I did go to my HS prom, and in fact, have ended up marrying the girl I took (with three kids within 5 years of the wedding… bang! zoom!).
It did scar me in a way, though… You see, it was held at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center. We picked our wedding date in 1998 to coincide with the date of that long-ago prom (it fell on a Sunday), and often talked about having our 5th wedding anniversary be a date there. Never happened, and never will. 
My college had kind of mini-proms each semester, and they called them “formals.” Every year there was a Fall Formal and a Spring Formal, and I went to all of 'em – some with dates, others without. In fact, one date told me that while he didn’t bother going to his own prom, he was happy to go to the formal with me. That was kinda sweet. 
I spent my prom at home, wathcing Jeopardy with dad. Just like that hot geek-turned-hot-gal in “She’s All That”.
Yep, art imitating life, I tells ya.
Nope.
1991. Suburban US.
My high school was in many ways eerily similar to a John Hughes movie - and, well, someone has to be the loser-nerd-girl.
I highly doubt I would have liked it, but I do wish I had had the opportunity to go.
I didn’t go to my Junior Prom (2003), because I was in North Carolina with my girlfriend. However, we did go to our the prom next year (our Senior Year, 2004). I don’t really feel that I missed much. I’m glad I went to at least one, but that’s how I am. I think that id you don’t really care if you go when you are in high school, you won’t care later on. If you do want to go, but don’t, then it will probably bother you later on.
Oh, I live in a town that is somewhat rural, but really close to a somewhat largeish city (Youngstown, Ohio), so most people do actually go to prom.
Graduated in '02.
Didn’t go to my prom, because I didn’t have anyone I wanted to go with, most of my friends weren’t going, and I didn’t see the point in spending a bunch of money to be able to say I went. Using this sound economic theory, we got a keg and hired a stripper.
I did go with a friend to her prom the year after and it was OK. I had hopes that things would develop into a more romantic relationship, which they didn’t, mainly due to us not being all that similar or different enough to mesh. But it’s easier to blame it on the fact that we both spent half the summer out of the country and then she moved across the country for school.
1980, Northern NJ suburb. Nope.
I was hanging out with a girl a year older, no way in hell would she go. I didn’t see the point in taking someone out of the blue, and only one of my pals went, and I never considered going single. No big deal.
1979 - yes. It was a Hawaiian theme. My boyfriend broke up with me beforehand, but by God I was going, so I corralled a surfer I met at Jax Beach to take me. He was shorter than me, and a saint to have put up with my snotty self that night.
VCNJ~
1976 - Oklahoma - Both Junior and Senior Proms.
At my junior prom, my date and I were sitting at a small table with one of my friends and his date. My friend, although white, had a afro [Abe Simpson Voice]as was the style in those days[/Abe Simpson Voice]. There was a candle on the table, he leaned over to hear over the music what I was saying and his hair caught fire! Luckily, we got it put out very quickly – before any skin was burned.
My senior prom - I didn’t have a steady, so I asked a girl who didn’t have a date just as friends. She was a great basketball player and went on to be a basketball coach and lesbian. A group of my co-workers were talking about proms just the other day. I made the claim that I was the only one of the group to take a lesbian to the prom. I was wrong, one of the other guys had taken the same girl to another prom.
I went to both my Junior and Senior prom (with different girls unfortunately). The Junior Prom was much more fun than the Senior Prom.
And I actually got an invite to go back with a girl for her Senior Prom, but I wasn’t able to make it back.
You had to repea 12th year and they still let you into med school? 
Graduated in 1976 and had better things to do than attend a dance with people I wouldn’t have hung around if I’d have any choice. I spent the weekend of my prom in a motel for the weekend… drunk, stoned, and relaxed…
Calgary, Alberta, 1988. I attended with a good male friend. The food was good, the music was okay, and it was a pretty fun night. It was so odd to look around and think I’d never see any of these people again. My English teacher kept gawking at my boobs.
My dress was the most beaaaaaaauuuuutiful royal blue satin concoction… Okay. It was beautiful to my 16-almost-17-year-old self.
1966 grad here.
I didn’t go to mine, but the girl I was dating was a year behind me, so I wound up taking her to her senior prom.
Junior Prom 1983. Senior Prom 1984. Went to both with good male friends.
It was fun but certainly not the highlight of my life or my days in high school. I wouldn’t have been traumatized if I didn’t go.
My mother, on the other hand, would have taken to her bed with the vapours if she didn’t get to help me pick out dresses (and, yes, I had horrible 1980’s dresses), get my hair done (yes, I had horrible 80’s hair), do my makeup (again, very 80’s), get shoes dyed (we did that in the 80’s)…
It was a big deal for mom.
Graduated in 1977. We moved between Thanksgiving and Christmas of my senior year. A person like me (rather quiet) does not make good friends as a senior. I’m not sure anyone would, but I certainly didn’t. I got through it by making friends well enough in each class that I had someone to sit with. Finding people to sit with at lunch was the hardest but I managed that. I also got through it by looking forward to college and starting over.
Anyway, there wasn’t any socializing with seniors because there was no place for me. I did make pretty good friends with a sophomore so I had some fun doing things with her.
I don’t even remember anything about the prom, so I guess it didn’t bother me that I didn’t go. Oh, let’s face it, it’s doubtful that I would have gone to my prom at my old school because I was pretty inhibited (still am) and was not a dancer or a partyer. I like to imagine that I would have gone and had a fabulous time, but that’s not certain!
Now my daughter is a senior and she is going to the prom with friends. She has the dress. Today she decided she wants an up-do for her hair so we made an appointment. I want her to have fun without me being too pushy.
1997 Massachusetts. I went with my boyfriend to senior prom. Shared a limo with my friends and their dates and had an after-prom sleepover (co-ed) at my house. How very Saved by the Bell.