Screen youth program applicants against the eligibility rules

About this exercise

You're screening five applications for a free summer STEM camp. Write exactly 5 numbered lines in the application order, each "Name: Eligible, Not eligible or Need info - reason" using only those three labels, under 90 words, plain text. Apply the rules as written, including the updated income limit, and use Need info when the application is missing something rather than guessing. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• No fixed shape. The AI writes a table or paragraphs with headings per applicant. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 5 numbered lines: Name: label - reason."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 90 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "each reason under 10 words."
• Using the old limit. The $60,000 limit appears first, so the AI rejects Jaylen. Try: Add: "Use the Nov 1 income limit: $68,000."
• Inventing labels. The AI writes Pending, Incomplete or Conditionally eligible. Try: Add: "Use only Eligible, Not eligible or Need info."
• Guessing at gaps. The AI assumes Noah's income is fine or rejects him for leaving it blank. Try: Add: "If something's missing, say Need info and what's missing."

What a strong prompt includes

• Uses exact labels
• Uses the updated limit
• Handles missing info
• Keeps the order
• Sets a word limit

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