Promposals seem to have gone viral. YouTube, social media, and sites like Buzzfeed and Upworthy are crawling with these creative prom invitations, and they’re getting quite a bit of attention. Unlike so many trends attributed to teens by the media, promposals seem to be gaining ground in high schools across the nation. Since they seem to have saturated the media, why write another article on the concept? It might seem we have had enough of the promposal phenomenon, and more than enough encouragement to make promposals bigger, flashier, and showier.

We may have, but we certainly have not had enough encouragement to make promposals smarter, nerdier, or more meaningful and personal. If either promgoer loves STEM, why not base a promposal on this enthusiasm? It will be more personal than many of the promposals that have found online fame and your date will think you’re awesome.

Here are a few ideas for STEM promposals.

Sci-Fi Wanna Go to Prom With You

Science fiction is beloved by many STEM enthusiasts. It’s entertaining, but more than that, many people have found their way to STEM disciplines through science fiction. A promposal based on a shared fandom can be funny, sentimental, or large-scale. Whether this takes the form of a detailed, handcrafted replica of the Death Star or a zippily modified Joss Whedon quote is largely irrelevant, as long as the promposal is based on shared interests and livened up with a dash of wit. One small piece of advice: any promposal using the Firefly quote “I aim to misbehave,” is unlikely to be a hit with parents or administrators. Incidentally, using knowledge of animal psychology to unleash hell hounds on prom, a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer, can also create unwanted complications. (Other Joss Whedon-based promposals will probably be more successful, and the possibilities are practically endless.)

Please Turn to Chapter 3, Then Will You Go to Prom With Me?

For a slightly quieter promposal, consider a time-tested method. An inscription in a STEM-related book can be quiet, personal, and extraordinarily endearing. The most labor-intensive aspect of this promposal is choosing the correct book, but with some knowledge of the recipient, this becomes intuitive and even fun. A few recommendations include a biography of a favorite STEM icon, an academic book on a STEM subject, scientific history, or a foundational scientific text. Once the book is chosen, writing a promposal inside the front cover (or on a significant page), wrapping it, and getting it to the recipient are simple!

Praseodymium (Pr) + Oxygen (O) + Manganese (Mn) – n ?

For potential prom dates who share a STEM class or lab, hiding a promposal on equipment or in a classroom can be easy and clever. A simple promposal like “Do you want to go to the prom with me?” can be tucked inside a lab book, taped onto some piece of equipment, or even written on a chalkboard underneath a retractable map or chart to be revealed at the right moment. The key here is to present your promposal safely. It should go without saying that fire and chemical accidents are best avoided, so unless there is a foolproof way of keeping the promposal safe, it’s best to keep it in a classroom or study session and out of the chemistry lab.

The most important aspect of any promposal is keeping it sincere and personal but lighthearted. A well-thought-out promposal based on common interests and shared jokes is better than skywriting, fireworks, or hiring a choir, even if it may be less likely to earn fifteen minutes of online fame.