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When college courses can cost hundreds of dollars per unit; when the pathway to med school is littered with students who have spent semesters, years of time on this pathway and suddenly find themselves onto Plan B, C etc; when OPs don’t provide facts that would be helpful to offer more accurate advice or don’t have critical facts (eg MCAT score); when OPs are clueless as to what hurdles they have to get over; even if an OP provides info that makes one conclude they have a shot, last cycle 60% failed to get in; IMO I think one is doing a greater service to any premed by being blunt in answering questions especially as to one’s chance at med school.
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Exactly!
Yes, some info could be soft-pedaled, but then the greater risk is that the student “hears what he wants to hear.” If the subject at hand was a minor one, then minimal harm if the student stumbles due to that.
BUT…this is college, which is both costly and time-consuming. No one wants someone spending $80k-$100k on misdirected path, only have to change gears and spend a whole bunch more. Many of us do not subscribe to the “tell them what they want to hear,” method. We will help them get the goal they want if there is a reasonable path, but we’re not going to give wishy-washy responses that leave the student believing that their path is ok.
Sometimes our words have to be the ice-cold water to the face.