Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.

The contemporary society puts a lot of stress on the importance of quality education. Therefore, inventing a reliable system for measuring the merit of university education is an important issue. The higher education is where a student chooses their future profession and begins specializing. Choosing the right field of study during higher education is a valuable step towards the future success of any individual. But how is such a choice made? Can and should the educational institution take part in the decision process? The critera for choosing a field of study might be poor marks in the past in subjects related to the area of study. For example, a computer scientist needs a knowledge in mathematics in order to be able to write optimal algorithms, test them and to compute their performance. Some universities around the world, like the one that I attended, have an entry exam that requires deep knowledge and thinking abilities in math. But if we take Steve Jobs, who is not a pundit in technology or math, but that did not stop him from becoming of the greatest innovators in the world of computer technology.
An actor needs to be able to hold the attention of the audience, express various emotions and look confident on the stage/screen. Therefore, some universities have entry exams for acting classes that require performing a part of a play or similar activity in front of a committee. There is always a possibility that the comittee's opiniion does not match the opinion of the general audience and many great actors did not study of failed on their entry exams.
In some areas of study, it is more important to dissuade students than in others. for example - not every person has the ability to become a musician or a singer even if they really want to. Certain fields of study require physical abilities such as aviation or medical fields and students that do not meet the requirements should not be allowed to the program, because it will be a waste of money and time.
In general, it is a good idea to have some method of dissuading students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed. Even a wrong decision is made in the process, if they really want, students will find a way to pursue their true interests.