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We ran several polls during prom season in the spring of 2003 and 2004. The polls were about many apsects of high-school prom experience, not specifically about updo hairstyles.
One poll question was "What month is your prom?" and we allowed four choices. The table shows the results.| Answer | Votes |
| April | 376 |
| May | 333 |
| June | 14 |
| other | 16 |
Are the results accurate? Well, we think people mostly go to a prom web site before their prom, not after their prom. We ran this poll only in the last half of April. So, we probably missed people who had an early April prom. Oh well! We'll try to do better next year.
Another poll question was "Will you go to school on the day of your prom?" and we allowed four choices. The table shows the results.
| Answer | Votes |
| No -- it's not on a school day! | 276 |
| No -- it's a school day but I'll be absent | 26 |
| Yes -- for part of the day | 100 |
| Yes -- for the regular full school day | 20 |
Are the results accurate? Probably, but maybe a few people didn't give the second answer since they didn't want to tell us about skipping school. We'll write this differently next year. Most people said the prom wasn't on a school day. We think this means most proms are Saturday night, but we're not 100% sure.
Another poll question was "Will you wear pantyhose to your prom?" and we allowed four choices. The table shows the results.
| Answer | Votes |
| Yes | 59 |
| No, I'm wearing another type of hosiery | 10 |
| No, bare legs go well with my shoes and dress | 313 |
| I'm not sure yet | 39 |
Are the results accurate? We think so. But major prom sites such as prom-night.com are recommending pantyhose for proms in 2003. (To find it, go to the "Patty's Famous FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions" section on that web page. It's the third question.)
Another poll question was "Should a junior be allowed to take a 9th grader to the prom?" and we allowed four choices. The table shows the results.
| Answer | Votes |
| Yes, the school should always allow this | 210 |
| Yes, but only if the junior and 9th grader are a real couple | 34 |
| No, there should never be 9th graders at the prom | 56 |
| I'm not sure whether a school should allow this or not | 15 |
Are the results accurate? Again, we think so. We should mention that 9th graders voted in the poll. We think they probably all voted yes, since if they weren't interested in the prom, they probably wouldn't be looking at prom web sites.
Another poll question was "Have you lost any friends because of conflict related to the prom?" and we allowed five choices. The table shows the results.
| Answer | Votes |
| Yes, more than one friend | 14 |
| Yes, one friend | 18 |
| Maybe, I'll probably find out later | 25 |
| No, there's been some conflict, but I've stayed friends with everyone | 295 |
| I haven't noticed any conflict related to the prom | 173 |
Wow, people are dealing with prom stress really well! And 173 people who haven't noticed any conflict -- well, I guess maybe each of them has a really great social group.
Another poll question was "At some schools, the cost to attend the prom is $150 per couple, but $100 for one person alone. This means the cost of prom tickets (or prom bids, which are just a fancier version of tickets). Is it fair to set the price this way?" and we allowed four choices. The table shows the results.
| Answer | Votes |
| Yes, the prices should favor couples, since prom is supposed to be mostly for couples | 22 |
| Yes, because the person who asks for a prom date usually pays the full $150 for the couple | 10 |
| No, the cost should be same for every person, with or without a date | 36 |
| No, because a person who doesn't have a date shouldn't go to prom | 4 |
There wasn't much interest in this poll. Maybe that's because it looked like a math question. Anyway, it seems that about half favor a special price for couples, and half are opposed.
Another poll question was "Prom often has fashion or beauty concerns that don't occur in your everyday life. Which of these is most important for you?" and we allowed seven choices. The table shows the results.
| Answer | Votes |
| I haven't worn my hair up before, and I'm concerned whether it will hold and look good. | 93 |
| I usually wear much less (or no) makeup, and I'm unsure about fixing my makeup during prom night. | 41 |
| I've hardly ever worn high-heeled shoes, and I don't know if I've had enough practice in heels before prom. | 11 |
| I almost never wear pantyhose, and I'm concerned that my pantyhose will be so tight and so uncomfortable. | 3 |
| I can't wear one of my regular bras with my prom dress, and I worry about having enough support. | 51 |
| I have a fashion or beauty concern, but it's not any of these. | 49 |
| I have lots of confidence about dressing up for prom... really no concerns at all. | 88 |
Since this poll occurred on our www.updo.info web site, it was expected that hair would be a top concern. We were a bit surprised to see the large number for the bra/dress concern. But probably wearing a formal evening dress is the one aspect of prom that's the most different from everyday experience.
If there's anything you'd like to say about the poll questions, you
can send e-mail to Jessica (JessicaT@updo.info) or type in your
e-mail here. We won't
give out your name or e-mail address to anyone.