{"id":"life-hs-college-waitlist-letter","audience":"high-school","category":"everyday-life","track":"life","technique":"grounding","title":"Pull the steps out of a college waitlist letter","free":false,"task":"You were waitlisted at a college and the letter has steps and dates. Get exactly 4 numbered lines in plain text, under 80 words: 1. the deadline to accept a spot on the waitlist, using the corrected date; 2. how to accept; 3. the optional update letter's word limit and due date; 4. when decisions will come. No advice about other schools. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The waitlist letter (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"ASHBROOK COLLEGE - OFFICE OF ADMISSION (fictional)\n\nDear Mateo,\n\nThank you for your application to Ashbrook College. This year we received more than 14,000 applications for 520 places, and the committee was impressed by your curiosity and your work with the robotics team. While we cannot offer you admission at this time, we would like to offer you a place on our waitlist.\n\nTo accept a place on the waitlist, complete the Waitlist Reply Form in your applicant portal by April 15.\n\nYou may also submit an optional update letter of no more than 300 words, telling us about new achievements since you applied. Upload it to the portal by May 1.\n\nWe expect to make waitlist decisions between May 5 and June 15. We recommend that you accept an offer and submit a deposit at another college by May 1.\n\nSincerely,\nThe Ashbrook Admission Committee\n\nCORRECTION (email): \"The Waitlist Reply Form deadline in your letter should read April 8, not April 15.\"","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Missing the correction","why":"The AI gives April 15 from the letter.","fix":"Add: \"Use the corrected April 8 deadline.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Summarizing the letter","why":"The AI recaps the applicant numbers and the compliments.","fix":"Say: \"Only the 4 facts, one per line.\"","checks":["r2","numberedItems"]},{"title":"Adding advice","why":"The AI tells you what to do about other colleges.","fix":"Add: \"No advice about other schools.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing the details","why":"The AI says you can send an update but drops the word limit or date.","fix":"Add: \"Line 3: the update letter's word limit and due date.\"","checks":["r1","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 80 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"each line under 16 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Uses the correction","patterns":["correct","april 8","apr 8"]},{"label":"Asks for the update letter details","patterns":["update letter","300","word limit"]},{"label":"Rules out advice","patterns":["no advice","other schools","facts only"]},{"label":"Sets the number of lines","patterns":["\\b(4|four)\\b.{0,20}(lines?|numbered|items?|steps?)"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Tell the AI the four facts you need, with labels, which date is current, and to skip the rest.","rubricLabels":["Line 1 gives April 8 as the deadline (the corrected date), not April 15","Line 2 says to complete the Waitlist Reply Form in the applicant portal, and line 3 gives the update letter as optional, at most 300 words, due May 1","Line 4 gives May 5 to June 15 for decisions, and the answer doesn't repeat the letter's praise or add advice about other schools"]}