What prefix should I use to address individuals younger that 18 yrs?

Many summer programs/university applications require me to provide a prefix I would prefer to be called by. I always type "Mr.", but as I'm younger than 18, is this appropriate usage? Should I just leave it blank? In other words, what's the correct prefix I should call people under the age of 18 by?

Solution 1:

In an application, it probably doesn't matter whether you chose blank or the title that fits you best ("Mr."). Probably the title would not find its way into anything besides perhaps automated paperwork. (In the unlikely case that people start addressing you with "Mr." and that makes you uncomfortable, you can just ask them to call you by your first name.)

Having gone to college not so long ago, I can say that people don't usually use a title for you even at that point:

• You address your fellow students by their first names (or a nickname). Some of these students are going to be older than you, but it works the same.
• Professors address you by your first name (or a nickname, depending on the professor).

(For the sake of completion, I'll note that some nicknames are just the person's last name, without a title.)

In fact, in college you're really only on the cusp of being able to refer to other, older adults without titles:

• You usually address professors as "Professor" plus their last name or the proper title (Dr./Mrs./Ms./Mr.) plus their last name. (For a foreign language class the professor may asked to be addressed in that foreign language, like "Señora Smith", even when you're speaking English.) There are some professors who will tell you you can address them by their first name (sometimes asking for that exclusively over the other forms).

If you're younger than this, school situations are pretty similar to this, except teachers are much less likely to let you address them by their first names.

Also, this is likely to vary by culture, so I'll note that this answer is based off my American perspective.

Solution 2:

Traditionally it was Master but this may be a bit old-fashioned now (in which case Mr seems ok).