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Fill a school transfer form's reason box the district's way
Practice: Setting limits and rules. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're requesting a school transfer for your son. The form's reason box needs under 80 words. Start with the district's reason category word for word in the form 'Reason: [category]', name the current and requested schools, give the specific facts behind that reason, leave out any complaints about his current teacher, and end with the line 'Student ID: 448812'. Write a prompt that gets that answer.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 80 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "The Reason line, then 3 sentences under 18 words each."
- Not using the category. The AI writes a heartfelt paragraph and never names one of the district's categories. Try: Say it: "Start with: Reason: Childcare."
- Vague facts. The AI says "childcare is easier there" without the distances that make the case. Try: Add: "Grandma lives 3 blocks from Cedar Ridge, 4 miles from Oak Grove, and doesn't drive."
- Venting on the form. Given your notes, the AI may mention the teacher, which the form says isn't a valid reason. Try: Add: "No complaints about his teacher. Leave out the coding club. End with Student ID: 448812."
What a strong prompt includes
- Sets a word limit
- Uses the category
- Names both schools
- Gives the facts
- Leaves out complaints
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