<p>I will be attending as a Sophomore (tenth grade). Everyone there will already have friends and I am am kind of an introvert. Will I have trouble making friends or fitting in? I'm worried that the school will have "cliques".</p>
<p>@biancastarflare don’t worry, you won’t be the only new sophomore. When it comes to making friends, just be friendly and nice and stay true to yourself and you’ll be just fine! 
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<p>There will be other new sophomores who are in the same boat, and plenty of returning kids who are looking forward to meeting new people.</p>
<p>Boarding School can be tough on introverts (it can be tough on me, and I’m super-introverted), so give yourself time and breathing room. Those first weeks there is going to be a lot of amped-up energy that can be overwhelming. The important thing is to remember that a lot of kids don’t find their best friends or new areas of interest right away. Real friendships take time to develop, and as long as you keep reminding yourself that you are doing just fine and don’t need to have found your perfect friend group the first week, it’ll be easier. I know a lot of kids who had plenty of acquaintances at first, but really settled in with closer friends after Thanksgiving, and in some cases second semester.</p>
<p>The school probably won’t have cliques as they are represented in TV and films, but there will likely be groups identifiable around outward characteristics–there may be a group of wealthy NYC kids, a group of die-hard lax players, an artistic group, etc, but they are unlikely to go out of their way to be mean or exclusive. You will find your people!</p>
<p>Not only sophomore, but freshman students feel the same way. BS life can be tough to anybody. But it provides an equal opportunity to most people. </p>
<p>Try to be honest, truthful and friendly. Don’t worry too much if you are an introvert. You will be surprised to see many kids consider themselves an introvert and share the similar feeling. Think of the boarding school life as a great learning opportunity. You will have great times as well as tough ones. You will learn to face/resolve the tough situation and ultimately learn to interact with people with different ideas and thoughts. </p>
<p>Check out several clubs, then find a few to stick with. Clubs are a great way to meet people if you don’t play sports or music. Try to make friends in the dorm too. Even though it sounds hokey, find some time every week] to spend with your advisor - they can give you very good advice.</p>