Continue the conversation on DOCS Connect, with filmmaker in attendance to respond to your questions, <a href="https://afidocsconnect.discussion.community/post/try-harder-filmmaker-present-11776092?pid=1326741111" target="_blank">here.</a>

Practically the entire student body of Lowell High School, San Francisco’s most elite public school, is trying its hardest to attract the attention of the country’s most selective colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Berkeley and the gold standard for Lowell students, Stanford. But what if packing your schedule with AP classes, getting all “A’s” and being an Eagle Scout is not enough? And what if the deck is stacked against you because you attend an Asian-American majority school, which the elite colleges have euphemistically dubbed as being “robotic”? In Debbie Lum’s humorous and thought-provoking take on the stresses and strains of the college application process, what stands out most is the character and heart of these young people — something that no admissions office can truly measure.

TRY HARDER!

Welcome to the high-pressure world of the college application process. TRY HARDER! features a wonderful cast of stressed-out high school seniors pulling out all the stops to make their college dreams a reality.

Watch a special conversation with director Debbie Lum, producer Lou Nakasako and subjects Rachael Schmidt and Sophia Wu moderated by AFI Festivals Senior Programmer Ken Jacobson.

Q&A - TRY HARDER!

Watch a special conversation with director Debbie Lum, producer Lou Nakasako and subjects Rachael Schmidt and Sophia Wu moderated by AFI Festivals Senior Programmer Ken Jacobson.

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AFI DOCS is the American Film Institute’s annual celebration of the best documentary films of the year. Stream more than 50 new documentaries along with exclusive Q&As, panels and more. 