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Check a grant application's numbers against your school profile

Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're applying for a library books grant, and a colleague drafted the "Our School" paragraph. You want only the numbers the official school data profile contradicts, as numbered lines in the form "Draft says X; profile says Y", under 60 words total, in plain text. Skip matching numbers and claims the profile doesn't cover, and don't rewrite the paragraph.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Missing last year's number. 512 appears in the profile's reference line, so the AI may think it's fine. Try: Say: "Use only the 2026-27 numbers."
  • Flagging everything. The AI questions the public library claim and matching numbers to look careful. Try: Add: "Skip numbers that match and claims the profile doesn't cover."
  • Getting writing advice. The AI rewrites the paragraph to sound more persuasive. Try: Say: "Don't rewrite. Only list contradictions."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands 10-20% over. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 15 words."
  • Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in your grant notes. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the current profile
  • Asks for contradictions only
  • Gives the line format
  • Sets a length limit
  • Asks for plain text

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