What is it called when a freshman is dating a senior?
I don’t know but it should be illegal.
According to ABC, the average age gap between couples in the US is 2.3 years. So, if the grades don’t touch, should you? I surveyed 19 students in each grade to find out Elkhorn North’s take on age gaps.
The Freshmen: New to the school, freshmen don’t mind a little age gap.
According to freshmen boys, the oldest they would date is 16.37 years old. That means that an average freshman boy would be willing to date a sophomore or junior.
Freshmen girls aimed higher, with the average response being 16.82 years old. This means that an average freshman girl would be willing to date a junior.
“Over one year is a bit much,” freshman Janani Prabagaran said. “There’s a difference in maturity.”
That’s true. Science shows that the teen brain develops very quickly in the four years most people go to high school, so the difference in maturity, common sense and goals (a freshman is probably not as concerned about the ACT as a junior), can really impact a high school relationship that has even a one year gap.
However, some freshmen boys and girls don’t care. “Any grade is fine” and “maybe a senior if they aren’t adults” are real responses freshmen gave me.
The Freshman Verdict: Age is just a number.
The Sophomores: With one year of high school down, the sophomores’ responses were a little less unique.
Sophomore boys’ max dating age was 17.58 and sophomore girls’ max dating age was 16.3. The youngest age sophomores would date was 14 for both girls and boys.
“I would not [date a middle schooler],” sophomore Allie Vijit said. “They are too immature and too young.”
The Sophomore Verdict (for the girls): If the grades don’t touch, neither should you! The Sophomore Verdict (for the guys): Age is just a number.
The Juniors: The hardest year of high school may be taking its toll and influencing results. Juniors are fully embracing the phrase “age is just a number,” giving more out of pocket answers than the freshmen.
The oldest an average junior boy would date is 20.4 years. The youngest age junior boys would date is 15.68, or, in the case of one junior, “a very old freshman.”
The oldest an average junior girl would date is 17.6 years. While most junior girls drew the line at 18, one said “honestly, as long as he’s got money, I don’t care if he’s my age or 70.” However, the same junior did say that she would not date under her age, even if he was rich. The double standards are crazy.
The youngest an average junior girl would date is 15.1 years.
The Junior Verdict: Age is just a number.
The Seniors: The class of 2025 has the most anti-age gap data.
“Freshmen are weird,” senior Aryan Panchal said.
The youngest the average senior boy would date is 16.5 (a junior). The oldest they would date is 19.1.
The youngest an average senior girl would date is 16.4 (a junior). The oldest most senior girls would date is exactly 19.
No colorful responses were given by the senior class.
The Senior Verdict: If the grades don’t touch, neither should you!
The Conclusion: At Elkhorn North, people have different preferences, but the age range decided on by most students is around 1-2 years.
“It’s evident that freshmen are finding themselves, and transitioning from middle school and seniors are preparing to go into adulthood,” history teacher Ashley Anderson said. “So typically, seniors are more mature than freshmen.”
So freshmen, please don’t date seniors. They are legal adults. Seniors, please don’t date freshmen. It makes everyone uncomfortable.
In the words of Aaron English, personal finance teacher, “You shouldn’t even date until you’re 16. It’s embarrassing, being like, ‘oh, my mom has to pick me up.’”
