New York City serves as the backdrop for the new cycle of America's Next Top Model. New places and new faces are in store for this season.

Judging the preliminaries became a challenge for Tyra Banks, J. Alexander and Jay Manuel, due to the amount of model potential brought forth by the 30 contestants vying for a chance to show what they could bring to the competition. In the end, 13 girls were slotted to become the new cast of Cycle 10, but Tyra felt that the "Big Apple" could handle one more runway diva and added an extra spot.

Meet the Girls

Aimee

Age: 18

Hometown: Spanway, Washington

Occupation: Hostess

Allison

Age: 19

Hometown: Waunakee, Wisconsin

Occupation: Hostess

Amy a.k.a "Amis"

Age: 20

Hometown: Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Occupation: Waitess

Amy chose the alias "Amis" because there was already another Amy chosen to be on the show.

Anya

Age: 19

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Occupation: Retail Sales

Atalya ELIMINATED on February 27, 2008.

Age: 18

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

Occupation: Student

Claire

Age: 24

Hometown: New York City, New York

Occupation: Production Coordinator

Dominique

Age: 23

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Occupation: Receptionist

Fatima

Age: 22

Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

Occupation: Student

Katarzyna

Age: 20

Hometown: Roslyn, New York

Occupation: Finance

Kimberly (Took herself out of the competition on February 27, 2008)

Age: 20

Hometown: Worchester, Massachusetts

Occupation: Customer Service

Lauren

Age: 22

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

Occupation: Artist

Marvita

Age: 23

Hometown: San Francisco, California

Occupation: Retail Sales

Marvita auditioned last season, but didn’t make the final cut.

Stacy Ann

Age: 22

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Occupation: Student

Whitney

Age: 20

Hometown: Atlantic Beach, Florida

Occupation: Student

Truths Are Told and Attitudes Flare

In the premiere episode, Fatima presented herself to the judges and revealed that she had been circumcised at a young age. She broke down back among the girls and many came to console her. Marvita asked Fatima if she felt like any less of a woman because of what happened to her and drama ensued and personalities collided. Many of the girls thought that Marvita’s question was inappropriate, but Marvita defended herself by insisting that she did not mean any disrespect to Fatima.

After the introductions to the judges were complete, a few of the girls were cut and the remaining contenders partook in a "school girl" photo shoot. After the judge’s deliberation, the group was narrowed to 14 young hopefuls.

The Prize and a New Face

The grand prize for becoming America’s Next Top Model remains the same. The winning model will be managed by Elite Model Management, receive a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl and will appear on the cover, as well as a six-page spread, of Seventeen magazine.

After five cycles, Twiggy will no longer be one of the panel judges on the show. The CW Network stated that her departure was due to "scheduling conflicts," but would not comment further. Replacing the fashion icon is former supermodel, Paulina Porizkova. She has appeared in many fashion magazines throughout her career, as well as maintained a background in acting.