I've always preferred attending smaller schools, everyones much more friendly and it's easier to learn in smaller, close-knit classes. The middle school and the highschool that I did my final years in, had under 900 students. I felt I did my best academically and were more comfortable socially, in these schools.
Well you should choose the one you want regardless of where people are going. And you'll be able to make new friends in either school regardless just by nature of lunch scedules and classes honestly high shool isn't that bad
I know you said that the grades are what you're really going for, but please dont let size be a deciding factor! I go to a high school with over 4500 students and I'm very happy not fitting into a specific group or clique (unless you count the newspaper staffers). Also, the cliques at bigger schools are less defined, much less rigid than cliques at smaller schools. I intend to go to a small university (1500 students), but I also go into it knowing that if you screw up everybody will know about it. Also, remember that middle school is not high school. Most of the student body seems to take a big-kid pill over the summer and gets over the fact that people wont like the same music, movies, and colours that they do. Those who dont, you dont really want to be around anyway. I still feel like I need to reiterate that cliques arent bad --they just have nasty connotations; thanks, television! You are in a clique. Everyone is. I am. Even the "floaters" are in a clique all their own. For instance, many floaters take pride in the fact that they dont fit in anywhere, that they're not able to be pigeonholed into any one group. They wouldnt consider a "popular" person a floater and thus would exclude him / her. Even if they still befriend that person, that exclusion is a key trait in becoming a socially defined clique. It's just what people do, and it's not a bad thing. It's how you react to these groups, how you present yourself that allows you to fit in where you want, and not to fit in where you dont.
I detest cliques. They force people into a certein set of pre-determined traits and can easily ruin the social and mental health of easily-influenced children. Not only because they might feel that they need to fit in on their own, but because other children might tease them about it. "A person is a highly-developed being, capable of deep thought and rational, world-changing decisions, while a group of people is nothing more than a mob of violence and blindness." And that, was my 2 cents.
I'm struggling deeply to fit in. I limit what most people know of me. Just be the person people can handle. But it eats away at me that I can't be who I am. In middle school I was heavily criticized because I was a student who enjoyed learning and reading. I also was loud, slightly, quirky. I have had several mean jokes played on me. I was just worth money to them. You can't be his friends for a week, I bet I can be for 20 dollars. I was sad and hurt to know because I didn't fit in. I was the weirdo, the kid who got other kids paid. And even now, I don't fit in anywhere. Internet or real life. I become a cynic. I don't believe people any more. Simply because I have been lied to, deceived, and had so many experiences that I don't trust people. I struggle a lot these days. To camouflage to hide from people at school. So that I'm left alone. I've also been rejected from groups. For a lot of personal matters. But I know something. I'm a lot stronger then these people. Because I've made it on my own by myself. I don't need a person to complete me, I am complete by myself. I am strong. And no matter how much they break me into tiny bits and pieces. They can't stop me. My heart may be shattered. But my personal independence never will. My view on cliques and groups. I don't like them. They are bound to happen. You have to survive through them.
