AP testing season is coming up in early May. That means dozens and dozens of hours upon hours of intense studying, writing and thinking for many upperclassmen.
In the past, they have had prom to look forward to — the thought of taking your special someone, enjoying a nice ride on a yacht or going on a roller coaster at Great America.
The thought is a good motivation to work hard on your APs and get through the hard times to enjoy a stress-free, exciting reward for all that hard work — except there’s now one problem this year: Prom, to the shock and disappointment of most students, will be held well before APs.
It will take place on April 5 at the Saratoga Mountain Winery.
By contrast, last year, prom was held on May 18 in a large boat in San Francisco Bay, and tickets were completely sold out. Being on a yacht may have been one of the reasons for that prom’s popularity, but so was its timing. Two years ago, prom was held even later: on May 20 at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
One member of the Leadership class told The Falcon that the early time slot was because of the difficulty senior class officers and school officials had securing a venue this year. Simply put, most places had been booked by the time Saratoga tried to get one, this source said.
Because of the unfortunate timing of prom, it won’t be surprising if attendance is significantly reduced compared to last year’s figures, especially among juniors. Juniors, who are the busiest during late April and early May with AP’s and finals, will have a very tough decision to make between focusing on studying or attending prom. Here at Saratoga, the first option usually takes priority.
Even on the contrary if students aren’t taking as many AP’s, prom comes on the weekend right before spring break, a perfect time for vacation or, especially for juniors, to visit colleges.
Multiple members of the junior class told The Falcon that the early prom is the main reason they aren’t going to attend prom this year either due to their focus on studying or due to being out of town.
If the dance commission starts scrambling a week prior to prom, promoting and pushing students to buy tickets, I wouldn’t be surprised, and wouldn’t blame students either, as the date of this year’s prom comes right smack in the middle of the most rigorous time for both Saratoga High seniors and juniors.
Next year’s prom date has already been announced: May 16, 2026. That’s timing that nearly guarantees a sellout. While I hope I’m wrong, I’ll be surprised if this year’s poorly timed prom is as successful.
