How to Tell if a Girl Likes You in School

Reading Signs of Attraction through Body Language

Watch to see if she pays attention to you when you speak. If a girl likes you, there’s a good chance that she’ll seem attentive and focused while you’re talking in class, or if the two of you are in the same group conversation. Be nice and friendly, and also pay attention when she talks. Be aware that this doesn’t necessarily indicate a romantic interest. But, it’s a good sign that a girl respects your opinion or likes talking with you, which can indicate that she does like you.

Pay attention if you catch her glancing your way frequently. While this certainly isn’t a guaranteed way to tell if she’s attracted, it’s true that if a girl is interested in you, you may catch her casting a few glances your way. If you happen to catch her eye, smile to indicate that you like the attention and that she shouldn’t feel embarrassed. For example, a girl might look at you out of the corner of her eye a few times over lunch break. If she does, talk to her!

Notice if she often sits or stands near you. If a girl is interested in you, she may try to position herself near you. That way, you and she will have a better chance of ending up in conversation. Act normal if this happens. Try not to get flustered, and just say hi at some point. On the other hand, if she doesn’t stand near you, it may indicate that she’s shy or would like you to say something to her first.

Notice if she touches you. Physical touch is significant and can carry a lot of meaning. For example, if you make a girl laugh and she puts her hand on your arm, this may indicate that she likes you. But, if she doesn’t touch you, it doesn’t mean she isn’t interested. Instead, try chatting with her.

Seeing If She Likes You Through Texting or Online Chatting

Reach out through online messaging. If you don’t have a girl’s phone number—and aren’t ready to ask for it yet—a good route to communicate with her is through online messaging through sites like Facebook or Gmail. Send a short, friendly message that says something like, “Hey Sarah, how are you holding up with this chemistry homework?” Online chatting is a casual way of talking to someone and allows the girl a level of control over the conversation. If she’s not interested in the conversation, she can just close the chat session, or not respond to your message. This would be a good indication that she’s not interested in you.

See if she starts online chats. You don’t have to start every online conversation with her. If you see that you’re both online (e.g., both on Facebook), wait a few minutes and see if she initiates a conversation with you. If a girl is interested—either platonically or romantically—she’ll probably reach out and say hi. Don’t lose hope if she doesn’t start a conversation, though. She could be busy, or hoping you’ll reach out to her. Send a short message with a question; something like, “Hey, what did you think of the history lecture today?”

Notice how she responds if you lightly flirt with her. Light flirting can be a fun, easy way to tell if a girl is into you. If she appreciates the attention, she may flirt back, or at least be excited about the compliment. For example, when you’re already chatting or texting with her, say something like, “BTW, I thought you looked great in school today. I love your new dress!” Take it as a good sign if she replies with, “Thanks, I’m so glad you noticed!” or “You didn’t look half bad yourself… .” On the other hand, if she responds with a dry “Ok,” or “thanks,” she may not appreciate the flirting. Don’t be explicit when you flirt, and avoid anything too pushy or obvious.

Telling if a Girl Likes You During Conversation

Ask her about herself. People usually love to talk about themselves, and feel flattered when another person takes an interest in them. It’s also a great way to learn about a person and see if there’s any chemistry between you. Ask her questions and get to know her. Great opening questions include: “Which school did you go to before you came here?” “I didn’t see you on the bus; does somebody drive you to school?” “Have you taken Algebra with Ms. Smith?” If she doesn’t know you or doesn’t seem interested in sharing, back off. You don’t want to come off as creepy.

Ask her a simple question. If a girl likes you, she’ll want to talk to you. Say something like, “Is this seat taken?” or “Do you know what the cafeteria is serving for lunch today?” If she replies with more than a short, 1-word answer, that’s a good sign! Continue the conversation that you just started. Remember that girls can be shy, too! It may take a few short conversations over a period of a few weeks for her to start opening up to you. Don’t take it as a bad sign if she doesn’t launch into a full-blown conversation with you right away.

Notice if she compliments you. For both guys and girls, it’s common to compliment someone if you’re interested or find them attractive. Pay attention even to subtle compliments, which could be as innocuous as, “Wow, you did a great job on the math homework,” or “Your hair looks cool today, are you styling it any differently?” It’s always nice to return compliments, too. This can let a girl know you’re interested. If she compliments your jacket, for example, say “thank you,” and then tell her you like her earrings, for example.

Pay attention if she frequently initiates conversations with you. If a girl likes you, she may attempt to talk to you and start conversations. If she has a question, take note if she goes out of her way to ask you instead of anyone else. This shows that she has an interest in you as a person, and wants to get to know you better. As with nearly all of these signs, starting conversations could indicate that a girl has either a platonic or romantic interest in you. There’s no real way to know for sure without taking a direct approach, like asking her out.

Listen to her ideas and let her know you’re interested in hanging out. If a girl likes you or is interested in spending more time together, she may casually bring up events or places where the two of you could hang out. She may not be asking for a date at this point, but the hang-out can still be a fun, low-key to spend time together and see if there’s a mutual attraction. For example, if she says “I really want to see that new Marvel movie this weekend!” say something like “I’ve been wanting to see it too! Any chance you’re free to see it on Saturday evening?”

Ask her out and see what she says. Get it out of the way! Body language and verbal clues can be helpful, but until you ask a girl out, you won’t actually know how she feels about you. If you’re nervous, you don’t have to ask her out on an official date. Instead, ask her if she’d like to get a coffee or have some other low-pressure interaction. Say something like, “I’ve enjoyed talking with you over the past few days. Any chance you’d be interested in grabbing a soda together after school?”