While being Asian American is the norm at San Francisco’s Lowell High School, the perceptions and pressures of the “model minority” myth intensify for a group of students undergoing the high-stakes process of applying for their dream college. Debbie Lum’s timely film reveals an American school system fraught with drained students in an ever-surmounting cycle of competition for capital-A “Achievement.” Fresh, direct, and eye-opening, TRY HARDER is a must-watch for teens, families, and educators alike.