was one of the most godawful expirences ever, I can't see why that's the biggest day of some peoples lives...

I've heard people talking about how good prom is going to be, but when they get there, I'm told they leave because it's boring.

Shocking news: I didn't go to any proms or social events during school. I hated school, big time.

I skipped my senior prom because of two reasons. First being that the Junior prom sucked, and the second being that the girl I was trying to ask out just started ignoring me after I did ask her.

Tough shit, life went on though.

I used to go to dances in Middle School. Those were more fun then the prom. Everyone gets all strung out about the prom and makes it into a much bigger deal then it is. The food sucks, the music sucks and 90% of the kids suck.

I'm glad I didn't go to the proms at my school...the one Junior Prom was bad enough.

I've never gone to prom. Why? I don't go to public school. And even if I did, I don't think I would go. Personal preference I guess.

I didn't go to prom. I saw it as a ridiculous waste of time and money. It was almost $75 per ticket. ;_;
I decided that it would actually be better to spend that time just chillin' with my gal-friend how we always do (not really girlfriend, but almost like that). This I see as somewhat of a bad idea, because she is definitely one of those girly girls and I am sure she would have loved to have gone. This was probably the start of the decline of her interest in me. Although I am regretful about this to some extent, I see that it is better this way because she would have just dragged me down personally.

Fjordor, I agree with you. There was the ticket costs, whatever dress I decided to wear, and whatever my ex was going to wear. My ex said he would borrow money from his parents if I really wanted to go, but didn't feel like wasting someone else's money. Besides, playing video games and hanging out at the mall was more fun and CHEAPER!

I was about to skip it altogether when I was a senior, but ended up going with my group of friends at the time. My date was someone I knew since middle school, so we were comfortable with each other already. The prom itself was actually very expensive and when I think about it now, I could have used the money for something more important.

It seemed like every other school dance I attended, except somewhere off-campus and more expensive. In general, I don't regret going, but it wasn't impressive at all.

I didn't go either -- the tickets were on the expensive side and the thought of having to go search for something to wear and getting the hair and face or wadnot done puts me off. Couple of frens who werent going either came by and we made dinner together and then rented a movie to watch :D

They actually banned me from my prom. Not like I gave a flying fuck though.

I didn't go my junior year, I had gone to no other dances up to that point, and really had not much of an interest at all, other than push from friends...I asked someone and did not get the response that I was hoping for, so I just kinda lost interest and treated it as many other saturdays, probably filled with Zelda or watching movies at home. (It was also extremely expensive!)

Why's that? M40 in the toilet?

I didn't go because the girl who I wanted to go with already had a date with her girlfriend. I could have gone alone or with someone else, but it was only an excuse to hang out with this girl, but she already had a date, anyway ... so it was a moot point.

Plus, by that time, I was just ready to GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE.

I never went to my prom...

I didn't even get a chance to go to junior prom.

I skipped the last two years of highschool basically.

If I had a chance to go though, I probably wouldn't. I also never went to any school function (dances, banquets, etc.) basically because I never wanted to.

I went to Jr Prom, I hated it, I didn't have a date, and overall homeschool proms are sorry. :\
So when Senior prom came up, I skipped it. I had no one to go with and it really didn't seem like it would be any fun at all. Now I kind of regret not going.
Eh, it probably would have been just like the last ones I went to.

Blah~~~

-School too far
-No car
-No suit
-No money
-No girlfriend :P

I know it'd be fun, but what's the fun in going by yourself? ;)

My friends didn't want to go. So I didn't. The ticket was too darn expensive anyway. I'd rather go the cybercafe and play a few hours.

I skipped the prom and went to see The Phantom Menace again.

Then we came to the post-prom and did donuts on the school lawn in front of everyone while blasting obscenity-screaming german techno.

I miss high school sometimes.

Several reasons. There was my general distaste for social events, then there was the fact that it cost a lot of time and money. Another big reason was that the relationship I was in was extremely fuzzy during that time. Despite all that, I still considered going to senior prom for a moment... until I heard stories about how last years prom sucked and the stupid conflicts between those in charge of the coming one. I felt it wasn't even worth it.

It wasn’t even that bad.

One of the faculty, that was in involved in planning senior activities, was running a bake sale one day for senior fun raising. They use to push those sales like pushing drugs. So they started their crap on a day I was really pissed off and I told the lady to, literally, fuck off or something like that. So she was like, I guess you don’t care about all your senior events? And I said, actually, I really don’t fucking care. So they banned me from all senior events, including graduation. But that was more so because I wasn’t about to pay 300 for senior dues alone. And they tried to hold my diploma for ransom for the dues, even though my GPA was like 3.4 or something like that.

Geez, and how you manage to handle that situation? must be a very tough time for you. I wouldnt have guts to do that.

So, did you end up paying or what? I wouldn't think that they could make you pay for a bunch of activities you wouldn't take part in, especially if this is a public school.

I wish I had a decent story to spin for my reasons to not go to senior prom, but it was merely a lack of a girlfriend and the usual hate of school functions. Plus, I wasn't ready to pay ninety some odd dollars just to be a wallflower for a few hours. According to my friends who went, I really didn't miss much.

Haven't been to a single one. Never had a girlfriend, no interest in going otherwise; the music sucks, I can't dance, it's expensive, and I don't like crowds. My friends have gotten very good at sneaking in to them without paying, but I'm not up for that kind of thing.

I never went to either Prom, despite a group of friends bugging me to go with them for weeks (both times). I did regret not going the night of my Junior Prom, but after hearing about how crappy it was the next day I had no regrets. From what I heard, 90% of the music played was rap and the only amusement to be had was sitting back and watching some of the idiots try to dance to it. I had a far more enjoyable time sitting at home doing a bit of gaming.

Hmm... nah I didn't go to prom but as far as I know it's not usually the prom that's the big deal it's the party at the end of the year. And uh what did I do? Well took mushies, waited for them to kick and went to the party afterwards. : /

I do have a few regrets about not going to the actual prom though. :(

I didn't go to my prom because it was insanely expensive and I didn't want to spend the money on it. Basically the main reason was because my group of friends weren't going to it, so I wouldn't have had a lot of people to talk to, or people I'd be comfortable around.

So what did I do during prom? I think I just spent it at home on my computer ;_;

I only went because my ticket was free due to Student Council and my friends kept bugging me about it so much. So it was actually one of the first dances I went to. It was all right, but I don't derive fun from being constanty self-conscious about typicaly being labelled as someone who wouldn't nomally dance, so I probably would have enjoyed playing video games with friends a lot more as well.

I didn't go to the prom, knowing it would be shit. (I was right). Plus it was expensive. The post-prom, however, was free... so I went to that. That was fun as hell. We had all those fun carnival games and stuff, like the boxing thing, laser tag, moon bounce. There were simulators and racquetball. And later, there was a Mya concert. Definitely a great night.

I was going through my emo phase around the time of the prom. I kind of regret not going now because I know it would have been fun to go with some of my friends and just chill.
I did have the money, and possibly even the car if I had really wanted it, but no GF. And the self-centered, the-world-revolves-around-the-poor-ole-emo-me thing doesn't sit very well with dates, so ...

It's nothing major actually. I wish I had gone, but then again, I'm glad it contributed that much to my emo phase and I went through it and learned something from it.

The funny thing is, I don't think I would've gone even if someone offered to pay for it with no strings attached. I thought it was pointless to be in a place where I'm told a bunch of people watch you and who you're with. I've heard way too many stories about that.

Hey, SMX, why did you have to pay senior dues if you were banned from all the senior activities? And they had the nerve to ransom your diploma? Are they for real? I hope you got your diploma without paying them.

Nope. I called the school board and they threaten the principle's job. So eventually she cracked and gave me my diploma. The administration just really hated me because "I had a bad attitude." Or in other words, I wouldn't take their shit.

I didnt' go to prom because the tickets were too expensive and the date that was being planned out for me (against my own will, I didn't really care to spend my money on a night I wouldn't of gotten any real benefit from)
Renting a tux, getting the tickets, and alot of the other costs I would of had to endure would of been painful enough anyways, date or no date.
I didn't want to go

I hear ya but you might be regretting it in the future. I myself don't wanna go to prom but my parents are actually paying me $300 to go. There even paying me of what I'm doing during that special day. Lucky though that I sort of lied of going with a girl and would just spend the money on more meaningful stuff.

I did go to my junior prom last year and I had an ok time. A group of friends of mine went to dinner at a Kobes and then went to the prom. The actual prom was alright with some pretty good music that was marginally ballanced. The only highlight in my eyes were the trays of strawberries with chocolate dipping sauce and some tasty meatball trays. Other than that it was nothing totally memorable. I guess I didn't like it because my existence wasn't really acknowldeged by anybody. With all that said I will not go to my senior prom this year because I know I'll have a better time staying home.

Three reasons I didn't go:

1. I can't dance.

2. I didn't feel like dealing with girls in high school, since I view relationships as things that could potentially become marriages. 9 out of 10 people are completely different a couple years out of high school. So why should I bother dating someone who will, in a sense, no longer exist in a couple years?

3. My brother is gay, and was told by the administration that he would not be allowed to go with a same-sex date. This pissed me off to no end, and I didn't want to be a part of something that excluded people based on sexual preference.

Well... personally I didn't go to the prom because I never thought of it that important to think about it. Its like... one of those "after school" events that kids want to go to. And let me tell you, I stop going to these "after school" events after 8th grade. Its just not my thing, being in loud crowds and being pushed around and so on. :\

Of course most of the time, it would be a reason I couldn't go because I didn't have a ride.

I didn't go because seeing someone who rejected me dance and having fun was too much for me.

Ouch! That sucks! Too many people were checking out and gossipping about who came with who and what they did. It's pretty disgusting. I'm glad I did other stuff instead of that.

I didn't go to one, single school-sponsored activity. None of them served alcohol, you see. Nor did they sell pot at the snack bar.

I went out drinking with my girlfriends and some guys up on the WPI campus. The college boys were a hell of a lot more fun than the high school crowd - and being GEEKS at a polytech uni, they were more than happy to keep us in good company and full of booze.

I like how most people say the reason they didn't go to prom was because they didn't have a date. that's like one of the stupidest reasons you can come up with for it. just grow some balls and go with some friends.

I went with two of my best friends, thought it would be lame, but it actually ended up being pretty fun. once the snore-worthy awards part was over, the dance part started up and after about an hour or so most of the annoying people you'd rather not spend a friday night with ever left to go to the after parties. so we had most of the dance floor to ourselves and more control over which songs the DJ played and it ended up being a pretty good time. afterwards we went back to my friend's place and we had a star wars marathon [oh gawd].

there are better things to spend your money on though.

Simple excuses initially come to mind: no car, no date, no money. But these were probably not the deciding factor: there were the people, unavoidable, “in your face” people. I guess they were just trying to do their job, but to some extent it was all overblown. Me pay money to hang out with some of them? Or give in to peer pressure and conform to their ideals? Not likely. In the end the underlying factor was that I’d rather do my own thing as opposed to having my principles compromised by a group mindset. To this day I still maintain that independent streak.

I wasn't going to got to prom...until two friends convinced me in 22 pages of IM texts why to go. Long story short: I went in my Starfleet uniform and heard 52 "beam me up Scotty" lines and took about 50 pictures with random people I didn't know. Rockin'

what's the point of a prom ? we don't have that kind of thing here in France

I didn't go for three reasons. One, way too expensive. Two, I'm not renting a tux, let alone dancing in it. And three, I transfered schools senior year, so I saw no point in going to a prom where I didn't give a shit for anyone there.

I'm a nerd, I didn't have a girlfriend, I didn't want to spend all that money.

I don't do dances. I played some games at a LAN party. ENJOYABLE.

I went with some mates, but it was one of the most boring nights of my life. But at least I got a free tux out of it, because my mum paid for it.

It was also the same night England played Portugal in the quarter finals of Euro 2004. They actually brought a TV into the venue seeing how crazy our country is about football. So there was half the people doing all the prom stuff, while the other half just sat watching the footie, and I just kept moving in between the two.

England lost anyway, which made the night even more crappy.

It's funny how people have said they didn't go because of waste of money and lack of a date. Then there's the few that said they've gone and it's boring (except maybe a few?). I find this to be very interesting.

I'm not planning to go to the prom (my sch planning one this coming may) because I think it's rather expensive. I'd rather spend my $$ at some club with my clique of friends :D and party the night away.

That's a new one! Interesting.

It's simple but it works, if you don't have a date, then why would you bother going? I've always seen the main purpose of prom is to be with your boyfriend/girlfriend. I mean, essentially you're going a huge group date with your whole school. Why else would you spend loads of money? Going to prom isn't that far off from the actual dating scene after HS (money, time, and activity wise).

Of course, if you somehow fall in the category of no date but enough friends, I'm sure you can have a fun time hanging out with them as well. But the two things rarely go hand-in-hand (except for a few sad stories of loss here and there).

My friend from my old job at Rhino Video Games, Chris asked me to go with him. I certainly had my doubts since I just had a terrible experience with a previous friend that I gave a chance, but chris was different. He was always really sweet at work and I felt like we were going through the same type of things.

We started dating before prom, so it wouldn't be as awkward. The first couple of dates were pretty awkward anyway because he is VERY quiet (strong silent type) and I am pretty outgoing.

We had a nice time at prom. Not much dancing, but i enjoyed myself.

Now chris and I have been together for a year and I am so glad I followed my instincts ^_^

This thread is tearing away my desire to go to the Senior prom. I didn't go to the Junior prom alike some of you because I'm not one who likes to go to a dance. I can't dance and I don't like standing around doing nothing. I kinda regret not going last year since my friends said it was fun. If I go this year, I'm not taking it seriously. It's just a large social gathering with music, after all.

Didn't go because I was too embarrased about being too poor to afford it...and because I was too chicken shit to ask out the girl I liked (and who liked me...).

Rollins ~ While I agree with you, some of my HS friends wouldn't. Actually three of of them were trying to get me to go when they found out I wasn't going. The four of us were suppose to go (or so they wanted). I thought the whole thing was pointless to begin with. If you're not going with your boyfriend/girlfriend, why would you go just to hang out with your friends? Is that what Homecoming and other school dances are for?

Don't let our stories stop you from going. There's plenty of other threads around here based on people that have gone and are going to the prom (even though a few posted here despite it being the opposite topic). If you want to go and have fun, by all means do so. We're just having a discussion on why some people didn't go.

Dead Horse++ ~ There's nothing to be embarrassed about not being able to afford it. After seeing so many programs on TV about how much teenagers spend on that, I'm glad I didn't go. The whole things seems like a colossal waste of money. But, that's only an opinion.

Yeah, like Lady Miyomi said, you're probably in the wrong place if you're looking for reasons to go to the prom without having a date. This thread is pretty much a "thrash prom" zone with little to no counter argument to be found. If you keep looking at the bad aspects of it, of course it's going to seem like a waste of time. There's definitely fun to have to be had at a prom I feel.

Well, when it comes down to it, if you're not dating a date, prom is another chance to hang out with friends, which hopefully would be a fun thing (if you have the right group of friends). Besides being a chance for you hang out with your date, prom is also one of the last memories you'll have in high school. It's the last big party you'll have with your school before graduation, one last time to just kick it with them.

The problem is that prom is definitely more pricey than your other dances (like homecoming) so it becomes an issue of cost, practically. Do you really want to put a lot of money on this (in the end) party? Other school dances are just an easier chance to hang out with friends since they usually cost less and they have less of the "must bring date" expectation on them.

Since I going I guess I can try to counter it since Hiiragi seems to be discouraged of going to prom. Personally I don't know how girls percieve prom dates to be "authentic" dates or merely friendly social gathering, but it is an excellent time to improve social skills. If you don't have a date? Simple, go around and steal other people's dates by asking them for a dance (I always thought that would be fun but I always went to HC and Prom with one and being a "gentleman" I try to stay with my date...I feel really bad if I don't slow dance with them too).

Also I am assuming a lot of you went to larger high schools (this does not apply to me in the same way since my school is TINY) but people wouldn't care too much if you were a horrible dancer since I am sure..that the whole mass you are dancing with have no idea what they are doing regarding "dancing." This is a good time to relax and make an idiot of yourself...high school is so big that no one would notice (but don't be soo...err drastic).

One gripe about prom is that they ALWAYS play so much typical music...rap...ugh but that is just an issue regarding taste (they did play some eurodance thankfully). But you can't always have what you want in a dance...especially if your penchant is something exclusive like eurobeat. However, if you are really lucky, this is great time to spend time with your particular favorite or even merely a friend and get to know them better before they head off to whatever direction they have in mind (college, etc...). There are only 2 (unless you get asked by some upperlcassmen...) prom dances available in your life, you might not get the opportunity again in the future to participate in one of the unique aspects of your highschool experiences.

The valid excuses I see is the cost since...prom could be drastically expensive (depending on what you do with it). My prom ticket will cost 85$ (initially it was 100+$) but I will have to buy one for my date. Also I will have to get tux, limo etc...but these are all extravagances (except tux...you might need that). Hence it is very costly but if you really want to go, I am sure there is some sort of loop hole to get all this covered.

Also I percieve "awkwardness" as an appropiate excuse for highschoolers are unstable kids (me being one) with raging emotions. With that in mind, I nearly made a decision not to go to prom due to internal conflicts. But, I don't want to waste my high school experiences away so I decided to partcipate this year.
Well that is my defence for it since no one else wanted to defend prom X_X

I didn't go to prom because I was spending the day letting children with cancer (St. Jude's) have a fun day outside of the hospital.
A friend of mine went with my girlfriend.

Only dance I remember going to in high school was something called morp, which was (as you can see) some opposite prom thing. The girls asked the guys out, etc. I went because a girl asked me to go, and I'd feel bad about saying no.

I almost skipped my prom. My so-called "friends" didn't want anything to do with me; they didn't want me in their limo, or at their table, or anything. So the morning of the day before the prom the principal gave me a call, told me he needs to meet me. I drive down the school, and he basically said, "You're salutatorian in a class of 1000. Here's two free tickets. You're going." So I called up a friend of mine (who was a junior and dating some guy 6 years older than her at the time) and she agreed to a last minute prom date. My cousin drove us there, we stayed for the whole thing, then we both went home. And to this day, I don't know whether I would have been better off not going, or if I made the right choice to go.

I had somewhat the same experience at the one other dance I went to. That time, I was the person who collected all the names of the students attending, entered them into an Excel spreadsheet, and that sort of stuff. So I got a free ticket, and figured that even though nobody wanted me at their table (again...) I'd go anyways. It was pretty boring, but at least I didn't have to pay to be bored.

I'm assuming that you guys have a prom with good music. I don't mean to offend anybody, but from my school's dance history, the music has been complete shit. Maybe it's the school (I go to a school that is > 50% Black). As a result, the music is compromised of mainly Rap, Hip Hop, etc. Now this is personal opinion, but I simply cannot stand that kind of music.

I didn't go to the Junior Ring Dance (aka Junior Prom) because of the lack of a date. I then decided to reconcile the next year by going to the Homecoming Dance in the Fall to decide whether or not the Senior Prom was worth it. I dunno, maybe a bad break, but Homecoming Dance sucked hard. If it wasn't for my date, I would have killed myself (not literally, but you know). I'm just not the dance kind of person. I can't dance to that kind of music. I just don't fit in. I almost regret taking my date (only for the occasion, didn't do much outside of that dance) to it. But she had fun, so it was ok for her.

So Senior Prom rolls around and, as opposed to the cheaper homecoming tickets (cheaper occasion for that matter), Prom was a big pill to swallow financially. The only way I'd see it to be worth it was if I had that "special someone". I did not.

Ok, so my friends are going, technically I'd go too right? Hell no. Go with your friends? They have their own dates too. I did not wish to be the guy just sitting there while everybody had a good time. It just wouldn't be worth it without a date.

But I will admit, I might have gotten a date if I were a bit bolder. But that's in the past now.

Seriously, by all means, if you have a date, go to the Prom. If not, it's probably not worth it. Unless your tickets were next to free.

I didn't go to either Junior Prom or Senior Prom, cuz I didn't have a date, and damned if I was going by myself...I tried that before, ended up as a wall decoration. But I got free Cheetos out of it, so it wasn't all bad, eh?

Definitely...prom music SUCKS, period. Though...my taste in music is quite exemplary

I didn't go to Junior Prom, but I did go to Senior Prom and it was tons of fun. I went with one of my best friends and we went to the restaurant we wanted to go to and just had fun. The place it was at was beautiful and, while prom music does suck, it's pretty easy to dance to. We went back to his house afterwards and played Guitar Hero and watched movies until like..6:30 in the morning.

If you have a date (preferably a good friend so that it's not so awkward) then you should definitely go to prom.

I didn't go to either of mine because I didn't have anyone to go with. I had very few friends in HS and they all had dates, leaving me by my lonesome. :/ So, why waste money? I think I just hung out on the internets instead. Heh, says a lot about my 'social life', doesn't it?

I didn't go to either junior or senior prom becuase I didn't have a date, and none of my friends were going either, so it would have been both a waste of money and time. Plus, I have never worn a tux in my life and I didn't intend to start doing so for some stupid dance.

Because it was lame and not alot of their friends were going anyways, so why waste their time and money in this damn thing? I went to prom, but my friends who didn't had this reason.

I never went to prom myself. I didn't care because I didn't have a date one, two the music they chose for the class sound composed of complete shit, and three I transferred into this school for my last two years so I really didn't know many people. So I said fuck it. I was going to hang with the few friends I did have but it turns out that bailed on me. So I spent the night doing the typical nerd thing: gaming. I have no regrets.

Hah, oh yeah, prom sucked. For those of you who didn't go. I spent the night puking and passed out next to my date. Looking in hindsight... I should've not drank that much.

I didn't want to go at all. My gf during the time had just dumped me so I had no desire to go anywhere on that day. All I wanted to do was emo myself to death >_<

My friends however wouldn't let this pass and went as far as buying my tickets and renting my tux. They know that if they spent the money on me I'd be pressured to go, and so I did.

Prom is overrated. gosh. The media(urgh) makes it seem so good. Even family and friends...

"...and she is going to prom!..." "did you go to prom?" "Yeah. It was great!"

bah!

The best thing that happened was that I was able to talk to one of my friends who I couldn't talk to during that school year(due to grade difference and work and other things), and plus I talked to another one of my friends.

My date basically was called over by her friends and I was alone. I don't even like rap/hip hop whatever that much. And that was about the only music playing.

But I was glad that I had the guts to ask the girl if she would go with me. I'm kind of shy...or is it quiet? oh well.

I didn't go to my prom because Attack of the Clones opened the same night.

I skipped both my Junior and Senior Proms because 1) I didn't want to spend the money; and 2) I don't like dances and such. Almost all of my friends went to our school proms, said they had a blast. I don't think I did anything special on either of those days.

Never went, never went to school either until university. However, now that I am here, I enjoy the occasional chance to dress up. If I had gone to school (wasn't really homeschooled either, just kind of left to my own devices) I would have gone ... unless it cost money, because my family was dirt poor. But, if I had gone to school and had money I'd have gone to the prom ... if only for the chance to dress up.

I didn't go to the prom because I went to a continuation school..

The kids at the continuation school in my district were allowed to go to all of our formal dances..

Pardon my ignorance, but whats a continuation school and why'd you miss out on your prom because of it?

I didn't go to mine, I didnt have the money and I just plain didn't want to be there, its just a bunch of people acting like royalty and winding up so wasted they cant see. I did wind up at an ex's prom and it was ok, would have had a far better night for far less elsewhere though!

Considering I dropped out three years beforehand, I never even realized the day came and went. Ah well, not really sure if it would´ve even generated a worthwhile memory.

Many reason.. For one..:

-No GF, could have gone with a grp of friends.
-Costs Money(with paying the damned senior dues and all plus the tux..omg I dont even want to go into that..)
-No car
-Every year they say its gonna be good, but look at it, the next day it was the worst prom ever

Tch, I for all really had no motivation to go what so ever.

I was gonna go dressed like a ninja. But they had a strict dress code at the door. So I Tenchu: Stealth Assassined my way in and killed everyone (And by that I mean I stayed home and ate Crispy Cream).

We don't have proms in the U.K, but I couldn't go to the equivilent due to the fact I was in hospital at the time. If I could have walked I would have gone, but I had dislocated my hip and broken my ankle.

Well like more than a few people here have said, my excuses were the lack of a girlfriend, not wanting to shell out $90 for a ticket (and however much for a tux), and just the genuine hatred of school social events.

As for why I didn't go with a group of friends, I was one of the lucky guys who moved to a different school their senior year, and we had our Prom fairly early (early March I think). I'm not great at meeting new people as it is, and the classes I had my first semester I genuinely had no interest in anybody. Plus the good friends I made the second half of the year I got close to *after* the prom was over (apparently they had dates as it was, so it wouldn't have worked out anyway).

I can definitely see myself adding not going to the prom in my long list of highschool regrets, but I don't see much I could've done to remedy the situation anyway. Plus, judging from the majority responce here, it doesn't seem like I would've missed that much anyway.

I did not have many good friends within my high school. Going to prom to stand around in a corner by myself and brood did not sound appealing. Also: dresses = not happy for me. Heheh.

I don't regret not going.

As someone else already said, the 'popular' people who go to the prom are treated like Royalty and so it must be heaven for them. However under certain circumstances that people have highlighted, there is no point in going and no shame either.

prom....
like 8 years ago...
actually i went to the prom even thought i didnt graduate at the time, i had to take some test because i failed in first instance.
i thought in not going, but i said, what do i care if im not graduate?? i want to be with my friends and parents and have a good time.
I have to mention that in my country the prom party is an elegant party(according to the economical status of the school) in which parents and sons go together
before you bash me i must tell that AFTER the prom we went to another party at the house of some guy i didnt remember the name and had a killer time till 4 pm i think

I never went to any school dances or gatherings for the most part. Reasons?

1) Can't dance and I hate what I'd have to dance to.
2) I'm a social recluse for the most part.
3) Don't have formal clothes, and I wasn't going to pay several million dollars to go to the prom and essentially sit around doing nothing in some random venue eating a catered meal that would have cost me way more than a dinner elsewhere would have had I not gone.

It's really just not my bag, nor my friend's. So what would be the point really?

I didn't go. I was going through a really rough time emotionally and didn't really have the money to spend on a tux and such. Could have went as there was a really cute girl (which ended up becoming a friend) that wanted to go, but she didn't ask until a day before prom...cutting the timing a little too close. Glad I didn't go in the end. I have a feeling that I would not have been fully appreciative of the experience and just made my friend feel like crap with my whining. It's a big thing for highschoolers and people who never go past highschool. Being in university, I can hardly recall anything from highschool, let alone not going to prom.

Nah. Didn't go.... first reason, no money, second reason, no date, third reason, didn't really want to go....

Meh... Whatever. I will, however go to my grad part this coming Sprin for my degree.

the prom just isnt as hype as it used to be. mine wasnt.