Prom. The dance that all the girls stress over to perfect and all the boys ignore until the week before when their dates force them to buy tuxes. Most of the seniors, and a few lucky underclassmen, haven’t even begun to think about anything involving the dance. Annemarie Tracey, senior, isn’t like the rest of her classmates.

Tracey is one of the six finalists competing in a contest sponsored by The Mash, the teen edition of the Chicago Tribune, to win $1,000 for this year’s prom, a full prom makeover for herself, and two free tickets for her and a date.

“My Great Aunt Donna in Chicago saw the contest advertised in the paper last year, but I couldn’t do it because I was a junior,” Tracey said. “She saw it again over winter break and encouraged me to try.”

To enter the contest, Tracey submitted an essay and photos of herself. She will have to make it through three series of eliminations, the winners of which are decided by the number of online votes. The winner will not only win a free dress from Promgirl.com, shoes, and a makeover, but a full page spread in the Chicago Tribune including a photo shoot.

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience, and the prize money would help offset our prom committee’s expenses,” Tracey said.

Although won’t officially start until Feb. 19, this isn’t the first time Tracey has thought about prom.

“I’ve always wanted to feel like a Disney princess at prom, so my dream prom dress would be a pretty color with some bling” Tracey said. “I’d like to look classy and elegant.”

Tracey encourages all students to vote for her through twitter or text when the voting polls open.

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity,” Tracey said.