GOOSEBERRY APPLICATIONS;

[funnylookingkid]

GENERAL

NAME: Names on the character roster are set in stone. We may allow name changes on a case-by-case basis, i.e. not for anyone who has an important role such as prefect or Quidditch player, or changing the surname to match the ethnicity of your POC character. Contact us before submitting your app and explain why you want to change the name, and what you want it changed to.
NICKNAMES: Although you can get creative with nicknames, we kindly request that you not use a nickname as a loophole to rename your character.
AGE/DOB:
BLOOD STATUS: If your character isn't marked as either a Muggleborn or a pureblood on the character roster, then they're a half-blood. In that case, their parents' blood status is up to you (e.g. pureblood mom and muggleborn dad, muggle mom and half-blood dad, half-blood mom and half-blood dad, etc.) Please ensure that your character's background matches their blood status. This is to say that your Muggleborn should not have an extended wizarding family, your half-blood shouldn't have grown up like a Muggleborn, and your pureblood should still be a product of American pureblood culture, whether they're wealthy or not. These are coveted roles, and if you don't want to do anything with the assigned blood status marker on the cast page, just talk to the mods. Chances are we can move it for you so someone else can use it.
GENDER/PRONOUNS: Your character's gender (male, female, nonbinary, etc.) and preferred pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them, etc.)
SEXUALITY: What they currently identify as. Saying you don't know yet is a valid answer.
HOMETOWN: Characters can be from the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Central America (Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama), and in a few rarer cases, South America. If they're an exchange student, they can be from anywhere in the United Kingdom.

CONCEPT: Describe your character in no more than 12 words, and no less than 8. This will be used on the cast page.

PHYSICAL

APPEARANCE: OPTIONAL. If there's anything about them that's not immediately obvious from their icons that you'd like to make sure we know, please do so here. You can also describe your character's style of dress, i.e. how they wear their uniform and what they wear when out of uniform.

HEIGHT: It can differ from their PB.

PB: Please choose a PB that looks age appropriate and has a wide range of facial expressions. As a general rule, stay away from musicians, models, and anyone in their late 20's or older. If you think your choice may be an exception, you can discuss it with us when you hold the PB. Additionally, Gooseberry likes to allow its students to express themselves, which means PBs with piercings and dyed hair are acceptable. PLEASE NOTE: we are no longer accepting musicians, models, YouTubers, or icon sets that are more than 50% from photo shoots. If you already have an approved PB that falls into one of these categories from Year 1, they're grandfathered in. New characters, however, will need to choose an actor with images from a performance.

PERSONALITY

LIKES:

DISLIKES:

PERSONALITY:

Minimum five paragraphs. Please address how they behave, how they think, and what motivates them. What first impression do they give? What are the differences between how they treat friends, strangers and authority figures? How do they handle their problems? What are their major character flaws and weaknesses?

If you are bringing back your character from Year 1, please feel free to elaborate on how they've changed since the previous year.

SKILLS

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Everyone should be fluent in English because that's the language the game is being conducted in, but aside from that, the world is your oyster... within reason. Languages are difficult to learn and these are still kids. Please make sure the number and variety of languages they speak matches their history.

PATRONUS: If your character can cast a Patronus, please say so here, and what animal it is. This is a skill that was earned in-game by characters active in a past event. If your character was not there for that event, your reasoning for why they can cast a Patronus would have to be incredibly good. Please expect us to decline your explanation. But don't worry! That event will be coming around again!

SKILLS: Please list the notable skills your character has. If they are an artist, what mediums do they work in? If they're a musician, which instruments do they play? Can they surf? Are they unusually athletic? Do they play any sports? While this is a self-indulgent fantasy game where we're playing genius children, please keep this reasonable. An artist cannot work in every medium imaginable, and an athlete is not a prodigy at every sport. If you ever want to add things to this list, please contact the mods to let us know.

HISTORY

FAMILY MEMBERS:

List the names and occupations of your character's parents, siblings and other notable relatives.

HISTORY:

Outline their family background, childhood, early schooling, Hogwarts history (for exchange students), and previous years at Gooseberry High. (There are four years at GH, with students typically starting school in freshman year.) North American students are likely to have gone to a local wizarding school or a boarding school like Ilvermorny before entering Gooseberry.

Keep in mind that Gooseberry Alternative High School seeks young wizards with remarkable talent or achievements (be it in academics, arts, sports, etc). This does not mean your character must be some kind of genius, but please consider addressing how they were accepted to Gooseberry. (There are of course some students who got in thanks to money or family connections. That said, we are no longer interested in problem children whose parents paid their way in hopes of fixing their behavioral problems. Gooseberry is not that kind of school, and a student will not last long if they can't keep up.)

If you're bringing back a character from Year 1, please make sure you dedicate a little time and effort to describing anything noteworthy that happened to them last year. We don't need a detailed summary of the Year 1 plot, but would like a little thought about what was going on in their personal lives.

SCHOOL

YEAR: Sophomore (Grade 10), Junior (Grade 11) or Senior (Grade 12)
HOUSE: For exchange students, please note their Hogwarts house here as well.
SORTING: Why do they fit into their house? (If you want to go into more detail, feel free to describe how their Sorting went, and whether or not they were almost put into a different house.)
WAND: As there are multiple celebrated wandmakers to be found in the Americas, your student may have a wand with a non-Ollivanders wood or core.
FAMILIAR: Any indoor pet that does not need a large cage is appropriate (owls are the exception, and are housed in the owlery). Common choices are owls, cats, rats, toads, hamsters, small birds (including crows/ravens/hawks, but not eagles), and small snakes. While we want to let everyone be creative with their choices, please do research if you want to choose something especially exotic.

CLASSES: See here for what classes are offered. Students typically take 4-6 core classes and 2-4 elective classes. Students may take more or less depending on interests or academic ambition. All advanced study classes are extremely demanding. A class load of more than 8 is considered challenging, especially if they’re also taking an Advanced Study. Please list your classes instead of linking to a timetable, it helps the mods out.
ADVANCED STUDY: If interested, a student may select one Advanced Study course, but they are not required to do so. These classes require high grades and a great deal of time and ambition. If you want your character to be in an Advanced Study, please use this section to explain to us why they qualify, and why they want it. If the course is Animagus Studies, list the animal they hope to become as well. If the mods find your reasoning lacking, we will decline them for the spot.
SENIOR PROJECT: What is their senior project? Depending on what year they're in, this can either be the one they're working on, or the one they're currently hoping to do. Saying they have no idea is a valid answer, but the clock is ticking for seniors!
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: How are they doing in school? What's their favourite and least favourite classes?

EXTRACURRICULARS: See here for a list of clubs and activities. Slots for reserve Quidditch players and cheerleaders are first-come first-serve, and can be checked here. Additionally, we will no longer be accepting Quidditch players and prefects who are not passionate about their roles. Getting onto a team or becoming a prefect is a lot of work, and no one is given these positions thoughtlessly. If this is the only section in which you mention your character is a prefect or a Quidditch player, it might be a problem.

OOC

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