These days, most high school seniors in China are studying day and night, to prepare themselves for one of the biggest tests in their lives, Gao Kao.

In contrast, most high school seniors in the US are having the best time of their lives: to decide which college to attend in fall, and to go to the Senior Prom. (Wikipedia on prom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prom)

When deciding which college to attend, for many families financial packages from schools are very important. Luckily, there are a few weeks for each family to work on this issue. Most colleges set May 1st as the deadline, and most students receive their college decision letters in early April, the latest.

Here is what I know about the Senior Prom at Punahou this year, held on Saturday, April 16th.

The young men needed to work hard to get their dates to say “yes.” And, more than one young man was turned down and had to find another lady...

Seniors had to purchase their “bids” to attend the prom. If both are Punahou Seniors, they pay for their own bids, at $90/bid. If a senior has a prom date from a lower grade or from another school, this senior pays for both bids. Ouch!

I don’t know how much a dress might cost, but it can easily cost more than $100. I do know how much the tuxedo rental cost me at Sears; it’s about $150. The young man gets measured, and then tries them on at the pick-up time. If something does not fit properly, additional work needs to be done, which would take a day. So, it’s better not to go at the last minute, such as the day before the prom.

A young man needs to buy a corsage for his date, and in Hawaii a young lady will get her date maile lei. (wiki: Maile Lei is another type of lei, having a looser and whole leafy appearance, that can be made entirely of fresh green leaves but from the maile vine, in open loop variation.[2] )

Of course, there is the hairdo. Ladies need to get their hair done professionally on the day, while men could get their haircut before the day and style it themselves on the day. For ladies, makeup may also need to be done professionally.

The seniors go in groups. Some groups rent limousines to transport them from their homes or school to the prom venue. The students share the cost of limou rental.

Oh, there are photos, various packages to choose from. A package can cost from $40 to $95. These senior prom photos are valued for life, even though not many "couples" actually get married to each other later on. All these extras are good for the economy, but bad for parents' wallet (though not nearly as bad as college tuition these days).

Many groups also arrange over-night parties. I wonder how some of them survive their formal wears that look great but are terribly uncomfortable to human bodies, especially the skin…

I have been thinking the meaning of Senior Prom, with all the effort and the cost. I think there is one, which is a lesson most families would like to pay for their child to take before he or she steps into the real world. To fear and to prepare for a possible rejection, to respect each other as equal, and to work as a team to show they are ready to leave their nests…

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