update GitHub Actions workflows and refine API request handling

.github/workflows/playwright.yml

@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ jobs:
         runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
         steps:
-            - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+            - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
             - name: Cache node modules
-              uses: actions/cache@v2
+              uses: actions/cache@v4
               env:
                   cache-name: cache-node-modules
               with:

src/pages/api/apply.ts

@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ interface ParsedBody {
     email?: string;
     city?: string;
     state?: string;
-    zipCode?: string;
+    zipCode?: number;
     country?: string;
     branchOfService?: string;
-    yearJoined?: string;
-    yearSeparated?: string;
+    yearJoined?: number;
+    yearSeparated?: number;
     linkedInAccountName?: string;
     githubAccountName?: string;
     preworkLink?: string;
@@ -76,6 +76,6 @@ export default async function handler(req: Request, res: Response) {
     } catch (err) {
         // Log the error for debugging and respond with an error message
         // console.error("Failed to post to #mentor channel:", err);
-        return res.status(500).json({ message: "Failed to post to #mentor channel" });
+        return res.status(500).json({ message: "Failed to post to #apply channel" });
     }
 }